On Election Day, Illinoisans will see a referendum on the ballot that would, if approved by voters, install a state constitutional amendment that would boost the number of legislative votes
needed to pass statewide pension increases for public employees.
If passed, Amendment 49
would require a three-fifths, or super majority, vote of approval by the General
Assembly to make any increases in public employee pensions. As it stands now, only a simple
majority, or one-half of the legislative vote, is needed to increase the pensions of state employees. The amendment would also apply to city and county employees as well as educators, meaning that local governments, school boards and similar legislative bodies would also be beholden to the super majority vote requirement.
The controversial amendment,
sponsored by House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago), swept through both the Illinois Senate and House by margins of 51-2 and 113-0, respectively.
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Gov. Pat Quinn scored a big victory Friday in his plan to balance
the state budget. Arbitrator Steve Biereg ruled that the state acted
reasonably in the June ordering of the shut down of seven different
corrections and juvenile justice facilities.
The following was written by Anders Lindall, spokesman for AFSCME Council 31, in response to the 
The following op-ed is by Brooke Anderson, Press Secretary to Governor Pat Quinn.