“At some point the long term debt of Illinois needs to be addressed.  This patches some holes and would keep Illinois afloat, but at what cost,” stated Beaubien.  “Spending restrictions, pension reforms and Medicaid reforms all need to be a part of this conversation, unfortunately today they weren’t.”

Beaubien currently serves as an Assistant Republican Leader in the Illinois House of Representatives, where he is also the House Republicans’ chief budget negotiator

State Representative Mark Beaubien (R – Wauconda) is disappointed with the court’s ruling.

“I am incredibly disappointed with the court’s ruling,” Beaubien said.  “We passed this legislation to help millions of Illinois citizens and now we’re back to square one.  This decision is going to lead to higher health care costs and fewer doctors in Illinois.”

In 2005, Illinois passed Senate Bill 475 which created successful medical malpractice and tort reform.  Prior to the passage of the bill, Illinois was losing doctors and insurance companies to neighboring states.  After passage, the number of medical malpractice lawsuits dropped 25 percent, and the number of insurance companies offering coverage increased from 6 to 12 with an average reduction of 30 percent in premiums.

“This is a politically charged ruling,” said Beaubien.  “It is no coincidence the court made this ruling just as national attention is focused on health insurance reform.  The people of Illinois should not be punished because of Washington’s incompetence.” 

The Illinois General Assembly capped non-economic damage awards at $500,000 for doctors and $1 million for hospitals.  Under the reform law, patients injured through medical negligence continued to receive full, unlimited compensation for economic damages such as lost wages, medical expenses and future earning potential.

The Illinois General Assembly Scholarship Program allows for each member to provide scholarship opportunities to residents of the district who plan on attending any in-state public university of their choice for the upcoming academic year.

“General Assembly scholarships allow me to help hard-working local students afford to go to college. Each year, I have the privilege of awarding eight one-year scholarships to individuals from my district to attend any of Illinois’ public universities,” Representative Beaubien said.

Representative Beaubien has an independent committee review each application and select the recipients.  The criteria considered for selecting winners include academic achievement, community or civic involvement and financial need.

“Whether seeking an undergraduate or graduate degree, I encourage everyone interested in pursing their degree in higher education to apply for a scholarship,” Beaubien said.

Interested students can obtain an application by calling Rep. Beaubien’s District Office at (847) 487-5252 or by visiting the office at 124 E. Liberty Street in Wauconda.    Applications must be completed and returned to Representative Beaubien’s office no later than 4:00 p.m., March 26, 2010.

Greetings and warm wishes to you and your family for a very happy holiday season! As we reflect on the conclusion of this year and look forward to the start of a new decade, I would like to express my appreciation for the many parents, educators, community leaders, first responders, small business owners, and working families who make our area such a special place to live. The far northwest suburbs are home to people of great talent and communities of unmatched vitality and achievement.

As we celebrate this holiday season with family and friends, I hope you will join me in thanking the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces serving overseas as well as our veterans here at home who have done so much to preserve our freedom and way of life. Let’s keep them and their families foremost in our thoughts and prayers this holiday season. I hope the holidays bring many blessings to you and your loved ones as you make new memories that your family will cherish for generations to come.

As always, thank you for the honor and privilege of serving you.

Warm holiday wishes from my family to yours,

Mark H. Beaubien, Jr.
Assistant Republican Leader
State Representative – 52nd District

“Our CUB seminar is a great way for local seniors to learn how they can save money,” Rep. Beaubien said. “Today’s challenging economic times have been especially hard for those who lived on fixed incomes, including many local seniors. Saving a few dollars on household expenses can go a long way towards easing the financial burden on seniors.”

Rep. Beaubien’s CUB clinic is free and open to the public. Seniors are asked to bring a copy of their phone bill, as staff from CUB will be on hand to go over bills individually with those in attendance to point out helpful cost-saving tips. Refreshments will also be provided.

State Representative Mark Beaubien & the Citizens Utility Board

Are Pleased to Present a FREE clinic for local seniors:

Date: Monday, November 9

Time: 10:00am – 12:00pm

Location: Wauconda Township Hall

505 W. Bonner Rd.

Wauconda, IL 60084

For questions or more information, please contact Rep. Beaubien’s office in Wauconda at (847) 487-5252 or via e-mail at strepmbeaubien@sbcglobal.net.

“We are honored that Secretary White will be visiting Barrington with the Jesse White Tumblers,” Representative Beaubien said. “I have worked closely with Jesse White for many years to help improve the quality of life for Illinois families by strengthening education and making our roads a safer place to drive. I also admire the positive example Secretary White sets for young people through the remarkable Tumblers program.”

A longtime advocate for improvements in traffic safety, Beaubien worked strenuously for over six years in support of a primary seat belt law in Illinois, a bipartisan measure which passed and was signed into law in 2003. The law is credited with saving hundreds of lives across Illinois each year, having initially dropped the state’s highway fatality rate to its lowest level since 1941. Having worked with Secretary White on this on many other issues over the years, Beaubien was eager to have the Secretary of State visit Barrington:

Reception Welcoming Secretary of State Jesse White

Friday, September 18

8:30am – 9:00am

Arnett C. Lines School

Library Media Center

217 Eastern Avenue

Barrington, IL 60010

After the reception welcoming Secretary White, visitors are welcome to attend the performances of the Jesse White Tumblers at 9:15am and 10:00am in the Lines Gym.

# # #

The grant funding will go towards the construction, replacement, or repair of sidewalks leading to Grove Avenue Elementary, St. Anne, Hough Street Elementary, Roslyn Road Elementary, and the Arnett C. Lines Elementary School in Barrington.

“Students attending Barrington elementary schools will benefit from this important funding,” Representative Beaubien said. “The Safe Routes to School Program is a helpful way to encourage young people to walk or bike to school by utilizing sidewalks with new safety upgrades.”

The Illinois Safe Routes to School program provides schools and community groups with funding to build safer routes to schools and to provide programs helping students become safer walkers and cyclists. These improvements include engineering solutions, safety education, encouragement, enforcement and evaluation programs that work together to promote a healthier, more active lifestyle for children in grades K-8.

The 2001 National Household Travel Survey showed that fewer than 16 percent of students between the ages of 5 and 15 walked or biked to or from school, compared to 42 percent in 1969. At the same time, the number of overweight and obese children has tripled.  The Illinois Safe Routes to School program is a part of turning these trends around by encouraging community involvement in the Safe Routes effort.

The Illinois Safe Routes to School program has received $23 million in funds from the National Safe Routes to School Program through the Federal Highway Administration. Schools, communities and non-profit organizations throughout Illinois are eligible to apply for funds to help build safer routes to and from school and to promote walking and biking. For more information, please visit the Safe Routes to School website, www.dot.il.gov/saferoutes.

# # #

The site is the latest effort by House Republicans to incorporate public opinion and cultivate a broad range of feedback to help address the growing state budget crisis and fuel the need for budget and ethics reform.

“Nowhere is Illinois’ need for reform more urgent than on the issues of ethics, Medicaid, and pension reform,” said Rep. Mark Beaubien (R-Wauconda). “Our economic stability as a state depends upon our ability to make long-overdue reforms in these three key areas.”

Stressing the need for fiscal discipline and keeping the state’s priorities in the right place, Rep. Sandy Cole (R-Grayslake) said: “We should focus on a long-term plan to pay down our historic debt while meeting current obligations in the areas of education, public safety, and human services for those who depend on them most. ‘Re-inventing’ Illinois means changing the way we think about solving common problems by encouraging new ideas.”

Noting the urgency of current economic challenges, Rep. Ed Sullivan (R-Mundelein) said: “With unemployment at a 25-year high, we need to reach out and embrace the public’s demand for reform in our budget process and strengthen ethics in state government. Public input is an invaluable resource in moving forward with common goals in mind.”

“Government must begin to live within its means,” added Assistant Minority Leader JoAnn Osmond (R-Antioch). “The people we represent can help us reform our broken budget process and bring real change to Springfield by utilizing this new website.”

To join the discussion on how to reform state government, please visit www.reinventillinois.com and register for a free login to begin submitting your ideas.

# # #

The Lake County Republican delegation to the Illinois House responded to the Democrat leadership’s hurried attempt to pass a budget mere hours before Sunday’s deadline and expressed resolve in their shared commitment not to raise taxes on working families.

“Today we acted on principle and stood up for the taxpayers of Illinois,” said Assistant Minority Leader JoAnn Osmond (R-Antioch). “With thousands of people out of work and struggling to afford their families’ daily needs, an income tax hike is the wrong policy to solve our budget crisis during this time of economic hardship.”

Echoing those sentiments, State Rep. Sandy Cole (R-Grayslake), noted how the income tax plan failed to address the needs of families and the challenge of creating new jobs. “When I talk to people in my district, they reinforce how important it is that we focus on creating jobs and expanding economic opportunities for our families,” Rep. Cole said. “The state budget should reflect the same tough choices and financial realities that our local families’ budgets face every day. The state must learn to live within its means.”

State Rep. Mark Beaubien (R-Wauconda), the House Republican budget negotiator, stressed how an income tax increase would cripple both families and businesses alike:

“An income tax increase would probably not even have brought in as much revenue as predicted because people would have voted with their feet and moved to states with a lower tax burden,” Beaubien said. “A tax increase would have proven to be a disincentive for hard work. If you thought our economy was in trouble now, just imagine the effects of a tax increase. Our state is already ranked in the bottom rung of states for its horrible business climate. A tax increase would probably have made us the worst. I am pleased that the tax increase failed and that we can get on with the necessary belt-tightening,”

Adding to those sentiments, State Rep. Ed Sullivan (R-Mundelein) highlighted the need for Illinois to reform its spending habits and focus on pro-growth economic policies:

“Increasing income taxes would not have made Illinois’ budget woes disappear. In fact, it would have only exacerbated the problem because it would encourage more wasteful spending,” Rep. Sullivan said. “We need to fix our spending habits, instead of giving a blank check to those who got us in this mess. With unemployment at 9.4% and climbing, a tax hike would have harmed our middle class and hurt our economy.”

“I was thrilled that Chairman Collins came to Springfield to discuss the IRC’s recommendations,” said Rep. Beaubien. “While I may not agree with each and every one of the recommendations, I do believe that they all deserve an open, public debate and ultimately each one should be given an up or down vote by the legislature. It is important that we debate ways to bring transparency to state government in the open, not behind closed doors, and this open forum was a good first step.”

The IRC took hundreds of hours of testimony and put together an unbiased list of reforms aimed at cleaning up state government and restoring the public’s trust. Members of the IRC included people like Reverend Willis, who lost his children in the George Ryan licenses for bribes truck scandal, and Pam Davis, a whistleblower who sparked the federal investigation that led to the impeachment and removal from office of Rod Blagojevich. Many of the reforms have also been endorsed by numerous newspaper editorial boards, including the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, and Daily Herald.

“I am doing everything I can to help get these reform ideas moving in the legislature, and because time is running so short, I call on Speaker Madigan to give each of the reform proposals a fair hearing on the House floor,” said Rep. Beaubien. “He should immediately convene a Committee of the Whole to discuss the recommendations for needed ethics reforms as presented the IRC. Unfortunately, it clear that the Democrats are dismantling this legislation to either water it down or sweep it under the rug; like they did with the Recall Amendment and the Special Election for the United States Senate.”

Beaubien is serving his seventh term as state representative in the Illinois General Assembly. The 52nd District includes all or parts of the communities of Barrington, Wauconda, Round Lake, Cary, Ingleside, Island Lake, Fox Lake, Lakemoor, Volo, Tower Lakes, Fox River Grove, McHenry, Crystal Lake, Holiday Hills, Prairie Grove, Johnsburg, Wonder Lake, and Woodstock.