BASSI BACKS EDUCATION REFORM COMPROMISE

Rep. Suzie Bassi was a member of the education task force that forged an education reform compromise to improve the relationship between the State board of Education and local school districts.  One provision of the compromise requires the State Board to develop a 5-year strategic plan that meets three goals:  increasing accountability at the state level, improving deliverability of services to local districts and making the State Board of Education a partner with local schools and not a watchdog.

Senate Bill 3000 gives the State Board the power to create Administrative technology Centers to decentralize state services to school districts and facilitate shared administrative services among school districts for local cost savings.  It also prohibits the State Board of Education from adopting its own policies that contradict state and federal laws.

BASSI WORKS TO ADDRESS
STATE HEALTH CARE AVAILABILITY CRISIS

	"Doctors and their patients need to begin to pressure the governor and the entire general assembly . . ."

Skyrocketing medical malpractice insurance premiums and the threat of litigation are forcing doctors to leave Illinois.  To address this growing problem, I hosted a forum to explain the House Republican Code Blue Plan to area doctors and medical personnel which is aimed at curtailing rising premiums and improving health care access for our families.  This plan caps non-economic damages (pain and suffering) in medical malpractice lawsuits at $500,000.  The cap would be indexed based upon inflation and guarantees a minimum economic reward for lost wages for patients that earn less than the average weekly wage.  Legal fees would be excluded from the cap.

Other reforms include:  proposing a constitutional amendment that would authorize caps and subjecting all potential medical malpractice claims to a pre-trial review to determine whether or not there is merit.

Doctors and their patients need to begin to pressure the governor and the entire general assembly so we can alleviate the problem before it becomes a runaway crisis.

BASSI FIGHTS FOR NEW JOBS AND STRONGER ECONOMY

	"Since Governor Rod Blagojevich took office in January 2003, Illinois has lost 51,700 jobs . . ."

Retaining and creating good jobs for Illinois families is the key to turning around our state economy, said Rep. Suzie Bassi.  While the U.S. Department of Labor recently reported nearly 1 million new jobs have been created in the nation over the past three months, Illinois continues to lag behind because of its growing anti-business, anti-jobs climate.

"Since Governor Rod Blagojevich took office in January 2003, Illinois has lost 51,700 jobs," said Bassi.  "During the same time period, neighboring states have seen gains in employment.  Despite this alarming trend, the current administration continues to push for higher fees and taxes on our employers."

Bassi said Illinois has the reputation of being one of the worst states in the nation to do business.  In fact, Forbes magazine recently rated Illinois 42nd in the nation in terms of regulatory barriers it places on business.

"To get our economy back on track, the state should act as a partner to our employers facilitating and assisting their expansion and growth so that they will create more jobs - not treat them as though they are the enemy," said Bassi.  "It is time we reverse the current trend."

BASSI BILL HELPS PROTECT SENIORS
FROM REDUCED PRESCRIPTION BENEFITS

	"We have been a leader in the nation in affording seniors opportunities to save"

Rep. Bassi helped sponsor a bill, now on the governor's desk, that keeps in place the state's prescription drug assistance benefits regardless of changes in federal law.

"It appears that the benefits under the federal Medicare prescription program will be less than seniors now enjoy under programs offered in Illinois," Rep. Bassi said.  "We have been a leader in the nation in affording seniors opportunities to save on their prescription drug costs."

According to Bassi, it is possible that seniors could lose some of their existing benefits when the Federal Medicare prescription program takes effect in 2006.

Bassi's bill provides that if Medicare changes the benefit structure, then a state "Senior Pharmaceutical Assistance Review Committee" would be required to make recommendations to the General Assembly and the governor about whether to adopt the coverage changes.

REP. BASSI HELPS SAVE GOLDEN APPLE
SCHOLARS PROGRAM

Rep. Bassi worked hard to help save the state's highly successful Golden Apple Scholars program.  The program, which was slated for a complete cut in funding, has produced highly talented and dedicated teachers for children since it began 12 years ago.

"When an education program is a proven success story, it should be expanded not cut," Rep. Bassi said.  " We must continue to train and retrain excellent teachers."

She said a recent analysis showed that nearly 90 percent of the program's graduates are still teaching, with most in disadvantaged schools.

TEACHING BASIC ELEMENTS OF CHARACTER

In order to compliment the training that young people should be receiving at home, Rep. Bassi sponsored a bill which requires teachers to teach students the basic elements of character - respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, trustworthiness and citizenship.

"Those values are all very basic to the formation of a person with good character and that's the basis of stable, independent persons who make significant contributions to their families and their country." Rep. Bassi said.

BASSI HELPS SAVE "OSLAD" FUNDING

Rep. Bassi was very involved in the effort to maintain funding for the state's "OSLAD" program, the major resource available to local government entities for the purchase of land for parks, playing fields, bicycle paths and other recreation facilities.

"OSLAD is very important to our area of the state where land useful for recreation and enjoying nature is rapidly disappearing," Bassi said.  "The program was created to help preserve the state's sensitive environmental areas and create recreational parks for our families to enjoy."

The governor had proposed eliminating OSLAD funding for at least a year and using the money for other purposes.

With limited funds, cities, counties and park districts must compete on the open market for land for parks and other recreation activities.  OSLAD, which is financed through the state's real estate transfer tax, provides up to 50 percent of the funding to local governments for acquiring land for parks and other open space purposes.  Representative Bassi stressed that no program funds come from property taxes.