Peter Roskam: State Senator 48th District

Discounted Prescription Drugs for Seniors

Senator Peter Roskam helped pass a new law to provide senior citizens, regardless of their income, with a new prescription drug benefit.

�With uncertainty about the future of a possible prescription drug program at the federal level, this legislation will give some meaningful relief to our senior citizens,� Roskam said. �This program also will provide a benefit to middle income seniors who for the most part have been unable to qualify for public prescription drug assistance programs because of income restrictions.�

The new law creates a new, voluntary Senior Citizen Prescription Drug Discount Program. It places a ceiling on drug costs at participating pharmacies, and also requires the Illinois Department of Central Management Services to enter into a rebate agreement with drug manufacturers, allowing Illinois seniors to obtain their prescription drugs at a discounted price.

There is a $25 enrollment fee and anyone 65 years or older is qualified.

Senior citizens already enrolled in the Circuit Breaker program will not be required to pay the enrollment fee and will be automatically enrolled.

The new law took effect on July 1 of this year but the program will not go online until January 1, 2004. � Opposed legislation allowing taxing bodies to go around tax caps, a measure scaling back key components of Illinois� welfare reform law and another bill providing easier access to hypodermic needles. � Advocated new penalties for individuals who burn down churches and new requirements for future road projects.

Roskam opposes tax/fee increases

Citing his objections to tax and fee hikes, Senator Peter Roskam cast his vote last spring against the numerous revenue schemes the Democrat-controlled Legislature proposed.

Illinois consumers and businesses will have to dig deeper into their pockets to pay for 300 new fee increases. The wide-ranging fee hikes include such items as pet food, used tires and boat registrations. Nursing homes, hospitals, factories, and trash haulers are a few examples of groups that will encounter fee increases as well.

Raskam said that despite the fact the budget is billions in the red, the Legislature approved a $53 billion budget, which included more than $23.3 billion in General Revenue spending � a $1 billion increase from the previous year. The budget also included $88 million in new spending.

���Taxpayers now have to live on less so that government can spend more,� Roskam said. �We were told we had a $5 billion-budget deficit and yet the Democrat-controlled Legislature decided to increase spending. This was completely irresponsible.���

Roskam introduces measure targeting dangerous teen parties

State Senator Peter Roskam co-sponsored a measure last spring creating tougher penalties for partying and trashing the homes of adults.

The legislation never came up for a vote, but it was introduced as a response to the April 1 spring break party in Glen Ellyn and a similar unauthorized teen party in Hinsdale.

The proposed legislation (House Bill 547) would have increased the penalties for criminal trespass if the crime includes possession or consumption of alcohol or damage to the property � making it a Class 4 felony, with penalties of 1-3 years in prison. The criminal trespass charge could be filed in addition to other charges related to underage drinking, property damage and theft.

Roskam said he will be working on passing this or similar legislation either in the fall Veto Session or next spring.

�These wild parties cannot be taken lightly,� Roskam said. �Invading homes while owners are out of town and destroying their property is a serious offense and young people who commit these crimes should be held accountable.�

Roskam: Legislature approves higher standards for road construction

The General Assembly this spring approved a measure creating better standards for the design of road projects, according to State Senator Peter Roskam a co-sponsor of the legislation.

The legislation (HB 3061) requires the Illinois Department of Transportation to embrace principles of context sensitive design and context sensitive solutions in the road projects the undertake. Under the bill, projects must adequately meet the state�s transportation needs, exist in harmony with their surroundings, and add lasting value to the communities they serve.

�Unfortunately, in our haste to get a road project going, we sometimes do not stop and think about the real need for the project,� Roskam said. �Before we go and add lanes to existing roads and create safety problems for the people who live near those roads, we should make absolutely certain the improvement is a necessary one. This legislation creates some additional requirements ensuring that our projects are in fact beneficial and necessary.�

In addition, the bill requires IDOT to report to the Governor and the General Assembly no later than April 1, 2004 on its efforts to implement context sensitive design criteria.

The legislation takes effect January 1, 2004.

Roskam legislation protects places of worship

A new law creates a separate offense for damaging places of worship and brings the penalties for arson on church property in line with residential arson, according to Senator Peter Roskam, the Senate sponsor of the legislation.

The measure (HB 3091) creates the offense of place of worship arson, making it a Class 1 non- probationable felony offense to knowingly damage either partially or totally any place of worship. It also mandates a $500 minimum fine for a person who commits an arson offense, which will be deposited in the Fire Prevention Fund (minus 10 percent for the circuit cler) and then distributed to the fire department that responded to the arson.

Residential arson also is a Class 1 (non- probationable) felony if the person knowingly damages either partially or totally the home of another person.

�Government has a Constitutional responsibility to protect the free exercise of religion,� Roskam said. �This should not be limited to the right to assenle, but should also include the protection of the place of assembly as well. This legislation sends a clear message that destrying church property will not be tolerated.�

The legislation was signed into law as Public Act 93-0169 and is already in effect.

From Peter Roskam's Legislative Report (Newsletter) received by postal mail on 9/17/03