Legislative Update

In a year with impending crisis’s everywhere, the Illinois General Assembly has found time to pass its hallmark legislation of the session, a bill requiring (not allowing) a moment of silence during the school day. The fact that a law was already in place to allow this activity not withstanding, doesn’t seem to be a terribly important issue considering that we have no state budget, an impending mass transit crisis and skyrocketing taxes in Cook and DuPage Counties, as well as the City of Chicago. This action will enhance Illinois’s status as the laughing stock of the mid-west!

In terms of funding, it now appears that there is a very high probability that there will be no BIMP until perhaps December or even January. There is no hint as to what the Senate will do with regard to any action to override the Governor’s budget vetoes. I would not hold my breath that any action to override the Governor’s vetoes will take place. The impending transit mess and county and municipal meltdowns has taken education funding from the forefront. What will most likely happen is that no action on the overrides will take place. State education funds will be disbursed at 2007 rates until a BIMP is passed sometime after the first of the year. When the January session begins there may be action to override budget vetoes and pass supplemental funding bills, due to the fact that a super majority of votes will no longer be needed. In the meantime, schools, park districts and other public entities will continue to lose investment dollars for funds that have been promised but not delivered and some may have to borrow money, an additional cost to pay their bills. It is a shame that the Executive and Legislative branches of our government can not work together to carry out their elected duties for the citizens of Illinois.