Senator Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant News

Senator Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant issued the following statement following her vote against the gaming expansion bill.

“While I understand the revenue that gaming expansion can provide our state, especially in terms of education and social services, I am worried about the impact that this expansion will have on my community.”

Bertino-Tarrant fears the economic and local impact that increased gaming will have on residents of Will and Kendall counties.

The bill, SB 1739, narrowly passed out of the Senate yesterday. It will now be sent to the House for Representatives for further action.

The state Department of Transportation today announced a six-year $12.62 billion transportation construction program.  Millions of dollars in federal and state funds will be dedicated to improving roadways and bridges in the 49th District, which incorporates Plainfield, Oswego, Shorewood, Crest Hill and parts of several other cities.

Senator Bertino-Tarrant (D-Shorewood) is very pleased that there is a long term goal for enhancing transportation in and through Will and Kendall Counties.

“Our roads and bridges have not been able to keep up with the increased population and traffic in our area,” Sen. Bertino-Tarrant said.  “Many of our roadways are in desperate need of repair.” 

Nearly 30 new transportation construction projects in and around District 49 are scheduled between 2014 and 2019.  Most notably, the I-80 bridge between Ridge Road and U.S. 30 will be widened and replaced, and I-55 at Weber Road will also be widened and resurfaced.

Additionally, the construction program will help develop a multi-modal transportation center in Joliet that will provide travelers access to Metra commuter rail and Amtrak passenger rail, as well as intercity bus and taxi service.

“People need a solid transportation framework in order to grow and thrive,” Bertino-Tarrant said.  “Building that framework will provide good quality jobs, ensure that our economy continues to move in the right direction and remind people that our region is a good place to live and work.”

The purpose of the six-year construction program is to improve roads and bridges throughout Illinois while making major investments in public transportation. The project is scheduled to improve 2,142 miles of highway and replace or rehabilitate 517 bridges across the state.

Senator Bertino-Tarrant is a co-sponsor of legislation that expands the qualifying factors for line-of-duty death compensation to include suicide, in some cases. 

The bill provides that if a mental health professional deems an officer’s self-inflicted injuries were sustained as a direct result of the officer’s active duty service, the officer’s death will be considered a line-of-duty occurrence and the officer’s surviving family will be eligible for line-of-duty death benefits.

“Our public safety officials put their lives on the line every day,” Bertino-Tarrant said. “Protecting their families from the effects of a dangerous job is the least we can do to show our appreciation.” 

Police officers have the highest incidence of suicide of any profession. Their incidence of depression and similar mental and emotional disorders is disproportionately high compared to other working professionals.

“Suicide is something that, unfortunately, plagues police departments across the state of Illinois,” said Chicago Fraternal Order of Police President, Michael Shields. “This is something that should have been included initially when the line-of-duty death benefit became law and this was our way of following through to ensure that families that have already suffered such a devastating loss aren’t left penniless.”

The Senate passed the bill today without opposition.  It will now head to the House for further action.

SPRINGFIELD —State Senator Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant (D-Shorewood), along with 29 of her colleagues, passed legislation out of the Illinois Senate yesterday that will save the state billions of dollars by reforming the Teachers Retirement System.
 
The bill gives current employees a choice of how they wish to receive a portion of their retirement benefits.  They are asked to choose between cost of living adjustments or health insurance upon their retirement. Retired teachers are not included. 
 
This change would create an immediate savings of $4.7 billion and will save the state $18 billion or more over the next 30 years. 
 
"Yesterday, legislators took action to address the pension crisis. It is becoming increasingly clear that a comprehensive reform, as much as it is my preference, does not have a majority of votes at this time," Sen. Bertino-Tarrant said.   "This comes the closest to achieving reforms while doing the least amount of detriment to the retirement security of our teachers.”
 
This bill’s sponsor believes that it maintains the strongest argument for constitutionality.  Legislators worry that passing a plan that the courts determine to be unconstitutional would waste both time and money. 
 
"We are not done with pension reform.  We need to address the state’s other four pension systems if we are going to truly reduce our pension debt, but this is the first step in rebuilding Illinois and reinvesting dollars into our education and human services, as well as paying down our backlog of overdue bills, " Bertino-Tarrant continued. 
 
No Senate Republicans voted on this measure, which will now be taken up in the House of Representatives.

SPRINGFIELD — Senator Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant (D-Shorewood) took the oath of office today, beginning her first term representing the 49th Legislative District in the Illinois Senate. Her husband and two children accompanied her to Springfield for the inaugural ceremony.

“It is a tremendous honor to take this oath and begin the important work of serving as my constituents’ voice in the Senate,” Bertino-Tarrant said. “I look forward to working with my new colleagues to tackle our state’s problems, find reasonable solutions and strive to make Illinois the best it can be.”

Sen. Bertino-Tarrant is a fourth-generation Will County resident who won the newly created 49th District Senate seat in the November 2012 election. The new district includes all or part of Bolingbrook, Crest Hill, Joliet, Oswego, Plainfield, Romeoville and Shorewood.

Bertino-Tarrant is a lifelong educator with 18 years of local school district experience, culminating in her election as Regional Superintendent of Schools for Will County. She is confident her experience as a Regional Superintendent will serve her well as she grapples with budget issues, since she is familiar with how state budget constraints have affected school districts. She hopes to use her institutional knowledge to block waste and promote sensible, consistent funding for essential programs.

“I’m committed to bringing great jobs to my district, and that means facilitating an attractive but fair environment for businesses large and small,” Sen. Bertino-Tarrant. “Great schools are also central to our communities, and I look forward to bringing my on-the-ground experience in education to the work of the legislature.”

Sen. Bertino-Tarrant grew up in a family of seven children, and most of her brothers and sisters still call Will County home. Bertino-Tarrant graduated from Illinois State University with a B.S. in Criminal Justice and has earned advanced degrees or certificates from the University of St. Francis, Lewis University and Loyola University. Her record of civic commitment includes involvement with the Will County Center for Economic Development, the Joliet Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Wilco Area Career Center, the Troy Educational Foundation, the Community Services Council and St. Paul the Apostle Church, where she and her family worship.