The single-most important issue facing Illinois is the creation of jobs. Excessive Workers' Compensation costs have been consistently cited by employers as the single-most important problem they face.

Yet, in the last 10 days of the legislative session the majority continued to stall on this issue. That's occurred even as Governor Quinn rushed around Illinois offering tax breaks and other incentives to employers who are being lured to other states where workers' compensation costs and rules are more rational.

Fair, meaningful reforms were voted on in the Illinois Senate April 14, but because the majority refused to take a stand and instead 28 Democrat Senators hit the yellow "present" button these reforms failed to pass. Rather than having the courage to vote "yes" or "no" the decision to push their yellow "present" buttons was a way to kill reform without declaring support or opposition.

At the time, they said they promised they would produce meaningful reforms, but instead, employers have only seen delays and obstruction.

As the final hours of the session close in, two things will determine whether or not the majority has fulfilled its obligations to the taxpayers: adopting a budget that meets the promise to roll back the 67% tax increase and adopting workers' compensation reforms that will put Illinois employers on a more competitive basis with their neighbors.