From the Desk of the President:

Legislative Update

The 2005 Spring Session of the 94^th Illinois General Assembly has come to a close. Surprisingly, it adjourned on time, however, not without its share of controversy. The Lodge, with the capable assistance of Legislative Counsel, tracked initiatives, advocated for and against proposed legislation, and had its share of successes and failures in the legislative arena. The following are legislative issues that should be of concern to our membership:

HB 2508 – Squad car funding. This bill proposed a one ($1) dollar increase in license plate fees for the purpose of funding the Illinois State Police Vehicle Fund. This fund was created in 1995 and was popularly known as “Operation Kick-Start”. This fund was never provided a permanent funding mechanism. The Lodge was successful in passing the bill out of the House of Representatives, however, the bill stalled in the Senate Transportation Committee. Despite several appearances, as well as testifying in front of the committee, there was not enough support to pass the bill to the floor. The Lodge was successful in attaching the language to a vehicle bill (SB1123), but we must continue to work towards passage in the Senate. This bill remains in the Senate Rules Committee. We will continue to work for the passage of this initiative, as well as address the critical fleet issue.

HB 2242 – Sworn Affidavits. This legislation amended the State Police Act by requiring that any complaint made against a State Police Officer be accompanied by a sworn affidavit. This bill was overwhelmingly passed by both chambers and has been signed into law by the Governor. This legislation is now Public Act 094-0217. I want to take this opportunity to publicly acknowledge Trooper Rosendo Mercado (D-Chicago) and Representative John D’Amico for their invaluable assistance in introducing and advocating this important piece of legislation.

HB 1921 – Illinois Gaming. The Lodge spends a great deal of time and effort tracking and defending against legislation that would be a detriment to the membership. This bill is a good example. In the last days of the session, several amendments were filed concerning HB 1921. The purposes of these amendments were to create an independent Illinois Gaming Board. Our lobbyists, through their diligence to our membership, found language within these amendments that would have resulted in the removal of our officers from the riverboats. We vigorously lobbied against this bill over the Memorial Day weekend and were successful in preventing its passage from the House.

HB 1079 – Union Official Protections. This bill was introduced by the labor unions and strongly supported by the Lodge. The language creates a confidentiality concerning communication between union officers and their membership. This confidentiality is very similar to the Attorney/Client privilege. This legislation was based on a labor principle that was challenged and won by Past President Donald and your Lodge nearly 17 years ago. This bill was signed by the Governor and is now Public Act 094-0022

Pension Reform - Without a doubt, the most controversial topics in this legislative session was that of the budget and pension reform. Legislative Counsel and I met with members of the legislative leadership, as well as the Governor’s budgetary staff to discuss our concerns. In the end, the Democratic leadership tied the two issues together and the legislature passed a pension reform bill that addressed numerous issues of concern to our membership. The results of those discussions and the effect of the pension reform legislation are as follows:

• Income tax on pensions (HB750/SB750) was avoided. This issue will continue to be a concern and we will closely monitor any proposed legislation.
• There was no change in the current retirement age or Cost of Living Adjustments for members of the Alternative Formula. However, there will be a commission created to study these issues for future pension reform proposals.
• Only State of Illinois employees with police powers will be admitted into the Alternative (State Police) Formula in the future.
• There can be no pension enhancement legislation introduced that is not fully funded. Our prior police time buy-back initiative meets this requirement and we will pursue this legislation in the fall session. The elimination of the retirement age provision does not meet this standard and we will have to explore options as to a funding mechanism.
• Finally, despite opposition from all of the state public sector unions, and warnings from the Administrators of the State Pension Funds, the leadership elected to shortfall the State’s pension obligations for the next two years. Make no mistake; this shortfall will become a financial issue for the citizens of Illinois in the future. The Illinois Constitution demands that pensions must be paid!

Social Security Fairness Act – H.R. 147/S. 619 – this is one of the National F.O.P. Lodge’s top legislative initiatives. Please contact your U. S. Congressman or U.S. Senator to ensure that they are cosponsors of this important initiative. Access the Grand Lodge website to obtain more information on social security reform issues.

During the summer break, I will be working to generate support for the purchase of squad cars. I need you, the membership, to get involved. Contact your local members of the General Assembly and educate them as to the fleet situation. If you need facts, contact the Lodge.

As always, the Lodge will continue to introduce, monitor and address any and all legislation that is of concern to our membership. If you have comments, concerns or suggestions, please convey them to your Trustees or to the Lodge so that we may address them in a timely manner.

State Issues to Illinois General Assembly
National Issues to Grand Lodge