Inside:
- Three Swanson bills signed into law
- Report shows Illinois pension crisis is worst in the country
- Drive safely around school buses!
- Illinois State Fair now underway in Springfield
Three Swanson bills signed into law
This spring I was proud to have the House and Senate pass six bills which I sponsored. A few days ago, three of these bills were signed into law.
House Bill 1149 requires higher education institutions to develop a policy for awarding academic credit for training which was conducted as a firefighter. State law already provides such credit opportunities for EMT training. This bill would extend credits to firefighters.
Senate Bill 2351 makes changes to the way online auctions and estate changes are conducted in Illinois.
House Bill 1754 directs the Department of Public Health to provide educational material on its website about alpha-gal syndrome, a tick-borne condition which can cause severe allergic reactions. The department will undertake an educational campaign on its signs and symptoms, including education on proper procedures by which to order a test for diagnosis of alpha-gal syndrome
Three other bills which I sponsored are on the Governor’s desk awaiting action. They deal with everything from veterans to first responders to health care. The Governor still has a couple more weeks to act upon bills which passed both houses this spring.
Report shows Illinois pension crisis is worst in the country
A recent nationwide analysis from the Equable Institute indicated that Illinois’ state pensions remain fiscally unstable and threaten retirees and taxpayers. The report warned that Illinois has the nation’s worst public pension crisis.
According to the Institute’s findings, Illinois’ pensions continue to lag the rest of the nation and are in need of reform. Every year that the state fails to address these issues, the problem gets bigger, the budget gets more strained, and people continue to leave the state over high taxes – which only puts future pension benefits more at risk.
Unfunded pension obligations equal 19.02% of Illinois’ gross domestic product, having worsened from 18.52% last year. This figure places Illinois as the worst in the nation. It means that roughly one-fifth of everything produced in the state would be required in order to erase the shortfall.
The pension shortfall drives up the burden on taxpayers, because the state has to make larger and larger contributions to the pension fund in order to keep up – thus crowding out other important services and requiring more tax revenue. Thirty years ago, Illinoisans paid $614 million into the pension systems. This year that figure is $11.2 billion.
Pension reform proposals have been introduced, and the conversation in Springfield is continuing. But every year we delay, the burden only gets larger.
Drive safely around school buses!
A reminder: soon the yellow school buses will be out on our roads picking up America’s future leaders: doctors, teachers, carpenters, farmers – you fill in the blank.
If you are running late and you think it will be all right this time to go around the stop arm sign and flashing red lights: think again. It is never “all right” to go around the warning device and put a child’s life at risk!
Please keep an eye out for school buses on our roads, and please drive carefully when you see students headed back to school.
Illinois State Fair now underway in Springfield
The Illinois State Fair kicked off yesterday with the twilight parade into the main entrance of the fairgrounds in Springfield. It runs until next Sunday.
The main attraction for the state fair each year is the showcase of agricultural products and presentations from all across our state. Whether it is FFA students showing animals or gardeners presenting their award-winning fruits and vegetables, the state fair is an agricultural showcase second to none.
Each day of the fair has a theme, featuring and recognizing veterans, first responders, park districts, senior citizens and many more. This year there are plenty of deals and discounts for visitors, ranging from admission to parking to great food. And of course there is the entertainment: horse racing and auto racing and a lineup of concerts in the grandstand.
Find out more about this year’s Illinois State Fair by clicking here.
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