"The House shall come to order. The Members shall be in their chairs. We shall be led in prayer today by Pastor Fred Franks of the First Assembly of God in Normal. Pastor Franks is the guest of Representative Brady. The guests in the gallery may wish to rise and join us for the invocation."
"Our Father which art in heaven. We thank You for Your grace, and for Your mercy upon our lives. Thank You for the opportunity and the privilege that it is to live in the United States; to enjoy the freedoms that we have. And Lord we honor You and we thank You for Your goodness to us. Lord I pray for each person this day, and not only for this day but every day, that You would grant grace and wisdom to make right decisions. Your word declares to us, if any man lack wisdom let him ask of God who gives to all men liberally and does not scold for asking. So we ask for that wisdom. Lord help us as a nation to make right decisions, righteous decisions, for we know Your word declares to us that righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a reproach to any man. And Lord our desire is to walk right and to continue to live under Your blessing. We commit this day to You; this Session to You, and we thank You again for Your goodness in our life. And we pray it in Jesus' name. Amen."
Speaker Madigan: "We shall be led in the Pledge of Allegiance by Representative O'Brien."
"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."
Speaker Madigan: "Roll Call for Attendance. Representative Currie." 1 STATE OF ILLINOIS 91ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 21st Legislative Day March 4, 1999
"Thank you, Speaker. Please let the record show that Representative Ronen is excused today."
"Mr. Poe."
"Let the record show that all the Republicans are present today."
"Mr. Clerk, take the record. There being 117 Members responding to the Attendance Roll Call, there is a quorum present. Mr. Lang."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to move... to move House Bill 408 back to Second Reading from Third for the purposes of an Amendment."
"Mr. Lang, what is your Bill number?"
"House Bill 408, Mr. Speaker."
Speaker Madigan: "The Gentleman withdraws his request. Mr. Black. Mr. Black."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have an inquiry of the Clerk."
"Mr. Clerk."
"Yes, uh, I would inquire of the Clerk... I have a Calendar here... I'm going through the Calendar as I do everyday, and I get to page 20, and the next page which should be page 21, is in fact, page 28. And page 28 is upside down which I think is the International Distress Symbol. Is the Calendar put together incorrectly, today? I'd have to stand on my head to read page 28. I just... want me... should I bring it up to you, Mr. Speaker? There's obviously been some confusion in the Clerk's Office again."
"Mr. Black, I want to tell you what you've suspected all along, that apparently it's only your Calendar. Mr. Clerk, Committee Reports?"
"Representative Harold Murphy, Chairperson from the Committee on Personnel and Pensions, to which the following 2 STATE OF ILLINOIS 91ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 21st Legislative Day March 4, 1999 measure/s was/were referred, action taken on March 4, 1999, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass as amended Short Debate' House Bill 398. Representative Coy Pugh, Chairperson from the Committee on Revenue, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on March 4, 1999, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass Short Debate' House Bills 118, 144, 371, 495, 578, 670, 634, 813, 842, 844, 846, 847, 848, 849, 850, 901, 928, 1110, 1120, 1155, 1261, 1302, 1317, 1324, 1327, 1461, 1678, 1687, 1688, 1693, 1743, 1769, 1778, 1889, 1905, 1956, 1962, 1978, 1987, 2178, 2179, 2180, 2304, 2648, 2679, 2732 and 2744; 'do pass as amended Short Debate' House Bills 134, 402, 521, 542, 928, 1268, 1936, 1958 and 2104; 'do pass Standard Debate' House Bills 437, 1981 and 2086; 'do pass as amended Standard Debate' House Bills 1957 and 2029. Representative Lauren Beth Gash, Chairperson from the Committee on Judiciary II-Criminal Law, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on March 4, 1999, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass Short Debate' House Bills 31, 62, 192, 222, 238, 249, 669, 723, 734, 787, 790, 793, 810, 839, 873, 1079, 1175, 1195, 1197, 1199, 1402, 1413, 1513, 1541, 1570, 1757, 1763, 1764, 1784, 1785, 1817, 2037, 2038, 2042, 2096, 2098, 2109, 2152, 2219, 2310, 2344, 2360, 2711, and 2791; 'do pass as amended Short Debate' House Bills 22, 498, 573 and 2708; 'do pass Standard Debate' House Bills 654 and 1512; 'do pass as amended Standard Debate' House Bills 1674 and 1863. Representative Larry Woolard, Chairperson from the Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on March 3, 1999, reported the same back with the following 3 STATE OF ILLINOIS 91ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 21st Legislative Day March 4, 1999 recommendation/s: 'do pass Short Debate' House Bill 1812. Representative Jeffrey Schoenberg, Chairperson from the Committee on Appropriations-General Services and Government Oversight, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on March 3, 1999, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass Short Debate' House Bills 300, 302, 303, 456, 2518, 2519, 2752, 2772, 2793, 2794, 2795, 2796, 2800, and 299. Representative Joseph Lyons, Chairperson from the Committee on Child Support Enforcement, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on March 3, 1999, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass Short Debate' House Bills 531, 1401, 1414, 1557, 1895, and 2617. Representative Phil Novak, Chairperson from the Committee on Electric Utility Deregulation, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on March 3, 1999, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass Short Debate' House Bills 47, 48, 50, 508 and 509. Representative Phil Novak, Chairperson from the Committee on Environment and Energy, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on March 3, 1999, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do adopt as amended Short Debate' House Resolution 51; 'do pass Short Debate' House Bills 1279, 1690, 1745, 1892, 1893, 2011, 2016, 2199, 2631, 2636, 2639, 2640, 2641, and 2767; 'do pass as amended Short Debate' House Bills 2031 and 2642. Representative Judy Erwin, Chairperson from the Committee on Higher Education, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on March 3, 1999, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass Short Debate' House Bills 1657, 1729, 1754, 1766, 2013, 2087, 2091, 2177 and 4 STATE OF ILLINOIS 91ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 21st Legislative Day March 4, 1999 2580; 'do pass as amended Short Debate' House Bills 1274, 1505, 1722, 2218 and 2730; 'do pass Standard Debate' House Bill 605. Representative Calvin Giles, Chairperson from the Committee on Local Government, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on March 3, 1999, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass Short Debate' House Bills 481, 523, 870, 916, 1116, 1122, 1151, 1326, 1686, 1694, 1960, 1983, 2005, 2008, 2044, 2120, 2125, 2130, 2168, 2261, 2263, 2264, 2281, 2286, 2287, 2298, 2308, 2330, 2502, 2741, 2843 and 2846; 'do pass as amended Short Debate' House Bills 1121 and 1695; 'do pass as amended Standard Debate' House Bill 482. Representative Doug Scott, Chairperson from the Committee on Urban Revitalization, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on March 4, 1999, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass Short Debate' House Bills 2698 and 2699.
Speaker Madigan: "Ladies and Gentlemen, can we have your attention please? Mr. Bugielski. Mr. Bugielski. Can we have your attention, please? The Clerk would like to read the committee times and we would like everyone to listen in terms of when the committees will meet. Mr. Clerk."
Clerk Rossi: "A House bulletin has been passed out that has a recessed committee schedule. The following committees will meet at 3 p.m. today: The Children and Youth Committee in D-1. The Executive Committee in 114. Health Care Availability will meet on the House Floor. Public Utilities will meet in C-1, and the Transportation Committee will meet in 118. At 3:30 the Judiciary I-Civil Law Committee will meet in C-1. The Judiciary II-Criminal Law Committee will meet in D-1. At 4 p.m. the Elementary and Secondary Education Committee will meet in 118 and the 5 STATE OF ILLINOIS 91ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 21st Legislative Day March 4, 1999 Local Government Committee will meet in 122-B. Tomorrow at 9 a.m., the following recessed committees will meet: The Human Services Committee in D-1. The Labor and Commerce Committee in C-1 and the Consumer Protection Committee in 122-B. At 10 a.m., the Executive Committee will meet in Room 118."
"Now, Ladies and Gentlemen, before the noise level rises, please, the Committee on Public Utilities plans to cancel its meeting. And that if any committees and committee chairs need additional time, please notify Mr. Mapes, so we can arrange that for you. Representative Mulligan."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Usually, at this time of the year we have many committees that go into the evening. Instead of doing that, you have committees that are on top of one another, so that Members who are either on those committees cannot appear and vote their slot in the committee, because they're off trying to present Bills or vice versa. Why are we limiting ourselves and not going into the evening? I mean, I kind of feel like we're being herded like cattle, here."
"Representative, if a chair of a committee... Representative, if a chair of a committee wishes to meet at night, that's fine with us. But... Representative Mulligan."
"Well, obviously, since you're the one that's setting this, I don't know if they were consulted. But, I mean obviously, Health Care has always gone whenever time we would like it to go, in the evening."
"Yeah."
"We now have some that are backed up on top of each other; where people who are presenting their Bills are in 6 STATE OF ILLINOIS 91ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 21st Legislative Day March 4, 1999 those committees, because we have so many that are staggered on top of one another. You know, I would respectfully request, that Members on both sides of the aisles have similar problems here, in this short length of time. And my other question is: You've put on the schedule, the fact that we're hearing appropriation Bills, substantive appropriation Bills in committee next week. And this year, both Leaders seem to agree that we should have individual appropriations Bills so that we can discuss those committees. But our staff, who has had an unusual load on both sides of the aisles of any number of Bills that have been filed for them to analyze, certainly don't have the full time to analyze budget things... to do individual budget Bills. Is it the intention by this move not to do individual budget Bills because we're not going to have time to adequately look at this? And why would we not want to do that, since we're the ones that are voting on those budget appropriations?"
Speaker Madigan: "Representative, the plan is... matter of fact, there's a House Rule that provides that there shall be individual appropriation Bills for each agency and that they'll be separate consideration of those Bills. So that's a House Rule that will be complied with. And the Chair would also like to make sure that all of the committee chairs heard this request from Representative Mulligan. That if it's more convenient and efficient in terms of hearing Bills, that they consider meeting at night."
"Mr. Speaker, as far as the appropriations Bills go for next week, we still have budgets to hear. And although we may be scheduled two days, Human Service Appropriations has a third of the state budget and a lot of individual budget 7 STATE OF ILLINOIS 91ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 21st Legislative Day March 4, 1999 Bills. I don't see any way that we can hear the rest of the bil... the agencies that are assigned to Human Services and then do individual Bills with any kind of reasonable finesse, that we're expected to do as Legislators. If we're going to get them all out by the end of the week, I don't see how we're going to actually accomplish that. And I don't see what we're trying to accomplish here because I think those agencies deserve fair hearings and the public deserves a fair... listen to what's in those Bills as we present them. That's the object of breaking them out that we've all wanted for a long time. So, I would respectfully request that you take a look at how we're doing this."
"I will, Representative. Thank you for your suggestion. Mr. Schoenberg."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And perhaps the Lady from Cook, Representative Mulligan, might want to bear this in mind. Representative Biggins and myself are cognizant of the fact that many Members have individual initiatives that they've proposed to several... to some of the appropriations committees and... what Mr. Biggins and I would like to inform the Members is that, if you do have a particular Member Initiative or an area where you'd like to see a reduction in those agencies that come before our committee, if the Democrats could, in writing, provide that to me. And if the Republicans, in turn, could provide that to Mr. Biggins, we will incorporate that in turn within the different committee Bills which do emerge from the House Appropriations Committees for General Services and Government Oversight. Thank you, Mr. Speaker."
"Mr. Morrow. Mr. Morrow."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Ladies and Gentlemen of the House. Just to follow-up with what 8 STATE OF ILLINOIS 91ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 21st Legislative Day March 4, 1999 Representative Schoenberg has said, the Committee on Appropriation of Public Safety, we are going to schedule... Members, I think you should hear this. For the Appropriation Committee on Public Safety, we are going to set aside Wednesday, March the 10th, to listen to Members' Bills and Amendments. We're not going to necessarily vote on those Bills, on Amendments at that time. We will place votes on Friday, the 12th. But if any Member has an Amendment or a Bill to a... for an appropriation in Public Safety, and these are the agencies that we will be voting on next week, next Friday: Farm Development Authority, East St. Louis Financial Authority, Emergency Management Agency, Military Affairs, Violence Prevention, State Police Merit Board, Criminal Justice Authority. And the last two committees that we'll hear Monday: Transportation and Industrial Commission. For either of those agencies, if you have an Amendment or a Bill that deals with the appropriations of those agencies, get them to my staff person, Kevin Tirey, or to the Members on the other side of the aisle, to whoever your staff person is, so that we can post them to be heard Wednesday, March the 10th, at 4:00 p.m. Thank you."
Speaker Madigan: "If there's nothing further, the Chair is prepared to adjourn. Representative Currie moves that the House does stand adjourned until 1 p.m. tomorrow, providing perfunctory time for the Clerk. Those in favor of the Motion, say 'aye'; those opposed say 'no'. The 'ayes' have it. The Motion is adopted. The House does stand adjourned until tomorrow, at 1 p.m. tomorrow, providing perfunctory time for the Clerk."
Clerk Bolin: "The House Perfunctory Session will come to order. Committee Reports. Representative Connie Howard, 9 STATE OF ILLINOIS 91ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 21st Legislative Day March 4, 1999 Chairperson from the Committee on Computer Technology, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on March 4, 1999, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass Short Debate' House Bills 2088, 2616 and 2718; 'do adopt Short Debate' House Joint Resolution 8. Representative Jack McGuire, Chairperson from the Committee on Aging, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on March 4, 1999, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass Short Debate' House Bills 1242, 1340, 1539, 1831, 1833, 1940 and 2831; 'do pass as amended Short Debate' House Bill 77. Introduction of Resolutions. House Resolution 118, offered by Representative Tim Johnson. House Joint Resolution 14, offered by Representative Garrett. Senate Joint Resolution #2, offered by Representative Wirsing and Senate Joint Resolution 22, offered by Representative Currie. These Resolutions are referred to the Rules Committee."
Clerk Rossi: "The House Perfunctory Session will come to order. Committee Reports. Representative Calvin Giles, Chairperson from the Committee on Local Government, to which the following item was referred, action taken on March 4, 1999, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass as amended Short Debate' House Bill 1881. Representative Woolard, Chairperson from the Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education, to which the following measures were referred, action taken on May 4, 1999, reported the same back with the following recommendations: 'do pass' House Bill 1728 and House 1830. Representative John Fritchey, Chairperson from the Committee on Consumer Protection and Product Regulation, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on March 4, 1999, 10 STATE OF ILLINOIS 91ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 21st Legislative Day March 4, 1999 reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass Short Debate' House Bills 1294, 1801, 1842, 1860, 1879 and 2388; 'do pass as amended Short Debate' House Bills 112, 423 and 2704. Representative Connie Howard, Chairperson from the Committee on Children and Youth, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on March 4, 1999, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass Short Debate' House Bill 2760; 'do pass as amended Standard Debate' House Bill 802. Representative Lauren Beth Gash, Chairperson from the Committee on Judiciary II-Criminal Law, to which the following measures were referred, action taken on February 26, 1999, reported the same back with the following recommendations: 'do pass as amended' House Bill 722. Representative Lauren Beth Gash, Chairperson from the Committee on Judiciary II-Criminal Law, to which the following measures were referred, action taken on March 4, 1999, reported the same back with the following recommendations: 'do pass Short Debate' House Bill 791. Representative Novak, Chairperson from the Committee on State Government Administration, to which the following measures were referred, action taken on March 3, 1999, reported the same back with the following recommendations: 'do adopt' House Resolution 61; 'do pass as amended' House Bill 1464 and House Bill 2646; 'do pass' House Bill 1510; 'do pass Short Debate' House Bill 559, House Bill 1105, House Bill 1681, House Bill 1746, House Bill 1834, House Bill 1951, House Bill 1991, House Bill 2047 and House Bill 2113; House Bill 2283, House Bill 2307, House Bill 2547, House Bill 2591 and House Bill 2593; House Bill 2594, House Bill 2598, House Bill 2720 and House Bill 2724 and House Bill 2776. Representative Jay Hoffman, Chairperson 11 STATE OF ILLINOIS 91ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 21st Legislative Day March 4, 1999 from the Committee on Transportation and Motor Vehicles, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on March 4, 1999, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass Short Debate' House Bills 528 and 1809. Representative John Fritchey, Chairperson from the Committee on Tobacco Settlement Proceeds Distribution, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on March 4, 1999, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass as amended Short Debate' House Bills 4 and 1245. Representative Dan Burke, Chairperson from the Committee on Executive, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on March 4, 1999, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass Short Debate' House Bills 914, 1165, 1363, 1741, 1753, 1909, 1953, 2002, 2020, 2045, 2773 and 2775; 'do pass as amended Short Debate' House Bills 152, 778, 1234 and 1828; 'do pass Standard Debate' House Bills 620, 621, 2003; 'do pass as amended Standard Debate' House Bills 1718 and 1747. There being no further business, the House Perfunctory Session stands adjourned." 12