Senator Biss revises?

July 3, 2013

Dear Friends, Thank you very much for contacting me in my capacity as a member of the pension conference committee. A small number of legislators are charged with crafting a bill that will impact hundreds of thousands of public workers across the state, and I take very seriously my responsibility to consider the opinions and concerns of all Illinois citizens. As you know, our state continues to experience severe fiscal problems, in part because of our enormous pension debt. During the spring legislative session, each chamber passed a bill to address our pension debt; however, neither of these bills is going to be signed into law, so a conference committee of ten legislators was created to hammer out a compromise. I am honored to have been appointed to serve on this committee by Senate President John Cullerton. I believe my job is to put aside pre-existing biases and work diligently to craft a reasonable bill that addresses the problem and can achieve passage. The committee held its second public meeting this morning; I was pleased to hear interesting testimony from a variety of stakeholders, and the committee members are all clearly willing to be flexible and open to new ideas. I am committed to looking at all suggestions with an open mind, and I hope that as new ideas emerge, we can be in touch and discuss them in a constructive and honest way. . The next public meeting is in Springfield on July 8th at 3:00 p.m. in room 409 in the Capitol Building. There are several yardsticks by which I believe we must measure reform proposals. First, Article XIII Section 5 of the Constitution provides a strong protection for public pensions, and we need to craft a solution that respects this clause and stands a credible chance of being upheld in court. Second, we must pass a bill that achieves enough savings to significantly relieve the state’s fiscal pressures; this has been a painful process for all stakeholders and it would be unacceptable if we were called upon to repeat it in the near future. Finally, while the savings will undoubtedly require significant sacrifice, we must ensure that this sacrifice is shared in the most equitable manner possible. The question of what constitutes a reasonable distribution of pain is very difficult, and necessarily contentious. I have advocated for reforms that are less harsh on those who have worked longer and earn less; others suggest that the fairest way to approach this is to give workers options to select from. Additionally, many point out that sacrifice must be shared by all citizens, not only public employees. This is unquestionably true — and while the population at large is already making do with substantially reduced public services while paying a significantly increased tax rate, there is still more to be done. Our tax code is in need of a drastic overhaul, to make it both more fair and more economically responsive. This will be another major legislative battle, but it is not one that supplants the need for pension reform — instead, we must press forward on both fronts. I am extremely grateful to you for reaching out and sharing your story with me. It makes a big difference in shaping my thoughts on this topic. My interest in achieving meaningful savings comes from my desire to end this crisis and right our state’s fiscal ship, but equally importantly to change our discourse surrounding public service and government. The debate on this topic has been regrettably acrimonious, featuring a great deal of unhelpful finger-pointing and offensive scapegoating of public workers. In order to build a government that works the way it needs to, we must change that tone and create dialogue that correctly views us as all working on the same team, in support of an effective government that provides essential services for its people and dignity and appreciation for its workers. In an effort to continue our constructive dialogue around these issues, I am hosting a town hall meeting to discuss public pensions on July 14th at 3pm in Evanston. Details are below — I hope you’re able to join me. Update on Pensions and Fiscal Stabilization Town Hall Date: Sunday, July 14 Time: 3:00 p.m. Location: The Levy Center, 300 Dodge Ave, Evanston, 60202 Thank you again for reaching out. I look forward to staying in touch as things progress. I hope you will visit my website at senatorbiss.com for updates, and please feel free to call my district office at any time at847-568-1250 with any questions. Sincerely, Senator Daniel Biss 9th District – Illinois