| November 2, 2009 |
| Veto Session Update |
| Campaign Finance
Veto session ended on Friday with two notable outcomes - campaign finance and health insurance reform. First, we passed a campaign finance bill that now awaits the Governor’s signature. Click here to read the bill. Change Illinois and the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform deserve much credit for getting the Governor to veto the original bill and then negotiating this much improved campaign finance legislation. According to Dawn Clark Netsch, a member of Change Illinois, “This reform measure, while imperfect, is a long time overdue and an essential first step toward a cleaner, fairer, more representative election system.”
The major point of controversy about the bill is that while it limits what legislative and party leaders can give to candidates during primary elections, it does not set such limits during the general elections (although they are still limited in dollars they can receive for general elections). While I would prefer a bill that included limits on leaders during general elections, Iagree with the reform groups that it is a significant step forward and puts in place a meaningful system of campaign finance limits. Limits on leaders during the primary elections should result in more competitive races as well (In 2008 only 10% of primary elections in both the Senate and the House were contested, compared to nearly 40% of the federal primary elections in Illinois). You might be interested in today’s column by Greg Hinz of Crain’s Business Chicago on this point. (Click here to read).
Only with enormous pressure and public attention did we achieve this result. We must redouble our efforts to achieve further reform. I am working with the campaign finance reform groups to file a bill that would limit what leaders can give during general elections, since I believe these limits are important. We must also focus quickly on redistricting if we want to impact the redistricting process that will occur in 2011.
Health Insurance Reform
During the veto session we also sent a health insurance reform bill – HB3923 - to the Governor to sign. Click here to read the bill. Representative Greg Harris, the House sponsor, Mike McRaith, the Director of Insurance, and I, the Senate sponsor, negotiated this bill with consumer advocates, small business organizations, and insurance companies. The bill: 1. Establishes an expedited external appeal process when insurance companies deny coverage to a policy holder and broadens the Department of Insurance’s authority to reverse rejections; 2. Makes it easier for small business to shop for health insurance coverage by replacing the current hodgepodge of forms with a uniform application that all insurance companies must use; and 3. Requires insurance companies to place more information on line every six months, enabling consumers to see how their premiums are being spent. As Mike Lawrence, retired director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, notes, “through a series of often frustrating but ultimately fruitful negotiations, they fashioned and advanced legislation to empower consumers, cut paperwork for small business owners and bring more transparency to the insurance industry without the aggressive regulation it feared.” I look forward to the Governor signing the bill. Please let me know if you have a question on either of these - or any other - issue. I welcome your feedback. Best, Heather Steans |