July 29, 2011
To the Honorable
Members of the Illinois Senate,
97th
General Assembly:
In accordance with Article IV, Section 9(b) of the Illinois
Constitution, I hereby veto Senate Bill 178 from the 97th General
Assembly.
As Governor, I am committed to
ensuring that the members of the State Employee Group Insurance Program have
access to quality health benefits. It is important we maintain the level of
care employees expect and deserve, while also making the most cost-effective
choices for taxpayers and the state of Illinois. The power to procure and
execute contracts regarding group health lies with the executive branch, yet this
bill grants the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (COGFA)
authority to reject a proposed state health care contract. I cannot affix my
signature to a bill that compromises important principles of separation of
powers.
Further, this bill makes
significant changes that limit transparency, competition and fairness in the
procurement process. The current procurement process – which was passed
overwhelmingly by the General Assembly – is designed to produce a
non-political, competitive result based solely on the strength of vendors’
proposals. The bill would result in an unacceptable potential for political interference
in state procurement of health care services.
Politicization of the procurement
process would have a detrimental effect on the state’s ability to achieve
quality health care at the best possible cost, and will undo the procurement
reform and best practices achieved in SB51. If this bill were to become law,
competitive bidding for health care in Illinois would cease; Illinois taxpayers
and our employees, retirees and dependents deserve better.
Accordingly, I must return this
bill without my approval. Therefore, pursuant to Article IV, Section 9(b) of
the Illinois Constitution of 1970, I hereby return Senate Bill 178, entitled
“AN ACT concerning government.”, vetoed in its entirety with this statement of
objections.
Sincerely,
PAT QUINN
Governor