Watch now: Michael Madigan is resigning Here s what his annual pension amount will be herald-review.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from herald-review.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Hannah Meisel
Hannah covers state government and politics for NPR Illinois and Illinois Public Radio. Hannah previously covered the statehouse for The Daily Line and Law360, and also worked a temporary stint at political blog Capitol Fax in 2018.
She has also worked as a reporter for Illinois Public Media in Urbana, and served as NPR Illinois statehouse intern in 2014 while working toward a master s degree in public affairs reporting from the University of Illinois at Springfield.
Hannah also holds a journalism degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she was a reporter and managing editor at
The Daily Illini.
✓State Employee and Retiree Health Care Savings – the administration has negotiated over $900 million in health care cost savings.
✓ Estimated $650 million in collectively- bargained cost savings with employees through FY23.
✓ An additional $260 million in savings achieved through negotiated insurance rates and contract terms with providers. -
Behind the fancy savings language, I’m reading more delayed payments for health providers to state employees and retirees. Possibly higher co-pays or increased insurance payments by employees / retirees. And expectations of clawbacks in the next labor union contract.
Those 3 items in the summary come to $1.8B. Not quite smoke and mirrors, but not guaranteed. Likely a double whammy to existing state employees.
Honolulu Magazine
Diane Lee
Diane Lee joined HONOLULU Magazine as a web producer in February 2013 and worked as the digital media manager from March 2015 to May 2018. She graduated with a Master’s degree in Public Affairs Reporting from the University of Illinois at Springfield and a Bachelor’s degree in Communication from Bradley University.
Articles
1
WBGZ Radio 2/10/2021 |
By Cole Lauterbach - Illinois Radio Network
Illinois is one of only a handful of states where political leaders pick replacements for state lawmakers should they leave their post. On one hand, it’s saving taxpayers money on a special election that many other states conduct. On the other, it’s become so common that residents are calling it an abuse of political clout.
Two Illinois state senators were replaced by appointment Saturday. Springfield Ald. Doris Turner replaced Andy Manar, a Bunker Hill Democrat who took a position with Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration. On the same day, Michael Simmons, a former political aid to U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin and others, replaced Illinois Sen. Heather Steans, a northside Chicago Democrat who resigned five days after being re-elected. Steans said she decided to care for her mother who is ailing from Alzheimer’s disease.