Senator Suzi Schmidt

News

5/11/2012
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Springfield, IL – It was a busy week in Springfield, as lawmakers entered the final push toward the scheduled May 31 legislative adjournment, said Sen. Suzi Schmidt.

Though much of the Senators’ time was spent in committees considering legislation that has been approved by House legislators, the Senate did approve a long-sought measure to eliminate the beleaguered General Assembly Scholarship Program, as well as a Constitutional Amendment that would make it more difficult for lawmakers to increase employee pension benefits in the future.

In other news, the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (COGFA) issued its opinion on Gov. Pat Quinn’s proposed closure of several state facilities, and Senate Republican lawmakers and the Illinois Policy Institute highlighted the need for greater fiscal transparency at the local level.

Lawmakers are one step closer to eliminating the scandal-plagued General Assembly tuition waiver program. On May 3, the Senate voted to advance House Bill 3810, which would end the controversial program. The measure now moves to the House, which must approve an amendment to House Bill 3810 that creates a Tuition and Fee Waiver Task Force charged with reviewing the use of tuition and fee waivers at Illinois’ public universities.

4/27/2012
Lake County Job Fair

Job Seeker Event Workshops and Seminars
Date: Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Time: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Resumes will be reviewed between 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.)
Location: The College of Lake County
Lower Level C Wing
19351 A. Washington St., Grayslake, IL 60030

Lake County Job Fair

Date: Thursday, May 17

Time: 1 p.m. to 5:p.m.

Location: The College of Lake County

Physical Education Center, Building 7

19351 A. Washington St., Grayslake, IL 60030

For more information http://www.clcillinois.edu/depts/cps.asp or visit www.collegecentral.com/jobmarketplacefair

Springfield, Ill. – Medicaid and Pension reforms took the spotlight, when on April 19 Gov. Pat Quinn advocated for a tax increase as a key part of his plan to dig Medicaid out of a multi-billion dollar hole. The following day the Governor announced his own pension reform package to scale back benefits and reduce costs in the nation's worst-funded public pension system. And State Sen. Suzi Schmidt said buzz once again surrounds the state’s Lottery program, as media reports outline what appear to be conflicts of interest between Gov. Quinn and the group awarded a 10-year contract worth hundreds of millions of dollars to oversee the Lottery program.

Lawmakers returned to Springfield to kick off the seven week stretch to the scheduled end of the Spring 2012 legislative session. Having spent the first portion of the Spring session focused on Senate bills, Senate Committees this week began considering legislation introduced by House lawmakers, though notably absent from Committee discussion was a vote on a measure to eliminate the state’s scandal-plagued legislative scholarship program.

In response to the state’s Medicaid crisis, Gov. Pat Quinn on April 19 advocated for a tax increase as part of his plan to fix Illinois’ Medicaid hole. The Governor's pension changes include increased contributions from employees, changes in retiree cost of living adjustments and a revised 30-year schedule to bring the system to full funding.

On the Medicaid issue, Republican lawmakers applauded the Governor’s acknowledgement that the program must be scaled back, but raising taxes and shifting costs is not the permanent solution needed to salvage the program.

Medicaid is growing at an unsustainable rate. Unless significant reforms are adopted, the state is on track to see a $21 billion deficit in five years. Illinois needs to cut nearly $3 billion from the Medicaid program in this fiscal year budget just to maintain the current $1.8 billion backlog of bills—a number Gov. Quinn stated he would meet in the budget plan he outlined in February.

However, Sen. Schmidt said that the plan the Governor outlined will not accomplish that goal. Quinn’s proposal relies on a $338 million tax increase in order to fuel further spending, and includes nearly $700 million in rate cuts to hospitals and nursing homes.

Senate Republicans said making dramatic cuts in reimbursement rates to hospitals and nursing homes is the wrong approach and could simply shift costs to consumers who already pay for their own insurance. In addition, instead of providing long-term savings, cutting rates could further reduce access to the Medicaid program for Illinois’ poorest citizens; those who need and rely upon Medicaid services.

While appreciative of the Governor’s input, GOP leaders stressed the importance of allowing the bipartisan, bicameral Medicaid Working Group that his been meeting through the Spring, to wrap-up their discussions before any decisions are made with regard to Medicaid. The legislative panel, composed of House and Senate lawmakers from both parties, in conjunction with the Director of Healthcare and Family Services, Julie Hamos, has been working to come up with substantive solutions to truly tackle Illinois’ Medicaid problems.

Republican Leaders Sen. Christine Radogno (R-Lemont) and Rep. Tom Cross (R-Oswego) issued a statement Thursday noting that they “stand with our members on the Medicaid working group against any tax increases to solve our Medicaid crisis. We are encouraging the working group to continue working in a bi-partisan way to come up with $2.7 billion in Medicaid reforms and cuts, NOT revenue enhancements.”

Medicaid is the joint federal/state healthcare program for the poor.

Skyrocketing Medicaid costs may be the most serious challenge facing Illinois. Unless something is done, within five years Illinois will face a $21 billion Medicaid deficit. For the past 13 years, Medicaid costs have increased three times as fast as the rest of the state budget.

Under the proposed budget, Illinois is expected to add enough new Medicaid recipients next year to equal the entire population of Joliet. Illinois spends a higher percentage of its budget on Medicaid than any other state.

The Governor's budget calls for a $2.7 billion reduction in Medicaid costs, but offered no clear roadmap for achieving that goal.

Below you will find a survey so you can express your views on this serious issue.

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PLEASE CLICK HERE TO BEGIN MEDICAID SURVEY.

Springfield – Senate lawmakers are scheduled to return to Springfield April 17 and are expected to turn their attention to legislation introduced by House lawmakers, having spent the beginning of the legislative session considering and voting on Senate bills, State Sen. Suzi Schmidt explained.

The legislature now begins the second half of the annual process, as Senators review bills that were introduced and passed by the Illinois House of Representatives, while House members review measures that passed the Senate. A bill must pass both the House and Senate and be signed by the Governor to become law.

During the week, legislators caught up on work in their district offices, and the bipartisan Special Senate Committee on Enterprise Zone Extensions wrapped up a series of statewide hearings in Peoria on April 9.

Employment growth and economic development were the focus of legislative hearings on proposed enterprise zone extensions. Testifying before the committee April 9 were local government and economic development officials, as well as representatives from central Illinois businesses, including Peoria-based Caterpillar Inc. Meetings were also held in recent weeks in Carbondale, Chicago and Rockford.

Participants overwhelmingly touted the success of enterprise zones in spurring economic development in communities throughout the state. Peoria city officials reinforced the effectiveness of enterprise zones in attracting new projects, noting that several current projects have been put on hold because the incentives that come from being part of an enterprise zone can’t be absolutely guaranteed until the zones are renewed.

Representatives from communities not currently located in enterprise zones testified that the creation of new enterprise zones would be good, particularly for non-home rule communities where the zones would give officials a greater ability to promote economic growth and job-creation. Geneseo Mayor Linda Van Der Leest got a laugh from crowd after candidly declaring “If you’re looking for a place to house one, I volunteer!”

Illinois is home to almost 100 enterprise zones, which have been credited with creating more than 900,000 jobs and nearly $50 billion in associated revenue since first being established in 1982. In 2011 alone, the program created 8,980 jobs and nearly $2.5 billion in investments.

Several of the zones are scheduled to expire in the coming year unless lawmakers vote to extend the program. Legislation has been introduced that would extend the life of the zones by 25 years and would create up to 10 new zones over the next 10 years. Additionally, the legislation would implement greater transparency and accountability for these zones.

Senate Republicans recently unveiled a new Web site seeking public input on how to improve state government.

Sen. Suzi Schmidt (R- Lake Villa) is encouraging people to visit the new Senate Republican Web site “By the People” at http://www.bythepeople.senategop.net/, which allows the people of Illinois to suggest ideas for potential laws.

“By the People” is an initiative of the Illinois Senate Republicans that encourages Illinois residents to become a direct part of the lawmaking process. By the People is a legislative forum where the public can submit ideas, receive feedback, and comment on other legislative suggestions, said Sen. Suzi Schmidt.

While citizens have a say in who they choose to represent them in the Illinois General Assembly, often people feel like their voices are not heard when it comes to their government and the creation and revision of laws. By the People is an online legislative forum to allow individuals to not only offer suggestions for new legislation but also comment and expand on the ideas of others. The intent of this forum is to also allow citizens to be able to suggest changes and repeals of current laws.

The Senate Republican staff will review the forum proposals, and the public will be allowed to vote on the top suggestions. The final proposals will be chosen based on the amount of public support a suggestion received, as well as the likelihood that a proposal could realistically be approved by lawmakers and signed into law. The final proposals will be drafted into legislation that will be sponsored by a Senate Republican lawmaker.

Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka is also reaching out to the public. The Comptroller’s office recently launched a new government transparency Web site called “The Ledger” at http://ledger.illinoiscomptroller.com/.

The Ledger is a comprehensive online fiscal database where taxpayers can click their way through everything from the state’s daily receipts and bill backlog numbers, to state agency budgets and expenses. State employee salaries and recent addition to the public payroll are also available on the site.

All the information on the site is available for download, so taxpayers can access and print hard copies of the same up-to-date information and fiscal numbers that Comptroller Topinka’s staff uses every day.

Springfield, IL – As energy prices continue to rise, a new bill introduced by State Sen. Suzi Schmidt (R-Lake Villa) will allow local townships to buy energy for their citizens in bulk, creating more competition for providers and cost savings for consumers.

A few years ago, the legislature passed a law allowing cities and counties in Ameren and ComEd territories, the state’s two largest energy providers, to purchase bulk electric power on behalf of their residents. Grouping multiple residential loads together can increase the level of competition in the retail markets, which translates into less expensive power for residents. This important new law allows customers to switch to the better deal with the county or the city.

Unfortunately, the current law does not extend this provision to townships unless the entire county has approved the referendum, which can prevent townships from reaping the benefits of this cost-effective aggregation practice.

After speaking with local Lake County officials, Schmidt introduced Senate Bill 3170 which adds townships to the list of government entities eligible to take advantage of price service competition between power companies. The bill will allow township governments to place a referendum on their ballot so citizens may vote on whether or not to aggregate their power. If the referendum passes, a township official from the community will be able to renegotiate power contracts to the lowest power supply bidder.

Residents in towns that have switched power suppliers are saving an average of $175 annually, according to the The Northern Illinois Municipal Electric Collaborative.

On Wednesday, March 28, 2012, Senate Bill 3170 was unanimously approved by Senate lawmakers and now moves to the House for consideration by representatives.

Here’s what the senator had to say during the committee hearing on her legislation SB 3170:

For more than a decade, Illinois’ Medicaid obligations have steadily increased at an alarming rate. Most, if not all, state leaders agree that something must be done to curb the unsustainable costs associated with the program. In response, a bipartisan Medicaid Task Force was established and charged with identifying significant savings in Illinois’ Medicaid program.

Faced with the enormous challenge of reducing the state’s burgeoning Medicaid obligations, on Thursday, March 22, the Senate will convene as a "Committee of the Whole" to hear testimony from the National Conference of State Legislators on Medicaid funding, federal requirements and the actions of other states.

Click Read More to find out more about Illinois’ dire Medicaid situation.

Budget:
The Governor’s fiscal year 2013 proposal for the State of Illinois operating budget totals $57.4 billion. Of that amount, $29.9 billion originates from general funds.

When spending items such as debt service payments and other statutory transfers are accounted for, total FY13 general funds spending in this plan reaches $33.8 billion. This level of general funds spending represents an increase of $50 million over FY12. Under Governor Quinn’s numbers, in the midst of the largest fiscal crisis this state has ever experienced, he will actually increase overall spending in FY13.

The FY12 budget adopted by the House, which ultimately became the FY12 state budget, contained a spending level of $33.2 billion. When compared to the level of spending enacted in the House budget, Quinn’s FY13 proposal outpaces the authorized level of FY12 spending by about $550 million.

Program Expansions:
Quinn has proposed expanding some programs in FY13. Notably, GRF appropriations to the Violence Prevention Authority will increase by $24 million – that’s nearly a 200% increase over FY12. This agency administers the questionable Neighborhood Recovery Initiative and it appears most, if not all, of this additional funding will be allocated to this program.

The Governor is also requesting a $32 million GRF increase for K-12 education. Most of this increase ($20 million) will go to the Early Childhood Block Grant. Additionally, there is no GRF appropriation for Regional Offices of Education. Quinn proposes to pay ROEs from the Personal Property Replacement Tax again in FY13.

Quinn has also proposed a $50 million increase to the Monetary Award Program (MAP) in FY13.

2/26/2012
Lake County Job Fair

The College of Lake County Career and Placement Services and the Job Center of Lake are inviting job seekers to come meet prospective employers and participate in workshops, seminars and a job fair at the college. Attendees are asked to bring their resume for review and dress in business attire.

Event: Job Seeker Event Workshops and Seminars
Date: Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Location: The College of Lake County
                 Lower Level C Wing
                 19351 A. Washington St., Grayslake IL 60030
                 Time: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Resumes will be reviewed between 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.)

Event: Lake County Job Fair
Date: Thursday, May 17, 2012
Time: 1 p.m. to 5:p.m.
Location: The College of Lake County
                   Physical Education Center, Building 7
                   19351 A. Washington St., Grayslake IL 60030

For more information visit: http://www.clcillinois.edu/depts/cps.asp or www.collegecentral.com/jobmarketplacefair

11/23/2011
Happy Thanksgiving!

Dear Friends,
I would like to wish you all of you a very joyful, healthy and safe Thanksgiving with your loved ones.
Happy Holidays!

Sincerely,
Senator Suzi Schmidt

****If you would like to help any of your neighbors in need this Thanksgiving you can visit: www.FeedingIllinois.org to find a foodbank in your community.

Also, please see below for some helpful safety tips for this holiday season:

Tips on food preparation and handling food from the Illinois Dept. of Public Health http://www.idph.state.il.us/public/press11/11.20.11_Food_Safety.htm

DUI awareness and safe driving appeals from the Illinois State Police http://www.isp.state.il.us/media/pressdetails.cfm?ID=602

Up-to-date information on winter road conditions from the Illinois Dept. of Transportation http://www.dot.state.il.us/

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