Governor Pat Quinn’s budget plan for next year relies on spending nearly $5 billion more than expected state revenues, borrowing to make up the difference, and ignoring billions more in unpaid bills, according to Senator Tim Bivins.

Quinn outlined a $51.7 billion (state and federal funds) budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2011 to a joint session of the General Assembly on March 10. Fiscal Year 2011 runs from July 1, 2010, through June 30, 2011.

The Governor is calling for $32.1 billion in general funds spending – basically, the state’s operating budget – but is only estimating general funds revenues of $27.4 billion – a budget hole of $4.7 billion. In addition, Quinn’s budget plan does nothing to address a $6 billion backlog of unpaid bills, opting to push them into the next budget year.

Protecting Illinois citizens by making more information available about registered sex offenders is the aim of legislation sponsored by Senator Tim Bivins.

Senate Bill 3293 requires registered sex offenders to provide law enforcement with their current telephone and cell phone numbers, and notify them about any changes in the future.

“This issue was brought to my attention by a police officer in my district who had contact with a sex offender, and discovered the offender had a cell phone with lewd pictures on it. As we looked at current law, we discovered that a registered offender has to provide their employer’s telephone number and their parole agent’s number, but not their own telephone number or their cell phone number," Senator Bivins said. "Senate Bill 3293 closes that loophole.”

Senators spent long hours in legislative committees during the week, working to meet a March 5 deadline to move Senate bills out of committee, according to Senator Tim Bivins.

The Senate Executive Committee considered legislation that would require a photo of any prisoner who received early release to be posted online, increase the speed limit for cars and trucks to 70 miles per hour on rural interstates, and allow $300 million in short-term borrowing for healthcare providers.

Following reported problems and abuses related to Governor Pat Quinn’s “MGT Push” inmate early release program, Senate Bill 3411 was introduced to make public identifying information and a photograph of any inmate who is released earlier than their initial sentence. The information is to include the inmate’s name and age, his or her physical attributes, address, the offense that was committed and the county where the conviction took place.

The Senate Criminal Law Committee tackled the issue of “sexting,” a growing social trend where explicit photos or video are sent via cell phone or e-mail to someone else. The legislation focuses on people younger than 18, as sexting has become increasingly prevalent among young people in recent years.

Currently, there is little that can be done to address sexting aside from pursuing felony child pornography charges—which prosecutors are reluctant to do. Senate Bill 2513 seeks to create a middle ground.