In keeping with my goal to allow politicians to give their messages to the public in an unfiltered manner, the following message from Illinois State Representative Michael W. Tryon is provided:

Dear friend,

Mike Tryon

The spring legislative session has begun in earnest, and already hundreds of bills have been introduced for consideration by the legislature.
Last month, the House of Representatives approved a bill that I sponsored which will require legislative input and consent on certain property transactions by the state.

The legislation, House Bill 4744, would require the State to receive approval from the General Assembly prior to selling any piece of surplus property that is worth more than $1 million. This is a change from current law which states that if a piece of property is “surplus” property, then the State can sell it immediately after appraisal and without any requirement for the consent of the General Assembly.

I strongly believe that properties worth more than $1 million, like the Thomson Correction Center, should not be sold in the dead of night by administrative procedure, but in the light of day with legislative approval. Other state legislatures are required to approve similar transactions in their respective states, and there’s no reason it should be any different in Illinois.

It is my hope that my colleagues in the Senate will also approve this bill to provide safeguards to the rightful owners of state property in Illinois, the taxpayers.

Truth in Accounting

Weighing heavy on the minds of legislators, as well as residents throughout the state, is the financial crisis facing Illinois.  With a $13 billion budget deficit, service providers, state contractors and even local schools are already making drastic cuts and in some cases closing their doors due to the state’s inability to pay its bills on time and in full.

To help shed light on the state budget, and improve the state budget process, I’ve introduced the Truth in Accounting Act of 2010. This bill, House Bill 5212, is the culmination of work between me, the Institute for Truth in Accounting and the Americans for Prosperity. Among other things, the legislation would:

• Require all state government agencies to switch to full accrual accounting standards as promulgated by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB);
• Prohibit the General Assembly from approving any appropriations bill during a fiscal year until both houses of the General Assembly have adopted a joint resolution scrutinizing, accepting, and if necessary amending the budget estimates generated by the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (COGFA);
• Require the electronic publication of all appropriation bills;
• Requires the Comptroller to publish a Consolidated Annual Financial Report (CAFR), prepared in accordance with the principles of full accrual accounting, no more than 90 days after the end of each fiscal year. This report must explain any differences that exist between the estimates accepted by the General Assembly prior to the fiscal year, and the actual outcomes achieved by the State during that fiscal year.
• If we truly want to reign in spending, put an end to borrow-and-spend budgeting, and address the massive debt facing this state, we must reform the budget process through accountability and transparency. This legislation will put everyone involved in the process on the same page by offering a real look at the fiscal condition of the state annually and allow the legislature to focus on long-term, responsible budgeting, instead of the ineffective, piecemeal approach that it currently takes.
  As always, do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns regarding state issues.  It is an honor to serve you in Springfield.

Sincerely,

Michael Tryon
State Representative – 64th District