"The House shall come to order. The House shall come to order. The Members shall be in their chairs. The Chaplain for today is Father Tom Dennis of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield. Father Dennis is the guest of Representative Raymond Poe. The guests in the Gallery may wish to rise and join us in the invocation."
Father Dennis: "God of all peoples and every Nation, You have gathered us here and blessed us with an abundance of gifts. In gratitude, we approach you and ask, once again, for Your blessing upon this gathering. These men and women are entrusted with authority in this state. And their desire is to serve to the best of their ability, the people of Illinois. We ask You, to be present as these elected officials begin the work of another day. May Your spirit guide their deliberations and debates. Through their efforts may we all enjoy greater freedom, security and peace. In humility and in faith we ask this for the good of all. Amen."
Speaker Madigan: "We shall be led in the Pledge of Allegiance by Representative Mulligan."
"I Pledge Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
"Roll Call for attendance. The Chair recognizes Mr. Hannig."
"Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let the record show that all the Democrats are here today. There are no excused absences on our side."
"Mr. Cross."
"We're all here on this side of the aisle too, Mr. Speaker. Thank you." 1 STATE OF ILLINOIS 90TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 13th Legislative Day February 6, 1997
"Thank you, Mr. Cross. Mr. Clerk, take the record. Their being 118 Members responding to the Attendance Roll Call, there is a quorum present. Mr. Clerk, Mr. Clerk."
Clerk Rossi: "Committee Reports. Representative Gash, Chairman from the Committee on Judiciary II, to which the following Bills were referred, action taken on February 6, 1997, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass Short Debate' House Bill 140; 'do pass as amended Short Debate' House Bill 106. Representative Schakowsky, Chairman from the Committee on Labor and Commerce, to which the following Bill was referred, action taken on February 5, 1997, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass Short Debate', or 'do pass Standard Debate.' House Bill 233. Representative Stroger, Chairman from the Committee on Local Government, to which the following Bill was referred, action taken on February 5, 1997, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass Short Debate' House Bill 78. Representative Saviano, Chairman from the Committee on Registration and Regulation, to which the following Bill was referred, action taken on February 5, 1997, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass as amended Consent Calendar' House Bill 138. Representative Giles, Chairman from the Committee on State Government Administration and Election Reform, to which the following Bill was referred, action taken on February 5, 1997, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass as amended Short Debate' House Bill 72."
"Could we have the attention of the Members please? If we could have the attention of the Members. Representative Brunsvold would like to meet immediately 2 STATE OF ILLINOIS 90TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 13th Legislative Day February 6, 1997 with all of the freshman Members relative to enrolling people in the Sportsman Club. And you're invited also Mr. Churchill. So, Mr. Brunsvold is in the rear of the chamber, on the Republican side, if he has permission to be on the Republican side. And he would like all freshman Members to join him in the rear of the Chamber on the Republican side where he will encourage them to join the Sportsman Club. If you could do that immediately. Thank you. The Chair recognizes the Clerk for the purpose of the Adjournment Resolution."
Clerk Rossi: "Senate Joint Resolution #12 offered by Representative 'Currie'. Resolved by the state, by the Senate of the 90th General Assembly of the State of Illinois. The House of Representatives concurring herein that when the two Houses adjourn on Thursday, February 6, 1997. The Senate stands adjourned until Friday, February 7, 1997, in Perfunctory Session, when it adjourns on that day it stands adjourned until Wednesday, February 19, 1997, in Perfunctory Session, and when it adjourns on that day it stands adjourned until Wednesday, February 26, 1997 at 12:00 noon. And the House of Representatives stands adjourned until Monday, February 10, 1997 at 12:00 noon in Perfunctory Session, and when it adjourns on that day it stands adjourned until Tuesday, February 11, 1997 in Perfunctory Session, and when it adjourns on that day it stands adjourned until Thursday, February 13, 1997 in Perfunctory Session, and when it adjourns on that day it stands adjourned until Tuesday, February 18, 1997 at 12:30 p.m., and when it adjourns on that day it stands adjourned until Wednesday, February 19, 1997, and when it adjourns on that day it stands adjourned until Thursday, February 20, 1997, and when it adjourns on that day it stands adjourned 3 STATE OF ILLINOIS 90TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 13th Legislative Day February 6, 1997 until Monday, February 24, 1997 in Perfunctory Session, and when it adjourns on that day it stands adjourned until Wednesday, February 26, 1997."
"You've all heard the Adjournment Resolution. Representative 'Currie' moves for the adoption of the Adjournment Resolution. Those in favor say 'aye', those opposed say 'no'. The 'ayes' have it. The Adjournment Resolution is adopted. Representative Brunsvold would you come to the podium please."
Speaker Brunsvold: "Representative Brunsvold in the Chair. The Chair intends to adjourn on the Death Resolution of a former Member, Senator Babe Woodyard. Will the Clerk put the Senate Joint Resolution on the board please? Mr. Clerk, please read the Resolution."
Clerk Bolin: "Senate Joint Resolution #10 offered by Representative Black. SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois General Assembly were saddened to learn of the passing of State Senator Harry "Babe" Woodyard on January 31, 1997; and WHEREAS, Senator Woodyard was sworn into the Illinois Senate in February, 1986; and WHEREAS, Senator Woodyard had served for four terms in the Illinois House of Representatives prior to his appointment to the Illinois Senate; and WHEREAS, For eighteen years, Senator Woodyard was a humble and willing public servant for the people of East Central Illinois; and 4 STATE OF ILLINOIS 90TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 13th Legislative Day February 6, 1997 WHEREAS, A legislative visionary with a keen sense of fairness, Senator Woodyard recognized the need for reducing the reliance on property taxes to fund education and proposed cutting property taxes in exchange for a slight increase in income taxes long before the idea became a staple of education funding reform discussions; and WHEREAS, Senator Woodyard was a leading voice for agriculture in Illinois and aggressively promoted the export of Illinois farm products; and WHEREAS, One of only three production farmers in the Illinois Senate, Senator Woodyard encouraged the use of ethanol and spearheaded the movement to make the Illinois State Fair self-supporting, touting the Fair's rich heritage and its appeal as one of the best state fairs in the country; and WHEREAS, Senator Woodyard's pride in Illinois agriculture heritage and diversity was reflected in his chairmanship of the Senate Agriculture and Conservation Committee and in his successful efforts to bring quarter horse racing to the Illinois State Fair; and WHEREAS, A wise steward of the land, Senator Woodyard was a strong voice in reaching a balance between protecting the State's natural resources and providing recreational opportunities for boaters, hunters, and other sports enthusiasts throughout the State; and WHEREAS, The Senator was instrumental in developing the State's Conservation 2000 Program, a long-term development plan to strike the necessary balance between preservation and recreation; and WHEREAS, Harry "Babe" Woodyard was co-founder of the 5 STATE OF ILLINOIS 90TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 13th Legislative Day February 6, 1997 Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus and had served as its co-chairman; and WHEREAS, A soft-spoken man known for his abundant generosity, Senator Woodyard developed an exchange program between downstate legislators and Chicago legislators and their constituents titled "Illinois Neighbors", giving lawmakers the opportunity to better understand the needs of different regions of the State; and WHEREAS, Babe Woodyard's dedication to improving people's lives knew no geographic boundaries; and WHEREAS, He developed a rapport with local public officials in China, looking for a means to improve their quality of life, and took several trade missions to the country to help develop strong business and governmental relationships between Americans and local Chinese; and WHEREAS, Closer to home, Senator Woodyard was active in pursuing affordable, accessible health care for the people of rural Downstate Illinois; and WHEREAS, A loving, dedicated father of two and grandfather of four, Senator Woodyard strongly believed in providing quality education for school children throughout Illinois so each of them would be prepared for whatever the future held; and WHEREAS, Senator Woodyard instinctively understood the importance of a strong economy to the day-to-day lives of people; he pursued initiatives designed to spur job growth both in his own district and throughout the State; and WHEREAS, A U.S. Army veteran, Senator Woodyard played a key role in establishing the Illinois Korean War Memorial to honor veterans of what many people call the "forgotten war"; and 6 STATE OF ILLINOIS 90TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 13th Legislative Day February 6, 1997 WHEREAS, Senator Woodyard had a keen interest in expanding viable means of transportation throughout the Midwest and to that end was an active member of the Interstate Rail Passenger Advisory Council; and WHEREAS, Harry "Babe" Woodyard offered his expertise and insight throughout the years by membership on the Senate Revenue Committee, the Senate Appropriations Committee, the Senate Executive Appointments Committee, and the Senate Local Government Committee; and WHEREAS, Senator Woodyard was an active member of his community and received many accolades from various local and State organizations throughout the years for his dedication and service on behalf of the people of Illinois; and WHEREAS, Senator Woodyard was born December 3, 1930, in Danville, Illinois, graduated from Ridge Farm High School, and attended Illinois Wesleyan University; and WHEREAS, Many legislators have fond memories of Babe, ham and bean equipment in tow, pulling into town for a fund raiser; and WHEREAS, Never one to judge a person by their status in life or their political party, Senator Woodyard counted among his friends and allies people of all political persuasions and walks of life; and WHEREAS, Whether it be a bouquet of flowers to a staffer for a job well done, the produce of his garden, or bread lovingly baked by his own hands, Babe's generosity was legendary; and WHEREAS, His quick wit, ever-present smile, and mild manner endeared Senator Woodyard to the people he represented and the legislators, staffers, lobbyists, and State and local officials with whom he worked; and 7 STATE OF ILLINOIS 90TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 13th Legislative Day February 6, 1997 WHEREAS, Babe Woodyard never forgot where he came from or the people who instilled their faith and confidence in him; therefore, be it RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETIETH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that we do hereby offer our condolences and sincere expressions of sympathy to the family of Harry "Babe" Woodyard on his passing; and be it further RESOLVED, That we celebrate the life of Babe and count among our blessings the opportunity to have known and worked with him; and be it further RESOLVED, That we hold our memories of Babe Woodyard close to our hearts and minds as we reflect upon his life; and be it further RESOLVED, That we lift up Harry "Babe" Woodyard as the epitome of a dedicated public servant; and be it further RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Babe's wife, Mary D; their children, Leslie and Kirk; and grandchildren, Corrine, Kendell, Rachel, and Nicholas.
"And on the Resolution, the Gentleman from Vermilion, Representative Black."
"Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker and Ladies and Gentlemen of the House. Many of you who know me, know that I tend to wear my emotions on my sleeve. I want very much to get through this. I couldn't speak at Babe's funeral. But, if you heard the Resolution, and you listened as carefully as I did, it celebrates a life well-lived and if you were as fortunate as I was to be the friend to this man, you'd know how much that we've learned from him and yet how much we could have still learned from him had he been able to stay 8 STATE OF ILLINOIS 90TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 13th Legislative Day February 6, 1997 with us. I won't go into his Legislative accomplishments. They are many and varied. You heard some of them but he was very proud of the fact that he tried to bring northern Legislators downstate and downstate Legislators and people upstate so, that we could see the diversity of this state that is part of our rich heritage and yet also is often some of the things that divide us. He loved to have committee meetings downstate where we could pick up, I remember one meeting we picked up Representative Young and Representative Jesse White at the Vermilion County airport and drove them down to Paris, Illinois where we had a hearing. It's about a 40 mile drive and once we got out of Danville and headed south on Route 1, Representative White looked out the window of the automobile and he turned to Babe and I and he said, 'Where the hell does everybody live?' There wasn't an apartment house and Babe explained to Representative White that it wasn't unusual for him to drive 150 miles or more from one end of his Senate district to the other and Jesse I remember saying, 'Gee, I can walk mine in a few hours.' He used to...the picture on the program that the Senate had for his memorial, and Mike and I were over there for that, shows him smiling and he always had a smile. And he used to get so upset when regional differences would divide us to the point where we couldn't discuss them rationally. And I know Mike and I, on more than one occasion, would be in a meeting and somebody would say, 'You know the problem with downstate schools, in all due respect, Senator Woodyard, is that farmers don't pay any property tax.' And Babe, who had copied his tax bill would very calmly pull it out and say, 'Well, if you'd like to trade property tax bills, I'm certainly willing to have you pay this.' They would look at it and say, 'I had no 9 STATE OF ILLINOIS 90TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 13th Legislative Day February 6, 1997 idea.' And he'd say, 'You know, when these taxes get up to about $30.00 an acre, and you farm a 1 thousand or more acres, and then you add to that the price of feed and the price of seed and the price of fertilizer and the amortization of your tractor and equipment, you wonder why farmers are a little nervous today.' More than 14 years ago, he proposed either a local option income tax or a state income tax to move away from the property tax because he knew what was happening in rural Illinois and our lack of taxable property and our loss of population. Perhaps his legacy will be that in 1997, we'll actually get around to passing something similar to what Babe urged us to do so many years ago. But rather than talk about his Legislative accomplishments, if you'll bear with me, let me just tell you what it was like to know this Gentleman. There are several people in the General Assembly for years, and you know you've been here too long when you remember too many of these occasions. How much we miss the laughter of Myron Olson, for example, and how much I miss Roger McAuliffe and his ability to put everything in the proper perspective. In fact, I'd turn to Roger and often say, 'Roger, what are we going to do today?' And he'd say, 'Don't worry about it.' And Bernie Pedersen and Bob LeFlore and Dick Mautino and you remember all of the people you've served with, and you begin to wonder maybe you've been here too long, but you know, Babe Woodyard was such a remarkable, high-energy man. I thought he was indestructible and perhaps he thought he was indestructible because I look back now and maybe he didn't take as good a care of himself as he should have. When he ran in 1994, he didn't really want to. He wanted to retire. He had grandchildren. He'd like to get back on that tractor. And yet people prevailed upon him to 10 STATE OF ILLINOIS 90TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 13th Legislative Day February 6, 1997 run, yet again, and that campaign was particularly bitter, shall we say? And I think he made up his mind right after that campaign, because that was not his style, that he would not run again. And he announced his impending retirement just a month or two ago. He was the most civil man I'v ever met. Many people underestimated him because he had a golly, gee whiz attitude. And if you'd see him out of the Chambers, he probably was in overalls or whatever, and he was always 'Babe'. If somebody came in and said, 'Senator Woodyard, how are you?' 'My name is Babe, just call me Babe.' And yet, let me tell you something, if you underestimated this man, he usually got the best of you because he was extremely intelligent. Businessman, a farmer, very proud of the fact that he was a farmer, very concerned about where we're headed with the divisiveness between our urban and environmental agenda and our agricultural agenda. But he was always one who could bring us together. An early riser, we used to have a breakfast club over in the Stratton Building every morning and it was kind of a contest to see, who could get here first, Babe or Myron Olson or Chuck Hartke or Larry Woolard, any number of people, who were in that breakfast club. And it was such a remarkable way to start the day because of Babe and particularly Myron Olson enjoyed a great laugh and they would get all of us in such a good mood that we could face the day with renewed vigor and optimism. But Babe had a great sense of humor. He liked to laugh. I remember when the gambling issue was before us several years ago, and I wanted to go over and talk to him, and there was a little slot machine on his desk, a little, red, plastic slot machine. I said, 'What is this, Babe?' And he said, 'Oh, I don't know somebody dropped it off, and 11 STATE OF ILLINOIS 90TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 13th Legislative Day February 6, 1997 I can't even remember whether it was somebody for riverboats or against riverboats.' But he said, 'The only thing they said was this shows you what a fool's game gambling can be, so it must have been an opponent.' I said, 'Well, how does it work?' And he said, 'Well, you just pick it up and pull the handle and the little things revolve and I guess that's what a slot machine does.' And so I picked it up and pulled the handle and got squirted right in my glasses with a stream of water, which made his day. Another time I walked into his office and there was a beautiful large-mouthed bass, mounted on a plaque. I said, 'Babe, when did you get that?' He said, 'Oh, I caught that a couple weeks ago down in Marshall. Nice, isn't it?' I said, 'That's really beautiful. Let me take a look at that.' Well, as I get closer to it, I can see, boy, the taxidermist was really terrible. It didn't look very good. Kind of looked plastic to me. And about the time I got up to take a quick look at it, Babe clapped his hands or coughed, I can't remember, and it was sound activated and battery powered and the fish's tail would move and the mouth would go up and down. So, he got me again. And in fact, as I recall, I think we presented that to Mike and Mona Bass as a wedding present. And an appropriate gift it was. We were over here for a meeting one day and had to get back home to Chrisman and he was driving, and Babe usually liked to drive. He didn't trust anybody else's driving, primarily because he was confident you couldn't drive as fast as he could. And we were going through a little town. I won't mention the town because I don't want the police officer there who I'm sure is still on the force to remember this. But he looked in the rear view mirror and he says, 'Uh-oh, I think we're going to get a ticket.' 12 STATE OF ILLINOIS 90TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 13th Legislative Day February 6, 1997 The officer was very polite. Came up. Babe rolled the window down, a very polite young man. He said, 'Sir, you're doing 36 miles an hour in a 30 mile an hour zone.' Babe said, 'Gee, I didn't know, I'm sorry, I didn't know it was 36 miles an hour.' He said, 'Could I see your license?' Babe gave him the license and he walks back to the police car. And I said, 'Babe, you ought to tell him who you are.' You know, give him a business card. He says, 'Oh, I'm not going to worry about that,' he says, 'surely you're not going to get a ticket for going 36 in a 30.' The officer came back in a few minutes with the ticket written out and asked Babe to sign where he was supposed to sign and post his license for bond. Babe was always Babe. And I could tell he was doing a little bit of a burn and I was trying not to laugh. And the officer handed him the ticket, or a copy of the ticket, and told Babe how many days he had, et cetera, et cetera to show up or handle it in the mail. And he said, 'Say, do you mind if I ask you a question?' Babe says, 'No, no, that's fine. What's on your mind?' He says, 'That license plate you have,' he says, 'it says 53, an official something on it.' He says, 'Are you a private detective?' Babe muttered, 'private detective' and something about voting on Pension Bills the next 40 miles. He could be a formidable adversary if he thought you were wrong, but he would never be your enemy. He taught me that, and it was the most important lesson I think he ever taught me. No matter how much he might disagree with your position, if he couldn't go out with you afterwards and have a cup of coffee or breakfast the next day, he would say the process isn't worth it. One of the things that I think I will most remember about him is that he loved people and he used 13 STATE OF ILLINOIS 90TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 13th Legislative Day February 6, 1997 things to help people. And every once in a while, and I called him a rural renaissance man. And he'd always say, 'What the hell is a rural renaissance man?' But he used to talk about how things have changed. And he said, 'I worry about those of us in public life who all of a sudden tend to love things and use people.' He was way ahead of his time in most respects. Let me share with you a note that I got from a mutual friend the other day. And it says, 'Rather than mourn the absence of the flame, let us celebrate how brightly it burned.' And how appropriate because Babe's life burned as brightly as anybody I've ever known or ever will know. And it was a life well-lived and more than 35 years of service to people. Twenty years on a school board. More than a decade on a fire protection district, as a trustee. A community college board trustee. He constantly gave to his community. And had you been at his service, his commitment service on Tuesday, when we drove up the road, nobody passed the procession. People going the opposite way pulled off the road and many of them got out of their car and stood there. That's the respect that this man had in his community. As Linda wrote, 'There are simply no words to describe our loss for everybody. You, Bill, have lost the mentor, a colleague and most of all a very dear friend. And in this world that has become somewhat strange, somewhat insane, far too violent, very often too cold and impersonal and sometimes a very lonely world, a friend like Babe Woodyard is precious.' Next to my father, Babe Woodyard was the finest man I ever knew. And if we could follow the legacy that he left us in the 18 years of service in the General Assembly, we would all be better for it and this would be a far better place. Thank you, Mr. Speaker." 14 STATE OF ILLINOIS 90TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 13th Legislative Day February 6, 1997
"The Gentleman from Coles, Mr. Weaver."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Ladies and Gentlemen of the House. It's tough to follow Bill but the feelings that we all have for Babe I think are because he was such a quiet, unassuming Gentleman. And I got first to know him because I almost ended up running against him. He was running down in our neck of the woods during the remap and in 1982, I had made my mind that I was going to run for the State House and at that time, they had the option of staying where they were and Babe decided he was going to continue running in our part of the district. So, I had a meeting with him and he said, 'Well, I'll do whatever you want, diddlee do.' You know how he does. And I said, 'Well, I'd be crazy to run against you, Babe.' And so I backed off and supported Babe and he turned around and helped me out the next time. But Bill is exactly right. Babe is probably one of the most humble, unassuming people you would ever meet. As a matter of fact, that's probably why he got along so well with the Chinese. He's the only person I know that could out-humble the Chinese. He was always self-effacing and I'd swear to God that he must have had an extra thousand of those cards printed up with Chinese on them because he loved watching people trying to read those things. He was a great trickster. If you didn't have a trick played on you by Babe Woodyard, you probably weren't watching close enough and Bill used to say that Babe is the kind of guy that would stand there and roll a corn cob with his toes while he's figuring out 10 different ways to get around what you've just done. But Babe had a lot of tricks. He had a lot of toys, an office full of them. I got caught by that same slot machine. He played it on everybody that walked in and I think you felt 15 STATE OF ILLINOIS 90TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 13th Legislative Day February 6, 1997 you had to play it even if you knew what it was going to do, because just to see Babe's reaction to it. But he had a basement full of trains in amongst his stained glass operation that he would do for therapy. He would go down there when he couldn't sleep at 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning and play with his trains or play with his cut glass. And every time I brought my grandkids up, he'd want to show them the trains and he'd say, 'Well, these are the trains that I set up for my grandkids.' And I said, 'Babe, tell the truth. You know, they don't get to play with them half as much as you do.' He says, 'Well, I guess you're right. I guess you're right.' But Babe was not only a great friend to humans but he loved all animals and he was very proud of even taking us out to show us the horses that he had out back even though there was one that he called a sucker. I don't know if you know what a sucker is, but it's a horse that for some strange reason has developed a habit of sucking on a fence post to get some of the sap out, I guess. He says, 'Well, I had to show that bugger not to do that any more.' He mixed up a batch of molasses and cayenne pepper and smeared it on the post and finally got that horse to quit sucking on the post. And one evening, we had been in a meeting and he said, 'Well, come on over to the house.' And so we're going into the house and he opens up the back of his van and starts unloading about 10 cases of cat food. I said, 'Babe, I didn't know you owned a cat.' And he said, 'I don't.' I said, 'What in the world you got ten cases of cat food for?' 'Well, I've been over to Sam's Club and I bought all this cat food because the neighborhood cats seem to like to come around.' And we go to the back door and there are five of them waiting for him. So, even though they weren't his cats, he 16 STATE OF ILLINOIS 90TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 13th Legislative Day February 6, 1997 took a great delight in feeding all the neighborhood cats. And I'll never forget, we were walking into his back door and I noticed there was a piece of obsidian, a large piece of what they used to call volcanic glass. And I said, 'Babe, do you know what that is?' He said, 'Hell no, I don't know. It just looked pretty, I just put it there.' I said, 'Well, that's from a volcano. It's called volcanic glass.' And so, I'll be damned if when my birthday came around, he didn't give me that rock. I don't know if it was joke, or I'm sure it was sincere, but he got a big charge out of handing me a rock wrapped up for my birthday. I think what makes, and has made Babe so great to all of us that knew him and such a great friend, is he treated everyone like family. He treated you the way he would treat any of his family. And it used to bother me a bit because when someone was thinking about running for political office, people would tell them always to go see Babe Woodyard. This is the guy who knows all there is to know about politics and you need to go talk to him. It didn't matter if they were Republican, Democrat, Independent, Communist or whatever, Babe would sit them down and give them about an hour's worth of advice. And it used to bother me a little bit that my opponents were going up to talk to Babe to get advice on how to run. But after a while, it occurred to me, that's just the way Babe is. It doesn't matter who you are, what you are, or where you're from. He's there to help. And so I think Babe isn't really gone. There's a part of him in all of us if we just maintain that kind of service and that kind of friendship and that kind of dedication to the people of our districts. Thank you."
"The Gentleman from Williamson, Mr. Woolard." 17 STATE OF ILLINOIS 90TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 13th Legislative Day February 6, 1997
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think that probably all of us have a story to tell about Babe. You know, several years ago I was elected to this Body and I was like all of you and I probably had as much pride and belief in myself as anyone could possibly have. And I came in and, you know, Larry Woolard's my name and I'm proud of it. And the first time that the Speaker decided to call on me, he said, 'We'll recognize the Gentleman from Williamson, Representative Woolyard.' And I said, 'Hold it, no, it's Woolard.' And it happened again and it happened again and I was elected Chairman of the House Ag Committee and Babe was the Chair of the Senate Ag Committee and we'd go and be a part of panels across the state with various groups and it was the 'Woodyard and Woolyard show'. And I would always correct them and say, 'No, my name is Woolard. I don't have a 'y' in my name.' Well, I found Babe to be the kind of person that was always trying to help. I don't care what it was. You know, you can talk about a great Representative being someone, who does something for the constituency that they represent, and that's right. But a super Legislator is one, who does something for people that he doesn't represent. Babe Woodyard fought just as hard for things that were important to me in Southern Illinois as he did for those people in Eastern Illinois that he represented. I can cite case after case that he stood with me. Two weeks ago tonight, there was several of us. The Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee and Minority spokesman, myself and Representative Phelps, and some other people that were discussing an issue that was important to us. Babe Woodyard, and I'm not sure that many of you saw him in the last few days, but he had an impairment that he couldn't talk. But at that meeting he had so much to say 18 STATE OF ILLINOIS 90TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 13th Legislative Day February 6, 1997 that he dominated the conversation entirely because he wanted us to have all of the expertise that he had on this particular issue. And he laid it on the line pretty heavily to each and every one of us there. As we left that meeting that night, you know I probably don't remember ever being as compassionately told good-bye as I was by Babe. And I think he had a premonition of something to come. He had told us about the fact that he told the doctor who was the only one in the state that he could find to operate on him. 'The only way I'm coming is if you put me in on Sunday with a big screen TV so I can watch the Super Bowl and we'll do it on Monday.' And that's the way he did it. You know, I hope that Larry Woolard is mistaken to be a Babe Woodyard in the future. And the next time someone says Representative 'Woolyard' from Williamson County, I'll be proud to respond."
"The Gentleman from McHenry, Mr. Skinner."
"We've heard three instances of how Babe has brought people together. And one of the things that is not in the Resolution which follows on that theme is the Visitation Interference Bill that he sponsored in the Senate and got passed. He wanted the non-custodial parents to stay in touch with their kids. And for that reason passed the Bill. I would also like to add that he really did treat everybody like family. When I was running for State Comptroller, I got to stay in his bedroom. I mean it was really a shoestring campaign and you know I saved $30 bucks by staying in Babe and Mary's house. And, I will so certainly remember them fondly for that, forever."
"The Gentleman from Madison, Mr. Stephens."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Every one of us who knew Babe Woodyard, has a special memory that the word earlier was 19 STATE OF ILLINOIS 90TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 13th Legislative Day February 6, 1997 used, I guess, that best describes him is, precious. Babe just had a way about him. How many times have we heard him say, 'Oh my,' in the special way that he did. He was a member of a group of Legislators and business folks from...that are actually from my part of the state and Babe became a charter member in what is still referred to as the Alton Club. We would manage to take two or three days every Summer to go to Missouri and float the Current River the way that any Gentleman would, and that's in an inner tube. Babe looked special in his inner tube. He had the whitest legs of anybody I've ever seen. Those legs just didn't see the sunlight, and he made sure they didn't. Sometimes he would just wear a pair of blue jeans as we're floating down the Current River in our swimming apparel. If he managed to put on a pair of swimming trunks, he would cover his legs with a towel, and we used to make a great deal of fun of him and of which he took in kind. He was the fisherman of the group. The Alton Club was a chance to float the Current River. We have a little fishing lake that we go to and Babe was by far the fisherman of the group and often even caught enough for us to have something to eat with dinner that night. But the highlight of the day in our visits to the Alton Club every Summer was the evening dinner. We would always fix it ourselves and we'd cook steaks over a grill or some other hearty meal would be prepared by us, for us. And Babe was always really anticipating these dinners. He liked to cook and then he'd help clean up afterwards and then sitting around the table with 20 or 30 good friends, Babe would get up and go to the corner of the room and bring out a bag and then he'd bring out the gifts from the bags. And these gifts were carefully chosen, individualized for each and every one of 20 STATE OF ILLINOIS 90TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 13th Legislative Day February 6, 1997 us. I remember him giving a former Member by the name of Bob Walters a briefcase that he made out of a pair of men's underwear. You just had to see it to believe it. It was a horn that he gave that same individual the following year, a horn that, kind of hard to describe, but it did play a tune and you had to blow it just right and sure enough Walters blows into it and winds up with a face full of flour and Babe's just beside himself with laughter and all of us wondering whether we should open our gift which was always carefully wrapped in newspaper. Just a special memory of ours. I will...I don't believe any of us will be able to go back to the Alton Club with the same feelings that we had before. I, for one, think that maybe it's a time that we don't convene that group anymore. The best advice I ever received on this Floor was from my Senator, whom I eventually replaced here and as he left me in my first few days here he said, 'When you look up at the board and you don't know what to do, just vote with Babe.' It's the best advice I ever got and, Babe, I hope I could, in just some small way live up to that standard. God bless you."
"Mr. Black now asks that all Members be added as Cosponsors and moves for the adoption of Senate Joint Resolution #10. All in favor 'aye', opposed same sign. The 'ayes' have it and the Resolution has been adopted." Representative 'Currie' now moves that we stand adjourned until February 18, at 12:30 p.m. All in favor 'aye', opposed same sign. And the House does stand adjourned. We will allow perfunctory time for the Clerk for introduction of Bills."
Clerk Rossi: "Introduction - First Reading of House Bills. House Bill 564, offered by Representative Stroger. A Bill for an 21 STATE OF ILLINOIS 90TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 13th Legislative Day February 6, 1997 Act to amend the Township Code. House Bill 565, offered by Representative Holbrook. A Bill for an Act to amend the Counties Code. House Bill 566, offered by Representative Giles. A Bill for an Act to amend the Election Code. House Bill 567, offered by Representative Krause. A Bill for an Act to amend the Illinois Clean Indoor Air Act. House Bill 568, offered by Representative Burke. A Bill for an Act to amend the Code of Civil Procedure Act. House Bill 569, offered by Representative Burke. A Bill for an Act to amend the Regional Transportation Authority Act. House Bill 570, offered by Representative Burke. A Bill for an Act to amend the Illinois Clean Indoor Act. House Bill 571, offered by Representative Dart. A Bill for an Act in relation to truth in taxation, amending named Acts. House Bill 572, offered by Representative Currie. A Bill for an Act amending the Property Tax Code. House Bill 573, offered by Representative Hannig. A Bill for an Act to amend the Department of Veterans Affairs Act. House Bill 574, offered by Representative Hannig. A Bill for an Act relating to school district boundaries, amending named Acts. House Bill 575, offered by Representative Capparelli. A Bill for an Act to amend the Illinois Pension Code. House Bill 576, offered by Representative Capparelli. A Bill for an Act to amend the Illinois Pension Code. House Bill 577, offered by Representative Saviano. A Bill for an Act to amend the State Police Act. House Bill 578, offered by Representative McAuliffe. A Bill for an Act to amend the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act. House Bill 579, offered by Representative Capparelli. A Bill for an Act concerning insurance coverage for certain dental expenses, amending named Acts. House Bill 580, offered by Representative Clayton. A Bill for an Act Illinois Pension 22 STATE OF ILLINOIS 90TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 13th Legislative Day February 6, 1997 Code. House Bill 581, offered by Representative Leitch. A Bill for an Act concerning occupation and use taxes. House Bill 582, offered by Representative Pankau. A Bill for an Act to amend the Regional Transportation Authority Act. House Bill 583, offered by Representative Pankau. A Bill for an Act to amend the Counties Code. House Bill 584, offered by Representative Pankau. A Bill for an Act concerning the standardization of time. House Bill 585, offered by Representative Kubik. A Bill for an Act to amend the Illinois Income Tax Act. House Bill 586, offered by Representative McAuliffe. A Bill for an Act Illinois Banking Act. House Bill 587, offered by Representative Kotlarz. A Bill for an Act to amend the Freedom of Information Act. House Bill 588, offered by Representative Scott. A Bill for an Act concerning unemployment insurance, amending a named Act. House Bill 589, offered by Representative Saviano. A Bill for an Act to amend the Illinois Pension Code. House Bill 590, offered by Representative Zickus. A Bill for an Act to amend the Illinois Pension Code. House Bill 591, offered by Representative John Turner. A Bill for an Act amending the Code of Criminal Procedure. House Bill 592, offered by Representative John Turner. A Bill for an Act to amend the Criminal Code. House Bill 593, offered by Representative Hoeft. A Bill for an Act amend the Pension Code. House Bill 594, offered by Representative Hoeft. A Bill for an Act to amend the Illinois Police Training Act. House Bill 595, offered by Representative Art Turner. A Bill for an Act to amend the School Code. House Bill 596, offered by Representative Zickus. A Bill for an Act to amend the Toll Highway Act. House Bill 597, offered by Representative Saviano. A Bill for an Act to amend the Consumer 23 STATE OF ILLINOIS 90TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 13th Legislative Day February 6, 1997 Installment Loan Act. House Bill 598, offered by Representative Monique Davis. A Bill for an Act to amend the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. House Bill 599, offered by Representative Hartke. A Bill for an Act amending the School code. House Bill 599, offered by Representative Andrea Moore. A Bill for an Act concerning occupation and use taxes. House Bill 600, offered by Representative Hartke. A Bill for an Act to amend the School Code. House Bill 601, offered by Representative Art Turner. A Bill for an Act in relation to taxation of auto leases. House Bill 602, offered by Representative Woolard. A Bill for an Act to amend the Illinois Fertilizer Act. House Bill 603, offered by Representative Schoenberg. A Bill for an Act to create the Managed Care Patient Rights Act. House Bill 604, offered by Representative Black. A Bill for an Act concerning community food gardens. House Bill 605, offered by Representative Brunsvold. A Bill for an Act in relation to taxes, amending named Acts. House Bill 606, offered by Representative Brunsvold. A Bill for an Act to amend the Riverboat Gambling Act. House Bill 607, offered by Representative Brunsvold. A Bill for an Act to amend the Riverboat Gambling Act. House Bill 608, offered by Representative Kenner. A Bill for an Act to amend the Illinois Vehicle Code. House Bill 609, offered by Representative Kenner. A Bill for an Act to amend the Personnel Code. House Bill 610, offered by Representative Kenner. A Bill for an Act to amend the Illinois Public Aid Code. House Bill 611, offered by Representative Kenner. A Bill for an Act to amend the Illinois Public Aid Code. House Bill 612, offered by Representative Kenner. A Bill for an Act in relation to employment training, amending 24 STATE OF ILLINOIS 90TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 13th Legislative Day February 6, 1997 named Acts. House Bill 613, offered by Representative Cross. A Bill for an Act to amend the Business Corporation Act. House Bill 614, offered by Representative Lang. A Bill for an Act to amend the Illinois Public Aid Code. House Bill 615, offered by Representative Flowers. A Bill for an Act to amend the Juvenile Court Act. House Bill 616, offered by Representative Flowers. A Bill for an Act to amend the Adoption Act. House Bill 617, offered by Representative Cross. A Bill for an Act concerning wireless emergency communications. House Bill 618, offered by Representative Cross. A Bill for an Act to amend the Unified Code of Corrections. House Bill 619, offered by Representative Currie. A Bill for an Act to amend the Department of Human Rights Act. House Bill 620, offered by Representative Erwin. A Bill for an Act concerning benefits for certain health treatments. House Bill 621, offered by Representative Flowers. A Bill for an Act concerning minority and female franchise investments, amending named Acts. House Bill 622, offered by Representative Flowers. A Bill for an Act to amend the Juvenile Court Act. First Reading of these House Bills. Introduction - First Reading of Resolutions. House Resolution 20, offered by Representative Lou Jones. House Resolution 21 and 22, offered by Representative Schoenberg. They're assigned to the Rules Committee."
Clerk Rossi: "There being no further business, the House Perfunctory Session stands adjourned. The House will reconvene in Perfunctory Session on February 10 at 12:00 noon. 25