Wilhour Ideas for Spring Legislative Session

State Rep. Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City) says it is time for the Legislature to get serious about reform particularly when it comes to ethics, pension and taxes.

(WILHOUR)

Wilhour said ethics legislation must be on the agenda next spring in light of the recent federal indictments of several legislators. Rep. Luis Arroyo was arrested on Oct. 25, 2019 on a federal bribery charge. Arroyo allegedly offered a State Senator a bribe of $2,500 per month in exchange for support for video gambling sweepstakes games legislation, which would benefit one of Arroyo’s lobbying clients. The State Senator in question was working with the Federal Bureau of Investigations and was wearing a wire at the time the alleged bribe occurred. In addition, the FBI raided the home and offices of Senator Martin Sandoval’s (D-Chicago).

Wilhour supports reforms that would strengthen financial disclosures from government officials, empower the Legislative Inspector General, increase mandatory conflict of interest disclosures, prohibition legislators from working as lobbyists, and institute a waiting period on when former legislators can lobby the General Assembly. Illinois is one of only seven states with no restrictions on when legislators can register as state government lobbyists once they leave the General Assembly.

Wilhour said a major focus next spring must be meaningful pension reform. Illinois taxpayers are on the hook for nearly $250 in unfunded pension liabilities. Pension funding already makes up 25% of the Illinois budget and is climbing at a rapid pace. 

Some ideas for reform include:

1. Tie the COLA to CPI
2. 1 Year Increase in the retirement age to bring closer to private sector
3. Cap pensions at $132,000, same as max social security contribution.  This protects working-class pensions.
4. Create a Tier 3 for all new hires to go into a Defined Contribution Plan that is Pay as you Go.  NO More additional Debt;
5. End legislative pensions.   

“Most of these reform ideas do require a change to the Constitution,” Wilhour said.  “If we are going to save public pensions and get Illinois back on track, what we can’t do is to continue to ignore the problem. We must get our pension costs under control.”

Finally, Wilhour said he would like to see some significant property tax reforms acted upon next spring. He said is looking forward to seeing what the Property Tax Relief Task Force comes up with when they issue their report, but he is not optimistic that what will be presented will be the kind of reform the state needs.