A report from State Senator Pam Althoff:

Senate Week in Review: January 28-February 1

SPRINGFIELD, IL – All eyes will be on Gov. Pat Quinn February 6, when he delivers his annual State-of-the-State message before a joint session of the legislature, State Senator Pamela Althoff (R-Crystal Lake) said.

At this time, little is known about the direction Quinn’s message will take. Lawmakers are anxious to hear if Quinn will finally unveil his own plan for pension and budget reforms or offer a roadmap for fixing the problem. Republican lawmakers have pledged to work with the Governor and with Democrat super-majorities in the House and Senate to find solutions, Althoff said.

Republican legislative leaders have consistently supported reform and one bipartisan pension proposal won approval in the Senate last year with significant Republican support, but was never called for a vote in the Illinois House. The Senate President has filed his own proposal, which was scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Executive Committee Feb. 5.

The state’s daunting fiscal challenges prompt concerns from Althoff that the Governor will take advantage of new Democrat super-majorities in both the Senate and House, and attempt to revive efforts to borrow additional revenue to finance state spending.

In past years, Republican lawmakers have successfully blocked new borrowing schemes because a super-majority vote is needed to increase state debt.

However, Democrats now hold super-majorities in both chambers and could push through a borrowing plan without Republican support.

Opponents, including Senate Republican lawmakers, view more borrowing as simply an attempt to push today’s costs onto future generations and lock Illinois into a state of permanent financial crisis.

Still, with Illinois’ pension obligations threatening to overwhelm available state revenues the push for pension reforms is expected to overshadow almost every other issue. Lawmakers are anxious to hear how the Governor proposes to address the problem.

There is also speculation that the Governor may devote a significant part of his speech to promoting gun control.

Major new restrictions on semi-automatic weapons and high-capacity ammunition clips failed to get off the ground in the January lame-duck session.

At the same time, a court ruled that Illinois must join 49 other states in allowing its citizens some form of right-to-carry firearms legislation.

Balancing the conflicting interests of gun control and Second Amendment advocates will likely prove difficult during the coming spring legislative session.

With the many challenging issues facing Illinois, lawmakers and the public are anxious to hear the Governor’s plans when he steps to the podium Feb. 6.

With the start of the 98th General Assembly, Althoff has been assigned to new Senate committees.

She will serve as the Minority Spokeswoman for the Revenue and Assignments Committees, and sit on the

• Transportation
• Labor & Commerce
• Appropriations II
• Licensed Activities & Pensions Committees

She looks forward to working on legislation and issues that will ultimately improve the lives of Illinois residents in each of these committees.