Afternoon news update: May 8, 2015
- The Illinois Supreme Court has tossed out the state's 2013 pension law. Justices have ruled the law lowering retirement benefits for state government employees violates the Illinois Constitution. The decision means the governor and lawmakers need to find another way to overcome the state's massive budget deficit.
- Illinois Senate president John Cullerton says the state must act to adopt "true reforms" now that the state Supreme Court threw out a landmark 2013 pension overhaul law. Calling the court ruling a "victory" for retirees and public employees who would have lost benefits under the law, Cullerton says the victory must be "balanced against the grave financial realities we will continue to face." The seven-member court unanimously ruled the 2013 law violates the Illinois Constitution, which prohibits pension benefits from being "diminished or impaired."
- As state representatives scattered for the weekend, their leader challenged the governor to put his "right-to-work" proposals into bill form for a vote May 14. Is House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) calling Gov. Bruce Rauner's bluff? Is this the golden opportunity the governor has been waiting for? Or is it a case of "be careful what you wish for"? "Well, you never try to outguess the Illinois Speaker of the House, Michael J. Madigan," opines Michael T. Carrigan, president of the Illinois AFL-CIO. "But, obviously, the governor has spent way too much time (and) way too much effort attempting to sell 'right-to-work' in Illinois." Carrigan says the Fiscal Year 2016 budget has to be the main issue in these final weeks of the spring legislative session, and perhaps the "right-to-work" vote, along with this week's worker's compensation hearing and votes against human services budget cuts - all derided by Republicans as Madigan theatrics - are efforts to clear their desks of side issues. In a news release, Madigan is quoted as saying, "The governor's proposal will have a significant impact on middle-class families across Illinois. By putting the governor's proposal to a vote, legislators will have the opportunity to ensure the voices of the middle-class families in their districts are heard." The release, which also notes Rauner has not put forth language for a bill, says Rauner's proposals would hurt the ability of workers to have an outside party advocate on their behalf." Under "right to work" laws, collective bargaining agreements may not contain requirements that workers covered under the contract must be members of the union. The session is scheduled to adjourn May 31. The fiscal year begins July 1.
- Five former Northern Illinois University fraternity members are expected to enter plea agreements in a felony hazing case involving the death of 19-year old David Bogenberger in 2012. If agreed to by the judge, plea agreements for the former Pi Kappa Alpha members may keep them out of jail. Seventeen others face less serious charges. At least 12 are also scheduled to appear in court Friday.
- A record number of visitors came to Illinois last year. State Office of Tourism Director Cory Jobe says more than 107 million domestic travelers visited Illinois in 2014, breaking records for the fourth year in a row. He says diversity makes Illinois a popular destination. The increase also boosted the state’s hotel-motel tax revenue by nearly six point four percent.
