The Bill was defeated in the Senate last night by a vote of 25 yes, 6 no and 28 present (no vote). It needed 30 yes votes to pass. The six "no" votes were all Democrats and included Senators: A. Collins, Delgado, Kotowski, Landek, Lightford & Sandoval.
The supporters of the Bill claim that it would have drastically reduced worker's compensation costs in Illinois and have put job creators in a better position with neighboring states with more restrictive compensation laws. It also contained provisions that would have required the use of American Medical Association guidelines to determine impairment to better reflect the true extent of an injury.
The supporters of the Bill assume that many of the worker's compensation claims are fraudulent, when in fact it is a small percentage. It assumes that companies do not play a part in the process when some companies do take advantage of their workers by exposing them to risky work conditions. The proposed bill would have taken away the rights for injured parties, leaving them without retribution.
The battle for reform continues Downstate as our politician's posture for control after the last Administration was unable to pass a change in the Worker's Compensation act which would have been fairer to the worker's. This was all part of a larger package that included an increase in our state income tax that was passed.
The bottom line is that a drastic change in the current Worker's Compensation Act will only hurt the injured parties that need benefits and quality medical care. The savings to the companies and taxpayers is unclear. This is more of a political battle for power and to create some change to look good than a dramatic benefit to companies and taxpayers.
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