Democrats Block Cavaletto’s Job Creation Bill

03/16/2010

Springfield, IL…. State Representative John Cavaletto (R – Salem) reported today that a motion to allow debate on legislation to expand the tax credit for new jobs created in an enterprise zone from $500 to $2500 was defeated on a party-line vote.

“Just last week, Democrat Governor Pat Quinn proposed expanding job creation tax credits in his budget address,” Rep. Cavaletto said. “Today House Democrats voted to block a bill I introduced that would stimulate our economy. HB 5199 provides an incentive for new businesses to grow their work force right here in Illinois.”

Analysis of the legislation provided to Representative Cavaletto from the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability indicated that HB 5199 would have a minimal fiscal impact on Illinois’ state budget.

“This legislation is business-friendly and a good piece of public policy,” Cavaletto said. “The jobs tax credit hasn’t been expanded in a decade, and we see the effects of anti-business policies just by looking at the number of jobs we have lost,”

Illinois has lost approximately 750,000 jobs in the last decade, including more than 200,000 in the last year. The current state unemployment rate is above 11%, with rates in Cavaletto’s district reaching as high as 15% in Marion County, according to the latest figures from the Illinois Department of Employment Security.

“This initiative came out of a meeting I had with my district mayors, economic development officials, and Chamber of Commerce presidents,” Cavaletto said. “When I asked them what the state could do to bring jobs to southern Illinois, they convinced me that an expansion of the jobs tax credit would be a great incentive to offer prospective businesses. I took their idea to the General Assembly because I believe we need to do everything we can to create jobs and get our economy back on track.”

Cavaletto: Quinn Budget Proposal Unrealistic

03/10/2010

Springfield, IL…. State Representative John Cavaletto (R – Salem) expressed doubt following Governor Pat Quinn’s budget address Wednesday. Governor Quinn proposed several cuts and a 1% increase in the personal income tax to fund state services for the FY 2011 budget.

“I think the Governor has good intentions, but the plan he laid out today is unrealistic,” Cavaletto said. “The Governor’s proposal to raise taxes and cut the budget just doesn’t match up with reality,” Cavaletto said. “We have double digit unemployment, wages are falling, and the working people of Illinois can’t afford a tax increase.”

Cavaletto, a member of the House Bipartisan Job Creation Task Force, stressed the need to place job creation higher on the priority list for FY 2011.

“There are more than 700,000 people unemployed in Illinois right now,” Cavaletto said. “The Governor laid out five points for solving the budget crisis. Job creation was fourth out of five. It needs to be first.”

Cavaletto did agree with one aspect of Quinn’s budget plan.

“The Governor said he plans to offer a larger tax credit as an incentive to small businesses for new jobs that they create,” Cavaletto said. “I had a similar idea in HB 5199 that would increase the jobs tax credit from $500 to $2500. House Democrat leadership killed my bill in subcommittee, so I hope the Governor has better luck with this concept than I did. If we don’t improve our business climate, businesses simply won’t come to Illinois.”

Cavaletto: Supreme Court Wrong on Medical Malpractice

02/04/2010

Springfield, IL…. State Representative John Cavaletto (R – Salem) expressed shock and disappointment after the Illinois Supreme Court issued a decision today that will eliminate caps on medical malpractice lawsuit awards in the state. Cavaletto says he believes the decision will cause another wave of doctors leaving the state of Illinois for more reform-minded states.

“I am disappointed by today’s ruling by the Illinois Supreme Court,” Cavaletto said. “This decision is going to hurt access to health care in southern Illinois. Why would a doctor stay here? What protections do our health care providers have against frivolous lawsuits now?”

In 2005, the General Assembly passed legislation capping jury awards from doctors at $500,000 and hospitals at $1,000,000. Since the law passed, 5,000 more doctors were licensed in Illinois; three new insurance companies were offering coverage and 10 existing insurers dropped their rates by 5 to more than 30 percent.

“I agree wholeheartedly with Justice Karmeier’s dissent. I was in favor of his election to the Supreme Court because I believed in the driving force behind his campaign, which was the need for med-mal reform. The fight in 2005 was hard, but caps were eventually put in place. The caps were working. We had stemmed the tide of medical professionals leaving our state. Today’s decision is a big setback for the movement,” Cavaletto said.

General Assembly Scholarships Available for 107th District Residents

02/01/2010

Springfield, IL…. Representative John Cavaletto announced today that eight General Assembly Scholarships will be awarded by his district office in Salem.

To be eligible to apply for a General Assembly scholarship, an individual must reside in the 107th House Legislative District and plan to attend one of Illinois’ public universities as a full-time student.  Both undergraduate and graduate students are eligible to apply.  All scholarships are for one year only. Previous scholarship winners are not excluded from consideration. To verify that you live in the 107th district, please visit www.elections.state.il.us/DistrictLocator/selectsearchtype.aspx
Applicants may apply for scholarships that would apply to the following Illinois universities:

A one-year scholarship (including tuition and some fees) to Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, Western Illinois University, Northern Illinois University, Illinois State University, Eastern Illinois University, Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago State University and Governors State University.  For applicants who plan to attend then University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the one-year scholarship covers tuition, but no fees.

To be considered for the General Assembly scholarship a qualifying applicant must submit a completed application form as well as official transcripts of all high school and college work and three letters of recommendation. A panel of local educators and business leaders will review applications and provide scores based on a rubric that includes an evaluation of academic performance, financial need, and prior community service.

All comments and information received will be kept confidential.  Application forms are available at Representative Cavaletto’s District Office at 1370 West Main, Suite A in Salem and will be sent to all district high school guidance counselors and principals.  The application deadline is April 1, 2010.

Requests may also be made by emailing john@johncavaletto.com. A PDF form is also available on Representative Cavaletto’s website at www.johncavaletto.com. For further information, contact Representative Cavaletto’s district office at 618-548-9080.

Cavaletto: Quinn Speech Short on Solutions

01/13/2010

Springfield, IL…. Governor Pat Quinn delivered the annual “State of the State” speech before a joint session of the Illinois General Assembly on Wednesday. Quinn’s speech lasted more than an hour and covered topics ranging from traffic fatality rates to the conversion of soybeans into material to be used for the Shedd Aquarium roof.

“Illinois is facing a $14 billion budget deficit, and we have $4 billion worth of unpaid bills,” Cavaletto said. “The Governor might have touched on several topics during the speech today, but I didn’t hear much in the way of solutions for these huge problems.”

The 107^th district Representative described Quinn’s speech as more of a campaign promotion tool than a true accounting of the state of affairs in Illinois government. “I think the Governor is clearly concerned with covering topics that will help him get votes in the Primary election, and that is not surprising,” Cavaletto said.

“However, I expect the chief executive of the state of Illinois to provide details on his long term vision for solutions to our high unemployment rates, massive debt, and unpaid bills. People are losing their jobs and the most vulnerable people in our state are losing vital services because the state doesn’t pay its bills. I didn’t hear a plan to address these issues in this speech today,” Cavaletto said.

The State of the State speech is delivered each year in January by the Governor. Governor Quinn will deliver a speech on the state of Illinois’ budget later on in the legislative session.

Cavaletto Presents Library with Law Books

12/15/2009

Salem, IL…. On Tuesday, Rep. John Cavaletto presented Joyce Jackson, Director of the Centralia Regional Library District with a copy of the State of Illinois Compiled Statutes on Tuesday. The Illinois Compiled Statutes are a full account of all the laws that are currently on the books in the state of Illinois. Copies of these volumes of state laws can be obtained through Rep. Cavaletto’s office upon request.

Cavaletto Honors Local Athletes

12/15/2009

Salem, IL….On Tuesday, State Representative John Cavaletto visited Mt. Vernon High School to recognize the outstanding achievements of Senior Margo Richardson and Junior Stephanie Modert for their accomplishments during this fall’s IHSA State Cross Country Meet. Richardson placed second overall earning All State honors and Modert placed 26th, one place shy of achieving All State honors. The certificate also congratulates the athletes for their contribution to the Lady Rams’ 11th place team finish at the State Cross Country meet at Detweiller Park in Peoria. Pictured from left to right are: Stephanie Modert, Representative Cavaletto, Margo Richardson, and Mt. Vernon High School Principal Ron Daniels.

Cavaletto Honors Local Athletes

12/15/2009

Salem, IL…. On Tuesday, State Rep. John Cavaletto presented an Illinois House of Representatives Certificate of Congratulations to Tyler Detmer, quarterback for Breese Mater Dei’s football team for achieving All-State honors for his outstanding performance on the football field this past fall. Rep. Cavaletto also presented Mater Dei sophomore Ellen Toennies with an Illinois House of Representatives Certificate of Congratulations for achieving All-State honors for her outstanding performance running Cross Country for the Lady Knights earlier this fall.

Cavaletto Honors Local Horse Breeder

12/10/2009

Salem, IL…. Rep. Cavaletto is pictured here presenting Tom Hennigh of Salem with an official Illinois House of Representatives Certificate commemorating him for 50 years of American Quarter Horse breeding.
Tom Hennigh reached an important milestone this year. For fifty accumulative years, he has been raising American Quarter Horses.

Through the years Tom has not only worked with his own horses, but has worked to promote the entire Quarter Horse Industry. He was Public Relations Director for the Solid Gold and the International Livestock Show in Springfield, Illinois. He was a fund raiser for the Little Britches Rodeo and Benefit for Needy Children in Colorado Springs, Colorado. More recently he was an Investigator for the Bureau of County Fairs and Horse Racing in the state of Illinois, where he inspected over 900 head of horses at various farms, and did drug testing at state run races and authenticated winners. The AQHA not only verified that Tom made the Fifty Year Breeder Award program this year; they also told him something else. He is the first in the State of Illinois to do so.

Cavaletto Honors Local Woman

12/10/2009

Salem, IL…. Rep. John Cavaletto recently presented Olive Stroup, of Kell, with an official Illinois House of Representatives Certificate in commemoration of her 100th birthday. Mrs. Stroup is pictured here with Rep. Cavaletto, her nephew Robert Foster and his wife Leona.