McHenry County Blog

A press release from State Rep. Barbara Wheeler:

Wheeler Appointed to Education Committee Will serve on eight committees in 98th GA

Springfield, IL…Drawing on her experience in primary education as a middle school teacher, State Rep. Barbara Wheeler (R-Crystal Lake) has been seated on the House Elementary & Secondary Education Committee.

Rep. Wheeler taught middle school at Wauconda Middle School and holds a Master’s Degree in Education, Language, and Literacy from National Louis University.

“Education and the development of our young minds has always been a passion of mine,” said Wheeler. “Illinois is home to some of the finest institutions in the nation. I want us to build off our strengths while addressing our educational weaknesses as we prepare our children for their future.”

Wheeler says her priorities on Elementary & Secondary Education Committee include enhancing college preparedness and attacking Illinois’ high truancy rate.

Wheeler notes that while Illinois has a high college attendance rate, our preparedness rate is surprisingly low.

Just 19.3% of high school juniors met readiness scores in all four subjects tested on the ACT in 2010.

This issue is being further exasperated by a growing truancy rate.

Of the 30,000 students enrolled in Chicago Public Schools, 7.4% were labeled “chronically truant” in 2011; nearly double the rate from the previous year.

“While there are many fine aspects our education system in Illinois offers, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done in order for us to serve the best interests of our students,” said Wheeler.

“Truancy is an ever growing problem in Illinois and the trend needs to be reversed. We need to ensure that our children are growing and learning in a safe environment that will give them all the tools available for a bright future.”

Overall, Wheeler will be serving on eight committees in the 98th General Assembly.

In addition to the Elementary & Secondary Education Committee, Wheeler will be serving on the

• House International Trade & Commerce
• Appropriations-Human Services
• Mass Transit
• Museums, Arts & Cultural Enhancement
• Adoption Reform
• State Government Administration
• Transportation: Regulation, Roads & Bridges Committees

“Serving on eight committees should prove to be quite an undertaking, but I am excited to be given such a responsibility as a freshman representative,” said Wheeler.

“These committees have much to offer the people of the 64th District and I am hoping to maximize the benefits for the people I represent.”
= = = = =

I believe it is a deliberate strategy of House Speaker Mike Madigan to keep members busy running around from committee meeting to committee meeting to limit the ability of members to think and confer with colleagues.

And, of course, that’s only an ancillary benefit to being able to pay most of his members extra money for being committee chairmen.

Committee Spokesmen also get extra pay.

A press release from State Rep. Mike Tryon:

Rep. Tryon to Serve as Republican Spokesperson for Several Key House Committees

CRYSTAL LAKE…..State Rep. Mike Tryon (R-Crystal Lake) will be serving as the Republican Spokesperson on several key committees in Springfield for the 98th General Assembly.

Committee assignments were announced Friday, and Tryon was tapped to lead Republican input on the

• Environment
• Energy
• Mass Transit Committees

He will also serve as a member of the Executive Committee and the Special Committee on Business Growth & Incentives.

Tryon, who holds a degree in Environmental Science from Indiana State University, said he is honored to serve as the primary Republican voice on issues that affect environmental protection in Illinois.

“Environmental issues are my area of expertise and I’m glad to be able to share my knowledge with my colleagues as we review bills during this legislative session,” Tryon said.

According to Tryon, the Environment Committee reviews all legislation and policies that have the potential to impact air, land and water quality in Illinois.

Tryon said he is also excited to be serving on the Special Committee on Business Growth & Incentives.

“Given the current state of the Illinois economy, the work conducted by the special committee on business growth & incentives will be particularly important this year,” he said.

“We must put laws and policies in place that encourage businesses to stay in Illinois and expand in Illinois. We must also take steps to make Illinois attractive to businesses looking to locate or relocate.”

In addition to the committees, Tryon has also been selected as one of three Republican House members who will serve on the bipartisan House and Senate Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability.

A press release from State Rep. Dave McSweeney:

McSweeney Announces Key Committee Assignment

Barrington Hills – State Representative David McSweeney (R-Barrington Hills) has been appointed a Republican member of the Revenue and Finance Committee in the Illinois House of Representatives.

The Revenue and Finance Committee considers most legislation dealing with tax and significant financial issues. This important committee assignment recognizes McSweeney’s strong business background, experience in finance and familiarity with revenue issues.

“I will work hard for lower taxes, less spending and real reform,” said McSweeney. “I anticipate important pieces of legislation to come before this Committee.”

Representative McSweeney will also serve on the

= = = = =
I believe it is a deliberate strategy of House Speaker Mike Madigan to keep members busy running around from committee meeting to committee meeting to limit the ability of members to think and confer with colleagues.

And, of course, that’s only a ancillary benefit to being able to pay most of his members extra money for being committee chairmen.

Committee Spokesmen also get extra pay.

• Personnel and Pensions Committee. McSweeney has consistently called for major pension reform as a top priority.

In addition, McSweeney will serve on the

• State Government Administration
• Environment
• Appropriations – Elementary and Secondary Education
• Tollway Oversight Committees

The McHenry County Board’s Committee on Committees met today and made the following recommendations for committee assignments and chairmanships and vice chairmanships. Click to enlarge either image.

Recommendations for other Board assignments follow:

Can you spot any changes from the first meeting’s lineup, which is below, except for the recommended committee chairmen, which you can find here.

= = = = =
I got some more details on the meeting that I’d like to share with you:

Present at the Committee meeting were Tina Hill, Donna Kurtz, Mary McCann, Anna May Miller, Paula Yensen, Sue Draffkorn, Mary McClellan.

Audience members were Nick Provenzano, Ken Koehler, Charles Eldridge, Ersel Schuster,Diane Evertsen, Jim Heisler, Jana Blake (State’s Attorney’s Office) & 1 other male department head whose name escapes me at this time.

During discussion by committee members, assignment changes were made naming Sandy Salgado as chairman of Human

Resources and Mary McClellan was moved to Vice Chair; Sue Draffkorn volunteered to serve strictly as a member.

Management Services Vice Chair position was discussed, first considering Schuster as Vice Chair but settling on Hammerand.

Planning and Development Committee Chairmanship of Joe Gottemoller was discussed, including any potential for problems with conflict of interest debates. Miller assured the committee there would be no legitimate public concerns with Gottemoller serving as chair of P&D and his many years as an attorney dealing with zoning issues.

Miller took the discussion further, with commentary about Schuster, saying that because of the blog’s having posted a story about the last Committee of the Whole meeting, she had received calls about Schuster’s not having “a balanced approach,” that she was too environmentally-oriented.

At that point, Schuster told those in the room, “I have not pushed to be on this chair position. I have not promised any vote for any chairmanship of any sort and I was promised this chairmanship if I voted for Tina, so I feel very irritated by some of this.

“Ms. Miller, you make comment about the fact that maybe I am a little bit too much in the environmental crowd. That is totally unreal because that might be the perception.

“Let me finish.

“My participation on every committee has been to be the devil’s advocate and to work to be able to bring those issues out. And, yes, sometimes it sounds I’m on the other side. That doesn’t necessarily mean that I am but I believe everybody needs to address these things.

Schuster went on the point out that Board members who are attorneys “do not represent us legally. The State’s Attorney is our legal representation.

“And we get into trouble sometimes when we defer to lawyers sitting on committees. And, it’s not that their expertise isn’t needed. It’s wonderful, but the State’s Attorney’s Office is our legal representative.

Referring to Gottemoller, “Ask yourself this question. A man who has a business that was, is primarily zoning…is willing to give up that portion of his business to accept a $20,000 a year job.

“Put that little thought in your mind. That’s what the public is going to be looking at.

“So, I think that’s what Jim and Donna are trying to get across.

“I think his expertise is phenomenal.

“Do I really want to take on the UDO?

“Probably not. It’s going to be a load.

“I would do it if I were there. I will do it as Vice Chair. I will do it as a member of any committee, as I have always done.

“But I think there are some issues that we are going to be confronted with on P&D, whether it’s considered on the environmental side, which I have never personally considered myself an environmentalist in that respect that we normally think of it, or [whether it's] a lawyer that may be steering us a little bit in decision-making that maybe it isn’t the direction as legislators we should be asking our State’s Attorney to respond to.”

Schuster then left the meeting.

County Board member Provenzano sprang to Gottemoller’s defense. “He has always been my sounding board (about zoning matters).”

He praised his expertise and said, “I’m a little concerned about the ‘innuendo.’”

“I can’t think of anyone in the County I’d rather have there defending and identifying those issues than Joe Gottemoller.”

Back to the less detailed notes.

Liaison member to Economic Development: Donna Kurtz offered to relinquish the leadership position to Mike Skala.

Ken Koehler spoke to the Committee about his desire to be on the Law and Justice Committee because of his expertise.

The Committee went into closed session to discuss sensitive material.

Upon return to open session, Mr. Koehler continued to promote his desire to be on that committee and members of the Committee on Committees in turn discussed and determined they’d leave that assignment as it is.