A legislative update from Illinois Senator Heather Steans describes the progress of three bills that if passed would mark 2011 as a remarkable year in Springfield.
The bills are:
- SB 7 The Education reform bill. Steans describes it as a bill that was negotiated over months by the legislature, teachers unions, educational administrators and reform groups to address some of the most serious concerns about education in Illinois.
- SB 1349 The Workers Compensation reform bill. As previously discussed in The Bulldog, workers comp in Illinois has been critisized for abuse by certain state offices. In addition, as noted, studies indicate the cost of workers comp in the state exceeds that of our neighbors. The bill by Republican Sen. McCarter failed this week. However Steans says she expects the senate to look at another bill after negotiating with the governor.
- SB 173 Government consolidation. Illinois has more than 7,000 units of government. This is more units than any other state. In Ravenswood these include just the following elected seven bodies:
- Federal Government
- Two US Senators
- One Congressman
- US President and Vice President
- State of Illinois
- One state senator and representative
- Six executive officers (e.g., governor)
- Judicial branch
- Three supreme court justices
- 24 appellate justices
- 186 circuit court justices
- Cook County
- One County Board Rep.
- Nine executive officers (e.g., sheriff)
- Metropolitan Water Reclamation District
- Nine board members
- City of Chicago
- One alderman
- Three executive officers
- Local School Councils
- You are a voter in at least two local school councils
- Neighborhood elementary school
- Neighborhood high school
- In addition, you may be able to participate in other LSC elections due to employment or having your children in other schools. In high schools one student is selected as an ex-officio member.
- Each LSC elects
- Six parents
- Two community members
- Two teachers
- You are a voter in at least two local school councils
- Federal Government
- In addition to these seven layers of government, there are also other layers that are appointed by various executives. One layer that The Bulldog has often written about is the Special Service Area. Another is the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District. Just in Ravenswood, each park has an advisory council, each police beat has a CAPS representative, and there are court watchers. Many wards have ward councils too.
- The situation in some rural and suburban districts is as confusing and long. Steans reports SB 173 will create a commission that will examine and report on each layer and determine where improvements and savings can be achieved.
- Did we miss an elected office? Write to tell about another layer of democracy. Note we did not list all the appointed bodies.
Related posts:
- Steans to carry Fritchey TIF idea in Statehouse
- More praise for Steans on killing SB 1993
- Public-private infrastructure ok pushed by Steans
- Steans: State death penalty was flawed
