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Protestors flock to the Statehouse
Senator Righter speaks to a group of teachers outside of a committee room about what can be done to fix the Illinois state budet
Reform Efforts Denied
Earlier this week the Illinois Senate had an opportunity to make a change to the way Illinois draws legislative maps, a change which citizens and nearly every reform group in Illinois supported. Senate Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment (SJRCA) 104 drafted by the Illinois League of Women Voters and supported by a long list of reform advocacy groups would require that legislative districts in Illinois be drawn by an independent commission and not incumbent legislators. Unfortunately, the Senate Redistricting Committee’s Democrat Majority rejected that proposal. The constitutional amendment the League of Women Voters proposed was supported unanimously by Republicans on the Senate Redistricting Committee, citing the importance of having new legislative boundaries drawn by someone other than incumbent legislators who will eventually run for election in those districts. On that issue, the Daily Herald printed an editorial today that articulates this serious issue.
Click below to see a video from my remarks on the Senate Floor during the debate on the alternative offered up by the Senate Democrats. The alternative, opposed by nearly every reform group, passed with only Democrat Senators’ votes.
Righter: Pension legislation raids pension funds for $1.2 billion, increases COLAS for legislators and judges
Springfield, Illinois— Legislation that passed the Illinois Senate Wednesday, March 24, packaged as pension reform legislation, further raids pensions for $1.2 billion and increases COLAS for legislators and judges, according to State Senator Dale Righter (R-Mattoon). Senate Bill 1946 passed the Senate late in the evening, after having been acted upon in the House only hours before, and includes a three-year payment holiday for Chicago schools to it teacher’s pension fund.
“While this contains important reforms, it defers the payments that must be made,” Righter said.
Additionally, the legislation actually increases the cost of living raises that members of the General Assembly and judges will receive.
“We need reform that makes all the necessary changes, just not some changes,” Righter said. “While this bill does make meaningful changes to the state pension system, it does it in the same old way by raiding pensions to fill our budget gaps.”
