By Alissa Groeninger and Ray Long
SPRINGFIELD — Retired state workers stand to pay more for health insurance that thousands of them now get for little or nothing under legislation the Senate approved Thursday and Gov. Pat Quinn plans to sign.
The 31-20 vote represented the first major test of whether lawmakers trying to put together a new state budget can make deep cuts that will anger a large segment of voters in an election year.
"I am encouraged that legislators have taken this step toward restoring fiscal stability to Illinois," Quinn said, adding that he will sign the bill into law. "This legislation will helpensure that our retirees continue to have access to quality health care while also lowering the cost to taxpayers."
Quinn also wants lawmakers to make significant cuts in health care for the poor and public employee pensions, as well as close prisons and social service sites around Illinois. The Democratic governor said he looks forward to working together more with top Democrats and Republicans "to make the difficult decisions necessary to return Illinois to sound financial footing."
In urging colleagues to scale back retiree insurance, sponsoring Sen. Jeff Schoenberg said the escalating costs of the program could hit $1 billion in the budget year that starts July 1 if nothing is done now. The Democratic senator from Evanston said the costs are approaching $880 million this year alone, and the goal is to save $300 million or more.
Under the legislation, the Quinn administration would set premiums each year for the group health insurance program, which includes retired state workers, judges, lawmakers and university employees. Quinn's administration plans to do so using a sliding scale based in part on size of pension and seniority.
Senate Republican leader Christine Radogno of Lemont challenged colleagues who talk about wanting to cut costs to match their rhetoric with support for the bill. "This is where the rubber meets the road," she said.
Seventy-eight thousand retirees pay no premium, and 7,400 pay a portion of their premium, according to legislative estimates. In addition, 36,000 dependents are enrolled on retiree plans, but legislators have said the premium does not cover the true cost of the benefit.
To establish who pays how much, pension amounts would be broken into seven tiers. The higher the tier, the more the retiree would pay.
Recess required
In other action, the Senate voted 32-20 to require that students in kindergarten through fifth grade get at least 20 minutes of recess. Schools also would be permitted to require recess for sixth through eighth grades. The bill also seeks to block teachers from holding children out of recess as punishment, according to sponsoring Sen. Kimberly Lightford, D-Maywood. The measure goes to the House.
Lightford said her original bill asked for a statewide 30-minute requirement, but it was reduced to 20 minutes through negotiations. She said children need a chance to "cut loose" during the day to help them concentrate on their lessons. Opponents argued that the move could cost schools additional money.
SPRINGFIELD — Retired state workers stand to pay more for health insurance that thousands of them now get for little or nothing under legislation the Senate approved Thursday and Gov. Pat Quinn plans to sign.
The 31-20 vote represented the first major test of whether lawmakers trying to put together a new state budget can make deep cuts that will anger a large segment of voters in an election year.
"I am encouraged that legislators have taken this step toward restoring fiscal stability to Illinois," Quinn said, adding that he will sign the bill into law. "This legislation will helpensure that our retirees continue to have access to quality health care while also lowering the cost to taxpayers."
Quinn also wants lawmakers to make significant cuts in health care for the poor and public employee pensions, as well as close prisons and social service sites around Illinois. The Democratic governor said he looks forward to working together more with top Democrats and Republicans "to make the difficult decisions necessary to return Illinois to sound financial footing."
In urging colleagues to scale back retiree insurance, sponsoring Sen. Jeff Schoenberg said the escalating costs of the program could hit $1 billion in the budget year that starts July 1 if nothing is done now. The Democratic senator from Evanston said the costs are approaching $880 million this year alone, and the goal is to save $300 million or more.
Under the legislation, the Quinn administration would set premiums each year for the group health insurance program, which includes retired state workers, judges, lawmakers and university employees. Quinn's administration plans to do so using a sliding scale based in part on size of pension and seniority.
Senate Republican leader Christine Radogno of Lemont challenged colleagues who talk about wanting to cut costs to match their rhetoric with support for the bill. "This is where the rubber meets the road," she said.
Seventy-eight thousand retirees pay no premium, and 7,400 pay a portion of their premium, according to legislative estimates. In addition, 36,000 dependents are enrolled on retiree plans, but legislators have said the premium does not cover the true cost of the benefit.
To establish who pays how much, pension amounts would be broken into seven tiers. The higher the tier, the more the retiree would pay.
Recess required
In other action, the Senate voted 32-20 to require that students in kindergarten through fifth grade get at least 20 minutes of recess. Schools also would be permitted to require recess for sixth through eighth grades. The bill also seeks to block teachers from holding children out of recess as punishment, according to sponsoring Sen. Kimberly Lightford, D-Maywood. The measure goes to the House.
Lightford said her original bill asked for a statewide 30-minute requirement, but it was reduced to 20 minutes through negotiations. She said children need a chance to "cut loose" during the day to help them concentrate on their lessons. Opponents argued that the move could cost schools additional money.