We had quite the busy week down in
Springfield. Speaker Madigan called for two "weekly order of
business" this week, leading to lively, and oftentimes heated
debate. A "weekly order of business" is a procedure that can be
called by the speaker to dedicate legislative business on a particular
topic. The two topics discussed were conceal and carry and pension
reform. This is how the debate progressed during session:
Conceal and Carry
First, a little background. This
past December, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in Shepard v. Madigan
and Moore v. Madigan that Illinois' current ban on conceal and carry is
federally unconstitutional. The court then decided to give the Illinois
General Assembly until June 6 to pass a conceal and carry law or else face no
restrictions on carrying weapons in the State of Illinois. In light of
this ruling, it is prudent that we pass a conceal and carry bill with sensible
restrictions in order to be in compliance with the court.
House Bill 1155 was introduced as a
vehicle for conceal and carry legislation. Twenty-seven amendments were
filed to the bill, with each to be debated and voted on. Some of these
amendments were sensible, such as no guns in schools or child-care
facilities. Others were unacceptable, such as requiring a $1 million
insurance policy in order to obtain a conceal and carry permit.
The debate lasted for hours and at
times led to legislators shouting at one another. As the hour grew late
and legislators grew tired, many of the amendment's sponsors withdrew their
amendments. Finally, around 9:30 p.m., we reached Amendment 27.
Amendment 27 is the same language of House Bill 997, which I am a co-sponsor
of. This bill has been properly negotiated and will soon be vetted in
committee. Keep in mind, it is prudent that we pass a conceal and carry
bill in order to remain in compliance with the courts.
At the end of the day, no final action
was taken up on conceal and carry. However, the June 6th deadline still
looms. I am a firm believer that House Bill 997 is the most sensible
piece of legislation that will allow us to be in compliance with the court's
ruling while also allowing our citizens to protect themselves with their 2nd
Amendment rights.
Pension Reform
Illinois' pension woes have been well
documented over the past several years. It goes without saying that
nearly $100 billion in unfunded liability is unacceptable. We must find
the political bravery to do what is right. Unfortunately, what was
discussed in the Illinois House this week was more political theater than
bravery.
Speaker Madigan's second "weekly
order of business" came in the form of four amendments on two bills, House
Bills 1154 and 1165. Should this drastic of a reform pass, many of those
who spent their careers teaching our children and protecting our streets would
be forced to take drastic measures just to afford groceries each month.
Despite what many of the doom and
gloomers out there may tell you, there is a responsible approach to reforming
our pension system that is fair to our taxpayers and public servants.
This week, I signed on to a pension reform bill that is bipartisan, fair, and
comprehensive. House Bill 3411 is a large step in the right
direction. The proposal will:
- Stabilize the system by reforming Tier 1 members
- Creates predictability, fairness, and local control
by reforming Tier 2 members
- Creates a Tier 3
- Ensures the benefits will be there by
making employer contributions and funding guarantees
Pension reform is not an easy pill to
swallow. It is going to take shared sacrifice from all parties.
The
key word to every decision we make this session is courage. If we drum up
the courage to do what is right for the people of Illinois, we can finally put
ourselves back on the track towards fiscal solvency.
Once again, thank you so much for
reading my newsletter. I look forward to speaking with you next week,
once the governor gives his budget address so I can give my analysis.
Until then, have a wonderful weekend.
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