Legislative Update – Week of March 29

The attached Weekly Legislative Update prepared by ICEP’s lobbyists, Illinois Stragies, LLC., provides the status and actions on bills of interest during the week of March 29, 2010.

Other than the House being scheduled for a Perfunctory Session day on the 29^th, both chambers went home after last week for a 2-week Spring Break. The chambers will retu on April 13^th. 

The House worked last week to move bills out prior to their March 26^th – 3^rd Reading deadline, which, according to comments made by the Speaker, would not be extended.  The Senate deadline for 3^rd Reading on substantive bills passed on March 19^th but, a number of bills had their deadlines extended through to April 15, 2010. 

The scheduled adjoument date for this session is May 7^th.  But, in order to make that vey early date, the legislature will have to get down to some serious work on the FY11 budget.  One component of the budget “discussion” was passed during the last week and sent to the Goveor changing the State Employee Pension benefits for persons hired after the effective date of the Act, creating a 2-tiered pension system.  While the change does not necessarily provide any immediate relief, it is said to lower the State’s future pension payment obligations by significant amounts.  The bill had overwhelming support in both chambers with a vote of 92-17-07 in the House and 48-06-03 in the Senate.

 Download Weekly Legislative Update