Senate Week in Review: Nov. 2-6

SPRINGFIELD — With the annual fall veto session concluding Oct. 30, newspaper editorial writers from Chicago to Carbondale are weighing in on the General Assembly’s accomplishments. Most mirrored the disappointment of Senate Republicans over campaign finance reforms that fell short of expectations, according to state Sen. Dale Risinger, R-Peoria.

Also during the week, a long-delayed parental notification law was back in court and at least two major universities said they are struggling under the state’s massive backlog of unpaid bills.

At the end of October, lawmakers passed a campaign finance reform measure that, for the first time, will establish campaign contribution limits for individuals, business and labor organizations. However, the legislation contains a major loophole exempting legislative leaders and political parties from much of the limits.

Sen. Risinger noted that some newspaper editorials have labeled the legislation as only a promotion of the status quo. Many of the editorials mirrored concerns raised by lawmakers who voted against the measure — that the impeachment and indictment of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich offered a rare opportunity for real change, and if lawmakers did not take full advantage of the opportunity now, it is unlikely that the chance will come up again.

In other news, the long-debated issue of parental notification for an abortion was back in court this week. A 1995 law states that a parent must be notified before a minor receives an abortion, but court challenges have kept the law from being enforced.

During the week, the Illinois Medical Disciplinary Board voted not to extend a 90-day grace period for the notification to be sent; essentially meaning the law must go into effect and be enforced. But, a Chicago court then put the issue back on hold in order to hear more arguments on the issue. Proponents of the law argue that young teens come to Illinois from other states because the law is not enforced.

Illinois’s two largest universities said this week they are feeling the effects of the state’s massive backlog of unpaid bills. The University of Illinois (U of I) and Southern Illinois University (SIU) both claimed this week to be owed several hundred million dollars in payments from the state. U of I has only received a small portion of the $317 million owed from the state and SIU has said it is owed $117 million. Both universities say they could be in serious financial trouble soon if payments are not made.