In one of his first official acts as a State Representative in the Illinois General Assembly, State Representative Steve Andersson (R-Geneva) has declined participation in the General Assembly Retirement System (GARS) and the State’s insurance program.

“An unsustainable pension system is perhaps the most significant issue affecting Illinois’ finances at this time, and I did not want to contribute to the overburdened system by becoming an enrollee,” said Andersson. “Lawmakers have some tough decisions to make regarding the pension systems, and I believe self-sacrifice and leadership by example will go far in setting the tone for these discussions.”

Illinois’ worst-in-the-nation pension system faces a $105 billion unfunded liability this year. A pension system overhaul approved by legislators in 2013 has been challenged in the courts and the Illinois Supreme Court will hear arguments in March. “As our pension costs consume more and more of the budget, critical funding for education, public safety and social services is siphoned away from those areas,” Andersson said. “Declining a pension and state insurance is one small way that I can help make a difference.”

On January 2nd, Steve Andersson was sworn in as the State Representative of the 65th district of Illinois. With Representative Schmitz stepping down early, newly elected Representative Andersson took office and started the new year in this new role, allowing him to attend the special session in Springfield, an experience that he felt “was both interesting and exciting to be involved in, to be a voice for the district in Springfield.”

This week, Representative Andersson took part in the inauguration ceremonies in Springfield. On Monday, he was proud to be a part of the audience at Governor Bruce Rauner’s swearing in and looks forward to working with the Governor in turning our state around. On Wednesday, he joined the 117 other legislators of the House of Representatives as they were sworn in for the 99th General Assembly. Moving forward, Steve is anxious and ready to get to work, and is motivated to bring Illinois back to its full potential. In order to do so, his main focus will be balancing the state budget. Steve feels that the first order of business in making Illinois great again is to get its own fiscal house in order. “How can we expect businesses to want to come to Illinois if we can’t manage our own affairs. We need to provide a predictable, stable environment for people to live, work and do business in.”

Representative Andersson lives in Geneva with his wife Nanette and two children. He is currently a partner in the law firms of Mickey, Wilson, Weiler, Renzi & Andersson, P.C., and the Elder Law Center, P.C. As a resident of Geneva, Steve was involved in the community as well as local government. He served on the Geneva Library District Board in addition to being a Republican Precinct Committeeman. He is looking forward to representing the communities of the 65th district in a new capacity, but still recognizes the importance of local government, and the need to worth together to restore accountability in Springfield, and once again take pride in our state.

Representative Andersson’s district office will be located in the heart of Geneva, 127 S. First Street, Suite 204, Geneva, IL 60134. For more information, and to contact your State Representative, visit his website at www.repandersson.com.