Leader Tom Cross responds to the committee passage of SB1, legislation sponsored by Speaker Michael Madigan that mirrors HB3411, pension reform legislation Cross sponsored and introduced earlier this year.
Showing posts with label cross. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cross. Show all posts
With tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in new revenue at stake, a group of House Republicans today called for a House vote on a bi-partisan fracking agreement currently stuck in the Rules Committee.Hydraulic fracturing, more commonly referred to as fracking, is the extraction of natural gas and oil from the earth through horizontal drilling. The extraction technique involves injecting water, sand and chemicals into rock to release the natural gas.
More than a year of negotiations involving both energy and environmental organizations resulted in a bi-partisan agreement that permits high volume fracking while enforcing some of the nation’s strictest water and air protections. House Bill 2615 establishes the permit process, property owner notification, defines prevention standards and public input timelines. With widespread agreement and more than 50 bi-partisan House sponsors, Republican Representatives today called for the measure to be released from the Rules Committee for prompt consideration by the full House.
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| GOP lawmakers unveil measures to transform welfare in IL |
“The reason we are all here is to make sure that those who need these vital services, receive these vital services,” remarked Rep. Barb Wheeler who joined House Republican Leader Tom Cross and fellow lawmakers Bill Mitchell, Adam Brown, Dan Brady and Pam Roth today at press conference to unveil a package of legislation designed to reduce fraud and misuse of the state’s welfare system and shore up the safety-net for individuals and families during difficult times.
The welfare reform package focuses on reducing the fraudulent use of LINK cards (food stamps), the misuse of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (cash) benefits, and preventing criminals from receiving welfare benefits. The goal of the legislation is to save taxpayer dollars and preserve benefits for those most in need.
Here are highlights of the introduced legislation:
- House Bill 2784 guarantees that cash assistance benefits are used for the basic needs for which they are intended. TANF benefits are intended to provide financial assistance to help pay for basic needs such as food, shelter, utilities, and other necessary expenses, however under current law a person is free to spend this cash however they feel. The legislation would prevent TANF benefits from being used to purchase alcohol, lottery tickets, firearms, and other specified goods and services.
- House Bill 3174 and House Bill 2490 would prevent criminals from receiving aid. These bills would suspend public aid and benefits to inmates at State correctional facilities and recipients with outstanding warrants.
- House Bill 133 ensures that a person using a LINK card is the authorized user. The proposal would require all LINK cards to display a photo of the cardholder to ensure that the person presenting it at the checkout counter is the same person who is entitled to use it. The names of all secondary users will also be placed on the card. Secondary users will be required to show a valid photo id before they can use the card.
These measures will protect against those who are scamming Illinois taxpayers and help secure the viability of programs currently used by one third of Illinois residents. While this intitiative will go a long way in transforming Illinois' welfare system, Illinois has to work harder to keep and attract good paying jobs so we can reduce the need for welfare benefits and makes lives better for Illinois families.
Today, legislation that is part of transparency initiatives introduced earlier this year by Leader Tom Cross and Rep. Ron Sandack passed in the Illinois House of Representatives.
House Bill 1555 will expand the current Illinois Transparency Portal (ITAP) to include all taxing bodies not just state organizations.
"Too much spending and too much borrowing are leading to higher property taxes for homeowners and are driving up the cost of doing business in Illinois", according to Sandack. "The taxpayers deserve to know what financial promises are being made in their names – especially if they are on the hook to pay for them."
"Too much spending and too much borrowing are leading to higher property taxes for homeowners and are driving up the cost of doing business in Illinois", according to Sandack. "The taxpayers deserve to know what financial promises are being made in their names – especially if they are on the hook to pay for them."
Rep. Bill Mitchell and other House GOP members introduced a constitutional amendment today that would hold legislators responsible for passing a "truly" balanced budget. HJRCA32 requires the Auditor General's office to certify that expenses do not exceed revenues in budgets passed by the Illinois General Assembly. If the budget is not balanced, legislators will not be paid their salaries.
Support responsible spending by signing the petition to require a balanced budget.
House Republican Leader Tom Cross talks to the press after bipartisan pension reform legislation passes out of the House. HB1165 Amendments 5 & 6, sponsored by Cross, Represenative Elaine Nekritz and Senator Daniel Biss is on its way to the Senate.
Earlier this month the House Republicans introduced the "Protect our Children Initiative." Leader Tom Cross and other legislators believe Illinois needs tougher laws to stop the violence.
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"...Receiving significant support from members of all four caucuses, including 32 sponsors in the House, House Bill 3411 gives the General Assembly the best shot at achieving a bipartisan consensus that will ultimately save the Illinois pension system for hardworking government workers, while remaining affordable to taxpayers." More on tomcross.com...
In this morning's print edition of the Chicago Sun-Times, the Editorial Board encourages lawmakers to act to solve the state's pension crisis by rallying behind the bi-partisan bill introduced last week by Democrat State Representative Elaine Nekritz and House Republican Leader Tom Cross.
They say:
They say:
"The Nekriz/Cross bill is by far the most carefully crafted pension-cutting plan we've seen and, more important, promises to reduce costs by enough to be considered a real solution."You can read the entire piece on the Sun-Times website.
On the floor of the Illinois House, Republican Leader Tom Cross implored the chamber’s majority to call off what he called “games” and a “charade” relating to the state’s pension crisis.
House Republicans refused to participate in a publicity stunt on the House floor today, instead choosing to ask for a Committee of the Whole meeting, one during which members could exchange ideas and work toward a real solution to the pension crisis which is costing taxpayers $17 million per day.
Coverage from around the state:
- Peoria Journal Star: Pension bill with 'momentum' proposed
- Downers Grove Patch: Cross proposes Bi-Partisan Pension Reform Prosposal
- NIU Today: Cross, Nekritz File New Pension Reform Proposal
- In the Know Illinois: State legislators introduce new employee pension fix
The video from the press event is here below and on our YouTube Channel, you can check out some photos from the press conference here on our Facebook page, and to read the full details of the proposal, you can visit Tom Cross' governmental site.
Illinois State Representative Dwight Kay (R-Glen Carbon) and Illinois House Minority Leader Tom Cross (R-Oswego) along with their Republican colleagues and members of the business community revealed a pro-growth jobs package today at the Illinois Capitol.
The pro-growth jobs package is aimed at making Illinois job creators more competitive with Illinois’ border states. The package includes reducing start-up costs for small businesses, eliminating job-killing policies, speeding up the approval of state permits and licenses, rolling back taxes, making research and development tax credits permanent, implementing workers’ compensation reform, and restoring fairness to Illinois’ court system.
“The pro-growth jobs package is necessary at a time when many people are looking for work,” said Rep. Kay. “Job creators are looking for a place to stay, expand, and grow. We have an educated workforce ready to go to work. Illinois is home to one of the best infrastructures and we are the financial capital of the Midwest. Putting people back to work will provide opportunity and grow our economy. Jobs equal revenue and Illinois desperately needs more revenue without raising taxes.”
According the U.S. Department of Labor, Illinois’ unemployment rate as of December 2012 was 8.7%. Illinois has the seventh highest unemployment rate in the nation. Since 2008, Illinois has lost the third most jobs in the country.
“We need to be laser-focused on creating an environment in Illinois where residents can find good jobs,” said Leader Cross. “For years, we have been fighting for legislation that will improve our economy and we must make it a priority.”
Illinois was also ranked the third worst state to do business in by Chief Executive Magazine and has the 11th highest tax burden on citizens in the nation. Furthermore, Illinois is losing more jobs and opportunity due to excessive taxation and archaic regulation.
The House Republican pro-growth jobs package includes the following:
• Reduce the cost of starting a small business by reducing the cost of setting up an LLC by 50%. (HB 2230)
• Eliminate job-killing administrative policies by creating a panel that would bundle together old, obsolete rules and submit them to the General Assembly for abolition by up-or-down vote. ( HB 2892)
• Speed up the approval of permits and licenses for professionals or job creating enterprise to be answered within 60 days. (At LRB)
• Make Research and Development (R&D) tax credits permanent; add biodiesel and ethanol research as qualified R&D activities. (HB 2891)
• Enact stronger workers’ compensation reform which establishes a standard (making the workplace primary cause) for determining whether or not an injury occurred at the workplace, making the system more fair for the injured employee and employer. (HB 107)
• Restore fairness to Illinois courts by keeping out of state lawsuits with no connection to Illinois employers from being filed (HB 138), including curbing the practice of double-dipping (plaintiffs being compensated multiple times from the same defendant, for the same claim/lawsuit, HB 153).
• Rollback taxes, rolling back the corporate income tax will promote economic growth. (HB 2890)
“The NFIB applauds the House Republicans for pursing a pro-business package of bills that will help alleviate the cost of doing business in Illinois,” said Kim Clarke Maisch, NFIB/IL State Director. “Small business owners have not recovered from the recession and continue to struggle to keep their doors open. These bills are introduced at an important time as some in Springfield pursue a job-killing minimum wage hike. Small business owners need public policies that help them be successful, not hurt them.”
“I applaud Rep. Kay’s hard work and dedication in trying to bring some common-sense lawsuit reforms to Illinois,” said Travis Akin, executive director of Illinois Lawsuit Abuse Watch. “Illinois is the fifth-worst state in the country for legal fairness. What we need in Illinois is more jobs – not more lawsuits.”
“This pro-growth jobs package will create and attract jobs,” said Rep. Kay. “The state needs to create and attract jobs. It is necessary to see growth at three to four percent annually and this pro-growth jobs package will get the job done. This will not happen until the state meets its obligations by improving the tax and regulatory climate in order for business to prosper.”
Read the entire package here:
House Republican Leader Tom Cross and Assistant Leader Renee Kosel have proposed a measure that would adjust the Early Voting window because of the Easter holiday.
The employees of Illinois’ election authorities will be spending the Easter holiday with their families instead of their co-workers if legislation filed by Rep. Renee Kosel (R-New Lenox) and House Republican Leader Tom Cross (R- Oswego) continues to advance.
House Bill 1560 would specifically exempt election authorities from staying open for early voting on the Easter holidays, while providing additional voting hours during the last week of early voting. It would also require notice be given to the State Board of Elections of any closure and public notice for the subsequent extended hours.
The bill passed unanimously out of the Executive Committee Wednesday.
Nancy Schultz Voots, Will County Clerk, supports this measure.
“Generally on holiday weekends, we have not seen good voter turnout. We think this is an excellent idea that will boost voter turnout during the week with extended hours,” said Voots. “As soon as this bill would pass we would immediately prepare a voters’ guide to make sure everyone is aware of the early voting hours.”
“There is no reason for these offices to be open on Easter,” Cross stated. “The law was originally drafted with the intent to afford for closures during major holidays. The timing of Easter this year was an anomaly that wasn’t foreseen, but should be accommodated for.”
In this video, watch Leader Cross and Representative Sandack walk through their proposal.
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