Political Fundraisers
(IASSW provides the following information as a service to its members and never endorses any particular political candidate. Events are listed in chronological order.)

If you would like to become more politically involved, IASSW's Political Action Committee (PAC) would like to help you by buying you a ticket for a political fundraiser. If you are interested, please contact Mike Langendorf (crdmike@aol.com) for more information.

No political fundrasiers are currently scheduled.

What are IASSW's Legislative Concerns?

The Illinois Association of School Social Workers monitors and impacts upon legislation concerning:

• school violence prevention and intervention
• social work licensure
• teen suicide prevention
• substance abuse prevention
• resources for pregnant and parenting teens
• school drop-out and truancy prevention
• child abuse and neglect
• special education
• increased funding for public education including special education
• access to all forms of health care, including mental health
• the role of social workers in schools
• students' right to confidentiality
• social work services in alternative education settings
• school social work services, certification, and continuing professional development

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE By Phil Milsk, IASSW Legislative Liaison

08/11/10

Yesterday the US House passed the $26.1 billion funding package for the states, including $10 billion for educators' salaries to avert layoffs for the upcoming school year.  Illinois' share is $415 million.  Right now it is unclear (1) when the funds will be issued, (2) how Illinois will distribute the funds, (3) whether the funds will be received in time to recall laid off staff and (4) whether a special session of the General Assembly will be needed to appropriate the funds.  State Supt. Koch has indicated that he believes a special session is required to pass an appropriations bill authorizing ISBE to allocate the funds across the State.   CPS' share is $100 million according to media reports.

08/06/10

Here is a link to an analysis of the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities showing what is at stake for the states in next week's US House vote on the measure that just passed the Senate this week.   Illinois' share is $960 million, $545 in Medicaid and $415 for K-12 education salaries.

http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3258&emailView=1

07/01/10

The Governor has signed into law SB 3266 (anti-bullying) and HB 4672 (suicide prevention), both supported by IASSW.  SB 3266 incorporates a comprehensive definition of "bullying" into the School Code and requires the State Board of Education to convene a Statewide Task Force on bullying.   HB 4672 amends a section of the School Code requiring training of personnel on suicide prevention in grades 7-12 by adding school social workers to the staff who must be trained and by requiring college teacher preparation curricula to include suicide prevention as one of the elements.

05/01/10

The Spring session will probably end the weekend of 5/7-9/10. There is no movement on the passage of a tax increase.   A likely scenario is another lump sum "doomsday" budget reminiscent of last June.  There is general concern about cuts in the P-12 education budget, so legislators are trying to find ways to fill some of the education budget hole.  Proposals include a cigarette tax hike, a tax amnesty program and limiting free public transportation rides for seniors.   There is also consideration for giving the Governor emergency budget powers for one year.

The Responsible Budget Coalition (RBC), of which IASSW is a member, is organizing a call-in campaign next week.  Groups are each picking a day next week to call legislators to ask that they stay in Springfield until they fix the budget mess.   Social worker call in day is Tuesday, May 4th.  Calls should be made to the Springfield offices of representatives and senators.

Bills of note:
-SB 3266: addresses school bullying by establishing a statewide definition of "bullying" and creating a new 15-member task force appointed by ISBE.  The bill has passed both houses.

SB 2494: creates a school voucher pilot program in Chicago for elementary grade students.  The bill passed the Senate and was just amended in the House.  It is pending on the House floor.

HB 4672:  amends the suicide prevention training section of the School Code by adding school social workers to those who must be trained and requiring suicide prevention training in teacher preparation curricula.  This bill has passed both houses.

Several measures are pending concerning unfunded education mandates.  A Blue Ribbon committee convened by ISBE has met twice to consider comments from school administrators and collective bargaining agents regarding unfunded mandates.   Public health-related
mandates such as AEDs and daily PE have drawn a lot of attention as have some environmental mandates.  In the area of special education, concerns about the RTI implementation timeline and the rule on regular education class composition (the "30%
rule") may be addressed.   It is unclear at this time if the Blue Ribbon panel will continue to meet, but HB 4209, now pending, would create another panel on unfunded mandates.

The two-tiered pension legislation has been signed into law. It affects future hires in K-12 education, higher education, public employment and future judges and legislators by raising the retirement age, capping the annual pension payment and limiting cost of
living increases.

An amendment has been filed by Rep. Currie to SB 1526 that would change lobbying registration and reporting requirements.  This is because the ACLU sued and enjoined a bill passed last summer that would have raised the fee to $1,000.  The new amendment
would make the fee $300 across the board.  However, it would also make the reporting requirements more onerous.  The amendment was filed last week and will be considered in both houses next week.

Finally, there are many "shell" bills still alive in each house and these bills are available to be used for new amendments.   Lobbyists must be ever vigilant in watching for new legislation that pops up as amendments to shell bills late in the session.

04/21/10

HB 4711(No Future Unfunded Educational Mandates) was approved by the Senate Education Committee yesterday by unanimous vote and will be reported to the Senate floor for consideration.  An amendment to clarify portions of the bill is being discussed. IASSW took no position on the bill.

SB 2980(allows local districts to opt out of instructional mandates) was held in the House Elementary and Secondary Ed committee by a vote of 9-10.  IASSW opposed.

SB 3266(defines "bullying" and creates a statewide task force on school bullying) was approved by the House Elementary and Secondary Ed committee by unanimous vote.  IASSW supported.

04/17/10

SB 2980 would allow local school boards to opt out of teaching instructional requirements mandated by State law.  The only exceptions are PE, Drivers Ed and High School course requirements.   The bill provides that a local school board, by resolution, could opt out of instructional mandates such as Black History, Hispanic American History, Disability History and Disability Rights, Character Education, Holocaust and Genocide Study, etc.   Here is the link to the current version of the bill:  http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/96/SB/PDF/09600SB2980lv.pdf

The bill will be heard next Wednesday in the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee.

04/13/10

House Bill 4711, which has passed the House and is now in the Senate Education Committee, provides that no public school district or private school is obligated to comply with any State statutory or regulatory mandate enacted or  adopted after the effective date of the bill, if signed into law, unless a  "separate appropriation" has been enacted into law providing funding for the  school year during which the mandate is required.
 
The bill further provides that if the amount appropriated to fund  such a statutory or regulatory mandate is insufficient to fully fund the  mandated activity, the school district or private school may choose to  discontinue or modify the mandated activity to ensure that the cost of  compliance does not exceed the funding received.  Discontinuation or  modification of the mandated activity requires official action of the school  board or private school, and a list must be maintain of all discontinued or  modified activities.
 
The only exceptions to this are (1) new mandates under "Race to the Top"  through the federal ARRA on school districts designated as being in the lowest  performing 5% of schools within the Race to the Top application and (2) any laws  related to employment under Chapter 820 of the Illinois Compiled Statutes.
 
So, in other words, if ISBE were to promulgate and ultimately adopt a new regulation regarding special education transition plans for students with disabilities, and it would cost money to implement the new requirement (assuming  this requirement is not mandated under Federal law), a school district would not  be required to implement the new requirement unless the General
Assembly  appropriates funds specifically for that purpose and, if it appropriates funds  that are insufficient to fund the requirement for a full school year, the local  school board may act to suspend or modify the required activity.
 
This bill is up in the Senate Education Committee next Tuesday at 4  p.m.

03/26/10

SB2494 Chicago School Voucher Pilot Program

The Illinois Senate has passed a bill that creates a new school voucher pilot program for CPS students who attend the lowest performing 10% of CPS' schools.  Here is a link to the full text of the bill in case you would like to read it:
http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/96/SB/PDF/09600SB2494lv.pdf
 
The bill is now in the House and will be considered after the 2 week break.  Sponsors are Sen. James Meeks (D-Calumet City) and Rep. Will
Davis(D-Hazel Crest).

03/25/10

House Bill 5126 (confidentiality) passed the House today 104-5. The bill now goes to the Senate where Sen. Koehler will sponsor.

03/24/10

New Legislation to Reduce Pension Benefits for New Hires

The bill received 92 votes in the House and 48 in the Senate. is  likely to be signed by the Governor, who has advocated changes for new hires  since he took over last year.  It does apply to new legislators and new  judges. One major goal of the bill is to improve Illinois' bond  rating.   Perhaps this provides some political cover for an  income tax increase so jobs can be saved. Ken Swanson at IEA is making the argument that they now need to pass  an income tax increase to funding for education.

03/22/10

BUDGET
The State’s fiscal crisis continues to grow.  We are facing a deficit next year of approximately $13 billion, including about $6 billion in debt carried over from FY 2010.  It is widely known that the State is way behind in payments to school districts.  The average delay in payments is now up to 151 days according to the Illinois School Management Alliance.  The loss of federal ARRA funds in FY 2011 is exacerbating the crisis.  A new federal stimulus package next year is unlikely given the political environment in Washington. Illinois has applied for federal “Race to the Top” funds, which, if approved, will help considerably, but will not make up for the loss of the ARRA funds.

The Governor announced his proposed FY 2011 budget on March 10, 2010.  This is essentially the starting point for discussions about the budget, but it paints a frightening picture of massive cuts in P-12 education spending and huge cuts to the Department of Human Services, especially in community mental health services.  The Governor is asking for a hike in the personal income tax from 3% to 4% with the new revenue (approximately $3 billion) going to fund education.  Advocates for a responsible budget have praised the Governor for proposing the tax increase in an election year, but believe that the 1% rate hike falls far short of what we need to put of fiscal house in order.

The proposed FY 2011 budget for the State Board of Education can be found at www.isbe.net.  Other agency budget proposals are available on their respective web sites. 

The budget is by far the most important issue for IASSW this year.   Our members and colleagues need to become actively involved in advocating for sufficient funding for education and human services.  The time is now to contact your State Representatives and Senators.  They go on a 2-week Spring break starting March 29th and will be available in their district offices.

BILLS
There are still many “live” bills pending in the General Assembly, too many at this stage to give a comprehensive report, so I will mention just a few:

House Bill 5126 is a new confidentiality bill introduced at the request of the school counselors apparently as a result of a single incident this year involving a school district attorney who insisted that the amendments passed in 2009 to the Illinois School Student Records Act did not establish a duty to maintain confidentiality of communications.   The bill is still in the House and various proposed amendments have been exchanged among the sponsor, Rep. Pihos, her staff, and interested parties including IASSW.  There is a chance a version of the bill will pass the House this week (March 22-26) and further discussions will be held in the Senate.

House Bill 4672, sponsored by Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago), would change the suicide prevention training requirements in the School Code for staff working with students in grades 7-12 by adding school social workers to the list of staff who are required to have in-service training and by including a suicide prevention training component to teacher preparation curricula.  The bill has passed the House and is now in the Senate.

Senate Bill 3266 would expand on current anti-bullying provisions in the School Code by establishing a comprehensive definition of bullying, identifying special populations who are frequent targets of bullying in the schools, and creating a new State task force on bullying.   The bill as introduced was approved by the Senate  Education Committee.   After several negotiation sessions with school management groups, who oppose any new unfunded mandates and the addition of the proposed definition of bullying, an amendment to the bill is expected to be heard in committee again this week (March 22-26) and a floor vote may occur in the Senate this week.

03/14/10

Here is a partial review of the Governor's proposed budget for P-12 education:
 
15.9% cut for Regional Offices of Education
37.4% cut for the Children's Mental Health Partnership
15.9% cut for Early Childhood Education
21.4% cut for Special Education Mandated Categoricals
19.2% cut for Free Lunch/Breakfast
13.6% cut in General State Aid
30% cut in Bilingual Education
53.3% cut in Ag. Education
 
This is just a selected list.

03/12/10

There are 3 bills I want to mention quickly.  I am still reviewing the Governor's proposed budget for FY 2011, so that will come later.

Senate Bill 3266 is an initiative of the Illinois Safe Schools Coalition. It would add a definition of bullying to the section of the School Code dealing with anti-bullying policies and gang resistance education.  It would also require school districts to adopt more comprehensive anti-bullying policies and spells out the elements that must be included in those policies.    Negotiations are currently underway with school management groups.  School management is strongly opposing any new unfunded mandates this year, and they are opposed to adding any new requirements for anti-bullying policies.   They are, however, willing to consider the definition and other new provisions such as adding anti-bullying to the teacher preparation curriculum. I have been involved in these meetings and will continue to update IASSW on this legislation. The bill is sponsored by Sen. Lightford and is currently on 2nd Reading in the Senate.  It will not move forward without an amendment that all stakeholders agree upon.

House Bill 4672 amends the suicide prevention training section of the School Code to add a provision requiring teacher preparation curricula to include suicide prevention.  At my request the sponsor, Rep. Harris, added an amendment which was adopted in committee yesterday to add School Social Workers to the list of staff that must be included in suicide prevention training in grades 7-12.  The bill is now on 2nd Reading in the House.

House Bill 5126 is the new confidentiality legislation offered by Rep. Pihos at the request of the school counselors.  I have been trying to work with the sponsor and the lobbyist for the school counselors to come up with a bill that addresses the counselors' concerns that the legislation we enacted last year is inadequate to address some of the problems they are encountering in the schools with administrators and school district lawyers.  So far we have been unable to find a solution and it is still unclear whether the counselors' concerns are based on an isolated incident or more pervasive practices.  Yesterday the bill, as introduced, was advanced out of committee to the House floor by the sponsor in order to have a live bill for further discussions.

The Governor's proposed budget for P-12 education does NOT factor in his proposed increase in the personal income tax from 3% to 4%.  The revenue raised by the tax increase would be dedicated to education.  He is  asking groups to fight for his tax proposal. 

02/06/10

SESSION OVERVIEW

The Spring session began with 2 days in mid-January, followed by a 2 week break for the February 2nd primary election. The House met for 1 1/2 days this week but did little. Next week is the first real session week with both houses scheduled for 3 days and some committees scheduled.

The State's awful fiscal condition is the #1 issue for all of us. We need to focus our efforts to make sure there are sufficient funds for education, health and human services in FY 2011 and beyond. We should not allow ourselves to be distracted by other issues.

SPECIFIC ISSUES

There is a new confidentiality bill, HB 5126, introduced by Rep. Pihos at the request of the IL School Counselors. Our legislative committee is reviewing the bill, but the preliminary opinion is that we will be opposed.

ISBE is looking at whether school districts are complying with the in-service training requirements of section 10-22.39(b) of the School Code concerning suicide prevention. There is a meeting this coming Monday and I will be participating. I will bring up the fact that social workers are not expressly mentioned in the current legislation. There is a new bill on this issue, giving us an opportunity to suggest changes.

ISBE and the Illinois Safe Schools Coalition are proposing legislation (no bill number yet) to prescribe more comprehensive anti-bullying policies for school districts. I hope IASSW will support the bill, subject to specific recommendations for change. As soon as the bill is filed I will let people know the number.

LOBBYIST REGISTRATION

IASSW is a registered lobbying entity in Illinois. The State lobbyist registration fee was raised effective January 1st to $1000 (from $350) pursuant to legislation passed in 2009. (The fee for all entities and lobbyists was $50 up until 2004). A reduced fee for 501(c)(3) yorganizations was also eliminated. The increase was hotly contested and
a topic of much debate and discussion amongst lobbyists and legislators. The fee increase is being challenged in a lawsuit filed by the ACLU in December. A Temporary Restraining Order was issued and remains in effect, so the new law in enjoined and no registrations are being taken for 2010. Additional court proceedings are expected soon and the ACLU is involved in settlement talks.
 

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Updated on: August 24 , 2010