Defenders Oppose Jack Franks Bill

Pam Althoff is Senate sponsor of the bill.

Pam Althoff is Senate sponsor of the bill.

Pointing out that the McHenry County Conservation District was created by voter referendum in 1971, the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County have issued the following “Action Alert” in opposition to a bill sponsored by State Rep. Jack Franks.

The bill would allow the McHenry County Board to control operations beyond the “Yes” or “No” vote on its budget.

The group urges support of State Senator Pam Althoff’s amendment to the bill, as you can see below.

Althoff is the Senate sponsor of the bill.

Member Action Alert

Please take action immediately to help protect the McHenry County Conservation District!

Jack Franks

Jack Franks passed the bill out of the House.

Back in 1971, members of the McHenry County Defenders worked very hard to successfully help create the McHenry County Conservation District (MCCD) through a vote by the citizens of the county.  MCCD does an excellent job of working to preserve and protect the environment in McHenry County, which coincides with our mission.MCCD is now being threatened by a bill in our State Legislature that would allow a 13 member majority vote of our County Board to eliminate it.  This bill would take rights away from the citizens of the county who voted to create MCCD and place it in the hands of that small number on the County Board.   Please see the letter below from the MCCD Board.

Dear Conservation Friends,

On behalf of the McHenry County Conservation District’s Board of Trustees, thank you for your willingness to assist us in opposing HB 229 in its current form.  As you are aware, Senator Althoff, the Chief Senate Sponsor has introduced Senate Amendment No. 1 that would exempt a Conservation District organized under the Conservation District Act and a board organized under Section 3a of the Community Mental Health Act.  We are grateful for her approachability, support, advocacy and for taking action to address our concerns.

As you are aware the Conservation District Act already provides for voter-directed initiatives through referenda proposition and includes a mechanism for an elected board, if desired. It also provides for the consolidation or dissolution of the Conservation District if McHenry County residents are dissatisfied with its operations.

Attached please find a copy of the Senate Amendment No. 1 as filed for which we are supportive.

HB 229 has been assigned to the Executive Committee and has been scheduled forWednesday, 5/13/2015, 2 pm.

ACTION NOW – LEGISLATIVE ALERT (SEE information below.)

PART 1 ACTION: CALL/EMAIL SENATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

CALL OR EMAIL MEMBERS OF THE SENATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE BY NOON TOMORROW AND URGE THEM TO

1) VOTE NO ON HOUSE BILL 229 AND TO

2) VOTE YES ON SENATE AMENDMENT NO. 1

Points to discuss with members of the Senate Executive Committee are included in the attachment.

PART 2 ACTION:  SUBMIT WITNESS SLIP – Information on how to submit a witness slip is below.

SUBMIT WITNESS SLIP TO SENATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE BY 2 PMTOMORROW (WED, 5/13/2015). 

1.  OPPONENT of HOUSE BILL 229

2. PROPONENT of SENATE AMENDMENT NO. 1 – At the present time, Senate Amendment No. 1 has been filed but has not been assigned to a Committee – this may change by the time of the hearing.

LEGISLATIVE ALERT – PART 1

CALL OR EMAIL THE SENATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE TODAY TO
OPPOSE HOUSE BILL 229
AND
SUPPORT SENATE AMENDMENT NO. 1.

Points to discuss with members of the Senate Executive Committee:

1.         We have serious concerns with HB 229 in its current form.
2.         Each county in the State of Illinois has different and unique units of local government that were created by the voters through front door referenda and a “one-size fits all” approach DOES NOT work.
3.         HB 229 in its current form takes the power away from the people who established these unique units of government and places it in the hands of a few at the County Board level.
4.        Voters in McHenry County established the McHenry County Conservation District in 1971 through front door referendum to protect and preserve McHenry County’s natural and cultural heritage with the expectation that these public wide open spaces and places that matter would be protected into perpetuity.
5.        The Conservation District Act already provides for voter-directed initiatives through referenda propositions including a mechanism for the type of board governance and consolidation/dissolution of the District should residents be dissatisfied with its operations.
6.        We support Senate Amendment No. 1 as it takes into consideration the needs of the people in the county and the units of government they voted to create.

CONTACT MEMBERS OF THE SENATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE IMMEDIATELY AND 1) URGE THEM TO VOTE NO ON HOUSE BILL 229 AND TO 2) VOTE YES ON SENATE AMENDMENT NO. 1.

SENATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS

The Honorable John J. Cullerton
President of the Senate
Illinois Senate, District #6
Ph: 217.782.2728
Fax: 217.782.3242
cullerton@senatedem.illinois.gov

The Honorable James F. Clayborne, Jr.
Majority Leader
Illinois Senate, District #57
Ph:  217.782.5399
Fax: 217.558.6013
jclayborne@senatedem.ilga.gov

The Honorable Kimberly A. Lightford
Assistant Majority Leader
Illinois Senate, District #4
Ph: 217.782.8505
Fax: 217.558.2068
statesenatorlightford@comcast.net

The Honorable Terry Link
Assistant Majority Leader
Illinois Senate, District #30
Ph: 217.782.8181
Fax: 217.782.4450
senator@link30.org

The Honorable Antonio Munoz
Assistant Majority Leader
Illinois Senate, District #1
Ph: 217.782.9415
Fax: 217.558.1042
amunoz@senateden.ilga.gov

The Honorable Donne E. Trotter
Assistant Majority Leader
Illinois Senate, District #17
Ph: 217.782.3201
Fax: 217.782.8201
dontrotter@yahoo.com

The Honorable Ira I. Silverstein
Majority Caucus Chair
Illinois Senate, District #8
Ph: 217.782.5500
Fax: 217.782.5340
isilverstein@senatedem.ilga.gov

The Honorable Don Harmon
President Pro Tempore
Illinois Senate, District #39
Ph: 217.782.8176
Fax: 217.558.6013
dharmon@senatedem.ilga.gov

The Honorable Bill Brady
Illinois Senate, District #44
Ph: 217.482.6216
Fax: 217.782.4079
billbrady@senatorbillbrady.com

The Honorable Mattie Hunter
Illinois Senate, District #3
Ph: 217.782.5966
Fax: 217.782.1631
hunter@senatedem.ilga.gov

The Honorable David Luechtefeld
Illinois Senate, District #58
Ph: 217.782.8137
Fax: 217.782.4079
sendavel@midwest.net

The Honorable Matt Murphy
Illinois Senate, District #27
Ph: 217.782.4471
Fax: 217.782.7818
senatormattmurphy@gmail.com

The Honorable Christine Radogno
Illinois Senate, District #41
Ph: 217.782.7730
Fax: 217.782.9407
Christine@senatorradogno.com

The Honorable Kwame Raoul
Illinois Senate, District #13
Ph: 217.782.5338
Fax: 217.558.6006
raoulstaff@me.com

The Honorable Sue Rezin
Illinois Senate, District #38
Ph: 217.782.3840
Fax: 217.782.7818
suerezin@gmail.com

The Honorable Heather Steans
Illinois Senate, District #7
Ph: 217-782-8492
Fax: 217.782.2115
steans@senatedem.illinois.gov

The Honorable Dave Syverson
Illinois Senate, District #35
Ph: 217.782.5413
Fax: 217.782.4243
info@senatordavesyverson.com

LEGISLATIVE ALERT – PART 2 – Filing a Witness Slip

Step one – Go to my.ilga.gov or click on the GA Dashboard on www.ilga.gov home page.Click here: https://gallery.mailchimp.com/8306c3ee86afc3dd451ac7497/files/How_to_slip_electronically_HB229_specific.pdf
Please take action today!
Thank you.

Comments

Defenders Oppose Jack Franks Bill — 7 Comments

  1. Great post!

    Use the info to support Franks bill.

    Rarely is Franks on the right track but he is on this one. Althoff is wrong.

    The Defenders want to continue the rape of taxpayers by supporting the continued existence and growth of the Conservation Police!

  2. Start a referendum to get rid of the Conservation police if you feel so strongly about that, I’ll be glad to sign it.

    If we voted them in, we should be the people to vote them out. Not some self serving politicians.

  3. I’m actually on the side of our Oompa Loompa.

    I can’t believe it.

  4. I support this bill without amendments.

    I am not alone in this.

    The Chicago Tribune also supports HB 229 without amendments.

    A great man once said, “judge me by the content of my character and not the color of my skin”.

    The same applies to HB 229.

    The fact that Jack Franks is the sponsor should not illicit so many visceral reactions just because Jack is a Democrat.

    Its a good bill and it deserves to pass… and our Governor
    would sign it.

    Seriously, there are a lot more problems that we need to be focusing on inside the Republican Party than complaining about a bill that is sponsored by a Democrat.

    By the way, the three most popular Republicans all support this bill.

    Senator Dan Duffy
    State Rep Barb Wheeler
    State Rep David McSweeney

    Whether you are a moderate or conservative Republican – you have cover to support this.

    Here is a link to the Tribune op ed: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-consolidate-government-illinois-edit-bd-20150512-story.html

    Respectfully,
    Andrew Gasser

    ** Here is my conspicuous statement where I say that I am speaking for me, as an elected precinct committeeman and as a elected county board member, but not as the Vice-Chairman of the McHenry County GOP. **

  5. Oooohhh a paper endorsed it must be right!

    NOT!

    for goodness sake Dem or Rep does not matter this is a bill that you must read between the lines of, and its Not Good for the Tax Payers, shame on you for not seeing this, not a good notch in someones endorsing belt.

  6. Andrew, we voted it in, it isn’t your J O B to change what we did.

    Ask us by letting us vote on it again.

    This seems like a bunch of self serving politicians playing on the anti thingy to make themselves look good.

    Like Consolidation making bigger more expensive gov agencies, it’s BS

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