SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Legislation passed by Senate Democrats to authorize $16 billion in pension bonds and to let the governor sweep $530 million in funds will, yet again, set the state on the wrong course, said State Senator Brad Burzynski (R-Clare). Both bills passed along partisan lines with a 37-21 vote, with the Senate Republicans voting against both.

“At a time when we have a backlog of Medicaid bills, mismanagement of state funds by the governor’s agencies and a looming pension debt, the Senate Democrats have decided to not only give Rod Blagojevich more money and great discretion to sweep and spend money as he wishes, but also to backload our state’s debt even further on future generations to come,” Burzynski said.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Legislation to provide Illinois residents with information online about ethanol and biodiesel fuels sponsored by State Senator Brad Burzynski (R-Clare) passed the Illinois General Assembly on Tuesday.

Receiving unanimous votes of approval in the House and Senate, the Promote Illinois Ethanol and Biodiesel Act requires all state agency Web sites to include links to other Web sites with information to learn more about alternative fuels.  

The General Assembly is scheduled to adjourn May 29, and with the end of May quickly approaching, the Senate faced a May 15 deadline for House Bills to be moved out of Senate committees. However, Senate leadership extended the deadline for several House Bills so that committee hearings on the legislation can continue in the coming weeks, stated Senator Brad Burzynski (R-Clare).  

Legislation that would have amended a law passed last year mandating a moment of silence in Illinois schools failed to move out of the Senate Education Committee on May 14.  An amendment to House Bill 4180 would have made the moment of silence mandatory, and clarified that that period of reflection could take no longer than one minute. However, there were not enough votes in favor of the legislation to send it to the entire Senate body for consideration.   

Springfield, Ill. – Illinois senators returned to Springfield on Wednesday, May 7, to address a wide-range of issues, including a plan by lawmakers to review the process by which Illinois closes down its prisons, according to State Senator Brad Burzynski (R-Clare).

A bipartisan group of lawmakers came together on Thursday, May 8, to introduce House Bill 1235, which would create a Correctional Facilities Panel charged with closely examining the conditions at Illinois’ correctional centers. Until the panel completes the review and submits its findings to the General Assembly, a moratorium would be placed on all correctional facility closures. House Bill 1235 was introduced after a number of seemingly arbitrary and sudden prison closure announcements, including the Administration’s recently publicized intentions to close Pontiac Correctional Center.