Distributed via Email: January 4, 2008

BIMP GETS AMENDATORY VETO FROM GOVERNOR

Governor Rod Blagojevich acted Friday (Jan. 4) on the budget implementation bill (BIMP) by issuing an amendatory veto. SB 783, which has been on the governor’s desk since Nov. 5, will now go back to the General Assembly for consideration. If the legislature accepts the governor’s changes, the bill will become effective immediately. If both chambers do not vote to accept the changes contained in the amendatory veto message, the bill would be dead. The legislature reconvenes on Wednesday (Jan. 9).

Enactment of the budget implementation bill is necessary for the State Board of Education to begin disbursing school aid payments that include the $400 per pupil increase that was contained in the Fiscal Year 2008 budget bill.

SPECIAL ED REIMBURSEMENT

The BIMP bill contains a provision that increases the special education personnel reimbursement by $1,000 for certificated teachers (from $8,000 to $9,000) and $700 for non-certificated special education employees (from $2,800 to $3,500). An error in the bill, however, would not have allowed this funding to become available to school districts until Fiscal Year 2009 even though the intent was for the funds to flow in the current fiscal year. The governor, in his amendatory veto, corrected this provision.

For a full review of the provisions contained in SB 783, please refer to Alliance Legislative Report 95-43.

COMITTEE RESET FOR TUESDAY

BILL ON SCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY/MANDATED BOARD TRAINING

The House Gaming Committee will meet on Tuesday (Jan. 8) to consider the bill that would expand gaming in the state and that would add new accountability measures for school districts. The bill, HB 4194, was originally set for a hearing on Dec. 17 but that committee meeting was cancelled. Please refer to Alliance Legislative Report 95-48 for complete details of the bill – and specifically the school accountability measures (see ALR 95-48). The accountability provisions include additional financial reporting for school districts and mandatory training for school board members.

HB 4194, the 460-page legislative proposal, would expand gaming in the state with receipts to be used for a statewide capital infrastructure program and additional funding for elementary and secondary education. The bill expands gaming in the state by adding riverboat casino licenses and authorizing a land-based casino in the city of Chicago. The bill would allocate 30% of the gaming receipts (up to an estimated $400 million) to public education – 70% for school construction and 30% for school operations. All school operations money would be placed in the newly created "Focusing On Children, Uplifting Schools" (FOCUS) Fund.

The Alliance opposes the provision that includes mandated training for school board members and there have been concerns voiced about the drafting of some of the school district financial reporting requirements. Please contact the members of the House Gaming Committee to discuss your concerns with HB 4194.

The members of the committee can be found at: http://www.ilga.gov/house/committees/members.asp?CommitteeID=402&GA=95

The committee will meet at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 8, in Room 114 of the State Capitol.

SESSION RECONVENES

When the entire General Assembly returns to Springfield on Wednesday, it will mark the beginning of the second year of the two-year legislative cycle. Upon introduction of new bills, the bill numbers will begin with where they left off last year (HB 4230 is the last introduced bill). All bills that were introduced since last June will be sent to the Rules Committee of the respective chambers. If approved by the Rules Committee, bills will be assigned to a substantive legislative committee for consideration and will move through the legislative process.

Immediate attention will likely be given to the hold-over issues of Chicago-area mass transit funding, gaming expansion, and funding for roads, bridges, and schools.

General Assembly Bill Text/Status

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