Rock Falls, IL…On Wednesday, State Representative Jerry Mitchell (R-Rock Falls) released the following statement after the sentencing of impeached former governor Rod Blagojevich.

“This is an important day for Illinois and all of the residents who suffered through Blagojevich’s six years of incompetent leadership.   His prison sentence should send a strong message to any and all politicians who think that public office is intended for their personal benefit and that government decisions can be bought and sold by those with deep pockets and political connections.

“I want to commend the prosecutors for their successful verdict and thank the judge, the jury, the numerous investigators and all those who spent a great deal of their time on this case.  Their actions close the book on a sad chapter of Illinois history and let us focus on bettering our state for the future.”

Former governor Blagojevich was arrested on December 9, 2008 for conspiracy, fraud, bribery and trying to sell an appointment to former U.S. Senator Barack Obama’s vacated seat.  The following month Blagojevich was impeached by the House and barred from holding public office in the state of Illinois.

In June of this year the former governor was convicted on 17 of 20 counts stemming from his corrupt activities as Illinois governor.  On Wednesday, Rod Blagojevich was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison.

Springfield, IL…State Representative Jerry Mitchell (R-Rock Falls) released the following statement on the recent decision to keep the Jack Mabley Developmental Center open.

“It was obvious from the beginning that closing Mabley was a terrible idea.  I’m pleased that the Governor decided to change his mind, but the initial announcement caused a great deal of concern and turmoil for a number of families.

“The agreement that was reached only ensures Mabley is funded for the remainder of the fiscal year.  Over the next couple of months we are going to work on a long term solution that will address budgetary concerns and allow Mabley to keep its’ doors open for the foreseeable future.

“This is a victory for the community, all the people who fought so hard for this facility over the past couple months, and especially for the families that count on the care Mabley provides.”

Early this year Governor Quinn proposed closing seven state facilities, including the Mabley Developmental Center.  The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability voted to recommend all of the facilities remain open and operating; however, that decision was only advisory.

On Monday night, Governor Quinn and lawmakers reached an agreement that will spare all seven facilities from closure for the remainder of the year.

Springfield, IL…State Representative Jerry Mitchell (R-Rock Falls) passed legislation out of the Illinois House on Wednesday that will extend the Downtown Dixon TIF district and the Village of Lansing TIF district for an additional twelve years.

Tax increment financing districts (TIF) allow municipalities to pool property tax revenues from local units of government in order to support economic development projects in disadvantaged areas.  Dixon’s downtown TIF district was set to expire on December 31, 2011.

“TIF districts are often times one of the best tools that municipalities have at their disposal to spur economic development, attract new businesses and create jobs,” said Rep. Mitchell.  “We just saw our statewide unemployment rate rise to 10%, making it that much more important we ensure our towns and villages have all the available resources to capitalize on every opportunity to bring jobs to local communities.”

House Bill 507 passed the House on Wednesday and now awaits further consideration by the Senate.

Rock Falls, IL…State Representative Jerry Mitchell (R-Rock Falls) announced that the Illinois Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (COGFA) and the Department of Human Services will host a public hearing on Monday, October 17^th at 4:30 p.m. at the Historic Dixon Theater to discuss the potential closure of Mabley Developmental Center.

Before any state facility can be closed a public hearing is required to be held by COGFA to discuss the potential impacts of such action.  COGFA members will hear testimony from a number of witnesses speaking to a variety of topics including local and regional economic impacts, the future care of patients, and individuals affected by the potential closure.  COGFA will listen to witness testimony and must issue an advisory opinion on the potential closure within 50 days.

Anyone wishing to address the commission or ask questions before the panel is urged to contact Representative Mitchell’s district office by phone at (815) 625-0820, by email at repjmitchell@comcast.net, or stop by the office located at 100 East 5^th Street in Rock Falls.

Illinois…House Republican Leader Tom Cross along with Representatives Rich Morthland and Jerry Mitchell on Monday held a press conference at the Kenneth Bush farm in Milan to unveil a blueprint to attract and keep good jobs in Illinois.

“The national economy is struggling, but Illinois’ economy is faring even worse,” said Cross (R-Oswego).  “All but one of our neighboring states has lower unemployment than Illinois.  Today, we are introducing a plan to make Illinois more attractive to all businesses from large manufacturers, to small business entrepreneurs to family farmers.” Continue reading »

Rock Falls, IL…State Representative Jerry Mitchell (R-Rock Falls) said that Governor Quinn’s proposal to close seven state facilities, included Mabley Development Center in Dixon, are more of the same, typical political threats that he has come to expect out of this administration.

“We have heard these same types of threats so many times before from this Governor.  It makes it very difficult to put credibility into anything he says regarding state finances given his past track record of using similar scare tactics,” said Rep. Mitchell.  “Today, Governor Quinn pulled a page directly from his predecessor Blagojevich’s playbook by targeting the most vulnerable with ill-advised threats simply to put pressure on lawmakers to give him more money.  That is not the leadership residents expect from the state’s chief executive.”

On Thursday, Governor Quinn announced proposed closures to seven state facilities.  The potential shuttering of the Mabley Development Center was included in Quinn’s list, along with two downstate correctional facilities and other developmental disability centers throughout the state.  Quinn said the closing of the facilities would result in over 1,900 layoffs with a possible savings of $47 million.

“It is important to realize that the Governor’s recommendations today are by no means the final say.  There is a very specific, defined process that must occur before any facility is closed and employees are laid off.  The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability must vote on the matter, a public hearing must be held and employees must be given proper notices before anything can commence.  This is a process that takes months, and as we have seen previously in Illinois, a lot of things change in that amount of time,” said Rep. Mitchell, who vowed to fight the proposed closure.

Springfield, IL…State Representative Jerry Mitchell (R-Rock Falls) said that the education reform measure that passed the House on Thursday, and previously passed the Senate, will reaffirm the state’s commitment that “providing a quality education for the children of Illinois must be a top priority.”

“For years we have worked to better Illinois’ education system and put in place standards that will provide a solid foundation when our children enter the next phase of their lives,” said Rep. Mitchell.  “The legislation that passed the House today exemplifies what can be achieved when all sides work together to accomplish a goal.  In this case that goal was to improve our education system and ensure our children are being taught by the most qualified, capable teachers.”

Senate Bill 7, co-sponsored by Rep. Mitchell, will require layoffs to be based on performance evaluations and qualifications, instead of just seniority as is the current protocol.  The reform measure will allow schools to hire teachers based on who is most qualified to serve the district.  Performance evaluations will carry more influence with regard to granting teacher tenure as well. Continue reading »

Springfield, IL…On Thursday, State Representative Jerry Mitchell (R-Rock Falls) was honored with the Illinois Chamber of Commerce Champion of Free Enterprise Award for his outstanding legislative record of supporting pro-job and pro-business policies in the General Assembly.  Rep. Mitchell received an over 90% rating on his pro-jobs, pro-growth votes during the previous General Assembly.

“If we are going to return Illinois to national economic leader we must create a positive business environment where our employers are not hampered with higher taxes and additional regulations.  It is imperative that we put in place policies that encourage growth and investment here in Illinois, and capitalize on the immense talent that is available within our state,” said Mitchell.

The Chamber’s ratings are based on legislators’ votes on the key business legislation. The votes in the Senate and House are selected based on their impact on the business community and, to a lesser extent, the gap between opposing views on the issue. The votes are weighted accordingly.

“If employers are to change the culture in Springfield, they must educate themselves on the record of their representatives and hold them accountable for it,” explained Doug Whitley, the Chamber’s President and CEO. “We believe the Chamber’s legislative ratings are an effective tool in this endeavor, and legislators whose defense of free enterprise and the furtherance of economic opportunities for Illinoisans deserve our recognition.  This award demonstrates that Representative Mitchell knows what it takes for employers to be successful.  He is working to address the number one problem in our state: creating more jobs.”

Springfield, IL…On Tuesday, the Illinois House passed bi-partisan legislation sponsored by the Republican and Democrat leaders which estimates total available revenue for Fiscal Year 2012 at $33.2 billion.  State Representative Jerry Mitchell (R-Rock Falls) said that the estimate provided by the House Revenue and Finance Committee paints an accurate picture of how much income will be available for the upcoming budget year and signals that spending cuts will be required to keep expenditures under the projected estimate.

“A couple weeks ago the Governor outlined his budget proposal which called for spending $35.4 billion dollars, $2.2 billion more than available revenue,” said Rep. Mitchell.  “The estimate that was provided by the House Revenue Committee was completed after a thorough examination of current and projected revenue, and should act as an accurate starting point for budget negotiations.”

In a stark change from the past, the bi-partisan Revenue and Finance committee compiled revenue estimates from a number of sources in order to craft a truthful revenue projection for the upcoming budget year.  The $33.2 billion figure set by the Illinois House is nearly half a billion dollars less than total state expenditures for the current fiscal year. Continue reading »

Springfield, IL…State Representative Jerry Mitchell (R-Sterling) took the oath of office Wednesday at the official inauguration of the 97^th General Assembly.  “I look forward to the honor and privilege of representing the interests of the people of the 90^th District,” said Rep. Mitchell.

With family and friends looking on, State Representative Jerry Mitchell joined 117 other Illinois House members at the University of Illinois at Springfield for Wednesday’s ceremony.  Rep. Mitchell said that the newly minted General Assembly has a number of difficult challenges before them over the next two years, including the states’ horrific budget situation and lowering the unemployment rate.

“The upcoming year presents a range of challenges for our state.  The fiscal problems are obviously at the top of that list, and cutting spending and forcing state government to live within its means must be part of any solution moving forward,” said Mitchell.  “We must embrace policies that make state spending more accountable and efficient, while prioritizing exactly where tax dollars should be spent.”

“We need to put in place a path to sustainability that shows Illinois businesses that we are serious about tackling our deficit and reining in state spending,” said Rep. Mitchell.  “Reforms to our costly workers compensation system and other incentives to attract jobs must also top our agenda.”

Rep. Mitchell encourages citizens of the 90^th district to contact his office at (815) 625-0820 with any questions or concerns.  You can also check his website at www.mitchell-j.ilhousegop.org for legislative updates concerning the district and other state matters.