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9/1/2010

Senator McCarter Honored for Efforts to Foster Economic Development

Highland . . . The St. Louis Regional Commerce and Growth Association (RCGA) recently honored State Senator Kyle McCarter with the Lewis and Clark Statesman Award for his legislative efforts on behalf of economic development.

RCGA Senior Vice President Chip Casteel said, “While Senator McCarter is relatively new to the Southwestern Illinois delegation, he has certainly not wasted any time in advocating for policies that will benefit the region.”

Sen. McCarter said the award is a great honor because of what it represents to him on a personal level.

“When I was appointed to succeed Senator Frank Watson last year, I knew I would have big shoes to fill,” said McCarter. “Sen. Watson left a great legacy of leadership. He won this award the past three years in a row and I couldn’t be more honored to be recognized by the RCGA and to know that I am truly following in the footsteps of my predecessor.”

In selecting McCarter, the RCGA said: “As a small business owner, Sen. McCarter has been a staunch advocate for state incentives that foster entrepreneurship and job growth. He actively supported the creation of an Angel Tax Credit to increase access to risk capital through private investments, and was also supportive of an expansion of the New Markets Tax Credit program to spur development in low income areas.

The St. Louis RCGA's Lewis & Clark Statesman Awards are given each year in recognition of Missouri and Illinois legislators who have distinguished themselves through outstanding leadership in support of economic development. This year's awards presentation occurred at an evening reception on August 23rd at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at the Arch hotel in downtown St. Louis.

The St. Louis RCGA represents the 16-county, bi-state region comprised of the City of St. Louis, the Missouri counties of St. Louis, St. Charles, Lincoln, Warren, Franklin, Jefferson and Washington; and the Illinois counties of St. Clair, Jersey, Madison, Clinton, Monroe, Bond, Macoupin and Calhoun.

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8/27/2010

Senate Week in Review: August 23 – 27, 2010

Springfield . . . The second of two planned legislative forums investigating the Illinois Department of Corrections’ (DOC) decision to release hundreds of inmates before their sentences were up was held Wednesday in Chicago.

Lawmakers heard from DuPage County State’s Attorney Joe Birkett, as well as advocates and family members of victims and prison reform groups, on Aug. 25, at the second meeting of the Illinois Joint Investigatory Panel on Early Release.

State Sen. Kyle McCarter (R-Lebanon) said Birkett cautioned lawmakers to make public safety the top priority when considering any prisoner early-release program. Any inmate who is released early without having clearly demonstrated a clear commitment to rehabilitation is a “high-risk” release, Birkett warned.

The Panel is examining controversial early-release programs in Illinois, including one unpublicized program established under Gov. Pat Quinn that allowed the early release of nearly 2,000 prisoners, including violent offenders.

The early-release programs were the subject of a highly critical report from retired Judge David Erickson released Aug. 13, two days after the first Joint Panel meeting in Peoria. That report concluded Quinn’s Department of Corrections failed to adequately protect public safety and released inmates early for “meritorious” behavior “simply by virtue of being delivered into DOC (Department of Corrections) custody.”

Nearly a year ago, the Governor indicated that the one early release program the public knew about was actually a response to state budget problems. That effort also included a plan to cut 1,000 positions within DOC, of which about half were employed at Corrections facilities within Sen. McCarter’s district.

At the time, Senator McCarter, standing in the rain in front of prisons in Decatur and Vandalia, warned about the risk to public safety:

“Government’s primary responsibility is to protect its citizens,” said McCarter. “It’s well known, the Corrections system is overcrowded and understaffed. Releasing inmates and cutting a depleted staff is not going to alter the unsafe conditions which already exist within the state’s prisons.”

McCarter, who has advocated for a forensic audit of state government to eliminate wasteful spending, said there is a better way to deal with the Department’s budget problems.

“What DOC needs to do is hire more Corrections officers which could be accomplished at far less cost than the $50 million that have to be paid out now in overtime costs,” said McCarter. “It would also make it safer for Corrections’ employees and reduce the need to release inmates early. It would also better protect our communities.”

Other recommendations made by State’s Attorney Birkett included having Corrections fully inform local law enforcement about inmate releases so prosecutors and police can provide DOC with information critical to the release decision.

Birkett also recommended any guidelines or criteria adopted as a result of the scandal should be made public, so that state’s attorneys, local police and victims know what the criteria for early release will be.

Also testifying were individuals representing victims, as they had done at the Panel’s first meeting Aug. 11 in Peoria. They discussed the impact on victims and their families when a violent offender is released early. A representative of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) raised concerns that individuals convicted of drunk and drugged driving are often considered prime candidates for early release even though they are often among those with the greatest risk for repeat offenses.

Prisoner advocates cautioned lawmakers not to completely eliminate meritorious good time and included witnesses who took advantage of rehabilitation programs while in prison to turn their lives around.

The Panel plans to use the feedback from the meetings to develop a legislative package to address the concerns raised by both witness testimony and the Erickson Report.

Legislation recently signed into law includes:

Open Meetings (HB 5483/P.A. 96-1473): Requires a public body to approve minutes of its open meeting within 30 days after the meeting or at its next regularly scheduled meeting, and also requires that a public body make its approved open meeting minutes available for public inspection and, if the public body has a Web site, post those minutes within 10 days after approval of the minutes.

Manufactured Home Installation (HB 6241/P.A. 96-1477): Mandates all manufactured homes located within a mobile home park pay the privilege tax, and all manufactured homes located elsewhere pay property taxes.

State Contract Renewal (SB 375/P.A. 96-1478): Requires that the renewal or extension of most state contracts with a value of $250,000 or more be reviewed by the Procurement Policy Board (PPB), the PPB has 30 days to object in writing to any renewal or extension within its purview, and the PPB must compile and submit a report to the General Assembly concerning renewals and extensions of contracts.

Critical Care Transport (HB 5183/PA 96-1469): Provides for the creation of minimum standards by the Department of Public Health for “Critical Care Transport,” or advanced specialized care while transporting patients to or between healthcare facilities; establishes additional fees to be collected for additional specialized emergency licensees; and designates equipment certification to be used for the licensure and inspection process.

Animal Disclosure (HB 5772/PA 96-1470): Requires animal shelters, animal control facilities, and pet shops to disclose certain information regarding dogs and cats that are being adopted or purchased.

Posted at 10:20 AM by John Phipps | Category: Press Releases | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

8/26/2010

McCarter: Steps Are Taken to Address Sometimes Burdensome Government Regulation

Springfield . . . Two new laws on the books could help ease the burden that is sometimes created by government regulation, according to State Senator Kyle McCarter.

One measure (Public Act 96-1441) allows schools not to comply with any new state education requirement for which the state fails to provide funding, while a second bill (Public Act 96-1448) requires any state agency creating new rules for small businesses to prepare an economic impact study of those rules.

Both measures were cosponsored by Senator McCarter (R-Lebanon).

“Unfunded mandates on our local schools handcuff administrators and place a further burden on limited local revenue, which makes it more difficult to educate our children,” said McCarter. “Allowing our educators to avoid mandates, unless they are funded by state government, can give districts the flexibility they need to make their budgets work.”

McCarter said more work needs to be done to ensure local control. There were other proposals this year to reduced unfunded mandates but those measures were held up in the legislative process.

“When rules and regulations rise to the point of interfering with job creation or cause business to reduce their workforce in order to comply, then it’s time to act and that’s why I supported the change in how those rules are made and implemented,” said McCarter. “While government may be acting in good faith there are times when the unintended consequences actually increase the cost of doing business, which can directly impact decisions about expansion and hiring.”

McCarter said as a small business employer he knows all too well the impact of decisions made in Springfield and Washington D.C.

The legislation became law August 20.

Posted at 12:27 PM by VoteAdmin | Category: Press Releases | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

8/25/2010

McCarter: Visit to Sullivan Business Highlights Need to Change Illinois’ Business Climate

Decatur . . . Already struggling in the midst of recession, Illinois businesses have to fight off high costs of regulation and taxation, and that’s making it tough for a recovery to occur, according to State Senator Kyle McCarter.

“Our economy has been struggling for a long time and the costs of hiring are ballooning out of control,” said McCarter (R-Lebanon). “That means businesses are not expanding and not hiring, forcing families to move and convincing our college graduates to seek employment out of state. Is it any wonder why more than 700,000 people have left Illinois in the last ten years?”

However, Sen. McCarter said he is encouraged by the example set by family-run businesses such as Mid-State Tank Company in Sullivan. He toured the facility on August 19 with company President, Gery Conlin (pictured left).

“When I visited the company and their newest building recently, I was struck by how involved the owners were in the day to day operations,” said McCarter. “The value of the business is not in the buildings or equipment, it’s in their knowledge and the people they’ve trained.”

Mid-State Tank was founded in 1986 and began manufacturing stainless steel tanks for the agriculture industry. They’ve expanded to provide tanks for aviation, fire services and industrial applications.

“The company cares deeply about their people and they are connected to their community,” said McCarter. “They are innovative and hard-working and they want to leave a legacy to the next generation. They may be making refuelling tanks but they are also fuelling the local economy with their investment.”

However, McCarter said the current business climate needs to change for the economy to grow and prosper.

“The 700,000-plus people who left this state are a real travesty,” said McCarter. “Not only has Illinois lost the revenue from these taxpaying citizens, we lost families that could have been part of the Sullivan community. They could have been part of the Decatur community or any other city or town across the state, but no longer because the opportunities are not what they should be.”

McCarter said when he visits businesses he asks about the impact of government and what can be done to encourage prosperity, and often he hears about challenges that are all too familiar.

“Mid-State is facing the same kinds of challenges that other employers are facing these days and those are the cost of health care, Workers’ Compensation regulations and the overall tax burden,” said McCarter. “These are real hurdles to success, to job creation and job retention.”

For example, McCarter said if Mid-State was located in Missouri or Indiana, their Workers’ Compensation costs would be half what they are in Illinois.

The 51st District Senator said lowering the cost of doing business and making Illinois competitive again will create the climate for an economic revival, like it was eight to ten years ago when Illinois was recognized as one of the best states for business expansion.

Posted at 12:30 PM by VoteAdmin | Category: Press Releases | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

8/20/2010

Senate Week in Review: August 16 – 20, 2010

Springfield . . . Job creation and a political corruption trial were the high and low lights of the week, according to State Senator Kyle McCarter.

The good news about jobs came late in the week. On Thursday, the Boeing Company announced plans for its first Illinois manufacturing facility in Mascoutah, near Scott Air Force Base.

“It was a great day, not only for the Metro East but for our state,” said McCarter (R-Lebanon). “While the location at Mid-America Airport was a great selling point, we must do more to improve the state’s overall business climate, to make us more attractive to business and industry and the potential for thousands of new jobs.”

McCarter, who owns a manufacturing business in his hometown, has long-advocated to keep taxes low and reduce regulations which add to the cost of hiring, as ways to improve the state’s job’s climate.

At the news conference August 19, Boeing said its new facility would employ about 75 people. Media reports indicate state government provided about $2.3 million in financial incentives to help secure the deal.

“Illinois is blessed with an educated and reliable workforce and our state is strategically located to serve the rest of the nation. We only need to reduce the cost of business, to make it easier for business and industry to hire new workers, and we can begin to reduce our double-digit unemployment,” said McCarter.

Mid-America Airport is part of the joint-use facility that also includes Scott Air Force Base. It has long been touted as an engine for economic growth and job creation.

The news this week also included coverage of a political corruption trial.

Jurors in the federal corruption trial of former Illinois Government Rod Blagojevich reached the end of their deliberations August 16 finding Blagojevich guilty of lying to federal investigators about mixing campaign contributions with his position as governor. The felony count carries a maximum of five years in prison. While the jury was unable to come to a conclusion on 23 other serious counts, another court hearing is scheduled for August 26 in Chicago. U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald has said he plans to retry Blagojevich on the remaining counts.

“The trial outcome in no way should be seen as an end to the culture of corruption that still exists in Illinois. We should continue to demand transparency and accountability from our elected officials,” said McCarter. In fact, I think this trial should underscore the need for more reform.”

Sen. McCarter said while some ethics reforms were passed this year, they were weak at best.

“It’s the responsibility of all elected officials to send a clear signal that things must change and it is the responsibility of all citizens to demand that change,” said McCarter.

On the legislative front this week, a measure designed to recover overdue tax revenue was signed into law.

Senate Bill 377 (Public Act 96-1435) allows individuals who have accumulated back taxes between June 30, 2002, and July 1, 2009, to pay those taxes penalty-free from Oct. 1 to Nov. 8 without being fined. Tax delinquents who don’t pay during the amnesty period will see all interest and penalties double.

Officials hope that by providing incentive for tax delinquents to cough up their overdue obligations the program will bring in tardy tax dollars, as opposed to spending state time and energy pursuing the tax delinquents.

The tax amnesty program was initially projected to return about $350 million, a prediction based on projections from the state’s 2003 tax amnesty program. However, recent data from the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability and the Department of Revenue indicate the program is more likely to return about $170 million.

Other legislation was signed into law this week to encourage solar energy use.

House Bill 6202 (Public Act 96-1437) changes the date that Commonwealth Edison and Ameren are required to begin ramping up their renewable solar requirement. Previously, the electric suppliers had a 2015 deadline, but will now be required to show that 0.5 percent of the power is purchased from solar sources by 2012. The requirement will then incrementally increase over time and by 2015, six percent of power must be purchased from solar sources.

House Bill 5429 (Public Act 96-1436) creates a Homeowners’ Solar Energy Act that will protect homeowners’ rights to develop, install and use solar energy in their homes as long as they follow certain guidelines. The law specifically prohibits homeowners associations and condominium associations from prohibiting the installation of solar panels, but does not apply to buildings that are greater than 30 feet in height.

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