HR0358LRB100 12564 MST 25699 r


  
1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

  
 
2    WHEREAS, The Department of Innovation and Technology is a 
3State agency that was created
under an executive order by 
4Governor Bruce Rauner; and
  
 
5    WHEREAS, The Department is extremely opaque and lacks 
6significant transparency
requirements to which other State 
7agencies are subject; for example, $71 million was transferred 
8by then Comptroller Leslie Munger out of the General Revenue 
9Fund and deposited into various other funds used by the 
10Department and the Department of Central Management Services; 
11those funds already had  healthy balances; and
  
 
12    WHEREAS, Illinois is engaged in a historic budget impasse 
13that has caused
serious damage to the State and its citizens 
14including: an increase in the State's backlog of bills to
over 
15$12.7 billion; cuts to vital services for our most vulnerable 
16residents
including domestic violence victims, the 
17developmentally disabled, and senior citizens; cuts to

18childcare that eliminated affordable daycare for 47,000 
19children; a substantial  reduction in funding for
MAP grants for 
20low income students; State university credit rating downgrades 
21to junk status;
and drastic cuts to life-saving breast and 
22cervical cancer screenings; and
  
 
 
 
HR0358- 2 -LRB100 12564 MST 25699 r

1    WHEREAS, Recent reports in the news media have brought to 
2light the fact that the Secretary
of the Department of 
3Innovation and Technology, Hardik Bhatt, who is paid $145,000 a 
4year,
spent $208,000 on annual membership costs for 
5professional subscriptions; therefore, be it
  
 

  
6    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE 
7HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 
8Governor Rauner is urged to end the frivolous spending that is 
9currently taking place at the Department of Innovation and 
10Technology while the people of Illinois suffer; and be it 
11further
  
 
12    RESOLVED, That we admonish Secretary Bhatt, and urge him to 
13immediately cancel the subscriptions and seek to create a 
14department that is more open and transparent going forward; and 
15be it further
 
16    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be 
17delivered to Governor Rauner and Secretary Bhatt.