• Home
  • Illinois News
  • Illinois Politics
  • US Politics
  • US NEWS
  • America First
  • Opinion
  • World News
  • Second Amendment
Tuesday, September 16, 2025
Illinois Review
  • Login
  • Register
  • Home
  • Illinois News
  • Illinois Politics
  • US Politics
  • US NEWS
  • America First
  • Opinion
  • World News
  • Second Amendment
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Illinois News
  • Illinois Politics
  • US Politics
  • US NEWS
  • America First
  • Opinion
  • World News
  • Second Amendment
No Result
View All Result
Illinois Review
No Result
View All Result
Home Illinois News

Skillicorn: Will Gov. Pritzker undo one of IL’s only pension reforms?

Illinois Review by Illinois Review
May 13, 2019
in Illinois News
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A
6
26
SHARES
436
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Screen Shot 2019-05-13 at 9.33.13 AM

You might also like

Buffalo Grove Teacher Tries to Block Kirk Tribute; Nancy Mace Calls to Defund Schools Lacking Accountability

Buffalo Grove Middle School Teacher Sparks Outrage With ‘Karma’ Remark on Charlie Kirk Killing

Trump Pivots From Chicago, Redirects National Guard to Memphis, Citing Local Political Support

By State Rep. Allen Skillicorn –

Reforms never come easy in Springfield, but last year, the General Assembly on a bipartisan vote, passed a provision that transferred the financial burden of spiking teacher salaries for pension calculation purposes from the state to local school districts.

Rest assured pension spiking could still occur (heaven forbid we go too far in our reform efforts). The new law limited the salary increases to three percent down from the six percent previously allowed. The new law also put the financial responsibility on the school district to pay any additional increase along with a penalty for doing so, which is the way it should be. Why should the whole state be on the hook financially for decisions made at the local school district level?

The pension spiking law was not going to turn Illinois around financially, but it was a reform and it was something we needed to do. As importantly, it was also a reform that had bipartisan support.

But now less than a year later, special interests are calling for the 6% spike to be restored and the tax and spenders in Springfield are all too happy to comply.

Using the teacher shortage data in Illinois, education activists are out in full force claiming that the 6% spike is necessary to “Save the Profession.” They claim that the pension uncertainty is driving an increase in unfilled teaching positions.

According to the Illinois State Board of Education, unfilled teacher positions have fluctuated from 1,143 in 2016 to 997 in 2017 and 1,407 in 2018. Attributing the spike in 2018 to lowering the pension spike 3% prior to its enactment seems dubious.

While I am inclined to support merit increases based upon effort and excellence, a blanket 6%, let alone the current 3% spike merely to raise a retiree’s compensation is already egregious. I am certain taxpayers who bear the burden of saving for their own retirement along with paying for the public education retirees are overjoyed to know that a 3% spike for no reason at all just isn’t enough.

Additionally, where is the money to fund the restoration of the 6% spike going to come from? The current budget is almost $3.2 billion out of balance and Governor Pritzker is contemplating yet another pension payment holiday, because that worked out so well when Rod Blagojevich did it. It is time we learned from past mistakes. We are in this mess because our leaders have made bad decisions like shorting pension payments and adding sweeteners to entice employees to retire early. These bad decisions have created a massive $200 billion plus pension problem for our state.

Maybe if the Illinois Education Association, Illinois Teachers Federation, and the public education activists were out in force fighting for the consolidation of Illinois’ 865 school districts to reduce administrative costs or reforming the abuse of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts which diverts educational funding, I would be more supportive of reasonable merit driven increases.

What we need is innovation in how we deliver educational services with more choices, not fewer ones. For instance, perhaps we should enact policies to allow education money to follow students to ensure parents aren’t held captive to failing schools simply on the basis of their zip code. Instead, we are locked into an analog monolithic public education system designed in the industrial era, for our 21st century information based digital economy – “there’s an app for that.” 

If Gov. JB Pritzker signs SB 1952 into law, he will erase one of the few reforms we have been able to enact in Illinois and it will cost taxpayers dearly. It will be even more evidence that he and the Democrat majority in the House and the Senate remain committed to the failed policies that have crippled our state financially and they are not in the least bit serious about reform.

Related

Share10Tweet7
Previous Post

America’s Biggest Issues: Religious Freedom

Next Post

Kindt: How about a “fair tax” on Illinois gambling?

Illinois Review

Illinois Review

Founded in 2005, Illinois Review is the leading perspective and source of conservative news, opinion and information in Illinois. Follow Illinois Review on X at @IllinoisReview.

Recommended For You

Buffalo Grove Teacher Tries to Block Kirk Tribute; Nancy Mace Calls to Defund Schools Lacking Accountability

by Illinois Review
September 15, 2025
0
Buffalo Grove Teacher Tries to Block Kirk Tribute; Nancy Mace Calls to Defund Schools Lacking Accountability

By Illinois ReviewA Buffalo Grove middle school teacher who faced backlash for her disturbing remarks after Charlie Kirk’s assassination is now opposing efforts to hold a public tribute...

Read moreDetails

Buffalo Grove Middle School Teacher Sparks Outrage With ‘Karma’ Remark on Charlie Kirk Killing

by Illinois Review
September 14, 2025
0
Buffalo Grove Middle School Teacher Sparks Outrage With ‘Karma’ Remark on Charlie Kirk Killing

By Illinois ReviewA Twin Groves Middle School teacher in Buffalo Grove, Ill., is facing public backlash after posting social media comments about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie...

Read moreDetails

Trump Pivots From Chicago, Redirects National Guard to Memphis, Citing Local Political Support

by Illinois Review
September 12, 2025
0
Trump Pivots From Chicago, Redirects National Guard to Memphis, Citing Local Political Support

By Illinois ReviewDuring a Friday interview on Fox & Friends, President Donald Trump announced he will deploy the National Guard to Memphis, noting that both the city’s Republican...

Read moreDetails

Opinion: Charlie Kirk, an American Statesman

by John F. Di Leo
September 11, 2025
0
Opinion: Charlie Kirk, an American Statesman

By John F. Di Leo, Opinion ContributorOn September 10, Arlington Heights, Illinois native Charlie Kirk was assassinated while giving a speech at a university in Utah. Though he...

Read moreDetails

Conservative Activist, Chicago Native Charlie Kirk, 31, Fatally Shot at Utah Campus Event

by Illinois Review
September 10, 2025
0
Conservative Activist, Chicago Native Charlie Kirk, 31, Fatally Shot at Utah Campus Event

By Illinois ReviewConservative activist and Chicago native Charlie Kirk, 31 was fatally shot Tuesday during a campus event in Utah, President Donald Trump confirmed in a Truth Social...

Read moreDetails
Next Post

Kindt: How about a "fair tax" on Illinois gambling?

Please login to join discussion

Best Dental Group

Related News

IL Freedom Caucus calls on Lurie Children’s Hospital to cease gender services for kids

October 27, 2022

Beckman: Is the Brigham Young University racial slur controversy another hoax?

October 27, 2022

Salvi polling shows closer race

October 27, 2022

Browse by Category

  • America First
  • Education
  • Faith & Family
  • Foreign Policy
  • Health Care
  • Illinois News
  • Illinois Politics
  • Opinion
  • Science
  • Second Amendment
  • TRENDING
  • US NEWS
  • US Politics
  • World News
Illinois Review

llinois Review LLC Editor-in-Chief Mark Vargas General Counsel Scott Kaspar Copyright © 2025 IR Media Corp., all rights reserved.

Navigate Site

  • Checkout
  • Home
  • Home – mobile
  • Login/Register
  • Login/Register
  • My account
  • My Account-
  • My Account- – mobile

Follow Us

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Illinois News
  • Illinois Politics
  • US Politics
  • Health Care
  • US NEWS
  • America First
  • Opinion
  • TRENDING
  • Education
  • Foreign Policy
  • Second Amendment
  • Faith & Family
  • Science
  • World News

llinois Review LLC Editor-in-Chief Mark Vargas General Counsel Scott Kaspar Copyright © 2025 IR Media Corp., all rights reserved.

Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?