KUDOS/AROUND THE DISTRICT

Kudos to the more than 400 people who attended an informational meeting on the proposed east-side highway January 11. I attended the meeting to talk with residents and business owners about the proposed changes. Citizen input is so important and helps local and state leaders in their efforts to keep the Bloomington-Normal communities such a great place to live and work.

Two days earlier, I also attended the City of Bloomington’s legislative work session to discuss recommended proposals and future city projects. Representative Dan Brady of Bloomington, Senator Shane Cultra of Onarga and I talked with local leaders about local and state issues that affect us all.

It’s been a year since a lame-duck Legislature raised income taxes and Illinois’ fiscal outlook remains bleak, despite the fact that working families are now paying about $1,000 more in taxes that could be better spent on groceries, gas and other necessities, according to Senator Bill Brady.

No Republican lawmakers voted for the “temporary” tax increase passed in the early morning hours January 12, 2011.

Senate Bill 2505 hiked the state’s personal income tax rate from 3 percent to 5 percent – an increase of 67 percent. It also increased the state’s corporate income tax rate from 4.8 percent to 7 percent – an increase of 46 percent. Governor Pat Quinn signed the bill into law the next day.

“For years now, we have been telling our Democrat colleagues that a tax-and-spend approach to government would have a disastrous effect on Illinois’ jobs climate, especially in a time of economic recession. No one listened and now the state is at a critical juncture,” Senator Brady said. “Despite a record income tax increase – or perhaps, because of that record income tax increase – our fiscal outlook is bleak at best.”

Senator Bill Brady says his office will no longer issue tuition waivers to college students under the General Assembly Scholarship Program.

Senator Brady, who has sponsored legislation to abolish the statewide program, said the lack of reform to the scholarship program and the worsening fiscal challenges faced by the state and its universities brought him to reconsider his participation in the program.

“While at least in my case, these scholarships have always gone to worthy and qualified students, another downgrade in the state’s bond rating last week and a lack of support for reforming or abolishing the program from Democrats in the General Assembly have prompted me to terminate awarding scholarships to students in my district,” Senator Brady said. “In these difficult economic times for Illinois and our colleges and universities, we must look at every opportunity to maximize the use of our resources.”

KUDOS

Kudos to Luke Rogers, a senior at Fieldcrest High School in Minonk, for being selected to participate in a national safe driving program.

Luke has been asked to go to Washington D.C. to talk about the schools’ Project Ignition team, which in 2011 focused on encouraging young drivers to not text while driving.

Project Ignition is a teen driver safety program coordinated by the National Youth Leadership Council and funded by the State Farm Insurance company.