(Not so) Virtual Lobby Day.

Lots to report today.

First of all, IEA’s chief lobbyist Jim Reed reports that the General Assembly is not meeting any more until after the March 20th election day. So, everybody is in their home district. Or somewhere other than eating pasta at Saputo’s Italian restaurant down the street from the state Capitol.

So far, no major piece of pension legislation has been introduced, according to Reed.

However, there has been plenty of talk, with most of it focused around Democratic Senate President John Cullerton’s proposal to shift  the state’s pension to local school districts.

The bad news about that is that the plan would be a disaster to local district’s budgets.

The good news, I suppose, is that it puts teachers, communities and school boards on the same side in opposing the Cullerton plan.

Nobody believes that after March 20th there won’t be a truckload of proposals on school budgets, taxes and pensions. And things will move mighty fast. Speaker and Democratic Party boss Mike Madigan is not known for an open, deliberative legislative process. A bill can come from committee and get passed before you can press the send button on your email.

So, making contact now is a best idea.

Also, Friday the petition to the governor to restore state funding to the teacher retiree health insurance fund, known at TRIP (and the higher ed plan known as CIP), will be presented to Quinn’s office in Chicago during the IEA Representative Assembly meeting. The petition is now just short of 25,000 signatures. An amazing grass-roots effort. Retiree activist and former IEA President Bob Haisman is asking even those who have already signed it to send it to others with the subject heading, “Don’t cut my (dad’s, uncle’s, aunt’s, mom’s, sister’s) health insurance.”

And finally, my union local, the Park Ridge Education Association, is making final plans for our own Springfield Lobby Day. Although the IEA has cancelled their Lobby Day this year, our members have told the PREA leadership that they want to go to Springfield anyway. Our State Senator, Dan Kotowski, has agreed to meet with us in May. We’re chartering a bus, bringing box lunches to have on the Capitol lawn by the statue of Lincoln (not by the statue of  the  pro-slavery Stephen Douglas) and then return home. If you’re interested in joining us, let me know.

We’re on the road again.