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| House Approves Bill to Abolish Compenstation |
(IRN)-Illinois' current workers' compensation system could become a thing of the past. A house committee has approved a measure to abolish the system, and send all workman's comp claims through the circuit courts.
State Representative John Bradley (D-Marion) says Illinois businesses are paying about $3 billion per year based on an outdated system, which he says awards payments to workers not necessarily injured on the job.
"Business groups want to fight on causation, and say 'well, this wasn't actually work related, this wasn't actually caused by working here, this was caused by something else,' if you're going to look at whether or not it was actually the employer's fault," explains Bradley. "The only way you can do that is you've got to blow up the system and go to circuit court."
Bradley brought up information uncovered a few months ago at the Menard Correctional Facility, at which prison guards were awarded a collective $10 million for carpal tunnel syndrome they claimed was contracted by repetitive opening and closing of prison doors.
The federal government is currently investigating those claims. Bradley says this is the type of abuse that Illinois can't afford to let happen any longer.
"The system is out of control, it's broken, and this is our chance as legislators to say we're taking it back, we're not going to put up with this."
Bradley's measure would eliminate the worker's compensation board, and send its approximately $130 million annual budget to the circuit court system to help deal with increased case loads.
The measure passed with seven voting yes, two no, and two present. It now moves to the House floor for debate.
(Source: Illinois Radio Network) |
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| 04 07 11 by Newsroom |
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