Revisiting Illinois Pensions
Hon. Daniel Biss, Laurence Msall, Hon. Matt Murphy, and Amanda Vinicky
Tuesday, Feb 10, 2015
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Speakers
Daniel Biss
Daniel Biss, a former mathematics professor at the University of Chicago, represented the 17th District in the Illinois House before his election in 2012 to the state Senate. Biss has passed legislation on issues including environmental policy, economic growth, political reform, consumer protection and equal rights for individuals with autism. With his common-sense approach, he emerged as a leader on fiscal matters and was at the forefront of efforts to reform public pensions in ways that protect lower-income workers and workers who are near retirement and have less time to plan for adjustments to their benefits. He has also championed groundbreaking legislation giving private sector workers access to retirement savings accounts through their workplace, making Illinois the first state in the country to enact such a program and earning Biss national renown as a prime mover in a growing movement to bring retirement security to private sector workers and rebuild the middle class. Biss has earned broad acclaim for his public service, including the Community Investment Award from the Woodstock Institute and the Crain’s Chicago Business’s “40 Under 40” class of 2014. Biss grew up in Bloomington, Indiana, and moved to Chicago after completing a Bachelor of Arts at Harvard University and a Ph.D. in mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He lives in Evanston with his wife Karin and their two sons, Elliot and Theodore.
Laurence Msall
Laurence Msall is the President of the Civic Federation. Msall joined the 118-year-old tax policy and government research organization in January of 2002. The Civic Federation is an independent, non-partisan government research organization founded in 1894 whose membership includes business and professional leaders from a wide range of Chicago area corporations, professional service firms and institutions. The Civic Federation seeks to assist public policy opinion leaders in the Chicago area and to advance issues such as property tax reform, tax simplification, privatization, and joint purchasing with the objective of improving governmental efficiency and financial accountability. Before joining the Civic Federation, Msall was the Senior Advisor for Economic Development for Illinois Governor George H. Ryan. Msall was responsible for the oversight of eleven of the state’s economic development and infrastructure-related agencies including the Departments of Commerce and Community Affairs, Revenue, Transportation, and the state’s housing and other development authorities. Appointed as Senior Advisor in February 1999, Msall worked closely with the Governor and his staff on issues related to business climate, tax and transportation policy. Laurence Msall is a licensed attorney and 1992 graduate of Loyola University School of Law, Evening Division, where he was named to the Dean’s List of Distinguished Students in 1990, 1991 and 1992. He was a recipient of the 1992 Loyola Leadership and Service Award. Msall holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, where he was the 1984 recipient of the Umbeck Prize for the Outstanding Sociology Student. Msall is a 1980 graduate of Saint Ignatius College Preparatory High School in Chicago, Illinois. Msall currently serves on the advisory Board of the University of Illinois Institute of Government and Public Affairs and Illinois Issues Magazine. Msall is also a member of Lambda Alpha, an International Land Economic Society; the Economic Club of Chicago; the Chicago Civic Consulting Alliance; and an active volunteer with PADS Homeless Shelter in Oak Park and L’arche Chicago — a faith-based community that supports and develops homes for the disabled.
Matt Murphy
Matt Murphy was elected to the Illinois Senate in November 2006 and quickly established his legislative priorities upon his arrival in Springfield. He’s a tireless advocate for balanced budgets, job growth and the return of honest and ethical government to Springfield. Senator Murphy was appointed to be the Senate Republican Deputy Leader in January 2013, after first serving as the Senate Republican Caucus Chair. He has also served on the Special Conference Committee for Pension Reform in 2013, as the co-chairman of the Senate’s Deficit Reduction Committee and on the Illinois Senate Special Committee on Impeachment Procedures that established the protocols for former Governor Rod Blagojevich’s tribunal, which led to his historic removal from office. The Senator is actively engaged in his community, serving as the co-chairman of the Northwest Suburban Alliance on Domestic Violence and on the executive boards for the Palatine Park District Foundation, and Preservation of Human Dignity, Women in Need Growing Stronger Board. A native of Mount Prospect, he attended St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights. He is an alumnus of the University of Iowa, and graduated from John Marshall Law School in 1996 with a Juris Doctor. Currently, Sen. Murphy is a practicing attorney with Brian J. McManus & Assoc. in Chicago. He and his wife, Julie, reside with their four children, Erin, Molly, Kevin, and Colleen in Palatine.
Amanda Vinicky
Amanda Vinicky is Statehouse Bureau Chief for the Illinois Public Radio network and WUIS, Springfield's NPR affiliate. She follows the machinations of the General Assembly from the state capitol (feel free to drop by her office in the statehouse basement with story ideas and tips), though she’s also often in Chicago, checking out what politicians are doing to ensure the “Windy City” nickname remains on point. She finds pretty much everything interesting, as is evidenced by her broadcast portfolio – from stories on healthy state fair food (which garnered a first place award from the Illinois Associated Press) to electric deregulation (that grabbed top honors from the Association of Capitol Reporters and Editors), and Illinois pensions, to name a few. Career highlights include covering the historic impeachment and removal from office of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, shadowing Illinois' delegation at presidential conventions, and visiting Arenzville’s burgoo (if you don’t know what that is, Google her story and take a listen). Amanda long been focused on journalism and government; she has degrees in political science and journalism from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, and she graduated from the University of Illinois Springfield’s Public Affairs Reporting program. In addition to her radio gig, she writes for “Illinois Issues magazine”. Amanda is a frequent guest on WTTW’s “Chicago Tonight,” and WUIS’ own “State Week in Review”. She is a co-host of WSEC-TV’s “Capitol View.
