Observations
and comments about state government by State Representative Robert W.
Pritchard.
April
20, 2015
In This Issue:
Ø Tornado Relief Moving to Recovery Phase
Ø Tornado Property Tax Relief
Ø Legislative update
Ø Remembering Lincoln
Ø Lieutenant Governor Visits District
Ø State School Superintendent Appointed
Tornado Relief
Moving to Recovery Phase
It’s
amazing what hundreds of volunteers can accomplish in a week. The small community of Fairdale was a beehive
of activity as Governor Rauner, Senator Syverson, Representative Keith Wheeler
and I visited last Friday, just one week after an F4 tornado slammed through
the area. The financial generosity,
volunteering to clean up, and donation of equipment and items of all sorts to
help someone in trouble are classic American culture.
As we know by now
just in the town of Fairdale, 34 homes were destroyed, 16 suffered major
damage, and another 22 suffered minor damage. Two people lost their lives-- Jacqueline
Klosa and Geraldine Schultz, a dear friend. They are
being remembered as loving, caring “neighbors” so typical of this community.
While the area was declared a state
disaster, no federal aid and only modest state grants are expected. The Governor believes that the recovery can be
fully funded by private donations and he gave $100,000 to relief efforts as an
example. State Comptroller Leslie Munger
reminds state employees and retirees that they can donate a portion of their
paychecks to the Red Cross’s disaster relief efforts for the victims through a
convenient website. Simply go to this website and follow the instructions
We
are learning the stages that people go through in a major natural disaster:
relief, response, recovery and rebuilding.
Taking lessons from other regions affected by natural disaster, DeKalb
County has formed a Long Term Recovery Committee (LTR) that will function for
years to help people rebuild their lives and homes. Lead by the DeKalb County Community Foundation and
the Kishwaukee United Way, the LTR will collect tax deductible financial
donations, assure transparent accountability for their use, simplify case
management for the victims, and assign LTR member organizations different tasks
to help victims. LTRs have proven
invaluable to provide the unmet needs of victims, especially after insurance
and government aid run out.
 |
| Sue Meyer stands in front of her damaged house gaining comfort from a shrine built by volunteers |
Tornado Property
Tax Relief
Following the tornadoes that
struck Illinois in 2012 and 2013, legislation was passed to provide property tax
relief for affected businesses and families after they rebuild. The Natural Disaster Homestead Exemption creates
an assessment freeze for properties containing a residential structure that has
been rebuilt following a natural disaster. Rebuilt structures must be completed within
two years of the disaster and be no larger than 110 percent of the original
structure. The assessment freeze continues
at the same amount until the taxable year in which the property is sold or
transferred.
Another
change to the Property Tax Code provides a tax abatement for commercial and
industrial property that is damaged by a tornado. The abatement diminishes each year for 15
years. Laws like these help spur the
rebuilding effort, as owners don’t have to fear property tax spikes. Visit with your County Assessor for more
details.
Legislative
Update
The Speaker has set this week as
the deadline to pass House bills out of the chamber so there will be long hours
of debate for the 400 or so bills awaiting action. Bills passed last week were mostly
non-controversial. Here are a few
highlights:
HB 1446 provides the guidelines by which
a person who has had their driving license revoked for multiple “driving under
the influence” offenses (DUIs) may obtain the right to drive again. This bill was an initiative of the Illinois
State Bar Association, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), and the Alliance
Against Intoxicated Motorists. These
groups argued that a lifetime revocation is too harsh for those who have been
rehabilitated and for many people who want to work and need transportation to
get to the job.
HB 152 requires public schools to install
carbon monoxide alarms where ever there is open combustion just like the
current law for residential homes. The
alarms can be inexpensive battery operated units and paid with life-safety or
other funds.
HB1335, colloquially known as the “Right
to Try” Act, allows terminally ill patients to use unapproved medications. Patients who have exhausted all other treatment
options and have only a short time to live can “try” drugs still in their
clinical trials. The normal Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) drug approval process takes years. Eligible drugs must have successfully passed
Phase 1 testing, but have not yet been approved for general use.
HB303 amends the Illinois Freedom of
Information Act by banning a government body from concealing the terms of a
severance agreement funded by tax-payer dollars. The bill provides protection for trade
secrets, proprietary information, or other exempt information. The impetus for the bill comes from a generous
severance agreement between the College of DuPage board and the College
President which has been sealed.
HB3143, a bill I sponsored in response
to an accident in the district, amends the vehicle code regarding seizures. Drivers would have to report to the Secretary
of State any seizure among other medical conditions that would cause a loss of
ability to safely operate a motor vehicle.
In addition, the bill provides that a person who has experienced a loss
of consciousness or a seizure within the past 6 months commits reckless driving
if they drive without controlling the condition by medical treatment or
medication.
HB208 tries to create a new image for
the state by adding pumpkin pie to our long list of state symbols. According to the sponsor there is good reason
to recognize the pumpkin since the state produces nearly 90 percent of the pumpkins
grown for commercial sale in the United States.
This pie is good for the economy and tourism, especially in the region
around Peoria.
Remembering
Lincoln
Last Wednesday was the 150th
anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s death. A onetime state representative, Abe was
honored on the House floor with speeches and remembrances of his impact upon
the state and country.
Lincoln is Illinois’ most favorite
son and consistently ranks in the top 3 of most respected presidents in history. He is a man who is remembered as having
embodied the principles of this nation and who stuck by them despite fierce
opposition and the country seemingly falling apart around him. His legacy lives on as the liberator of slaves
and the savior of the Union.
While Lincoln was focused on the
war yet he was instrumental in many other significant policies. He signed the Homestead Act which encouraged
settlement of farms and increased food productivity. He signed the Morrill Act which created land
grant public colleges like the University of Illinois to educate citizens for
the industrial age. He was also
instrumental in the first transcontinental railroad and the National Banking Act.
In preparation for the
commemoration, I reread Lincoln’s second Presidential Inauguration Address and found
some interesting correlation to our current state challenges. In the speech the President sought to explain
the factors leading up to the Civil War, efforts to avoid it and reasons for
the suffering and resulting pain. He
asks if the war was the consequence for allowing slavery and concludes “The
judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.” I wonder if Lincoln would say our current financial
pain, program cuts and deteriorating economy are judgments for years of
irresponsible budgeting, over promising and misplaced priorities.
 |
Members of the House of Representatives lay a wreathe
at the Lincoln statue outside the capitol
|
Lieutenant Governor
Visits District
Over
the past few weeks the Task Force on Local Government Consolidation and Mandate
Reform continued to hold meetings and gathered input from local units of
government including schools in my district.
Lt. Governor Evelyn Sanguinetti talked with officials and students at
Northern Illinois University and listened to comments from a sampling of local
officials assembled to visit with her.
We
discussed local examples of sharing services between units of government, sharing
facilities and in general avoiding duplication of services. Many unfunded state mandates were discussed
and the cost they add for local taxpayers.
The Governor and Lt. Governor are dedicated to the cause of reducing waste,
increasing efficiency and relieving the burden of property taxes.
New State
Superintendent Appointed
A
new State Superintendent of Education was selected by the State Board of
Education last week and now must be confirmed by the Senate. Dr. Tony Smith, who assumes duties on May 1,
brings considerable experience in education management in both the public and
the private sector. He currently works
as executive director of the Stone Foundation which awards grants for
children’s development and education.
Smith
has held a wide range of educational leadership roles, mostly in his native
state of California, where he led the Oakland Unified School District. There he helped to improve academic outcomes,
district finances, family engagement and organizational coherence during his
four-year tenure.
Smith
replaces Chris Koch, who served as State Superintendent since 2006 and is one
of the nation’s longest serving chiefs.
Koch has held various leadership roles at the state’s K-12 education
agency for 21 years, many dealing with students with special needs.
I
worked closely with Koch on many educational reforms including teacher and
principal preparation and evaluation, learning standards, licensure and
funding. He was very accessible,
cooperative, and focused on student outcomes.
Have a great week; Spring has arrived, I think.
Bob
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