03 Jun 2015

Governor Announces New Director

By Catherine Kelly

Anne Melissa Dowling to lead Illinois Department of Insurance

 

SPRINGFIELD - Governor Bruce Rauner announced today he will appoint Anne Melissa Dowling, CFA, the Director of the Illinois Department of Insurance (IDOI). Dowling brings nearly 30 years of insurance industry experience to the position. She spent 25 years in the private sector, and she has spent the last three-and-a-half years working in leadership positions for the Connecticut Insurance Department (CID).

Most recently, Dowling was the Acting Commissioner of the CID, and she joined the department as the Deputy Commissioner in 2011. Dowling led the day-to-day operations of all divisions of the agency. CID has jurisdiction over the largest life insurance industry in the United States, and the second-largest overall insurance industry in terms of total written premiums. In addition, Dowling also served as an active board member of Access Health CT, Connecticut's state-based public health insurance exchange, chairing the Advisory Committee on Essential Health Plan Benefit and Qualifications.

Prior to her regulatory work, Dowling was a senior vice president at MassMutual where she built the institutional insurance business to more than $12 billion in annual revenue and created an award-winning Women's Markets Initiative. She served as Chief Investment Officer at Connecticut Mutual and held positions in investments and treasury functions at Aetna and Travelers. She is and has been active in governance roles on numerous non-profit boards focusing on education and literacy as well as for-profit boards.

Dowling earned her bachelor's degree from Amherst College, and holds an MBA in finance from the Graduate School of Business at Columbia University.

 

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29 May 2015

Refusing to Reform: Democrats Also Walking Away from Fixing Illegal Political Hiring

By Catherine Kelly

"By protecting illegal political hires, Democrats are proving to the people of Illinois that they don't care at all about reforming anything that's broken in state government."

- Lance Trover, Director of Communications

After walking away from compromise reforms to turn around Illinois' economy, Democrats appear to now be blocking compromise reforms that will fix illegal political hiring in state government.

After Senator McConnaughay filed reform legislation last month, the Governor's Office met regularly and frequently with leadership staff from each of the four legislative caucuses. As detailed below, the legislation has been significantly revised to provide a clearer, more tailored framework.

The Governor's Office and the legislative caucuses also met with representatives of AFSCME, Teamsters, and Laborers. While there is general agreement that reforms are needed, labor organizations will not agree to reforms that impact positions already in the bargaining unit. Unfortunately, as evidenced in the conflict between the two pending lawsuits, the State must resolve the status of current employees too. Nonetheless, the legislation has been narrowed to minimize the adverse impact on labor organizations.

An amendment to the original bill has now been filed, which represents compromises that were negotiated. Despite this, Democrats are now refusing to support the reform bill.

Compromises

1. Definitional Changes

Original Proposal: The original proposal (SB 981, Amendment 1) provided that Rutan-exempt positions would be "managerial employees" under the Public Labor Relations Act and therefore excluded from any bargaining unit. This exclusion is critical to addressing the Special Master's concern about the "inherent conflict between Rutan-exempt status and union status." The original proposal also excluded a number of other positions that are not appropriate for bargaining unit membership, including positions for the very employees who should have been responsible for preventing the hiring abuses.

The original proposal also made changes to the definitions of "professional employee" and "supervisory employee" under the Public Labor Relations Act. These changes would not have prevented employees from joining bargaining units, but were intended to ensure appropriate separation between supervisors and subordinates and between professional and non-professional employees. The conflicts of interest and lack of adequate supervision and reporting contributed to the problems at IDOT.

Revised Proposal: The revised proposal (SB 981, Amendment 2) makes changes to the definition of "public employee," rather than "managerial employee," under the Public Labor Relations Act. The proposal also excludes a limited number of other positions, including: confidential employees who assist Rutan-exempt persons, many of whom are themselves Rutan-exempt; labor relations managers who have hiring authority, who make Rutan-determinations, or who discipline other employees; internal auditors and inspectors general; and attorneys, almost all of whom are already Rutan-exempt.

To allay concerns raised by labor organizations, the revised proposal reduces significantly the number of definitional changes. In particular, the proposed revisions to the definitions of professional employee and supervisory employee were omitted. The remaining definitions were more carefully and precisely tailored in response to feedback from the Democratic caucuses.

2. Reconciling the Public Labor Relations Act and the Personnel Code

Original Proposal: Current law provides that the Public Labor Relations Act and any collective bargaining agreement take precedence over all other law. This provision (Section 15 of the Public Labor Relations Act) directly creates the conflict in the two lawsuits: while the Shakman case demonstrates that employees were unlawfully hired into positions under the Personnel Code, the collective bargaining agreement is permitted to immunize those employees from the unlawful hiring. The original proposal provided that the Public Labor Relations Act should be read consistently with all other law, and where a conflict exists, the Personnel Code should prevail.

Revised Proposal: In response to opposition from labor organizations, the revised proposal creates a narrow exception under the Public Labor Relations Act for the Personnel Code.

This proposal would permit the State to resolve the litigation and protect employees' jobs. As described below, the State will take remedial action to move employees into new, properly-classified positions. Some of those positions - but not all - will be in bargaining units. Without a change to Section 15 of the Public Labor Relations Act, the State would not be able to take these steps, and the court would not be assured that future violations of the Personnel Code would not be remediable.

3. Remedial Actions

Original Proposal: The original proposal provided a broad framework for reviewing and re-classifying Rutan-exempt positions. The original proposal also gave the Governor and other Constitutional Officers latitude to determine what to do with employees in those positions based on the outcome of an ongoing agency-by-agency audit.

Revised Proposal: The revised proposal provides a clear path to resolving the litigation and preserving employee jobs.

Section 26 of the Personnel Code would direct the Department of Central Management Services (CMS) and IDOT to review and prepare revised position descriptions to ensure that position descriptions accurately describe the work being performed. That provision would also require IDOT to submit position descriptions to CMS for Rutan review.

There are approximately 175 employees in Rutan-exempt, bargaining unit positions at IDOT. As the positions are reviewed, one of two outcomes is possible:

·         For those positions that remain Rutan-exempt, the position would be excluded from the bargaining unit going forward. Because the position remains Rutan-exempt, the employee would be permitted to keep his or her job and would retain any applicable job protection under the Personnel Code.

·         For those positions that are determined to be Rutan-covered, the position could remain in the bargaining unit. The legislation would also allow the employee to retain his or her job as long as IDOT determines that the employee meets the qualifications for the position and was not hired because of improper consideration of political affiliation.

The plaintiffs in the Shakman litigation have asserted that the second group of employees should be terminated and should compete for the Rutan-covered positions in a competitive process. The legislation provides a path-forward by exempting the remedial process from the other provisions of the Personnel Code, the Public Labor Relations Act, and any collective bargaining agreement.

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29 May 2015

Turnaround Agenda Testimony as Prepared for Delivery Richard Goldberg, Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislative Affairs Senate Judiciary Committee

By Catherine Kelly

Mr. Chairman, Members of the Committee -

I am pleased to be here today to testify in support of the Governor's compromise reform proposals - specifically this morning on two important reforms to make Illinois more competitive so we can grow our economy and create more jobs.

I want to thank all members - from the House and Senate, Democrats and Republicans - who participated in working group sessions for the last several weeks.

These were productive working groups.  Important questions were asked.  Specific concerns were raised.  Constructive criticism was offered.  And we believe that the compromise legislation before you today addresses most (if not all) of the concerns raised during the course of the working group sessions.

The bills before you are critical reforms we need to Turnaround Illinois - to grow our economy and make Illinois more competitive.

These reforms are fundamentally linked to our state budget.  Taxpayers are fed up pouring more and more of their hard-earned money into a broken and broken system.  Passing fundamental structural reform to grow our economy will have a lasting fiscal impact on our state's future.

 

I would note that while these key reforms are being considered by the Committee today, two other key pieces of the Governor's Turnaround Agenda have not been assigned to committee: a constitutional amendment to impose term limits on legislators and the executive; and a Fair Map constitutional amendment to end political gerrymandering.

 

We urge the Senate to bring those constitutional amendments to a vote as well.

I want to thank Leader Radogno for her leadership on the Turnaround Agenda and for being here today to carry these reforms.

Aaron Winters, the governor's deputy chief of staff for policy, and Jennifer Hammer, the governor's senior policy adviser, are joining me this morning along with Leader Radogno to help answer any technical questions on these bills.

And with that, I'll turn it back over to Leader Radogno.  Thank you.

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29 May 2015

A Time for Choosing

By Catherine Kelly

State Senators Will Either Choose Reform or Side with Mike Madigan to Block it

SPRINGFIELD - With House Speaker Mike Madigan refusing to compromise and doubling down on a broken system, the state Senate is scheduled today to hold hearings on parts of Governor Rauner's Turnaround Legislation.

Senate committees will conduct hearings on worker's compensation reform, lawsuit reform and property tax freeze legislation that were filed last Friday. The Senate, however, is refusing to consider Term Limits and Redistricting Reform measures that were also introduced.

"Governor Rauner has made it clear that we cannot ask taxpayers to put more money into a broken system. The legislation being considered today represents some compromise reforms that are critical to turning Illinois around," Rauner spokesman Lance Trover said. "Speaker Madigan and the politicians he controls in the House have made it clear all they want to do is raise taxes. Today, the Senate will begin to make clear whether they support reform or will side with Mike Madigan to block it."

Descriptions of the Compromise Turnaround Legislation listed below are attached.

·         Property Tax Freeze

·         Worker's Compensation Reform

·         Lawsuit Reform

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26 May 2015

Gov. Rauner Announces Appointments

By Catherine Kelly

SPRINGFIELD - Governor Bruce Rauner announced today the following appointments to the Illinois State Tollway Authority, the Illinois State Employees' Retirement System, the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, the Illinois Board of Higher Education, the Illinois State Board of Health, and the Urban Weatherization Initiative Board.

 

Name: Joseph Gomez

Position: Director - Illinois State Tollway Authority

 

Governor Bruce Rauner has named Joseph Gomez to the Illinois State Tollway Authority. Gomez' extensive experience in finance will bring an important perspective to the board.

 

Currently, Gomez is the Senior Vice President of Byline Bank, where he oversees business development. Prior to that, he worked for the State of Illinois in the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation's Bureau of Banking. He was the Chicago Bank Managing Director. He has also worked for the United States Department of Commerce as a financial consultant, helping develop the department's globalization program in China, Latin America and Canada. Gomez has also served on the Illinois Development Finance Authority under Governors Thompson and Edgar.

 

Gomez earned his bachelor's degree from Southern Illinois University. He lives in Northfield.

 

 

Name: Craig Johnson

Position: Director - Illinois State Tollway Authority

 

Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed Craig Johnson to the Illinois State Tollway Authority. Johnson is the Mayor of Elk Grove Village and has extensive experience in multimodal transportation as his role as a city administrator.

 

Johnson has served the citizens of Elk Grove Village since 1993. He was first elected as a village trustee and became mayor in 1997. He is currently an active member of the Mayor's Tollway Advisory Council and the Governor's Advisory Council on the Elgin-O'Hare Tollway.

 

Johnson is also the CEO of the Johnson Insurance Agency, which handles all forms of insurance policies. He earned his bachelor's degree from Northeastern Illinois University. He resides in Elk Grove Village.

 

 

Name: Nick Sauer

Position: Director - Illinois State Tollway Authority

 

Governor Bruce Rauner has named Nick Sauer to the Illinois State Tollway Authority. Sauer is a member of the Lake County Board and the Lake County Forest Preserve District.

 

Sauer represents the 17th district on the Lake County Board. He is the Vice Chair of the Public Works and Transportation Committee, and is a member of the Rules Committee; the Planning, Building, and Zoning Committee; and the Finance and Administrative Committee. Sauer also serves the 17th district on the Lake County Forest Preserve District, where he is a member of the Education, Cultural Resources, and Public Affairs Committee; the Planning and Restoration Committee; and the Ethics Committee. Sauer also served on the Barrington Community Unit School District 220 Board of Education from 2009-2012.

 

Currently, Sauer is a partner and sales representative at Scarsdale Marketing/Sauer Kitchen Solutions. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Denver and is expected to complete his master's degree in public policy and administration from Northwestern University this year. Sauer lives in Lake Barrington.

 

 

Name: Bob Schillerstrom

Position: Director - Illinois State Tollway Authority

 

Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed Bob Schillerstrom to the Illinois State Tollway Authority. His experience as the DuPage County Board Chairman will bring a unique perspective to the board.

 

Schillerstrom served three terms with the DuPage County Board. He had a reputation for doing more with less taxpayer money while lowering property taxes. He also held a number of leadership positions within the county and community.

 

Currently, Schillerstrom is a partner in Ice Miller's Public Affairs Group, where he advises clients on issues related to local and state government. He also represents governments in their relationships with other governments with their public finance needs and requirements.

 

Schillerstrom also served in the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office and has more than 20 years of experience as an attorney. Schillerstrom earned his bachelor's degree at Illinois College and his law degree at Chicago-Kent College of Law. He lives in Naperville.

 

 

Name: Yasmin T. Bates-Brown

Position: Trustee - Illinois State Employees' Retirement System

 

Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed Yasmin Bates-Brown to the Illinois State Employees' Retirement System. She brings extensive experience in the financial industry to the position.

 

For 34 years, Bates-Brown worked for BMO Harris Bank where she held a number of leadership roles, including the Executive Vice President of Community Affairs and Economic Development. In that position she oversaw community investments, government relations, Hispanic banking and community affairs in the United States. Bates-Brown is responsible for expanding the network of BMO Harris Banks in Chicago, and she also created the Harris Neighborhood Lending Program. That program helped families, small businesses and special purpose projects receive rehabilitation funding in underserved areas.

 

Currently, Bates-Brown serves on the Board of Directors for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois. She is also a commissioner on the Chicago Department of Human Relations.

 

Bates-Brown graduated from the University of Illinois, and completed the Advanced Leadership Program at Northwestern University and the Advanced Executive Program at the University of Western Ontario in Ontario, Canada. She lives in Chicago.

 

 

Name: John M. Aguilar

Position: Board Member - Illinois State Employees' Retirement System

 

Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed John M. Aguilar to serve on the Illinois State Employees' Retirement System. His experience in human relations makes him well suited for the position.

 

Aguilar currently serves as Senior HR Manager at Arrow Plastic Manufacturing. His primary job is to assist with employee relations and union relations throughout the company. He is also an adjunct professor at Benedictine University, where he has taught human relations, operations management and business ethics classes for the past 13 years.

 

Aguilar has a rich history of giving back to his community. He served as an Aurora Township Trustee from 2003-2005 and was a part-time HR manager for the township from 2009-2010. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus and an Aurora Boy Scout Troop Leader. He has previously served in state government as a member of the Illinois Liquor Control Commission from 2005 to 2010.

 

Aguilar received a bachelor's degree in business and marketing from Columbia College and an MBA from Aurora University. He lives in Aurora.

 

 

Name: Rosemarie Andolino

Position: Board Member - Illinois Sports Facilities Authority

 

Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed Rosemarie Andolino to the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority. Andolino spent 24 years working for the City of Chicago, giving her an extensive understanding of how city operations work.

 

Currently, Andolino serves as CEO and President of the newly created North American business division of Manchester Airport Group (M.A.G.). She oversees the development of M.A.G.'s North American business, working with airports to develop and operate terminal and retail solutions, passenger lounges, and car parking facilities.

 

Andolino's most recent position in the public sector was as a commissioner with the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA), where she helped manage one of the world's busiest airport systems. In addition, she oversaw the $8 billion O'Hare Modernization Program (OMP). Prior to her work with the CDA, she also held a number of positions within the City of Chicago including the Executive Director of the OMP and First Deputy Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Planning and Development.

 

Andolino earned a bachelor's degree from DePaul University. She lives in Chicago.

 

 

Name: Jeffrey Yardon

Position: Board Member - Illinois Sports Facilities Authority

 

Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed Jeffrey Yardon to the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority. Yardon brings 45 years of senior management experience to the position and was a college athlete.

 

Recently, Yardon was CEO and Chairman of Sagent Pharmaceuticals for nine years. He founded the company in 2006, which developed and made injectable pharmaceuticals. Prior to that, he worked as the founder, president and COO of American Pharmaceutical Partners.

 

Yardon earned his bachelor's degree from Northern Illinois University (NIU). He attended NIU on a football and track scholarship. He currently serves as the chair of the Athletic Advisory panel at NIU. He lives in Schaumburg.

 

 

Name: Alice Marie Jacobs

Position: Board Member - Illinois Board of Higher Education

 

Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed Alice Marie Jacobs to the Illinois Board of Higher Education. Jacobs' experience as an administrator in higher education makes her well suited for the board.

 

Jacobs has 45 years of experience in higher education and is currently the president of the Danville Area Community College (DACC). She oversees 60 full-time faculty, 100 part-time faculty and more than 120 other staff members, who serve approximately 9,000 students annually. In this position, Jacobs added academic programs and doubled enrollment while state funding was reduced for community colleges.

 

Prior to her work at DACC, she was the president of Kaskaskia College in Centralia for five years. She also served students at Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington, NC as the Vice President of Instruction and Student Development. She also worked at Rochester Community College in Rochester, Minn. and at Kellogg Community College in Battle Creek, Mich.

 

Jacobs holds a Ph.D. in college and university administration from Michigan State University and a master's degree in business education from Western Michigan University. She also earned her bachelor's degree from Western Michigan University, and an associate's degree in business from Louisburg College.

 

 

Name: Vincent Bufalino

Position: Board Member - State Board of Health

 

Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed Vincent Bufalino, M.D. to the State Board of Health. Bufalino has more than 35 years of experience as a physician and administrator.

 

Bufalino is a clinical cardiologist and the Senior Vice President for the Advocate Cardiovascular Institute, where he oversees cardiovascular services for the Advocate Medical Group (AMG). In this position, he is responsible for 140 cardiologists in the system and has helped lead the expansion of cardiovascular services AMG offers. Prior to that, he was the Vice Chairman and CEO of Midwest Heart Specialists, which merged with AMG in 2011. He has also advised the DuPage County Board of Health on its obesity programs.

 

Bufalino earned his medical degree from the Stritch School of Medicine at Loyola University Chicago. He also earned his bachelor's degree from Loyola University Chicago. He lives in Glen Ellyn.

 

 

Name: Jorge Perez

Position: Board Member - Urban Weatherization Initiative Board

 

Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed Jorge Perez to the Urban Weatherization Initiative Board. Perez brings more than 20 years of experience in the private and public sectors to the position.

 

Currently, Perez is the Executive Director of the Hispanic American Construction Industry Association (HACIA), where he leads and manages the day-to-day operations of the organization. The HACIA works to ensure equality in the construction industry. Prior to his work at the HACIA, Perez worked for the Chicago Transit Authority and the Chicago Department of Aviation.

 

Perez holds a bachelor's degree from Roosevelt University and an MBA from Loyola University Chicago. He lives in Chicago.

 

 

Name: Robert E. Wordlaw

Position: Board Member - Urban Weatherization Initiative Board

 

Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed Robert E. Wordlaw to serve on the Urban Weatherization Initiative Board.

 

From 1995 to 2014, Wordlaw served as the Executive Director of the Chicago Jobs Council, where he managed the finances, fundraising, advocacy and internal operations of the organization. He also oversaw the training and education programs administered by the council. His prior experience includes time at The Neighborhood Institute where he served as Vice President and Director of Employment and Training. His duties were comprised of managing employment and training including carpentry construction and weatherization programs.

 

Wordlaw currently serves as a consultant to organizations and individuals engaged in the planning and delivery of workforce development services.

 

Wordlaw earned his bachelor's degree from Goddard College. He lives in Homewood.

 

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26 May 2015

Governor Rauner Takes Clemency Action.

By Catherine Kelly

SPRINGFIELD - Governor Bruce Rauner today granted seven and denied 144 clemency petitions. He inherited nearly 3,000 petitions from the previous administrations, dating back more than six years.

The 151 clemency petitions Governor Rauner acted upon today are part of dockets dating back to January 2008. Each person granted clemency has recently undergone a criminal background check through the Illinois State Police's Law Enforcement Agencies Data System.

A granted clemency request for a pardon with expungement allows the petitioner to seek expungement of their conviction through the court system.

These are the second set of petitions the governor has reviewed since taking office. The Governor's Office has developed a process to review clemency petitions on a regular basis.

For additional information on the granted clemency cases, please contact Ken Tupy at the Prisoner Review Board at (217) 782-1610 or Ken.Tupy@illinois.gov.

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12 May 2015

Governor Announces Appointments....

By Catherine Kelly

CHICAGO - Governor Bruce Rauner announced today he has nominated James Dimas as the Secretary of the Illinois Department of Human Services and Anna Hui as the Assistant Director of the Illinois Department of Labor. He has also appointed the chairman of the Illinois Housing Development Authority

Name: James Dimas

Position: Secretary - Illinois Department of Human Services

 

Governor Bruce Rauner has selected James Dimas to become the Secretary of the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS). Dimas is an experienced leader in transforming human services departments at the state and local level, including Illinois. He was a primary architect in the consolidation of the current agency.

Dimas worked in a number of roles at IDHS including the Acting Director of Community Operations. He also led strategic planning and performance management, as well as, the welfare-to-work system. As the Acting Director of Community Operations he led one of the nation's most successful welfare-to-work initiatives by increasing the monthly job retention rate among TANF clients to 96 percent. He also decreased the TANF caseload and food stamp error rate. Dimas also led IDHS' move to performance-based budgeting and oversaw the transformation of using performance knowledge to improve program quality.

Dimas began working for the State of Illinois in 1995 on the Governor's Task Force on Human Services Reform under Governor Edgar. He led the development and marketing for the consolidation effort into the agency's current organizational structure. IDHS was consolidated into the state's largest agency in 1997 from seven previously separate health and social services agencies.

Currently, Dimas is the owner and CEO of Dimas Consulting, Inc. It provides performance management, and human services policy, programming and administration consulting services. He is one of two accountability agents appointed by a federal court to oversee major reforms of Georgia's child welfare system. He also has designed reform campaigns for the Chicago Housing Authority.

Dimas is a graduate of Knox College, where he earned a bachelor's degree in political science. He holds a master's degree from the University of Texas in public affairs. Dimas also attended Harvard University's Executive Program for government performance.

 

Name: Anna Hui

Position: Assistant Director - Illinois Department of Labor

 

Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed Anna Hui as the Assistant Director to the Illinois Department of Labor. She brings years of experience at the state and federal level to the position.

Hui worked for the U.S. Department of Labor from 2002-2009 as an Associate Deputy Secretary and as a special assistant to the CFO. In her role as Associate Deputy Secretary, Hui worked on outreach programs for people of Asian and Pacific Islander descent and other historically underserved communities. She was also a member of the senior executive service on the management team for Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. As the special assistant to the CFO, she oversaw legislative review and proposals, the procurement process, human resource matters, accounting compliance and the CFO's activities in the Asian-Pacific American communities.

Hui is an Illinois native, and has previously worked for the State of Illinois under two governors. She worked for Governor Edgar for two years as the special assistant to the governor on Asian-American affairs. For Governor Ryan, she was a senior-member of the Washington, D.C. policy management team.

Currently, Hui is a senior adviser and policy analyst at the Heritage Foundation. She also serves as the chief of staff to former Secretary Chao. She oversees planning, preparation, research, and activities for the secretary.

Hui earned her bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Illinois. She holds a law degree from Loyola University of Chicago. Hui also has a master's degree in management and an MBA from the University of Maryland.

 

Name: Joseph P. Galvan

Position: Chairman - Illinois Housing Development Authority

 

Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed Joseph P. Galvan to serve as chairman of the Illinois Housing Development Authority. He brings more than 30 years of public and private sector experience to the position.

Galvan currently serves as Principal of Galvan and Associates, LLC, which is a housing development and consulting practice located in Chicago and Washington, D.C. His prior work includes eight years at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). President George W. Bush appointed him to oversee HUD operations in the Midwest region. He was a liaison to elected officials at every level of government and oversaw a $16 billion federal budget. Under his direction, the Midwest was consistently the best performing region in the country.

Galvan's other work includes consulting with Olmeca Planning Consultants and city planning for the City of Country Club Hills, the Village of Franklin Park and the Village of Maywood.

Galvan received a bachelor's degree in economics and a graduate's degree in urban planning from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He also received a graduate's degree in philosophy from Loyola University Chicago. Galvan lives in Elgin.

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12 May 2015

Statement on Supreme Court Decision

By Catherine Kelly

CHICAGO - Governor's spokesman Lance Trover issued the following statement:

"The Supreme Court's decision confirms that benefits earned cannot be reduced. That's fair and right, and why the governor long maintained that SB 1 is unconstitutional. What is now clear is that a Constitutional Amendment clarifying the distinction between currently earned benefits and future benefits not yet earned, which would allow the state to move forward on common-sense pension reforms, should be part of any solution."

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08 May 2015

What Illinois Needs

By Catherine Kelly

After Governor Rauner addressed the Chicago City Council, he was asked, "give me an example of what Chicago wants and what Illinois needs."

The governor answered in part:

"Well in terms of what Illinois needs, I have been clear for two and a half years. We need local control, voter empowerment, pro-growth regulations and an overhaul of the government, empowering local voters and taxpayers to get more control of government costs, and that's laid out crystal clear within our turnaround agenda. That's what we need, and I've said that consistently."

To be clear, the governor's top priorities are listed below:

·         Term limits

·         Property tax freeze

·         Allow local control of ability to create employee empowerment zones

·         Allow local control of contracting and bargaining in schools and local governments

·         Allow local control of competitive bidding on taxpayer-funded construction projects

·         Pension reform

·         Worker's compensation/tort/unemployment insurance reform

·         Ethics reform/end conflicts of interest in government

The detailed Turnaround Agenda is available at the following link: http://www2.illinois.gov/gov/Documents/CompiledPacket.pdf

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07 May 2015

Results from State Survey of Top Illinois Trade Partners

By Catherine Kelly

CHICAGO - Governor Bruce Rauner today announced and key findings from a state-initiated survey of ten of the state's foreign trading partners.

Collectively, the nations surveyed have invested tens of billions of dollars in the United States and employ hundreds of thousands of American workers, putting them in unique position to compare the strengths and weaknesses of individual states with which Illinois competes. The nations' responses provide a policy roadmap to create economic growth and job creation in Illinois.

A summary memo from DCEO can be found here along with the nations' responses.

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