Patricia Reid Lindner

May 2004

We have regularly scheduled standing committee meetings throughout the legislative session where we are able to listen to testimony and question sponsors about their House and Senate bills. From time to time, we also have committee hearings to discuss a specific issue or proposal. This year there have been many of these special hearings, particularly about issues that the Governor proposed as part of his budget address.

The Governor has said that he will cut the tourism budget by 40 percent. The tourism industry is directly responsible for more than 600,000 jobs in Illinois and any cuts would not only impact tourism directly, but would have a significant trickle down effect throughout our local communities. These drastic cuts would negatively affect the ability of the tourism industry to support existing jobs, produce tax revenues, create new jobs and increase visitor spending in Illinois and the Fox River Valley. At a time when jobs are leaving Illinois, a cut of this magnitude could be devastating.

The Governor has also proposed cutting grants from our local community agencies and moving their funding to a fee-for-service model. This means that the agencies would perform their services and then submit a bill to the state. My office has helped local agencies collect on delinquent bills from the state on numerous occasions. An agency director asked if agencies would be paid in a timely manner and was told “I don't know.” Operating grants allow these agencies to sustain with thousands of dollars in outstanding debt. Fee-for-service may work in the long run because it would allow the state to access more federal funding, but there needs to be a transition period so that agencies are not bankrupted. Switching by this summer could mean that many local agencies would have to close their doors. People with disabilities and those who are mentally ill would be severely affected. A special committee was created to deal with this problem and many hearings have been held.

The most sweeping changes the Governor has proposed are with education. He wants to abolish the State Board of Education and create a Department of Education in the Governor's office. The State Board and the State Superintendent would become an advisory body. There was a hearing last Wednesday to explore the constitutionality of this proposal. House Republicans have formed a committee with school superintendents from throughout the state to obtain their input on what kind of restructuring would most benefit Illinois school children. The Governor also wants to transfer the school construction bond program to the Capital Development Board, where he would have complete discretion over grant awards. This is of great concern to me because the school construction bond program helps to fund the building of schools in explosive growth areas, such as the 50 th district.

As I have previously discussed in this column, one of the Governor's most potentially damaging proposals for our area is the closure of the Illinois Youth Center in St. Charles. Area legislators have continued to meet with the Governor, the Department of Corrections and the union in hopes of resolving this issue.

These are just a few of the issues that we are dealing with presently. I will continue to work to insure that the needs of our district are met. Please let me know if there are any issues of concern to you so that I can take your thoughts with me to Springfield: (630) 466-9791.



							Lindner's Opinions
							Lindner's Opinions
						May 2004 We have regularly scheduled standing committee meetings throughout the legislative session where we are able to listen to testimony and question sponsors about their House and Senate bills. From time to time, we also have committee hearings to discuss a specific issue or proposal. This year there have been many of these special hearings, particularly about issues that the Governor proposed as part of his budget address. The Governor has said that he will cut the tourism budget by 40 percent. The tourism industry is directly responsible for more than 600,000 jobs in Illinois and any cuts would not only impact tourism directly, but would have a significant trickle down effect throughout our local communities. These drastic cuts would negatively affect the ability of the tourism industry to support existing jobs, produce tax revenues, create new jobs and increase visitor spending in Illinois and the Fox River Valley. At a time when jobs are leaving Illinois, a cut of this magnitude could be devastating. The Governor has also proposed cutting grants from our local community agencies and moving their funding to a fee-for-service model. This means that the agencies would perform their services and then submit a bill to the state. My office has helped local agencies collect on delinquent bills from the state on numerous occasions. An agency director asked if agencies would be paid in a timely manner and was told “I don't know.” Operating grants allow these agencies to sustain with thousands of dollars in outstanding debt. Fee-for-service may work in the long run because it would allow the state to access more federal funding, but there needs to be a transition period so that agencies are not bankrupted. Switching by this summer could mean that many local agencies would have to close their doors. People with disabilities and those who are mentally ill would be severely affected. A special committee was created to deal with this problem and many hearings have been held. The most sweeping changes the Governor has proposed are with education. He wants to abolish the State Board of Education and create a Department of Education in the Governor's office. The State Board and the State Superintendent would become an advisory body. There was a hearing last Wednesday to explore the constitutionality of this proposal. House Republicans have formed a committee with school superintendents from throughout the state to obtain their input on what kind of restructuring would most benefit Illinois school children. The Governor also wants to transfer the school construction bond program to the Capital Development Board, where he would have complete discretion over grant awards. This is of great concern to me because the school construction bond program helps to fund the building of schools in explosive growth areas, such as the 50 th district. As I have previously discussed in this column, one of the Governor's most potentially damaging proposals for our area is the closure of the Illinois Youth Center in St. Charles. Area legislators have continued to meet with the Governor, the Department of Corrections and the union in hopes of resolving this issue. These are just a few of the issues that we are dealing with presently. I will continue to work to insure that the needs of our district are met. Please let me know if there are any issues of concern to you so that I can take your thoughts with me to Springfield: (630) 466-9791.