Students from Arcola School District traveled to the State Capitol on February 1 to meet with State lawmakers Senator Dale Righter (R-Mattoon) and Representative Chapin Rose (R-Charleston) and tour the Illinois Statehouse. During their visit, the students also had the opportunity to listen to the Governor’s annual State of the State address.
Senator Righter and Representative Rose visited with the students, before posing for a picture in the Senate Chamber. The students included: Alvaro Elizondo, Juan Garza, Kassie Herrera, Stephen Hutton, Sandra Leyva, Bridgett McWhorter, Jonathan Mendoza, Sam Patel, Jesus Raygoza, Patty Silguero, Kati Watson, Lexee Clark, and Phillip Morgan. The students were joined by instructors Quentin Hanson, Marlo Spindle, Clayton Chumblee and Irene Cavazos.
Video from Senator Dale Righter's and Representative Patti Bellock's February 2 press conference on Medicaid reform and the Quinn Administration's efforts to expedite Medicaid expansion in Cook County.
State Senator Dale Righter (R-Mattoon) today called on the Quinn Administration to implement cost-saving Medicaid reforms already passed into law, and to drop plans to seek a Medicaid expansion for Cook County.
“Last year lawmakers passed bipartisan Medicaid reform that placed a moratorium on the creation or expansion of Medicaid programs, and established what I’m sure most people in this state would consider common sense eligibility verification measures,” said Righter. “So I was dumbfounded to learn that even as the Administration drags its feet on filing the paperwork necessary to actually implement these reforms, they are expediting efforts in pursuit of an expansion of the Medicaid program in Cook County.”
Righter said that Governor Pat Quinn yesterday barely touched on the subject of Medicaid reform in his State of the State speech. Meanwhile, the Governor’s administration has failed to implement hundreds of millions of dollars in cost-saving bipartisan reforms lawmakers passed into law in 2011, including P.A. 96-1501 prohibiting any expansion or creation of Medicaid programs for two years; the moratorium took effect January 25, 2011.
The Illinois General Assembly passed and the Governor signed the Medicaid reform measures in 2011. However, this week it was learned that Quinn’s Director of Healthcare and Family Services is seeking a waiver to expedite by two years the influx of new Medicaid enrollees in Cook County expected under the new federal Affordable Care Act. This expansion would unquestionably violate the moratorium and state law.
“You don’t have to be a budget expert to understand that Illinois’ Medicaid program is growing at a rate that is unsustainable,” Righter added. “The Governor’s budget projections show that by Fiscal Year 2017 the Medicaid backlog will have reached $21 billion. These expansions are jeopardizing the entire program. Reforms are needed to pull this program back from the brink of insolvency, to ensure we still have a safety net for the people who truly need it.”
On February 1, Governor Pat Quinn presented his vision for Illinois to the General Assembly and the people of the state.
A phrase we heard a lot during the address was “moving forward.” Governor Quinn wants us all to believe this state is moving forward. However, I believe that the real theme of the address was that the Governor would like to “move forward” with a government that takes more money out of your pockets, and tries to do more with it.
Watch my Two-Minute Drill Video Blog for my reaction to the Governor's State of the State Address:
The Illinois General Assembly returned to Springfield this week to begin the 2012 legislative session. Today, Governor Pat Quinn will outline his priorities for Illinois during the annual “State of the State” address.
I look forward to learning more about the Governor’s vision for the state. I hope that he uses the opportunity to stand in front of the General Assembly and Illinois citizens and acknowledge what many 55th District residents already know: Illinois must stop spending.
Tune-in to my Two-Minute Drill video blog for more on the Governor’s State of the State Address:
February 3, 2012 
