Years served: 2003 - Present
Committee assignments: Insurance; Health Care Availability Access (Republican Spokesperson); Judiciary I - Civil Law; Labor; Electric Generation & Commerce; Veterans’ Affairs; Telecommunications Committee.
TAXES AND SPENDING
Osmond voted for a huge electric rate increase.
Osmond helped pass SB1652 – a huge electric rate increase sought by ComEd and Ameren. (2011)
Osmond voted to raise sales taxes and fees.
Osmond voted for HB255 significantly raising the sales tax on a number of grocery related items including beverages, candy, and health and beauty aids. Taxes on beer, wine and other alcohol were also hiked. HB255 also triples the driver’s license fee. Further, this bill legalizes video gambling for bars and taverns. You can call that a “voluntary” tax if you want - but it still represents a big tax hike. Those bars and taverns don’t just hand over a big cut of their gambling machine proceeds to the state out of the goodness of their hearts. It’s a tax that gets the state its share of the machines’ take. (2009)
Osmond voted for Governor Blagojevich’s diversion of $385 million from the state’s general revenue fund to the Regional Transportation Authority.
SB0307 proposed using sales tax collected on motor fuel sold within the six Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) counties (Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will) to fund the region’s mass transit systems. (2007)
Osmond voted for the Democrats’ pork-bloated FY2008 $59 BILLION budget.
Osmond’s vote for HB3866 demonstrates inability as a legislator to seriously address Illinois’ chronic fiscal crisis that’s attributable to out-of-control spending, an antiquated pension system, and government corruption. (2007)
Osmond voted to allow the Mayor of Chicago to DOUBLE the telephone tax.
SB0837 would give Mayor Richard Daley the ability to raise the telephone tax from $1.25 to $2.50 per month for all customers. (2007)
Osmond voted against electric rate relief.
In January 2007, a 10-year electric rate-freeze expired, exposing thousands of Illinois residents to huge increases in their electric bills. SB1592 provided $1 billion in rate relief to Illinois consumers. More importantly, the law establishes an independent Illinois Power Agency that will be responsible for planning and purchasing electricity at the lowest possible price for consumers. (2007)
Osmond did not vote against Governor Blagojevich’s ALL KIDS universal health insurance plan.
Osmond was in attendance when the vote was taken, but voted “present” refusing to take a principled stand. Critics of HB0806, a bill that would cost $45 million in its first year alone, said they feared that such a sweeping offer could end up costing far more at a time when the state’s budget is already strained. The program can also be expected to turn Illinois into a magnet for families from other states desperate to insure their children. (2005)
Osmond voted to increase the real estate transfer tax by $30 million.
SB0075 increased the cost of selling a house in Illinois by adding a $10 tax to closing fees. (2005)
Osmond voted to allow non-Home Rule sales tax increases to double.
According to National Taxpayers United of Illinois, SB0272 allows non-Home Rule municipalities to increase their sales tax 100%. Governor Blagojevich rightly vetoed the bill, but his veto was overridden. (2005)
Osmond voted against reducing the taxpayers’ burden to the state pension fund by $1.1 BILLION.
According to National Taxpayers United of Illinois, SB0027 limited end-of-career salary hikes for government school teachers and other government employees to 6% instead of the usual 20%. Such a reform would reduce state taxpayers’ contribution to state retirement funds by over $1.1 billion yearly. (2005)
Osmond voted for Governor Blagojevich’s FY2005 Partial Operational Budget totaling $45.5 billion.
SB3340 included substantial increases for healthcare and education but did not address out-of-control spending. According to National Taxpayers United of Illinois, after months of debate in the legislature, the FY2005 Capital Budget was passed totaling $9.1 billion. FY2005’s $54.6 billion state budget represented a 4% or $2 billion increase over the FY2004 budget. (2004)
Osmond voted for a state income-tax increase that hits Illinois businesses for $29 million.
According to National Taxpayers United of Illinois, SB2207 redefines that phrase “business income” in a way that benefits the big-spenders in Springfield. (2004)
Osmond voted for a computer software sales-tax hike.
SB2205 raised state sales taxes on computer software by $64 million. (2004)
Osmond voted for an income-tax hike on natural gas.
SB1733 is a $42 million income-tax hike on Illinois businesses that choose to purchase cheaper out-of-state natural gas. (2003)
Osmond voted to keep the Illinois Death Tax alive.
SB1725 kept the Illinois Estate Tax alive, even as it was being phased out at the federal level. According to National Taxpayers United of Illinois, this new death tax will cost Illinois taxpayers as much as $500 million per year by 2010. (2003)
EDUCATION
Osmond voted to exempt teachers, principals and school superintendents from FOIA disclosure.
At the urging of the teachers’ unions and just months after approving what was billed as a sweeping reform of the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, Osmond voted for SB315. The bill exempts from FOIA disclosure of performance evaluations for teachers, principals and school superintendents. Also supporting SB315 was the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31 which seeks the same exemption for all public employees who receive performance evaluations. (2010)
Osmond voted to prohibit parents’ right to alternative education.
HB0232 prohibits the State Board of Education and school boards from establishing, maintaining, or in any way supporting any virtual schools or virtual classes for elementary or secondary students in this State. (2007)
Osmond voted to increase education spending by nearly $600 million.
Osmond’s vote for HB3866 proves she is incapable and unwilling to address the public education-spending crisis in Illinois. Instead of leading with bold reforms, Osmond follows the Democrats’ dishonest argument that blames school failures on “not enough money.” (2007)
Osmond voted for a $45 million taxpayer-funded experiment - Universal Preschool.
According to National Taxpayers United of Illinois, SB1497 will once again prove that “universal preschool” schemes yield benefits that simply do not justify the costs involved. (2006)
GAMBLING
Osmond voted for a massive expansion of gambling.
Osmond voted for HB255 - a massive expansion of gambling in Illinois. HB255 legalizes video gambling for bars and taverns, and permits Internet Lottery on computers and cell phones. Video gambling machines are often called the “crack cocaine” of gambling because of the speed of play and the rapid onset of addiction. (2009)
Osmond voted to legalize video gambling in bars across Illinois.
HB1124 would have legalized gambling on video game “contests” of two or more in bars, restaurants, bowling alleys, and other venues. (2007)
PROTECTNG OUR FAMILIES
Osmond voted to abolish the death penalty in Illinois.
Legislation abolishing the death penalty (SB3539) only passed because enough Republicans like Osmond sold out their party to help the Democrats move their liberal agenda. (2011)
Osmond voted against silent reflection and student prayer.
SB1463, amended the Silent Reflection and Student Prayer Act to require (instead of allow) a teacher to observe a brief period of silence at the opening of every school day with the participation of all pupils assembled. (2007)
Osmond voted against internet filters in public libraries.
HB1727 required public schools and libraries to filter/block internet access to illegal obscenity, child pornography, and material harmful to minors. (2007)
Osmond voted to allow alcohol to be sold near schools.
SB2445 removed the restriction that had prohibited alcohol sales within 100 feet of a school entrance. (2006)
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
Osmond voted to force state and local governments to recognize “consular identification cards” issued by foreign governments.
SB1623 forces state and local governments to recognize the consular identification cards issued by foreign governments and commonly used by illegal Mexican immigrants. (2005)
Osmond voted for in-state tuition for illegal aliens.
HB0060 allows undocumented immigrants to attend state universities at in-state tuition rates. (2003)
REFORM (or the lack thereof)
Osmond voted to exempt teachers, principals and school superintendents from FOIA disclosure.
At the urging of the teachers’ unions and just months after approving what was billed as a sweeping reform of the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, Osmond voted for SB315. The bill exempts from FOIA disclosure of performance evaluations for teachers, principals and school superintendents. Also supporting SB315 was the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31 which seeks the same exemption for all public employees who receive performance evaluations. (2010)
Osmond voted to water down ethics reform law.
Osmond voted to exempt transportation projects from the new ethics law (SB761). Despite the awesome demands of riding around on a High Horse every day since Rod Blagojevich’s arrest lecturing about the need to reform Illinois’ culture of corruption - state lawmakers still somehow found time to gut their own brand new “landmark” ethics reform law. This of course would be the same ethics reform law these same lawmakers hailed as “a big step forward.” (2009)
Osmond voted to make it more difficult for write-in candidate to get on the ballot.
SB662 changed the deadline for filing to be a write-in candidate to 61 days before an election. The purpose for this change is purely for incumbent protection. (2007)
Osmond fecklessly looked to Democrat House Speaker Mike Madigan to rid the Illinois Republican Party of controversial National Committeeman Bob Kjellander.
Instead of taking serious and mature action, Osmond joined House Republican Leader Tom Cross’ scheme and Co-Sponsored HB5861, asking the Democrats to help take care of the Kjellander mess, an issue which is solely a Republican responsibility. House Speaker Madigan understandably just laughed at the Republicans’ idea. Madigan rightly told Republicans to clean-up their own Republican house and to stop wasting the General Assembly’s time on what is a purely a matter internal to the State GOP. Kjellander could have been removed and replaced with an honest leader at lot earlier, if our Republican leaders really wanted to get the job done. (2007)
Osmond desperately opposes a common sense reform that would once again allow ALL Republicans to directly elect the senior leadership of their own Illinois Republican Party.
Osmond continues to keep rank-and-file Republicans from having the same voice all Illinois Democrats enjoy in their State Party. Osmond opposes SB600 - returning to the better system of direct election Illinois Republicans used until the late 1980’s. Illinois has been a “Blue State” ever since the change to the easily corruptible system Osmond dishonestly still protects.
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