For Immediate Release: June 29, 2010
Contact: Rep. Eddy
618-563-4128

Eddy Applauds Supreme Court Ruling on Guns
109th District Representative Says Ruling Solidifies 2nd Amendment Rights

Hutsonville….State Representative Roger Eddy released the following statement regarding this week’s 5-4 ruling by the United States Supreme Court that strikes down the Chicago gun ban law. Eddy says he expects the ruling to change the entire political and legal landscape of gun owner rights in Illinois.

“On Monday, the basic right of the individual to carry a firearm for the purpose of protecting their life and property was reaffirmed. Although this right is granted to Americans in the 2nd Amendment of the United States Constitution, many attempts have been made to diminish this inalienable right.

I am pleased that the United States Supreme Court has ruled on the side of the Constitution. The rights of law abiding gun owners have been under assault for many years in this country, so today’s landmark decision by the Supreme Court has major significance.

Already though, critics of the ruling and anti-gun advocacy groups have promised to introduce more laws in more places, aimed at limiting gun owners’ rights. As State Representative, I will continue to fight any attempt to limit law abiding citizens’ Constitutional right to protect their life and property.”

Eddy, who has been a strong supporter of Concealed Carry legislation in the past, also said he will sign on as a sponsor to Concealed Carry legislation in the upcoming legislative session.

“I think every citizen in Illinois should have the right to go through a proper training course and be able to carry,” Eddy said. “Illinois is one of only 2 states in the nation that does not allow some type of Concealed Carry. This week’s ruling by the Supreme Court should serve as the catalyst we need to finally bring Illinois in line with the 48 other states who provide their citizens with the opportunity to protect themselves using a firearm.”

For Immediate Release:                    April 30, 2010
Contact: Rep. Eddy
618-563-4128 

Democrat Redistricting Attempt Fails in the House

Springfield….One vote shy of the required super-majority they needed, House Democrats failed to pass a Constitutional Amendment proposal to change the legislative redistricting process. State Representative Roger Eddy voted against the proposed Constitutional Amendment citing his objection to the plan’s ‘incumbent protective’ nature.

“SJRCA 121 was brought to the House to give some of the more vulnerable Democrats representatives some political cover,” said Eddy. “The most important part of redistricting is to take the process out of the hands of politicians so that the process isn’t tainted by politics. The proposal today did not do that.”

The current map making process for legislators has led to some counties, towns, and villages being split down the middle, as legislators select the voters they wish to represent. The redistricting that took place in 2000 led to Clinton County being represented by 3 different State Representatives and 3 different State Senators.

Several good-government groups including the League of Women Voters, the Better Government Association, and the Chamber of Commerce have backed a citizen’s initiative that would give the map making responsibility over to an independent commission. The members of the commission would not be allowed to have either previously held elected office in Illinois for run for elected office under the map that they draw. The new legislative map will take effect following the 2012 election.

“For months, the House Republicans pushed a different Amendment known as the ‘Fair Map’ Amendment, and every time it was introduced, it was defeated on a party line vote with House Democrats voting ‘No’,” Eddy said. “I support a redistricting Amendment that takes the power to draw maps out of the hands of politicians, so that they don’t have the power to pick the people they represent. The Democrats’ plan for redistricting does not do that. Voters should pick their elected officials, not the other way around.”

For Immediate Release:                    March 18, 2010
Contact: Rep. Eddy
618-563-4128 

Eddy: Bill to Limit Unfunded Mandates Clears House 

Springfield….State Rep. Roger Eddy (R – Hutsonville) passed legislation out of the Illinois House today that would allow local school districts the ability to opt out of any future unfunded mandates handed down by the state of Illinois.  
“School districts across the state are cutting teachers and programs,” Eddy said. “Financial conditions for Illinois’ public schools are at crisis level. We can save our school districts money going forward by making unfunded mandates optional.” 
HB 4711 states that local school districts can choose whether they want to participate in the teaching or implementation of unfunded mandates after the bill goes in to effect. The next step in the process will be for HB 4711 to pass the Senate 
“Even though some unfunded mandates have been beneficial to student learning and school safety, in difficult economic times I feel the best use of limited resources should be left to local school boards.” 
Eddy argued that opponents of the measure have not offered their own plan for helping schools deal with tight budgets and the effect of already costly unfunded mandates. 
“I recognize that an ideological divide exists on this issue,” Eddy said. “Opponents of the bill argue that a ‘good idea is a good idea’ and ask schools to shoulder the burden of the cost of unfunded mandates, even in tough financial times. I think the decision to implement some unfunded mandates should be left to up to local school boards. Who knows better than them how to spend district resources?” 
Eddy argues his philosophy is simple. “If the state requires all schools to implement a program, or teach a new class, or provide a new service, then an appropriation line item should be included to help schools deal with the added cost of the mandate.” 

Illinois Budget Outlook Bleak

For Immediate Release: March 10, 2010
Contact: Rep. Eddy
618-563-4128
Eddy: Illinois Budget Outlook Bleak

Springfield….While outlining his budget priorities before a joint session of the Illinois legislature, Governor Pat Quinn offered cuts, borrowing, and a 1% increase in the income tax as solutions to Illinois’ exploding budget crisis. State Representative Roger Eddy (R – Hutsonville) expressed some doubt about the Governor’s plans.

“I am very concerned about the Governor’s proposal to cut 17% of the K-12 education budget. Schools are struggling with layoffs already and this would be devastating,” Eddy said.

Eddy is a key member of the House Elementary and Secondary Education and Appropriation Committees. “I know there is a lot of pain out there right now. Teachers are being laid off all across the state. We have to move fast to find a solution to the education funding gap. This size cut is unacceptable and unworkable for Illinois public schools.”
During his first budget address as Governor last year, Governor Quinn proposed raising personal and corporate income taxes and cutting Human Services to close the budget gap. “Last year it was Human Services. This year the Governor has targeted education and has tied a 1% income tax increase to his budget proposal that would go to fund schools,” Eddy said.
Quinn explained that Illinois’ tax revenues have fallen sharply while the cost of government has continued to rise. “For about 7 years now, the state has spent $1 billion more than it took in. If you add that to our increasing pension obligations because of previously skipped payments, you arrive at the financial situation we are in today. Lots of programs and no money to pay for them,” Eddy said.

“Unless and until the Democrat leadership shows they are serious about reforming state government, implementing zero-based pay-as-you-go budgeting, and eliminating fraud and waste in Medicaid, and show a real commitment to reforms that result in job creation and pension stabilization, the people of Illinois will not tolerate a tax increase,” Eddy said. “Simply throwing more money at a broken system will never solve the serious problems we face.”

For Immediate Release: February 18, 2010
Contact: Rep. Eddy
618-563-4128

Eddy Advances Unfunded Mandate Relief Bill

Springfield….On Wednesday, the Illinois House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee advanced legislation to relieve Illinois schools of the burden of some unfunded mandates. HB 4711, sponsored by State Representative Roger Eddy (R – Hutsonville) passed the committee 13 – 5.

“Believe it or not, there was some opposition to this,” Eddy said. “School districts in Illinois face an incredibly long and burdensome list of mandates that the state simply does not provide money to schools to deal with. The purpose of this bill was to provide some relief to Illinois’ schools during this time of economic crisis. Right now schools need the flexibility to make decisions that are in their best local interest.”

To appease some concerns with the original legislation, Eddy amended the bill to exclude certain mandates from the list of exemptions. “I wanted to make sure that special education, transportation, lunch programs, coursework required for graduation, teacher certification requirements, and bilingual education were still going to be enforced and required. However, the remaining list of mandates are onerous and expensive, and quite frankly I feel that the decision on whether to implement them at the local level should be left to local school boards,” Eddy said.

“When the state puts a new requirement or restriction on a public school, and fails to provide money to help them deal with it, school districts are either forced to raise local property taxes, or ignore state law,” Eddy said. “This legislation is meant to help our schools avoid this undesirable circumstance.”

Committee members opposing the measure argued that whether or not money is available, it is the job of state government to place mandates on local school districts as long as the intention or idea is good. “The point of this legislation is to combat the ‘top-down’ bureaucratic approach to school law that has hampered local school boards’ ability to make decisions based on the best interests of their school district,” Eddy argued.

After passing committee, the bill will now go before the full House for consideration.

House Democrats Vote NO on Campaign Finance Reform

For Immediate Release: February 11, 2010
Contact: Rep. Eddy
618-563-4128

Eddy: House Democrats Vote NO on Campaign Finance Reform

Springfield….State Representative Roger Eddy (R – Hutsonville) said Thursday he was disappointed, but not surprised, that a move by House Republicans to reform campaign spending in general elections was blocked by the House Democrat majority.
In 2009, good government groups negotiated a campaign finance reform deal with House Speaker Michael Madigan. “The final product of those negotiations fell way short of what the people in this state deserve. Today I joined my Republican colleagues in supporting a bill that would limit the power of the four legislative leaders to spend money in general elections,” said Eddy.
A party line vote killed any possibility of debate on the legislation. Despite the fact that many members of the House Democrat caucus are sponsors of similar legislation introduced last year, all of them voted against allowing debate on campaign finance reform on Thursday.

“If they are for HB 24, which places these types of limits on general election contributions and spending, then how can they be against HB 5008? The reason is because my counterparts on the other side of the aisle are under the complete control and command of the Speaker of the House,” Eddy said.

“I want to urge my constituents and voters across the state to contact the Speaker, contact the Democrat sponsors of HB 24, and to raise their voice for this much needed change. The influence that campaign cash has on individual members in this chamber is a poison to our democratic process. Today was a time for courage and for change, and the majority party failed to deliver either one,” Eddy said.

House Democrats Block “Pay As You Go” Budget

For Immediate Release: February 10 2010
Contact: Rep. Eddy
618-563-4128

Springfield….State Representative Roger Eddy (R – Hutsonville) says he is troubled by Wednesday’s rejection of a bill that would have created a “Pay as You Go” (PAYGO) budget system for the state of Illinois. HB 3189 states that if an item requiring appropriation is placed in the state budget, a funding mechanism for the spending measure must be identified.

“This is the way Illinois’ responsible working families manage their budgets,” Rep. Eddy said. “If you’re going to spend money, it actually has to be there. It’s a very simple concept that the majority party has ignored as they have driven our state’s deficit to $13 billion.”

Illinois currently owes vendors, human service providers, and schools and universities an estimated $6 billion in unpaid bills. “The reason for the backlog is that the state of Illinois’ spending grew by $1 billion a year while our revenues were decreasing,” Eddy said.

“The Illinois Constitution says Illinois’ budget must be balanced. The shell games and budget gimmicks used during the last 7 years aren’t going to work any more. The deficit is just too large and the state owes far too much money to our service providers and schools.”

House Republicans pushed for debate on the PAYGO bill during floor action on Wednesday. The effort failed following a party line vote. All House Republicans voted to allow debate on PAYGO and all House Democrats voted against it. “By voting no, the House Democrats very publicly stated their support for the status quo. In Illinois, that means more taxes, more spending, more borrowing and larger deficits.” Eddy said

Contact: State Rep. Roger Eddy
(618) 563-4128

Eddy: Supreme Court Decision Hurts Southern Illinois Doctors
109th District Representative Calls Med-Mal Reversal Irresponsible

Springfield….The Illinois Supreme Court struck down a 2005 law passed by the Illinois General Assembly that established caps for jury awards in medical malpractice lawsuits in Illinois. Frivolous lawsuits and skyrocketing medical malpractice insurance rates were causing doctors to leave Illinois in droves, nearly causing a health care access crisis for millions of Illinois residents.

“I was involved in the fight to bring about med-mal reform,” Eddy said. “I remember how tough it was for southern Illinoisans to find doctors that specialized in obstetrics, neurology, oncology, and other disciplines. After we passed the caps in 2005, we started to see positive changes in access to health care. This decision puts those gains we have made in serious jeopardy.”

Since the 2005 law passed, 5,000 more doctors were licensed in Illinois. Three new insurance companies were offering medical malpractice coverage and 10 existing insurers dropped their rates ranging from 5% to more than 30%.

“We have made positive gains both for patients and doctors since we passed med-mal. The decision made by the Supreme Court today is going to eliminate all of those gains,” Eddy said.

Eddy also expressed displeasure with what he sees as a breach of separation of powers that is supposed to exist between the legislative, judicial, and executive branches.

“Essentially, the Illinois Supreme Court has interfered with the work of the legislature and changed public policy from the bench,” Eddy said. “Today’s opinion reminds us that judicial activism and political protection for trial lawyers is alive and well in Illinois.”

Contact: State Rep. Roger Eddy
(618) 563-4128

Eddy: Stronger Restrictions Needed on Campaign Finance
HB 5008 will impose campaign limits on legislative leaders in general election

Hutsonville….State Rep. Roger Eddy continued his push for real campaign finance reform this week, joining Illinois House Republican Leader Rep. Tom Cross and his Republican colleagues in supporting a bill that would impose campaign contribution limits on legislative leaders and political parties in the general election.

Currently, Illinois’ campaign finance law puts contribution limits on everyone EXCEPT the four legislative leaders and political parties in the general election. “The system currently in place is simply not fair. Caps on political contributions should apply to everyone,” said Eddy.

“I voted against the campaign finance reform measure that Governor Quinn signed in to law last year because it only imposed contribution limits in primary elections. My colleagues and I are sponsoring legislation that closes the dangerous loopholes that exist in the current law,” Eddy said.

House Bill 5008 will extend the varied campaign contribution limitations that were created in Senate Bill 1466 (P.A. 96-832) to the general election. The current limitations on legislative leaders and political parties will only apply during the primary elections starting in 2011.

Eddy says the goal of the legislation is to ultimately curb the influence the legislative leaders have over the election process. “The majority of money is spent in general elections. Limiting contributions in primary elections barely scratches the surface of the real issue,” Eddy said. According to House Republican analysis, the 2008 election cycle saw the Democratic Party of Illinois spend 40 times more in the general election compared to what it spent in the primary.

“I challenge any legislator that voted to pass the campaign finance reform bill last year to vote to impose the same limits that apply to primary elections to join us on HB 5008 and impose the exact same limits in general elections,” added Eddy.

You can write me at: P.O. Box 125, Hutsonville, IL 62433, call me at 618-563-4128 or 217-558-1040 or e-mail me at reddyunit1@aol.com.

You can also read more on my web site: www.peopleforeddy.com or and follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RepEddy and www.tweetillinois.org.

For Immediate Release: January 13, 2010

Contact: Rep. Eddy
618-563-4128

Eddy: Quinn’s Speech Long on Time, Short on Substance

Springfield…Governor Pat Quinn delivered the annual “State of the State” speech before a joint session of the Illinois General Assembly on Wednesday. Quinn’s speech lasted more than an hour and covered topics ranging from the conversion of soybeans into material to be used for the Shedd Aquarium roof to the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Rep. Roger Eddy (R – Hutsonville) says he is disappointed in the lack of detail and direction provided during the lengthy, unorganized speech. “The Governor didn’t have a prepared speech, he used notes from a yellow legal pad, and at times he seemed to ramble on,” Eddy said. “Illinois has some serious problems and this is a time for direction-based leadership, not campaign stump speeches.”

“I was looking for a little more actual ‘State of the State’ material in this speech,” Eddy said. “I wanted to hear details about a job creation plan and what the Governor’s plan is to close the budget deficit and pay down our $4 billion backlog of bills. What I heard today was a far cry from a detailed vision for our state’s future.”

Eddy went on to say he expects more from Illinois Chief Executive in the upcoming budget address. “I hope the Governor takes the opportunity to provide details on his long term vision for solutions to our high unemployment rate, massive debt, and unpaid bills,” Eddy said. “People are losing their jobs and the most vulnerable people in our state are losing vital services because the state doesn’t pay its bills. I didn’t hear a plan to address these issues in this speech today,” Eddy said.

The State of the State speech is delivered each year in January by the Governor. Governor Quinn will deliver a speech on the state of Illinois’ budget later on in the legislative session.

You can write me at: P.O. Box 125, Hutsonville, IL 62433, call me at 618-563-4128 or 217-558-1040 or e-mail me at reddyunit1@aol.com.

You can also read more on my web site: www.peopleforeddy.com or and follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RepEddy and www.tweetillinois.org.