SPRINGFIELD, IL – The budget proposed today by Gov. Pat Quinn will only serve to compound the fiscal crisis facing the State of Illinois, according to State Sen. Pamela Althoff (R-McHenry).

Under the Governor’s proposal, Illinois would spend nearly $5 billion more than it takes in during the upcoming Fiscal Year 2011, and borrow an additional $9 billion.

“This could very well be the worst budget ever presented to the General Assembly,” Althoff said. “It’s disappointing the Governor didn’t even make an effort to balance the budget, or provide a way of repaying the borrowing. If this budget passes, it will not only drive us deeper in to debt, it will likely lead to a double downgrade of our state credit ratings, taking us from the second-lowest in the nation to the level of California, which is now the worst.”

Althoff said the Governor would be better served to start with a budget that incorporates the litany of spending reforms and cost-savings that have been presented to the Governor, including Medicaid managed care reform and pension reforms – measures that could save the state billions of dollars annually.

 “Hopefully in the coming weeks, we can have a serious dialogue with the Governor as to how to chart a responsible fiscal path for our state,” Althoff said. “We need him to step up to the plate and provide the necessary leadership to truly balance the budget. These are tough times that call for tough decisions.”

SPRINGFIELD, IL – The budget proposed today by Gov. Pat Quinn will only serve to compound the fiscal crisis facing the State of Illinois, according to State Sen. Pamela Althoff (R-McHenry).

Under the Governor’s proposal, Illinois would spend nearly $5 billion more than it takes in during the upcoming Fiscal Year 2011, and borrow an additional $9 billion.

“This could very well be the worst budget ever presented to the General Assembly,” Althoff said. “It’s disappointing the Governor didn’t even make an effort to balance the budget, or provide a way of repaying the borrowing. If this budget passes, it will not only drive us deeper in to debt, it will likely lead to a double downgrade of our state credit ratings, taking us from the second-lowest in the nation to the level of California, which is now the worst.”

Althoff said the Governor would be better served to start with a budget that incorporates the litany of spending reforms and cost-savings that have been presented to the Governor, including Medicaid managed care reform and pension reforms – measures that could save the state billions of dollars annually.

 “Hopefully in the coming weeks, we can have a serious dialogue with the Governor as to how to chart a responsible fiscal path for our state,” Althoff said. “We need him to step up to the plate and provide the necessary leadership to truly balance the budget. These are tough times that call for tough decisions.”

Sen. Althoff was on hand at the Illinois State Capitol on Wednesday for the statewide kickoff of the Pension Fairness for Illinois Communities Coalition - a bipartisan organization of state lawmakers and more than 200 communities seeking to bring fairness to the public safety pension system in Illinois.

Across Illinois, soaring public safety pension costs are at a crisis level and threatening the fiscal future of our communities. The coalition wants to relieve the burden of escalating public safety pension costs on taxpayers and ensure sustainable retirement benefits for public safety employees.

To further that goal, the Senator has sponsored Senate Bill 2574, which seeks to reform municipal public safety pensions by capping the contributions municipalities make to police and fire pension funds.

“Nobody disputes the hard work of firefighters and police officers in protecting the public,” Althoff said. “However, the amount of money being directed toward public safety pensions is unsustainable – since 1999 the cost of funding them has doubled. Not only has this meant greater hardships for taxpayers, but scores of municipalities are on the verge of fiscal ruin to pay for the enhanced benefits.  It’s time to reform the public safety pension system, to protect our taxpayers and prevent Illinois communities from financial collapse.”

While Illinois’ ongoing fiscal crisis dominates most headlines, the General Assembly is also tackling a wide range of issues this year, from crime and public health to environmental safety.

Several bills sponsored by Senator Althoff that address these challenges are moving ahead through the legislative process. The safety of the public’s water supply is the focus of another bill sponsored by the Senator – Senate Bill 3070. Under the measure, if carcinogenic compounds are detected in the water of a community water system, the operators of the system must submit a plan of action to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

The Senator sponsored the legislation in the wake of a water contamination issue in Crestwood Village, in which investigators allege city officials knowingly used a contaminated well for public water consumption, instead of cleaning up the contamination or building new wells.

Another measure moving forward is Senate Bill 3273, which seeks to enhance education regarding the healthcare needs of premature infants, and to reduce infant deaths associated with prematurity. The bill would require the Department of Public Health to publish information on its Web site about the unique health issues affecting premature infants, proper care and preventative measures to protect premature infants from infections and disease and community resources available to impacted parents.

Senate Bill 2824, approved last week by the Criminal Law Committee, prohibits sex offenders from being in a public park or loitering within 500 feet of one. The penalty for the first offense is up to 364 days in jail and a $2,500 fine, while repeat offenses are subject to one to three years in prison and a fine of up to $25,000.