East Central Reporter

Dec 12, 2023

In the latest Capitol News Update, several pressing issues are highlighted, including the ongoing migrant crisis in Chicago, the appeal of Illinois' gun ban law, and a report on the state's pension system.

The migrant crisis in Chicago has reached a critical point as thousands of migrants without permanent legal status find themselves without shelter as winter approaches. The overwhelming number of migrants claiming refugee status has put a strain on the U.S. courts of immigration law, leading to a situation where many migrants, including those in Chicago, are homeless. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson eventually prioritized the construction of a "migrant tent city" in Brighton Park, but the chosen location was found to have substantial levels of toxic chemicals. Governor JB Pritzker has now announced that the State of Illinois will not support the construction of the camp, leaving the 2,000 migrants who would have been housed there with no suitable place to shelter.

Moving on to the issue of firearms, the ban on certain classes of firearms and magazines in Illinois, known as the Protect Illinois Communities Act, is being appealed through the federal courts. Plaintiffs argue that the ban not only contains elements of unconstitutional vagueness but also violates the Second Amendment rights of Illinois residents. A recent decision by a three-judge federal appellate panel has opened the door for an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has the power to issue a preliminary injunction to suspend enforcement of the law if it finds that the infringement of rights threatens irreparable harm to a party with legitimate standing.

Lastly, the Capitol News Update highlights a report filed by the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (CGFA) on the state's pension system. The report sheds light on the unfunded liabilities of the five defined-benefit pension funds co-signed by the State of Illinois. These unfunded liabilities represent future obligations owed to contracted, vested future pensioners, even though the funds do not currently have the money to pay these future pensions. The report reveals that Illinois' pension systems currently face an unfunded liability gap of $141.4 billion, the second-highest in the history of the state's public-sector pensions. The largest portion of this gap is attributed to the Teachers' Retirement System (TRS), which has seen an increase in unfunded liabilities due to substantial pay increases granted to Illinois educators over the past fifteen years.

As Illinois grapples with these pressing issues, it is clear that decisive action is needed to address the humanitarian and budgetary challenges posed by the migrant crisis, to ensure the protection of constitutional rights in the debate over the gun ban law, and to find sustainable solutions to the unfunded liabilities of the state's pension system.

For additional details, please follow this link: https://repcmiller.com/2023/12/12/capitol-news-update-from-rep-miller-4/