Lawmakers face big decisions in final 2 weeks

By Christopher Wills

Associated Press

SPRINGFIELD — Illinois lawmakers are nearing the end of their spring session with a $2 billion decision to make and a daunting list of proposals to consider, from overhauling workers’ compensation to loosening oversight of electric rates and updating political boundaries.

Their decisions could cut aid to Illinois schools, reduce care for the sick and disabled, influence elections for the next decade and give businesses a break on paying for employee injuries.

But the key issue, as in all recent legislative sessions, is the budget. How should Illinois government bridge the difference between its weak revenues and surging costs?

Gov. Pat Quinn has proposed spending more money on some key programs and borrowing billions to pay overdue bills. The House and Senate have each passed budget plans that would cut spending by varying amounts and let old bills go unpaid.

The difference between Quinn’s proposal and the tightfisted House version: roughly $2 billion.

Legislators hoping to end the session by May 31 will have to decide whether to go forward with the House version and its painful cuts, adopt the Senate’s smaller cuts or entirely abandon the idea of cuts and go with Quinn’s proposal.

House Speaker Michael Madigan, a Chicago Democrat, said last week that he wants to work with the governor on a final budget, but legislators have shown no interest in Quinn’s proposals, particularly his call to pay one set of debts by borrowing money.

Spokeswoman Mica Matsoff insisted the Democratic governor isn’t giving up on that idea. “We haven’t been given any indication that all debt-restructuring is off the table,” she said.

She said Quinn will review both the Senate and House budgets and then work with legislators to dump their negative parts and keep the positives. The negatives, she said, include cutting education. As for the positives, “I’ll call you back,” Matsoff said.

Complicating the budget further, officials are considering changes to government pensions — including bigger payments by employees — that are meant to save Illinois money in the long run.

Quinn has one huge bargaining chip: his signature on legislation redrawing House and Senate districts across the state.

Lawmakers draw new districts for themselves and the state’s congressional delegation every 10 years to reflect population changes. They also to protect their political interests as best they can. With Democrats controlling the House, Senate and governor’s office, they could come up with a map that would put Republicans at a disadvantage for the next decade.

In theory, Quinn could threaten to block the legislation unless he gets some concessions on the budget, but Matsoff said he won’t do that.

“He’s focused on the budget as a separate issue,” she said.

House Republican Leader Tom Cross of Oswego expects hard feelings over the new political map. It was probably good that the House passed a budget before the redistricting fireworks begin, he said.

“I think it’s caused a lot of angst in the building,” Cross said.

After years of complaints from Illinois businesses, lawmakers are on the verge of overhauling workers’ compensation, the system of paying employees who have been injured. Businesses say they’re paying too much for medical procedures and being held responsible for injuries that have no job connection. They say workers’ comp costs contribute to a poor business climate in Illinois.

Negotiations among business, labor, lawyers and health groups are moving toward a deal that would lower payments and tighten review of injuries. Business groups don’t look likely to get what they wanted most: a requirement that workers prove their injuries are job-related.

“When our costs are three times higher than Indiana for employers to insure their workers, something’s way out of kilter,” said Sen. Kirk Dillard, a Hinsdale Republican. “We cannot leave here without major changes to our worker’s compensation system.”

Failure to reach a deal could have serious consequences. Madigan is threatening to back legislation that would end the workers’ compensation system and send every injury to the courts, a costly, time-consuming process that nobody wants.

Another high-profile measure could affect electric rates.

Utilities want more money for technology upgrades that could potentially lower energy use. They also say the Illinois Commerce Commission’s process of considering rate increases, which can last 11 months, handcuffs the companies and prevents improvements.

They had been pushing for the authority to increase rates and then have the ICC decide later whether the increase was proper. Consumer groups balked, however, and a key legislator says the focus now is on simply shortening the review period to eight months.

Critics say they’re still worried the extra money could be used for any infrastructure improvements and not just new “smart grid” technology. They also say utilities are asking for too large a profit margin.