Thursday, July 19, 2012
Statement by GOP House Leader Tom Cross on Special Cmte Decision on Expelling Rep Derrick Smith from IL House
Ever since our members filed a petition to begin a House investigation into the very serious allegations against Rep. Derrick Smith, the Special Investigating Committee and Select Committee on Discipline members, the House Managers and staff have taken their responsibility very seriously and reached the conclusion that Rep. Smith should be expelled from the Illinois House of Representatives. If the full House takes the committee’s recommendation, this will be only the second time since 1900 that a member has been expelled from the Illinois House. This has been a truly historic, but necessary investigation and recommendation. All of the legislators who have been participating in this process should be commended.”
New Law Improves Access to Public Meeting Information in Illinois
WHEATON – July 19, 2012. As part of his ongoing efforts to increase government accountability and transparency, Governor Pat Quinn today signed legislation to strengthen the Illinois Open Meetings Act. The governor was joined at the ceremony, held in the DuPage County building council chambers, by local legislators and DuPage County Chairman Dan Cronin. Governor Quinn is committed to restoring integrity to Illinois government.
“This law gives the public greater access to information and activities that impact their lives,” Governor Quinn said. “Increasing government openness and accountability from the statewide level to the local level will make Illinois a stronger, more ethical state.”
House Bill 4687, sponsored by Rep. Sandra Pihos (R-Glen Ellyn) and Sen. Kirk Dillard (R-Hinsdale), requires public bodies conducting a public meeting to ensure that a copy of the meeting notice and agenda is available to the public for the entire 48 hours preceding the meeting. The measure specifies that public bodies can satisfy this requirement by posting the meeting notice on the Internet. The law also ensures that meeting agendas provide the public with adequate information about the meeting’s actions.
“I applaud Governor Quinn’s ongoing commitment to achieve more openness and greater transparency in Illinois government,” Chairman Cronin said. “By bridging the information gap between government and taxpayers, we make meaningful progress in the effort to restore the trust of our residents and the integrity of state government.”
“This new law will require all entities subject to the Open Meetings Act to provide a certain level of specificity when creating their agendas,” said Rep. Pihos.
"I'm happy we were able to work together in a bipartisan way to close a loophole that didn't serve the public," Sen. Dillard said. "This measure will help the public be better informed about what their local governments are doing."
This legislation was inspired by a court case centered on an Illinois municipality that posted a meeting notice before the meeting but did so in a building that was locked on the weekends and not accessible to the public. This legislation closes that loophole by requiring online posting of meeting agendas that list meeting action items in such cases and which are continuously available. The law takes effect Jan. 1.
Since taking office, Governor Quinn has made improving ethics and increasing government transparency and accountability a top priority. In 2011, the governor signed new laws that hold local governments more accountable by requiring them to provide information such as finances, contracts and non-compliances to County Boards. Governor Quinn also launched Appointments.Illinois.Gov, Accountability.Illinois.Gov and Data.Illinois.Gov to bring more transparency to state appointments, contracts and salary information and public data collected by state and federal agencies.
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Thursday, June 28, 2012
IL Chamber Reaction to Sup Court Ruling on Healthcare
Springfield, Ill. - The Illinois Chamber today issued the following response to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in the case U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, et al v. the State of Florida, et. al. regarding the Affordable Care Act and the decision to uphold the law.
"While the Illinois Chamber was not supportive of the law prior to enactment, we are and will remain committed to working closely with state policymakers and other stakeholders to ensure the Affordable Care Act in Illinois is implemented with the best interests of employers and consumers in mind," said Doug Whitley, President and CEO of the Illinois Chamber. "The Supreme Court's decision allows employers, consumers, and states to resume planning and implementation efforts with greater certainty, but we also know the enormity of this law presents ongoing challenges and questions for the employer community that we look forward to working with state and federal lawmakers to address
."The Chamber supported legislation enacted last year that authorized the state to move forward with the implementation of its own health insurance exchange and has been actively involved in ongoing negotiations to craft legislation fully implementing the Illinois Health Benefits Exchange. These negotiations stalled in the face of the pending Supreme Court decision, but are expected to resume now that the Court has upheld the law.
"The Court's ruling ultimately has no bearing on the Chamber's commitment to addressing the very real struggles of our employers, particularly our small employers, their employees and families when it comes to accessibility and affordability issues," said Mr. Whitley. "We stand ready to re-engage in negotiations on the implementation of the exchange and help lawmakers, employers, and their employees navigate the new healthcare landscape."
The Chamber did not weigh in on the constitutionality of the law, but did join with 14 other state chambers and business organizations from across the nation to file an amicus brief with the Supreme Court on February 13 that argued against the applicability of the Anti-Injunction Act, claiming that the Act does not bar the Supreme Court from ruling on the constitutionality of the individual mandate. The amicus brief also argued that any delay in ruling would create a costly and harmful burden for the nation's employers.
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"While the Illinois Chamber was not supportive of the law prior to enactment, we are and will remain committed to working closely with state policymakers and other stakeholders to ensure the Affordable Care Act in Illinois is implemented with the best interests of employers and consumers in mind," said Doug Whitley, President and CEO of the Illinois Chamber. "The Supreme Court's decision allows employers, consumers, and states to resume planning and implementation efforts with greater certainty, but we also know the enormity of this law presents ongoing challenges and questions for the employer community that we look forward to working with state and federal lawmakers to address
."The Chamber supported legislation enacted last year that authorized the state to move forward with the implementation of its own health insurance exchange and has been actively involved in ongoing negotiations to craft legislation fully implementing the Illinois Health Benefits Exchange. These negotiations stalled in the face of the pending Supreme Court decision, but are expected to resume now that the Court has upheld the law.
"The Court's ruling ultimately has no bearing on the Chamber's commitment to addressing the very real struggles of our employers, particularly our small employers, their employees and families when it comes to accessibility and affordability issues," said Mr. Whitley. "We stand ready to re-engage in negotiations on the implementation of the exchange and help lawmakers, employers, and their employees navigate the new healthcare landscape."
The Chamber did not weigh in on the constitutionality of the law, but did join with 14 other state chambers and business organizations from across the nation to file an amicus brief with the Supreme Court on February 13 that argued against the applicability of the Anti-Injunction Act, claiming that the Act does not bar the Supreme Court from ruling on the constitutionality of the individual mandate. The amicus brief also argued that any delay in ruling would create a costly and harmful burden for the nation's employers.
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IL Hospital Assn Applauds Ruling on Pres Obama's Healthcare Law
Naperville, IL – The Illinois Hospital Association (IHA) applauds the United States Supreme Court decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act. Illinois hospitals have long supported the expansion of coverage for the uninsured and reforms to eliminate exclusions for pre-existing conditions and coverage caps to improve the health and well-being of Illinoisans.
Strong communities start with healthy communities. Because of this legislation, people in Illinois will no longer have a diminished quality of life, be at risk of dying merely because they lack health insurance, or be forced into bankruptcy because of a devastating diagnosis.
While many organizations have been waiting for this ruling to act on health care reform initiatives, Illinois hospitals already have been working to transform health care by being more accountable and transparent. Through the IHA Quality Care Institute, Illinois hospitals are implementing quality improvement programs, improving patient safety and infection control, and reducing unnecessary utilization and readmissions. The goal is to create new and efficient models of health care delivery to improve outcomes and lower costs.
In partnership with Governor Quinn and the General Assembly, IHA will continue to help guide Illinois hospitals through the intricacies of health care reform including the implementation of the Illinois Health Insurance Exchange. With the health care reform law upheld, we urge the General Assembly to pass legislation authorizing and establishing the insurance exchange.
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Strong communities start with healthy communities. Because of this legislation, people in Illinois will no longer have a diminished quality of life, be at risk of dying merely because they lack health insurance, or be forced into bankruptcy because of a devastating diagnosis.
While many organizations have been waiting for this ruling to act on health care reform initiatives, Illinois hospitals already have been working to transform health care by being more accountable and transparent. Through the IHA Quality Care Institute, Illinois hospitals are implementing quality improvement programs, improving patient safety and infection control, and reducing unnecessary utilization and readmissions. The goal is to create new and efficient models of health care delivery to improve outcomes and lower costs.
In partnership with Governor Quinn and the General Assembly, IHA will continue to help guide Illinois hospitals through the intricacies of health care reform including the implementation of the Illinois Health Insurance Exchange. With the health care reform law upheld, we urge the General Assembly to pass legislation authorizing and establishing the insurance exchange.
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Monday, June 25, 2012
Statement by the President on the Supreme Court’s Ruling on Arizona v. the United States
I am pleased that the Supreme Court has struck down key provisions of Arizona's immigration law. What this decision makes unmistakably clear is that Congress must act on comprehensive immigration reform. A patchwork of state laws is not a solution to our broken immigration system – it’s part of the problem.
At the same time, I remain concerned about the practical impact of the remaining provision of the Arizona law that requires local law enforcement officials to check the immigration status of anyone they even suspect to be here illegally. I agree with the Court that individuals cannot be detained solely to verify their immigration status. No American should ever live under a cloud of suspicion just because of what they look like. Going forward, we must ensure that Arizona law enforcement officials do not enforce this law in a manner that undermines the civil rights of Americans, as the Court’s decision recognizes. Furthermore, we will continue to enforce our immigration laws by focusing on our most important priorities like border security and criminals who endanger our communities, and not, for example, students who earn their education – which is why the Department of Homeland Security announced earlier this month that it will lift the shadow of deportation from young people who were brought to the United States as children through no fault of their own.
I will work with anyone in Congress who’s willing to make progress on comprehensive immigration reform that addresses our economic needs and security needs, and upholds our tradition as a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants. And in the meantime, we will continue to use every federal resource to protect the safety and civil rights of all Americans, and treat all our people with dignity and respect. We can solve these challenges not in spite of our most cherished values – but because of them. What makes us American is not a question of what we look like or what our names are. What makes us American is our shared belief in the enduring promise of this country – and our shared responsibility to leave it more generous and more hopeful than we found it.
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