Brig. Gen. Ronald E. Paul will serve as the full-time Illinois Guard Assistant Adjutant General - Air.

SPRINGFIELD - Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner, the Commander-in-Chief of the Illinois National Guard, has appointed Brig. Gen. Ronald E. Paul of Springfield, Illinois, to serve as the full-time Assistant Adjutant General - Air upon the retirement of Maj. Gen. William Cobetto of Hillsboro, Illinois.

Brig. Gen. Paul is currently deployed overseas in support of United States Southern Command.  Upon his return, he will be the full-time Commander of the approximately 3,000 Airmen of the Illinois Air National Guard serving under Illinois National Guard Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Richard J. Hayes, who commands both the Illinois Army National Guard and the Illinois Air National Guard.

"For 27 years Ron Paul has led Airmen at home and during contingency operations around the globe," Governor Rauner said. "He has clearly demonstrated his ability to lead and build partnerships across agency lines. He is a combat veteran who has the confidence and trust of his Airmen, his peers and those appointed over him."

Paul graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1988, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in International Affairs.  He served in the U.S. Air Force in various operational units including in Europe, Tactical Air Command/Air Combat Command, Air Force Materiel Command, and Pacific Air Forces.  He transitioned into the Illinois Air National Guard's 183rd Fighter Wing in 2001.

"Brigadier General Paul is the right officer to lead the Illinois Air National Guard as it continues to go from strong to stronger. He has proven his ability to lead and provide the strategic direction for the Illinois Air National Guard as it continuously prepares for both our state and federal missions. I am grateful to have Ron serve alongside me," Hayes said.

Paul has deployed in support of Operations Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom, Provide Comfort, and Deny Flight.  He was also the senior U.S. Military officer in charge of the initial F-16 aircraft maintenance training in Poland.

Maj. Gen. Cobetto, who has served admirably as the Assistant Adjutant General-Air since December 2011, will retire this fall after more than 30 years of service.

"For three decades, Major General Cobetto has dedicated his life to the Airmen of Illinois Air National Guard and to serving the citizens of Illinois," said Rauner.  "On behalf of all Illinoisans, we extend our deepest appreciation to Major General Cobetto for his service and we wish him abundant success in his future endeavors."

Units Representing 4600 State Employees Sign On

SPRINGFIELD - All eligible units of the Teamsters union have signed onto a new four-year collective bargaining agreement with the state of Illinois. The current agreement expired June 30, 2015.

The state previously announced an agreement with Teamsters Local 700, which covered 300 state workers in Cook County. Today's announcement covers Teamsters throughout the state and increases the number of covered employees to 4,600. Members of the Teamsters will vote to ratify the agreement within the next few weeks.

"This agreement is good for taxpayers and good for state employees," Governor Bruce Rauner said.  "We were able to reach an agreement with the Teamsters quickly because all parties negotiated in good faith, something we are committed to doing with all unions representing state employees."

The terms of the agreement include :

·         Maintenance of the current level of health care benefits for employees and their dependents as part of the State's continued contributions to the independent Teamsters Local 727 Health & Welfare Fund.

·         A four-year wage freeze, continuing the 75% in-hire rate.

·         Continuation of a 40-hour work week.

·         A new performance incentive program to reward employees with bonuses for cost-saving measures and meeting or exceeding performance metrics.

·         A collaborative program that allows management and the Teamsters to work together to provide low-cost alternatives to outsourcing.

·         A reduction in the payout for accumulated unused vacation from 75 to 45 days for employees hired after January 1, 2016.

Status with various Teamster bargaining units:

·         Teamsters Local 700 (Cook County highway maintainers): 300 members; agreement ratified by members.

·         Teamsters Local 700 (Master Sergeants): 200 members; agreement ratified by members.

·         Teamsters Local 330 (suburban group): 300 members; tentative agreement signed; members will hold ratification vote in the next few weeks.

·         Teamsters Local 916 (Protech): 1100 members; tentative agreement signed; members will hold ratification vote in the next few weeks.

·         Teamsters Downstate Illinois State Employee Negotiating Committee: 2700 members; tentative agreement signed; members will hold ratification vote in the next few weeks.

SPRINGFIELD - Tim Nuding, Director of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget, issued the following statement regarding the departure of advisor Donna Arduin:

"As a key leader in the new Administration, Donna played an instrumental role in re-establishing sound economic and fiscal principles at GOMB, the Department of Revenue and throughout state government. She helped engineer the elimination of an inherited $1.5 billion budget deficit without a tax increase and produced an on-time budget proposal for the governor to present barely more than one month after taking office. She has been an invaluable advisor to me, and I look forward to her continued advice as we work to reach a pro-growth economic and fiscal agreement for the state."

SPRINGFIELD - Governor Bruce Rauner took action today on the following bills:

Bill No.: HB 3220

An Act Concerning Employment

Action: Signed

Effective: June 1, 2015

Bill No.: HB 3765

An Act Concerning Transportation

Action: Signed

Effective: Immediate

Bill No.: HB 4078

An Act Concerning Government

Action: Signed

Effective: Immediate

Bill No.: SB 374

An Act Concerning Local Government

Action: Vetoed

Note: Veto Message Below

Bill No.: SB 627

An Act Concerning Transportation

Action: Signed

Effective: January 1, 2016

Bill No.: SB 760

An Act Concerning Education

Action: Signed

Effective: January 1, 2016

Bill No.: SB 763

An Act Concerning Public Employee Benefits

Action: Vetoed

Note: Veto Message Below

Bill No.: SB 838

An Act Concerning Regulation

Action: Signed

Effective: Immediate

Veto Message SB 374

To the Honorable Members of

The Illinois Senate,

99th General Assembly:

Today I veto Senate Bill 374 from the 99th General Assembly, which would effectively exempt townships from competitive bidding requirements for township contracts.

Transparency is vital for good governance. It is also important that citizens perceive the government as trustworthy. Competitive bidding ensures that units of local government are getting the best price for services and that taxpayer funds are being used effectively. Consequently, permitting a township to circumvent the competitive bidding process is a step in the wrong direction for government transparency and conserving taxpayer dollars.

Therefore, pursuant to Section 9(b) of Article IV of the Illinois Constitution of 1970, I hereby return Senate Bill 374, "AN ACT concerning local government", with the foregoing objections, vetoed in its entirety.

Sincerely,

Bruce Rauner

GOVERNOR

Veto Message SB 763

To the Honorable Members of

The Illinois Senate,

99th General Assembly:

Today I veto Senate Bill 763 from the 99th General Assembly, which would amend the Illinois Pension Code to create pension liability for police officers and firefighters at the local level by circumventing local voter choice expressed through a referendum.

Public safety workers put their lives in danger to protect our citizens.  They deserve the right to earn good pension benefits.  Current law already provides such pensions to local police officers and firefighters in municipalities with the population of at least 5,000 people.  And even municipalities with fewer than 5,000 residents can opt, through a referendum, to extend pension benefits to public safety employees.  The referendum option gives voters the control of what benefits the municipality can actually afford.  That is as it should be.

Senate Bill 763 would take this choice away from the voters and instead allow a municipality to impose new pension obligations by a resolution of its governing body.  At a time when local governments in Illinois are struggling to make ends meet, we should not remove local voter control over decisions for which the same voters will have to pay through higher property and other taxes.

Therefore, pursuant to Section 9(b) of Article IV of the Illinois Constitution of 1970, I hereby return Senate Bill 763 entitled "AN ACT concerning public employee benefits", with the foregoing objections, vetoed in its entirety.

Sincerely,

Bruce Rauner