Rauner, Business Groups Push For Illinois Workers' Compensation Changes
From the Chicago Tribune
When state lawmakers approved broad changes to Illinois' workers' compensation insurance system in 2011, supporters hoped employers would save at least $500 million a year after medical fees for doctors who treat injured employees were scaled back and changes were put in place aimed at reducing fraud.
Four years later, major business groups say they've seen just a fraction of those savings. They're pushing for more stringent regulations in the system that doles out money to workers injured on the job. And this time, they've got a new power player on their side — Gov. Bruce Rauner.
The Republican governor has made workers' compensation changes part of his pro-business agenda, a sweeping series of proposals that include limiting damage awards in civil lawsuits, scaling back the influence of labor unions and doing away with prevailing wage laws that set pay for taxpayer-funded construction programs.
Much of Rauner's agenda is a tough sell to Democratic lawmakers allied with labor unions and trial lawyers that are staunchly opposed to it, and as a result few at the Capitol expect he'll get all of it passed. But one area that might be ripe for compromise is workers' compensation reform, given that lawmakers already agreed to an overhaul in recent years and there's wiggle room to negotiate further changes.
On Tuesday, Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan will convene the chamber in a rare committee of the whole meeting to allow all 118 members to hear testimony on the workers' compensation issue. Meanwhile, Rauner has put together his own group of lawmakers to examine the topic.
Read more in our daily News Update...
From the Chicago Tribune
When state lawmakers approved broad changes to Illinois' workers' compensation insurance system in 2011, supporters hoped employers would save at least $500 million a year after medical fees for doctors who treat injured employees were scaled back and changes were put in place aimed at reducing fraud.
Four years later, major business groups say they've seen just a fraction of those savings. They're pushing for more stringent regulations in the system that doles out money to workers injured on the job. And this time, they've got a new power player on their side — Gov. Bruce Rauner.
The Republican governor has made workers' compensation changes part of his pro-business agenda, a sweeping series of proposals that include limiting damage awards in civil lawsuits, scaling back the influence of labor unions and doing away with prevailing wage laws that set pay for taxpayer-funded construction programs.
Much of Rauner's agenda is a tough sell to Democratic lawmakers allied with labor unions and trial lawyers that are staunchly opposed to it, and as a result few at the Capitol expect he'll get all of it passed. But one area that might be ripe for compromise is workers' compensation reform, given that lawmakers already agreed to an overhaul in recent years and there's wiggle room to negotiate further changes.
On Tuesday, Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan will convene the chamber in a rare committee of the whole meeting to allow all 118 members to hear testimony on the workers' compensation issue. Meanwhile, Rauner has put together his own group of lawmakers to examine the topic.
Read more in our daily News Update...