I was part of a group of 12 independent-minded Democrats who voted against the early versions of the budget to hold out for budget reforms and belt tightening. We worked feverishly to pull together a package of reforms and $1.3 billion in cuts that we could live with, even though they were very painful. We held a press conference on May 24 outlining reforms that we think should be undertaken, but most of our proposals did not make it out of committee.

We did pass a budget by our prescribed deadline, but I had to hold my nose, because it is frankly unbalanced and not the total comprehensive solution we need. We gave the Governor emergency budget powers to deal with our financial crisis. Please know that the addition of oversight and reporting provisions, which our group proposed and which were not included in the original budget, are important to allow us to continue to monitor the state's financial situation.

In these hard economic times, our state, like Illinois families, needs to cut its spending. Legislators are once again taking 12 furlough days (5% pay cut), and state employees are taking furlough days as well. I have also worked hard to find areas where we can cut waste. I have asked the Comptroller to stop issuing checks for tiny amounts which cost more to process than they are worth. I have asked the Department of Revenue to speed up deposits of payments made to the state. I have asked the Department of Aging to stop sending calendars to legislative offices. I passed HB 5054 to save money by limiting Department of Public Aid paperwork (see below). I will not be sending out a paper End of Session Newsletter this year, which will save the state $10,000. Instead, I am sending out this and other electronic reports to the District and ask that it be forwarded. Every little bit of money saved eventually adds up to big savings for the state of Illinois.

I am back in the district now and hope to see you in the community. Please know that I will be continuing to work over the summer to resolve Illinois' financial problems.

Throughout this year, I have been focused on jobs creation and participated in our Jobs Creation Task Force to find more ways to help the economy. Illinois' current unemployment level of 11% exceeds the national average and is at its highest level since 1983. Over 700,000 Illinoisans are currently considered unemployed, but economists are concerned that a number of people are dropping out of the work force altogether, which will result in underestimates of our unemployment rate.

A number of initiatives are occurring at the state and federal levels. In Illinois, the Small Business Job Creation Tax Credit Act, which provides a $2,500 tax credit for each new job created by small businesses, was signed into law on April 13 and is estimated to create 20,000 full time jobs. To read this new law, please click here.

The Federal Stimulus bill set aside billions of dollars for jobs creation. States receive funds to assist counties and private industry in hiring new workers. These wages paid by federal government will carry through September 2010. The $2.5 billion in federal dollars designated for Illinois are estimated to generate 33,000 jobs directly and, through the ripple effect, 65,700 jobs in total. It is estimated that the federal stimulus impact will also retain more than 145,000 jobs in Illinois.

According to a University of Illinois Institute of Government and Public Affairs study, current employment figures in Illinois indicate 230,000 fewer jobs than recorded in November 2000. The jobs associated with these state and federal stimulus programs will have a tremendous impact on the state's economy in the form of additional private-sector investment and job creation. To view the study, please click here.

The following bills on which I was Chief Sponsor further support Illinois job growth and small businesses:

House Bill 6030 creates a green manufacturing grant program for manufacturers with 500 or fewer employees. These grants are to be used toward the cost of equipment that will reduce environmental impact and achieve cost savings. This bill will help small businesses save money while protecting the environment. HB6030 has been passed by both houses.

House Bill 5094 allows for the growth of Illinois' small businesses by promoting the hiring of new employees. Currently, if a business has no recent unemployment claims, it achieves a low rate of unemployment insurance payments. However, if that business has no employees for a year, the unemployment insurance rate increases dramatically when the business hires an employee, which discourages new hiring. By helping those businesses that already achieved the low unemployment insurance rate to keep their rate low, small businesses will be more likely to make new hires. This bill is stuck in Rules Committee.

I introduced House Bill 5054 to reduce bureaucratic hassles for over 2 million citizens and save the state money by requiring the Department of Public Aid to issue permanent or semi-permanent health cards to individuals rather than monthly cards. The department will continue to determine eligibility on a monthly basis in compliance with federal law, and will keep these records electronically. This bill has been passed by both houses and been sent to the Governor for signature.

House Bill 5018 is an extension of a bill I passed last year to lengthen the term of health insurance coverage for small business workers who lost their jobs after September 1, 2008. The bill allows access to federal funds so these health benefits can be extended until the end of the period defined in the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The bill passed the House unanimously and was read in the Senate for the third time on April 22, 2010. It will be voted on when the General Assembly reconvenes in November.

House Bill 6103 gives our veterans access to mental health care. The bill states that any veteran who receives services from a state mental health facility will not be liable for any fees not covered by their insurance. This bill is extremely important because the number of post traumatic stress disorder cases, particularly in reservists called up for active duty, has increased dramatically over the last few years. This bill was passed unanimously by both houses and has been sent to the Governor for signature.

House Bill 5297 amends the Illinois Pension Code to address the serious economic problems facing our municipalities and promoting pension reform to ensure the financial viability of our public safety pension funds of local government. This bill has been re-referred to the Rules Committee, but we are hoping for action in our fall veto session.

House Bill 5047 provides that older workers who lose their jobs cannot be disqualified from receiving unemployment benefits because they also receive social security. Illinois is one of only three states that discriminate against seniors in this way. Thirty-seven members of the House have signed onto the bill as cosponsors as the measure awaits approval. Because of opposition by the business communities, the bill did not move, but we held hearings in both the House and Senate on an issue so important to our 65 plus age workers.

House Bill 5337 protects senior citizens by increasing the penalty for nursing homes in Illinois that violate the Nursing Home Act and result in harm to residents. This bill has been re-referred to the Rules Committee, but the idea was included in a major nursing home reform package.

House Bill 5338 creates the Toxin-Free Kids Act which requires the state to publish a list of high concern chemicals. This list will help consumers protect their children from exposure to products containing dangerous chemicals. This bill has been re-referred to the Rules Committee.

House Bill 6201 extends the repeal date of the Mercury Switch Removal Act from January 1, 2011 to January 1, 2017. This further protects our state from mercury which causes brain damage in children. The bill was passed unanimously by both houses and has been sent to the Governor for signature.

Senate Bill 3346 creates the Mercury Thermostat Collection Act. This bill requires thermostat manufacturers to establish out-of-service mercury thermostat collection programs and to handle and manage out-of-service mercury thermostats according to the universal waste regulations adopted by the Illinois Pollution Control Board. It also requires the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to provide certain types of educational outreach efforts. This protects our environment and our citizens from the harmful effects of mercury. The bill has passed in both houses and been sent to the governor to sign.

Senate Bill 3347 amends the Environmental Protection Act. It provides for the phasing out of lead and mercury weights to balance vehicle wheels and tires. This reduces the amount of toxic lead and mercury in our environment. The bill has passed in both houses and has been sent to the governor to sign.

House Bill 5454 prohibits the use of electronic communication while driving a motor vehicle, unless the device is used in hands-free or voice-activated mode (exceptions include emergency use, sitting in a parked vehicle, etc.). This is a response to the recent increase in car accidents related to drivers who are using communication devices such as cell phones and blackberries while driving. The bill has been re-referred to the Rules Committee because of opposition from various areas, including the Secretary of State's office that wants to gather more data on the use of such devices.

As always, send your thoughts and ideas to my local legislative office. I can be reached at 847-433-9100 or Karen@RepKarenMay.org. Check me out on Facebook to see where I am in the community.

email: karen@repkarenmay.org

phone: (847) 433-9100

web: http://www.repkarenmay.org