Pate Philip: Illinois' new Senate president in the limelight Jennifer Halperin 13 'Natural' term limits in Illinois David H. Everson 16 Welfare and medical assistance Grace Kaminkowitz 19 Daunting task of reinventing state Personnel Code Ed Wojcicki 24

Columns Politics Justice bereft of common sense?      Charles N. Wheeler III ______ 6 Guest Columns: A DEBATE • Abolish Townships      Michael Richardson ________ 8 • Townships defended      George H. Miller _________ 9 The state of the State Statewide property tax caps top Gov. Edgar's agenda      Jennifer Halperin _________ 10 Chicago Gutierrez: living up to expectations for Midwest's first Hispanic congressman      Manuel Galvan __________ 38 Departments Legislative Action Tight rules: Opening or closing proceedings?      Jennifer Halperin _________ 26 Judicial Rulings      F. Mark Siebert__________ 27 Names    ________________ 30 Book Reviews Imagining Illinois      Barbara Burkhardt _________ 31 State Stix Midyear fiscal outlook: partly cloudy      Donald Sevener __________ 35 State Reports      Anna J. Merritt ___________ 39 Cover illustration: James "Pate" Philip, new president of the Illinois Senate and leader of the Republican majority, stands at the podium in the Senate chamber. The article on Philip by Illinois Issues Bureau Chief Jennifer Halperin begins on page 13. The photograph of President Philip is by Terry Farmer/Showcase Photography.

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Readers:

Cynically or not, you might call it "the vision thing." Nonetheless, the view of state government held by Sen. James "Pate" Philip (R-23, Wood Dale) will reverberate considerably this spring in the Statehouse in his new role as Senate president. That is why Jennifer Halperin, our Statehouse bureau chief, focuses in this month's cover story on Philip's attitudes and ideas rather than specific legislation he will try to pass or destroy.

The specific issues, including those raised by Gov. Jim Edgar in his State of the State address, are covered in other stories. For a solid perspective on state government, we felt it important to take a good look at Philip. Perspective is, after all, our trademark.

It is already well-known that the 88th General Assembly involves a near-record turnover of state representatives and senators. David Everson points out in this issue that the change in membership from the last session is 42 percent in the House and 43 percent in the Senate. With so much natural turnover, especially counting the entire decade of legislative elections, he argues why impose further limits on the number of years a lawmaker can serve. He offers an outlook that diverts from the national trend toward imposing term limits.

Speaking of new lawmakers, we published brief biographies of them in the past two months (our January and February issues). Our popular annual Roster of State Government Officials is targeted for publication in mid-March. It's the all-new 1993 version, entirely updated. Advance orders are now being taken.

Many of you rely on this directory that includes the addresses and phone numbers not only of legislators, but also of the constitutional officers, executive agencies and their staffs, and justices of the Supreme Court. This directory is a great starting point when you need to get in touch with anyone in state government. It also includes full-color maps of the new state legislative districts.

A single copy of the Roster costs only $3.95. Discounts are available for bulk purchases. To order your copy today, complete the handy Order Form on page 4.

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