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Abolish the workers compensation system

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A bill moving through Illinois' legislature would abolish the state's workers compensation system and let employers and workers fight it out in civil court.

But is it a serious proposal?

The author of the bill, Rep. John Bradley, D-Marion, said the legislation is not a stunt and an AFL-CIO president said he would give up the entire comp system before agreeing to certain employer demands for system reform, according to at Bloomberg Businessweek story available here.

Illinois system is a mess and reform efforts are underway there, but possibly stalled. It's not uncommon in the midst of such problems for someone to suggest scrapping the entire comp system.

But according to the Bloomberg story, business and some labor unions oppose House Bill 1032.

So does it stand a chance? We shall see, but it is a crazy idea. Crazier still is that the legislature is actually considering it.