Political Rewind: Quinn: $800M Deficit Within Next Three Years

Editor's Note: This article was created by aggregating news articles from Illinois Statehouse News that were written by various Illinois Statehouse News reporters.

New IL law targets pensions, double-dipping

Gov. Pat Quinn closed the headline grabbing double-dipping loophole in Illinois' pension system, but critics say legal questions and pension costs also must be addressed. 

On Thursday, the governor signed into law House Bill 3813, which prevents some members of labor unions from cashing-in on publicly backed pensions. The new law takes effect immediately, but would nullify benefits retroactively for a handful of union leaders and lobbyists.   

"The pension abuses unearthed were flagrant. They needed to be stopped immediately," Quinn told the Chicago Tribune in a statement. 

He added that lawmakers must work to "tackle the remaining pension challenges," but he did not explain those particular challenges.

IL residents take battle against smart meters to court

A debate over the usefulness of smart meters versus potential security and privacy in the Illinois city of Naperville has spilled into the courts.

The group, Naperville Smart Meter Awareness Group, or NSMA, filed for an injunction in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District, Eastern Division, on Dec. 30, asking that the city’s planned installation of smart meters be halted until residents can vote on a nonbinding referendum in March, the closest election. 

The referendum asks residents to vote on using smart meters in their city. 

“It was a difficult decision to file in federal court. We have worked tirelessly for months advocating for caution and informed consent,” said Kim Bendis, president of NSMA, a nonprofit lobbying against smart meters. “It has become clear that our city officials are no longer acting in the public’s best interest. They have failed to stop the project in the face of public outcry. Without adequate choice, we feel the council left us no other option.” 

Every analog meter, the ubiquitous metal boxes with protruding glass domes encasing spinning disks, will be replaced as part of the city's $22 million smart grid initiative. 

The city began installing the new meters this week despite the court case and is set to be done with its upgrades by April 2013. 

Deficits, pension weigh on IL spending; Medicaid eyed for cuts

The arithmetic behind Gov. Pat Quinn's first budget proposal of the new year is grim. Illinois will be facing an $800 million deficit within three years, despite tax revenue projected to grow by more than $1 billion a year.

Illinois' fiscal reality is bleak, said Kelly Kraft, the governor's budget spokeswoman. "These projections clearly demonstrate that action must be taken to control not only Medicaid costs but also (pension) costs or all other areas of government will continue to be squeezed," Kraft said in a statement. 

Quinn on Tuesday released his three-year budget projection in which Illinois in fiscal 2013 is expected to spend $33.7 billion, about $1.5 billion more than this year.

By fiscal 2015, Illinois' expenditures will reach $34.2 billion, or $2 billion more than the current budget.  

The governor's fiscal outline is part of the state's Budgeting for Results initiative. Lawmakers created this process in 2011 to force the governor to craft a realistic budget within the financial means of the state.  

The majority of the additional spending will be on public employee pensions.

Voters have their say: The color of Iowa caucuses

The talking was almost over.

After months of candidate debates, speeches, a barrage of campaign ads, Tuesday night was judgment day for the GOP presidential hopefuls who had spent so much time and money courting Iowa Republicans.

After 7 p.m. in schoolhouses, colleges, libraries, hotels and community centers across the state, the last-minute pitches came from passionate average Iowans.

And while these voters made cases for their candidates and what they believe separates their candidate from the rest of the political pack, there remained agreement on one mission: Beat President Barack Obama.

“All the damage he has done to our country makes me scared,”Tracy Tallent, a Mitt Romney backer told a group gathered at Dubuque’s Washington Junior High School auditorium where a few hundred voters turned out for Iowa’s first-in-the nation caucuses  —  one of 1,774 GOP caucus sites statewide.

Pension double dipping could end soon (Background)