Restoring faith in state government is a priority for Senate Democrats. This past spring session, the caucus led the passage of the most comprehensive package of reforms in state history.
Reform
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"For the past several months, I have been debating whether to continue awarding legislative scholarships to college-bound students who live in the 43rd District," Wilhelmi said. "In the end, I decided that the problems with the program outweigh its benefits."
SPRINGFIELD, IL – Minutes ago, the Illinois Senate voted down a Republican-backed proposal to reform workers’ compensation laws in Illinois. Illinois State Senator Gary Forby (D–Benton) released the following statement regarding his decision not to support Senate Bill 1349:
SPRINGFIELD, IL – Illinois State Senator Linda Holmes (D–Aurora) released the following statement regarding her decision not to support Senate Bill 1349, a workers’ compensation reform proposal sponsored by a downstate Republican, at this time:
"Throughout the past few months, I have been adamant about the need to reform our workers’ compensation system in Illinois. As a former small business owner, and after many discussions with business leaders, it’s no secret that the high cost of our workers’ compensation system is one of the major factors driving businesses away from our state. We have to act to bring our system under control and make it more competitive with other states. However, I do not believe that this should be achieved at the expense of hard-working, middle class families. "In the past, this has been done through an agreed bill process to make sure all interested parties have a voice at crafting meaningful legislation. It’s essential that we bring all sides together on this "It’s important to remember why the workers’ compensation system is needed in Illinois. It was put in place to protect both workers and businesses. It protects the health of hard-working employees and maintains fairness for employers by shielding them from unnecessary lawsuits. In order to implement successful reforms, everybody’s going to have to give a little and the proposal before us today is asking workers to give too much."
SPRINGFIELD, IL -- State Senator Susan Garrett (D-Lake Forest) passed two critical reform measures out of the Senate recently that will bring additional transparency and accountability to county and local governments.
 Illinois State Senator Linda Holmes says workers' comp reform is essential, but remains cautious about bills currently introduced
SPRINGFIELD, IL – Illinois State Senator Linda Holmes (D-Aurora) remains skeptical of proposals that have surfaced aimed at reforming workers' compensation laws, but also knows some reforms are essential to lowering the cost of business in the state.
CHICAGO, IL — Days before the Governor gives his annual budget address State Senator Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago) spoke during a press conference on an amendment he is sponsoring to eliminate the State Treasurer’s Office. This bi-partisan effort would lead to cost savings for Illinois taxpayers of approximately $12 million annually. |
Joliet – State Senator AJ Wilhelmi (D-Joliet) has decided that he will no longer participate in the Legislative Tuition Waiver Program.
Concerns voiced by public bodies from across the State regarding the Freedom of Information Act ("FOIA") led to the passage of House Bill 1716, sponsored by Senator Don Harmon (D-Oak Park). This legislation makes several changes to the system of processing FOIA requests while still protecting the core purpose of this widely used transparency tool.
Springfield, IL— State Senator Toi Hutchinson (D-Chicago Heights) passed legislation out of the Senate today that will clarify which municipality receives the local portion of sales tax on a purchase order. Illinois uses origination sourcing when determining which unit of local government receives the sales tax on a purchase order that is placed in another municipality. Origination sourcing means sales tax is paid on an order based on where that order is received instead of where an order is delivered.
Forby stands up for workers’ rights, says more talks are needed to come up with an agreed upon solution
Springfield, IL – State Senator Ed Maloney (D-Chicago), co-sponsor of the education reform bill presented today, Senate Bill 7, said this represents the greatest change in Illinois education since the 1990s and will bring meaningful improvements for students.
Legislation Intended To Open Up County and Local Government
SPRINGFIELD, IL –State Senator Michael Frerichs (D – Champaign) moved SB 2232, the Taxpayer Transparency Act, through the Illinois Senate’s Executive Committee with unanimous support. The Taxpayer Transparency Act requires all bills making appropriations with taxpayer dollars be conveniently available to the public for at least 4 days on the General Assembly website before final legislative action.
Measure would lead to cost savings for Illinois Taxpayers