Illinois General Assembly - Bill Status for SB3135

Sen Righter, R,  Mattoon and Sen, Chris Lauzen, R, Aurora have sponsored the following bill regarding phone electioneering. 

 

Prohibits electioneering autodialer telephone calls to telephone service subscribers who have registered their telephone number or numbers on the Restricted Call ("Do Not Call") Registry. Defines "electioneering autodialer telephone call" to mean any voice communication over a telephone line, through the use of an autodialer or autodialer system, that refers to a clearly identified political candidate, political party, or question of public policy and is an appeal to vote for or against a clearly identified candidate, political party, or question of public policy. Effective immediately.

  2/8/2010
Senate
Filed with Secretary by Sen. Dale A. Righter

  2/8/2010
Senate
Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Chris Lauzen

2/8/2010
Senate
First Reading

  2/8/2010
Senate
Referred to Assignments

2/16/2010
Senate
Assigned to Executive

 

Click on the following to see if the bill status has changed: llinois General Assembly - Bill Status for SB3135

State auditors report pension debt

state's five pension systems are collectively under funded by more than $62 billion,…liability was $8 billion more than the previous year, an increase of 14.7 percent.

But it could be worse. A recent state law seeks to "smooth" sudden investment gains or losses by spreading them over five years rather than making the pension systems adjust for them annually.  Had that law not been in place, auditors pegged the fair market downturn of the pension systems at $23.5 billion, an increase of 43.2 percent.

The state is 15 years into a 50-year plan to restore financial health to the pension systems. The plan, which spells out the required state contributions to the systems, is intended to have the systems 90 percent funded in 2045.

plans cannot reduce the benefits of existing pensioners or even those already within the system. Those benefits are constitutionally protected. Rather, Quinn's plan would create a new system for all new hires. It's estimated such a change would save billions of dollars over the coming decades, though little initially.

Click on the following for more details:  Daily Herald | State auditors report pension debt

Illinois Auditor General William G. Holland

The following audits of the various state pensions were just released for the current year.  Click on the various reports to see the Auditor Generals report.  I have  supplied the Summary Report for the Teachers’ Pension Program, the largest pension program.

Recently Released Audits

February 16, 2010

• General Assembly Retirement System, State of Illinois – Financial Audit
  Summary Report Digest*
  Full Report
• Judges' Retirement System of Illinois – Financial Audit
  Summary Report Digest*
  Full Report
• State Employees' Retirement System of Illinois – Financial Audit
  Summary Report Digest*
  Full Report
  
• Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois – Financial Audit
  Summary Report Digest*

INTRODUCTION---Teachers’ Pension

This digest covers our financial audit of the Teachers’ Retirement System of the State of Illinois (System) for the year ended June 30, 2009. A report on the results of our compliance attestation examination for the year ending June 30, 2009 is being issued separately.

UNDERFUNDING OF THE SYSTEM

The actuarial accrued liability was valued at $73.0 billion at June 30, 2009. The actuarial value of assets (at smoothed value) totaled approximately $38.0 billion at June 30, 2009. The method for determining the actuarial value of assets was changed beginning with the June 30, 2009 valuation. The method was changed from the market value to a smoothed value where the actuarial investment gains or losses for each year are recognized in equal amounts over the ensuing five-year period.

The difference between the actuarial accrued liability and the actuarial value of assets of $35.0 billion reflects the unfunded liability of the System at June 30, 2009. The System had a funded ratio (at smoothed value) of 52.1% at June 30, 2009. When using the market value (valuation method used June 30, 2008) the System would have had a funded ratio of 39.1% at June 30, 2009.


Full Report
• State Universities Retirement System – Financial Audit
  Summary Report Digest*
  Full Report
  
• Illinois State Board of Investment – Financial Audit
  Summary Report Digest*
  Full Report
  
• Supplemental Digest to Retirement System Audits
  Summary Report Digest

Illinois Auditor General William G. Holland

City of Springfield creates FOIA Web site

This appears to be very similar to the actions of School District 300, Carpentersville.

The database makes FOIA requests, and the responses the city gave since January 2009, downloadable and searchable, according to Ernie Slottag, the city’s spokesman.

But not all the documents requested are available.

A quick scan of the database, available online at www.springfield.il.us/publicfoia, found that copies of requested police reports — or information describing what report was requested

Click on the following for more details: City creates FOIA Web site - Springfield, IL - The State Journal-Register

Free Rides for Seniors May Be Hitting Last Stop : Illinois Statehouse News

February 11, 2010 by Ben Yount
Filed under Featured Stories, IL House, State News

In 2009, the state lost $37 million in revenue from the free senior ride services

Rep. Suzie Bassi is sponsoring the proposal, which provides free public transit rides to low-income seniors and the disabled who qualify for the Illinois Department of Aging Circuit Breaker program.

Bassi said she doesn’t want to end the “free rides for all seniors program,” but the state’s $13 billion budget crisis is forcing lawmakers’ hands.

“Income-eligible seniors will ride for free and the rest of seniors will ride at half fare,”

Click on the following for more details:  Free Rides for Seniors May Be Hitting Last Stop : Illinois Statehouse News

RCFP: Illinois state legislators threaten public records reform

there are more than a half-dozen proposals before the state legislature that would create new obstacles to accessing records, The State Journal-Register reported.

The amendments range from increasing the amount of money that agencies can charge for public records to "making awards of attorney's fees optional in cases in which requestors successfully sue public agencies," the story said.

One created an online database to locate buried bodies, which is exempt from public disclosure. The second, and most controversial, bars the disclosure of evaluations of teachers, administrators, and superintendents.

Click on the following for more details:  RCFP: Illinois state legislators threaten public records reform

Anti red-light legislation faces key test today

 

State Sen. Dan Duffy, a Lake Barrington Republican who proposed legislation to end camera enforcement, said red-light cameras exist solely to generate revenue and their enforcement is inconsistent.

"Camera companies are setting up mini-franchises on every corner, and they can make money on every person driving through the intersection," Duffy said.

If his proposal becomes law, red-light cameras could still be stationed in construction zones and railroad crossings, but nowhere else.

Click on the following for more details:  Daily Herald | Anti red-light legislation faces key test today

Poplar Grove Committee OKs new taxes, holds off on sheriff’s vote -

Trustees voted unanimously on Jan. 11 to terminate the village’s current protection contract with the Sheriff’s Department and negotiate a new one with better terms. The proposed budget change that was discussed, but not voted on Monday night, was cutting the cost of the contract in half, which would go from paying $160,000 to $80,000

Click on the following for more details:  Committee OKs new taxes, holds off on sheriff’s vote - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star