"All assembled in these chambers, give attention. All assembled in these chambers, give attention. The Secretary of State, the Honorable Jesse White, sends greetings and proclaims that this day, the second Wednesday of January 2001, is the day fixed for the convening of the House of Representatives of the 92nd General Assembly of the State of Illinois, pursuant to Article IV, Section 5, of the Constitution. All persons except Members and their families are requested to withdraw from the chambers, and the Provisional Doorkeeper is directed to clear the aisles."
"All those not entitled to the floor, please retire from the chamber. Will all Representatives-elect please be assembled in the chamber."
Clerk Rossi: "May I have your attention, please. At the Speaker's rostrum and ready to convene the House of Representatives of the 92nd General Assembly, in and for the great State of Illinois, is the Secretary of State, the Honorable Jesse White."
"Thank you very much. The House of Representatives of the 92nd General Assembly of the State of Illinois will come to order. Welcome. Quoting from the 1970 Constitution of the State of Illinois, Article IV, Section 6(b), 'On the first day of the January Session of the General Assembly in odd-numbered years, the Secretary of State shall convene the House of Representatives to elect from its Membership the Speaker of the House of Representatives as presiding officer.' We shall now be led in prayer by Reverend Derrick B. Clifton of The Way of Christ Missionary Baptist Church in Chicago, Illinois, and by Rabbi Barry Marks of the Temple Israel here in Springfield. Will the Members and their guests please stand and remain standing until 1 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001 after the Pledge of Allegiance. Reverend Clifton."
Reverend Clifton: "May we bow our heads. Father, I stretch my hands to Thee, no other help I know. For if Thou would draw Thyself from me, where shall I go? Father God, we come this morning to say thank You. We thank You for what our eyes have seen and our ears have heard. We thank You for all of these Representatives this morning. We thank You for their families, we thank You from bringing them safely here on their tedious journey. Now most of all, Father God, get their minds stayed on You, and let it be... let them all be on one accord as they deal with Thou people's business. Father God, bless their families as they go home, touch them in a special way. Bless all the Representatives here. In the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost, Amen."
"Rabbi Marks."
Rabbi Marks: "Creator God, source of blessing, author of new beginnings, with Your power and Your wisdom, You sustain creation, renewing us and all that is. We stand at the threshold of a new year, a new Session of this Legislature. Some return to these chambers to embark on yet another term in long careers of public service. Others are here as lawmakers for the first time, new faces eager to learn the rules and procedures, so that they might serve more effectively. We confront familiar issues, but also as befits our time of rapid change, new problems and challenges, which we must address. May those who take the oath of office today discharge their responsibilities to the best of their capacity. May they ever have in mind the well-being of those they represent, the welfare of all the citizens of this state, and a vision of the future of what Illinois and our local communities can become. The impact 2 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001 of what we vote on and decide in these chambers is far-reaching. So many are affected by what happens here. Seniors who have contributed their energy and labor to the building of our state, and now face the uncertainties and concerns of aging, the youth who represent our hope for the future, and who must be afforded the best education and guidance we can provide, the weak and the vulnerable, who need to be looked after and protected, citizens of all races and creeds and ethnic backgrounds, each with his or her talents, each of whom deserves a decent life, a life of dignity, in which he or she might find fulfillment. Oh God, grant these lawmakers who are being inaugurated today the wisdom to address the daunting challenges we must confront, the perseverance to sift through the details of arguments and testimony and deliberation, the courage to articulate and act upon their convictions, and the sense of humor that all of us need to get through our day. Bestow upon us Your spirit, and as a new year and a new Session begin, renew our hearts, renew our minds, renew our spirits. Amen."
"Thank you, Rabbi Marks and Pastor Clifton. The Illinois National Guard will assist in the Pledge of Allegiance. And would the Dean of the House, Representative Ralph Capparelli, lead this group with the Pledge of Allegiance. Please rise for the posting of the colors and the Pledge of Allegiance."
"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."
"I would like to thank the Illinois National Guard Honor Guard for their presentation here today. You may be 3 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001 seated, all who may be able to find a seat. For the duration of the organizational proceedings, I have appointed the following provisional officers: as Provisional Clerk, Mr. Tony Rossi, and as Provisional Doorkeeper, Mr. Lee Crawford, and as Provisional Parliamentarian, Mr. Robert Uhe. Also, we have... having joined with us today, are many distinguished people here in Illinois, and I'd like now to recognize them: United States Senator Dick Durbin, Lieutenant Governor Corrine Wood, Comptroller Dan Hynes, Treasurer Judy Barr Topinka. The Provisional Clerk will call the roll of Members elected to the 92nd General Assembly. The roll will be called in alphabetical order, as certified by the State Board of Elections. We will now proceed with the Attendance Roll Call. And if the Members will please answer 'present'. Mr. Clerk, please call the roll."
"Edward Acevedo."
"Present."
"Suzanne Bassi."
"Present."
"Mark Beaubien."
"Present."
"Patricia Bellock."
"Present."
"Tom Berns."
"Present."
"Bob Biggins."
"Present."
"William Black."
"Present."
"Michael Boland."
"Present." 4 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001
"Mike Bost."
"Present."
"Richard Bradley."
"Present."
"Dan Brady."
"Present."
"Jim Brosnahan."
"Present."
"Joel Brunsvold."
"Present."
"Bob Bugielski."
"Present."
"Dan Burke."
"Present."
"Ralph Capparelli."
"Present."
"Annazette Collins."
"Present."
"Elizabeth Coulson."
"Present."
"Mary Lou Cowlishaw."
"Present."
"Tom Cross."
"Present."
"Maggie Crotty."
"Present."
"Barbara Currie."
"Present."
"Julie Curry."
"Present."
"Lee Daniels."
"Present." 5 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001
"Tom Dart."
"Present."
"Monique Davis." Davis, M.: "Present."
"Steve Davis." Davis, S.: "Present."
"William Delgado."
"Present."
"Jim Durkin."
"Present."
"Judy Erwin."
"Present."
"Sara Feigenholtz."
"Present."
"Mary Flowers."
"Present."
"Gary Forby."
"Present."
"Jim Fowler."
"Present."
"Jack Franks."
"Present."
"John Fritchey."
"Present."
"Susan Garrett."
"Present."
"Calvin Giles."
"Present."
"Kurt Granberg."
"Present."
"Julie Hamos."
"Present." 6 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001
"Gary Hannig."
"Present."
"Charles Hartke."
"Present."
"Brent Hassert."
"Present."
"Doug Hoeft."
"Present."
"Jay Hoffman."
"Present."
"Tom Holbrook."
"Present."
"Connie Howard."
"Present."
"Randy Hultgren."
"Present."
"Tom Johnson."
"Present."
"John Jones." Jones, J.: "Present."
"Lou Jones." Jones, L.: "Present."
"Shirley Jones." Jones, S.: "Present."
"Howard Kenner."
"Present."
"Gwenn Klingler."
"Present."
"Renee Kosel."
"Present."
"Carolyn Krause."
"Present." 7 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001
"Rosemary Kurtz."
"Present."
"Lou Lang."
"Present."
"Ron Lawfer."
"Present."
"David Leitch."
"Present."
"Patricia Lindner."
"Present.
"Eileen Lyons." Lyons, E.: "Present."
"Joe Lyons." Lyons, J.: "Present."
"Michael Madigan."
"Present."
"Sidney Mathias."
"Present."
"Frank Mautino."
"Present."
"Karen May."
"Present."
"Michael McAuliffe."
"Present."
"Kevin McCarthy."
"Present."
"Jack McGuire."
"Present."
"Larry McKeon."
"Present."
"Susana Mendoza."
"Present." 8 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001
"Jim Meyer."
"Present."
"David Miller."
"Present."
"Bill Mitchell." Mitchell, B.: "Present."
"Jerry Mitchell." Mitchell, J.: "Present."
"Don Moffitt."
"Present."
"Andrea Moore."
"Present."
"Charles Morrow."
"Present."
"Rosemary Mulligan."
"Present."
"Harold Murphy."
"Present."
"Rich Myers."
"Present."
"Phil Novak."
"Present."
"Mary Kay O'Brien."
"Present."
"William O'Connor."
"Present."
"Tim Osmond."
"Present."
"Harry Osterman."
"Present."
"Carole Pankau."
"Present." 9 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001
"Terry Parke."
"Present."
"Vince Persico."
"Present."
"Raymond Poe."
"Present."
"Dan Reitz."
"Present."
"Dale Righter."
"Present."
"Dan Rutherford."
"Present."
"Robert Ryan."
"Present."
"Tom Ryder."
"Present."
"'Skip' Saviano."
"Present."
"Timothy Schmitz."
"Present."
"Jeff Schoenberg."
"Present."
"Doug Scott."
"Present."
"George Scully."
"Present."
"Ricca Slone."
"Present."
"Mike Smith."
"Present."
"Keith Sommer."
"Present." 10 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001
"Cynthia Soto."
"Present."
"Ron Stephens."
"Present."
"Todd Stroger."
"Present."
"Art Tenhouse."
"Present."
"Art Turner." Turner, A.: "Present."
"John Turner." Turner, J.: "Present."
"Ron Wait."
"Present."
"Rick Winkel."
"Present."
"David Winters."
"Present."
"David Wirsing."
"Present."
"Kay Wojcik."
"Present."
"Karen Yarbrough."
"Present."
"Wyvetter Younge."
"Present."
"Anne Zickus."
"Present."
"Thank you, Mr. Clerk, 118 Representatives-elect have answered the roll in... in being in attendance. A quorum is present, and the House of Representatives of the 92nd General Assembly is officially convened. The Provisional 11 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001 Clerk will enter the attendance in the Journal. I now have the honor of presenting the former Member of this chamber, the Honorable Alan J. Greiman, Justice of the Illinois Appellate Court, who will administer the constitutional oath of office, following which, Members shall execute the written oath on the desk to be filed in my office. Justice Greiman."
Justice Greiman: "Good morning. If each Member would stand at their desk. Raise your right hand, and repeat after me, 'I', and state your name, 'do solemnly swear affirm, that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Illinois, and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of Representative in the General Assembly, according to the best of my ability.' Congratulations to you."
"Let us not be become too emotional. Again, will the Members of the House please execute the written oath and submit them to the Provisional Clerk. The Members should execute their signature on all four copies and pass the oaths toward the center of the aisles. There will be a person at the center aisle that will collect them, so that you don't have to come to the well. The House will be at ease for a few moments while you carry out the signing of your oath. All persons except Members and authorized staff are asked to withdraw from the chambers. Thank you for your cooperation. I might mention, there is a closed circuit television in Rooms 114, 115, and 118 on the first floor. All Members who... all individuals who are not authorized to be on the floor, must withdraw from the floor of the House immediately. You may see these proceedings in the following rooms: Room 114, 115, and 118 on the first floor. Only the Members of the House are entitled to the 12 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001 floor. May I have your attention, please. In order for us to continue, we respectfully ask that everyone who is not entitled to the floor, please go to Rooms 114, 115, or 118 on the first floor. Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, we respectfully ask that you move to Rooms 114, 115, and 118, so we can continue these proceedings, so we can conclude our business in a timely fashion. Ladies and gentlemen, we're still waiting for you to leave the chamber and go to Rooms 114, 115, and 118, so we can begin our proceedings. We'd like to conclude our work in a timely fashion. We would like the Members of this Body to assist us in asking your family members and friends to go immediately to Rooms 114, 115, and 118, so we can conclude our work in a timely fashion. We need your cooperation; we want to move forward. Ladies and gentlemen, will the guests please clear the aisles, and also, please remove themselves in a respectful manner from this chamber. We want to move forward; we need your cooperation. Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, we respectfully ask that if you're not a Member of this Body, that you will please remove yourself from the chamber. We want to move forward. We have some pressing business ahead of us; we have to elect a Speaker of this wonderful Body, but we cannot do it if you're in this chamber. So, please, the center aisle, we'd like to have that clear, the aisle to the right where the Democrats are, the aisle to the left where the Republicans are. Please, assist us in the process of getting individuals off the floor of this House. Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, we're almost there, so we still have about another 40 people here who are not authorized to be in the chamber, so please remove yourselves and go down to Rooms 114, 115, and 118, and you can see the rest of these proceedings on 13 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001 closed circuit television, and then you can join your loved ones shortly after they... we've completed our work. I would ask the cooperation of the Representatives to assist us in this effort to clear the floor of the House. Thank you. I would now ask all of the Representatives to take their seats, all Representatives, please, take your seat. Representative Giles, will you please take your seat, Sir. All right, Ladies and Gentlemen, we are prepared to take up the business of the House. May I have your attention, please. Under Article IV, Section 6(b), of the Constitution, the first order of business of this House is the election from its Members, a Speaker as presiding officer. The House is now con... governed by the Rules of the House of the 91st General Assembly, which are made applicable to these proceedings by Section 3 of the General Assembly Operations Act. These Rules provide that the person receiving the majority of the votes of the Members elected shall be declared Speaker. Therefore, 60 votes in favor of a nominee shall be required to be elected Speaker. Debate will not be in order following nominations and proceedings during the vote. Nominations are now in order for the Office of Speaker. The Gentleman from Cook, Representative Capparelli, is recognized to offer a nomination. Representative Capparelli."
"Thank you, Secretary White. It's with great honor that I, once again, have the privilege to nominate Michael J. Madigan for Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives. I have known Mike for more than 30 years. When he first came to Springfield in 1970, serving in 1971, he proved himself to be an outstanding Legislator. His respect for the process, and for the institution of Illinois House has made him an outstanding leader. As our 14 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001 House Leader, Mike has worked hard to build a consensus, as ensure that fair treatment for every region of the state, his commitment to bipartisan politics, and cooperation and fairness in the legislative process is unprecedented. Ours is a diverse House. It tends to disagree from time to time, but Michael has always worked hard to maximize the strengths of our diversity by reaching a common ground through compromise. Mike Madigan is a true friend of the working family. It is for this reason, and for many other reasons that I will not elaborate, that I nominate Mike Madigan, once again be Speaker of the House for the 92nd General Assembly, and to lead us in being the new Speaker for the new millennium. So, Mike, I wish you Godspeed, and good luck, and good health, so you can ensure us through the new millennium. Thank you."
"The Gentleman from Cook, Representative Capparelli, places the nomination the name of the Gentleman from Cook, Michael J. Madigan, for Speaker of the House. Is there a second nomination? The Chair recognizes the Lady from Cook, Representative Erwin."
"Thank you, Secretary White. Distinguished colleagues, family, and friends, I am proud to second the nomination of Michael J. Madigan, as Speaker of the House for the 92nd General Assembly. As we raise our hands in the oath of office today, we are united in our commitment to public service. And yet, as Representative Capparelli just said, if we took a mirror to this chamber we would see the diversity that is Illinois. We are male, female, Republican, Democrat. It is the face of Illinois, with all of its geographic, racial, sexual orientation, and religious diversity. Somehow, out of all of this, really celebration and challenge of diversity, Mike Madigan 15 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001 builds, and will build again, a successful record for every part of this state, most importantly, for those among our citizens who are the most vulnerable; the poor, the elderly, the disenfranchised, and the sick. Harry Truman put it simply, 'A leader's gotta lead.' Mike Madigan does that every day of the week for the Illinois House. And while some of our friends and family that are here today might be shocked to learn that we, even I, don't always agree with the Speaker. Imagine that. I hope we never, ever confuse agreement with leadership. For indeed, it is a true leader who can build consensus and find and seek solutions where there is no agreement. At a time when, there is indeed, a national and state call for bipartisan cooperation, I thought it fitting to choose words from... choose words that describe Mike Madigan, but come from no less than a Republican. President Theodore Roosevelt said, 'It is not the critic who counts, the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or how or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, who strives valiantly, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at best knows the triumph of high achievement and at worse, if he fails, he fails while daring greatly.' I am privileged to second the nomination of a great leader for Illinois, and for this House, Michael J. Madigan."
"The Chair recognizes the Gentleman from Cook, Representative Turner." Turner, A.: "Thank you, Mr. Secretary. And if I could borrow your glasses, it might be helpful, but you know, a few years ago, we... neither one of us needed them. But I'm, indeed, honored to be here today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and Members of the House. Today marks the first day of the 16 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001 92nd General Assembly, a new beginning full of promise and endless opportunities to extend prosperity to Illinois families in every corner of our great state. First, I offer my congratulations to everyone here today. Your constituents have voiced their confidence in your ability to lead, and have entrusted you with their hopes, and the privilege to serve them here in the State Legislature. With the conclusion of the hard fought and bitterly divisive 2000 elections, it is now time to end the partisan rancor and to allow the healing process to begin. Illinois families desperately want their elected Representatives to cast aside partisan differences to address the issues that matter most; improving our schools, reforming health care, reducing prescription costs, and holding government accountable. Over the past four years, we have made great strides because Speaker Madigan has demonstrated his strong commitment to bipartisan corporation (sic-cooperation). Four years ago, Speaker Madigan made history when he appointed Republicans to cochair several House Committees composed of an equal number of Democrats and Republicans. Under Mike's leadership, Republicans were also granted a committee chairmanship, and a majority on an important House Committee. Michael Madigan's renewed commitment to fairness and cooperation have born fruits for the people of Illinois. We strengthen consumer protection by passing a Patient's Bill of Rights. We've helped make prescriptions more affordable for seniors by expanding the Circuit Breaker Program. We've helped lessen the burden of Illinois taxpayers by passing nearly $900 million in tax relief over the past four years. Michael Madigan has proven that bipartisan corporation (sic-cooperation) can make a difference in State Government. I believe we need a 17 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001 Speaker who is committed to fairness and equity in the legislative process. We need a Speaker who allows both Democrats and Republicans to advance their legislative agenda, one who allows liberals, moderates, and conservatives to pursue their goals, and represent their constituents, one who looks beyond regionalism, and treat downstaters, suburbanites, and Chicagoans with fairness and respect. It is for these reasons that I second the nomination of Michael J. Madigan, for Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives. Under his leadership, we have all learned that bipartisan corporation (sic-cooperation) and compromise, can accomplish a great deal. Mike Madigan is a man of integrity, who always keeps his word. I am confident that Mike Madigan will go down in history as one of our greatest Legislative Leaders, recognized for his commitment to build consensus, and to advance our common goals. I therefore stand to second the nomination of Michael J. Madigan, for Speaker of the House."
"The Chair recognizes the Gentleman from Winnebago, Representative Scott."
"Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary, honored guests, from my colleagues and Ladies and Gentlemen. I also rise to second the nomination made by the Gentleman from Cook, and I'm proud to do so. It doesn't happen very often, but every once in awhile, we meet someone who's synonymous with an organization or an institution. Michael J. Madigan is just such a person, and because of that, he carries a reputation outside of that institution, this House. So, like most of you, I heard about Michael J. Madigan before I met him. I'd heard about this typical, gregarious, backslapping politician guy who's overly emotional, always 18 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001 cracking wise, tough to get focused, but immersed in the minutia of complex issues, you know, a policy wonk. All right, so none of us really heard that about Speaker Madigan before we got here, but I did hear a lot about him from my predecessor, the late great Representative Zeke Giorgi. I heard about a Speaker who is incredibly hard working, dedicated to the institution that he serves, and to the needs of its Members, and Zeke was right about that. I also heard about a man who is dedicated to his wonderful family, but also to the issues that help other families do what they have to do to be able to succeed; get good jobs, go to good schools, find affordable, decent housing and affordable health care, and I also heard about a leader. It's not an easy task to lead this Body, as Representative Erwin said, but it's not supposed to be. Illinois is a large, very diverse state. Not only are we very different people, but we represent areas that have very different assets and concerns. Trying to move this Body forward, while respecting those differences, is a job that is done amazingly well by our Speaker. If you can make the case that your district requires you to vote a certain way, that's respected, and I appreciate that. I also appreciate, as Representative Turner said, that in the last four years, a lot of the partisan rancor has been turned down, thanks to shared chairmanships, bipartisan chairmanships, and calling Bills that all of us introduce. That allows all of us to focus more on important issues, and to do more work for our constituents. All the issues aren't earthshattering, but they're important to your district, to a group of people, or to perhaps just one person that needs some help from the State Government. Thomas Wentworth Higginson wrote in 1871, that 'great men 19 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001 are rarely isolated mountain peaks, they're summits of ranges', and so it is with Speaker Madigan, a tireless worker, a dedicated family man, a person who has had the skills and drive to lead this Body for the better part of two decades, and a person who cares greatly about this institution. Yes, Zeke was right, as he very often was. Michael J. Madigan is a friend to Illinois, a friend to Rockford, and a friend to me, and it gives me an honor to second the nomination of Michael J. Madigan for another term as Speaker of this great House. Thank you."
"Are there further nominations for the office of Speaker? The Chair recognizes the Gentleman from Adams, Representative Tenhouse."
"Thank you, Secretary White, it's good to have you back to the Illinois House."
"Thank you."
"Ladies and Gentlemen of the House, and distinguished guests, as we celebrate this very special day under the gaze of Abraham Lincoln, our nation's greatest president and leader, I think of his humility in public service. Upon becoming president, Lincoln said, 'I happen, temporarily, to occupy this big White House. I'm living witness that any one of your children may look to come here as my father's child has. To every father and mother's child, congratulations.' Remember, the Illinois House is where Lincoln's political roots were anchored. He served as Minority Leader of this great Body. I'm honored today to nominate a Legislator, who like Lincoln, knows that real victory in the House is the product of good public policy, not political advantage. I admire most, the Legislator who's unafraid to battle for a just cause, whether it's politically popular or not. The Legislator who prizes 20 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001 teamwork and cooperation, a Legislator and leader who believes in nurturing the potential of colleagues and staff, my friend and leader, Lee A. Daniels, is that model of excellence. As House Speaker, Lee Daniels led the fight to reform Chicago's public schools, then the nation's worst; today, among the most improved. Why? Not for political gain, that's for sure, Lee did it for the kids. And when in the Minority, Lee led the fight for school construction grants, he did it for the kids. Time and again, Leader Daniels has led the fight for our children, for the disabled, and for the taxpayer. There's no one here who is more devoted to the protection of those least able to protect themselves. As a parent, Lee knows the challenges and opportunities for persons with disabilities, and he's a strong leader in the heat of political battle. Despite a Democratic Presidential sweep in Illinois, Leader Daniels successfully protected every Republican seat. And he will lead us to victory again. Under Lee Daniels leadership, we learn that public policy and people are always most important. Let it be said, that today we resolved to put the people first, that we joined together to elect Lee A. Daniels, as Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives. Secretary White, I'm honored to place in nomination the name of Lee A. Daniels as Speaker of the 92nd General Assembly."
"The Gentleman from Adams, Representative Tenhouse, places in nomination the name of the Gentleman from DuPage, Lee A. Daniels for Speaker of the House. Is there a second nomination? The Chair recognizes the Lady from Cook, Representative Coulson."
"Thank you, Mr. Secretary. And... you used to be my state Representative, and thank you for service. Ladies 21 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001 and Gentlemen, distinguished colleagues and guests, I rise to second the nomination of Lee A. Daniels as Speaker of the House. During my time in this Body, Lee has demonstrated not only strong leadership, but also a willingness and an ability to listen to Members. He has always been interested in new ideas, and in encouraging Members to provide particular... pursue particular interests in their... for their district, or for their constituents. I know, for example, in health care, he has been very supportive of innovative, cost-effective reforms, and in thinking outside the box. That's been very helpful to the people of the State of Illinois. We were able to pass a very strong prescription drug benefits Bill for seniors in the last Session, because of his leadership. The people of Illinois are well served by his leadership, and his very, very hard work, and diligence in being our Speaker, our leader. Four years ago, on my very first day as a Legislator, my first speech, my first words, were to second Lee's nomination as our Speaker. And I'm pleased and honored, at this time, to again, have the opportunity to second the nomination of Lee A. Daniels for Speaker of the House. Thank you."
"The Chair recognizes the Gentleman from Cook, Representative O'Connor."
"Thank you, Mr. Secretary, Members of the House. I also rise to second the Motion, to place the name of Lee A. Daniels in nomination, to lead this Body as Speaker for the next two years. I believe that he has the experience, and the personality to lead each Member of this chamber, and the willingness to do so. In proposing him, like the prior speakers, I am mindful of the differences among the Members of this chamber, of political party, of background and 22 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001 experience, of race, of ethnicity, of region, indeed, of goals, of attitudes, and of philosophy. But in spite of those differences, we share a common value. In this chamber, each Member fervently desires what is best for Illinois. Each Member is acutely aware of the enormous task before us, of allocating scarce state resources in a changing economic climate, of fostering our system of education, of redistricting, of protecting our precious natural and human resources, especially protecting those among us who need it most, our children, our seniors, our developmentally disabled, our poor. Always cognizant of the simple fact that Illinois businesses feed Illinois families, Lee Daniels understands that it is working men and working women who built Illinois, and whose concerns, thoughts, and insights must be respected and addressed. And when we cannot agree in this chamber, as sometimes happens, Lee Daniels is content to trust to the wisdom of the Body, and let it decide the appropriate course. I am happy to second the nomination of Lee A. Daniels for Speaker. I believe he can listen, not only to the individual needs of each Member of this chamber, but to the needs of Illinois. Not only is he capable of rectifying the problems that arise among us, here, he can act for Illinois. Finally, he understands the simple covenant that binds all of us in this chamber, irrespective of where we stand on an individual issue. Each and every one of us loves Illinois, and each and every one of us wishes that our state shine, among all the states of the Union. Thank you, Mr. Secretary."
"The Gentleman from Cook, Representative Capparelli places in nomination the name of the Gentleman from Cook, Michael J. Madigan, for Speaker of the House. The Lady from Cook, 23 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001 Representative Erwin, the Gentleman from Cook, Representative Turner, the Gentleman from Winnebago, Representative Scott, second the nomination of Representative Michael J. Madigan for the Office of Speaker. Representative Madigan is nominated for the Office of Speaker. The Gentleman from Adams, Representative Tenhouse, places in nomination the name of the Gentleman from DuPage, Lee A. Daniels, for Speaker of the House. The Lady from Cook, Representative Coulson, and the Gentleman from Cook, Representative O'Connor, seconds the nomination of Representative Lee A. Daniels for Office of Speaker. Representative Daniels is nominated for the Office of Speaker. Are there further nominations for the Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives? There being no further nominations offered from the floor, nominations for the Office of Speaker is closed. The nominees for the Office of Speaker for the 92nd General Assembly are Representatives Michael J. Madigan, and Representative Lee A. Daniels. Representative Daniels."
"Mr. Speaker, Ladies and Gentlemen of the House. I think we all understand the realities of political events that are transpiring today. We fought hard in the last election, we fought for our beliefs, as did every Member of the House, and every Democrat and Republican in the House. On behalf of the Republican Members of the Illinois House, Mr. Secretary, we have moved that the election of Mr. Madigan be by acclamation. I would, of course, ask for one Member to withhold their vote, so I could be elected as the Minority Leader. We would make that in the Order of a Motion, Sir."
"The Representative Daniels has moved by acclamation for the election of Speaker Madigan for Speaker of the House of 24 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001 Representatives. Speaker Madigan."
"Mr. Secretary, presuming that Mr. Daniels' Motion is adopted, please record me as voting for Mr. Daniels."
"Mr. Clerk. There's a Motion on the floor to elect Michael J. Madigan as Speaker of the House. All in favor say 'aye'; all opposed say 'no'. The 'ayes' have it. And Speaker Madigan has been elected by acclamation. And on that question, Mr. Madigan receives 117 votes, and Mr. Daniels receive 1 vote. I hereby declare Michael J. Madigan as having been elected Speaker of the House of Representatives for the 92nd General Assembly, and Lee A. Daniels has been elected Minority Leader for the House of Representatives for the 92nd General Assembly. With consent of the House, I would appoint nine Members to constitute an Honor Committee to escort the Speaker to the rostrum to take his Constitutional oath. Is there leave? Leave having been granted, I appoint the following to be a part of the Escort Committee; Representative Edward Acevedo, Representative Shirley Jones, Representative Eileen Lyons, Representative Joseph Lyons, Representative Don Moffitt, Representative Mary Kay O'Brien, Representative Dan Reitz, Representative Doug Scott, Representative John Turner. Will the Committee of the Honor retire to the seat of Representative Michael J. Madigan to escort him to the rostrum? Since he has arrived here, he will... procedure is to administer the Constitutional oath of the Speaker. I have the honor, again, presenting to the House, the Honorable Alan J. Greiman, Justice of the Illinois Appellate Court. Joining the Justice Greiman, on the podium, are Members of Speaker Madigan's family, who will assist in the administering of 25 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001 the oath. Justice Greiman."
Justice Greiman: "Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Thank you, Mr. Secretary."
"Thank you."
Justice Greiman: "We have all the Madigan guys here, the daughters, all right. Mr. Speaker, if you'd raise your right hand..."
"I will."
"... and repeat after me. 'I', and state your name."
"I am Michael Madigan."
"Do solemnly swear."
"Do solemnly swear."
Justice Grieman: "That I will support the Constitution of the United States."
"That I will support the Constitution of the United States."
"And that I will faithfully discharge."
"And that I will faithfully discharge."
Justice Grieman: "The duties of Speaker of the House of Representatives."
Speaker Madigan: "The duties of Speaker of the House of Representatives."
"According to the best... (applause)."
"According to the best... Will the Committee of Escort previously appointed to escort the Speaker, assemble at the rostrum to escort the Honorable Jesse White, Secretary of State, from the podium. Mr. Secretary, we sincerely appreciate your service and the fine way in which we have conducted these proceedings. Thank you very much. Ladies and Gentlemen, before we proceed any further, let us introduce the Governor of the State of Illinois, George 26 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001 Ryan and his lovely wife, Lura Lynn."
"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Well, thank you, thank you very much. My... I just stopped by, we just elected the president of the Senate, and much to everybody's surprise, 'Pate' Philip was reelected. I had come to the Illinois House chamber today to congratulate all of you folks for being reelected and sworn in, to congratulate to Mike Madigan for the job that he's done, and for his reelection, to pledge my cooperation to both sides of the aisle, the Illinois House, and the Illinois General Assembly in working for the next two years together, to do the job that we need to do for the people of Illinois. And that's why I came by here today to say, thanks also, for the two years that we've had together, and the great things that we've been able to do because we have cooperated in a bipartisan fashion. And I look forward to two more years of that, and maybe even more, who knows. But I did want to come by and say congratulations to Mike Madigan, thank you very much."
"I want to thank the Governor for his visit and for his very kind and gracious comments and for his pledge of cooperation as we move into the 92nd General Assembly of the State of Illinois. Before I go any further, let me just introduce a few people who are either dignitaries with us today or very good friends of mine. Let me begin with my family, the person who makes all of this possible, the woman that I love very, very much, my wife Shirley; my daughter Lisa; my daughter Tiffany; my daughter Nicole, who is celebrating her 21st birthday today. I asked my son Andrew if he wanted to join us today or did he want to go to school and he told me that he thought he would go to school, he had been here before and he didn't think he 27 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001 would miss much. We're very pleased to have with us several justices from the Supreme Court. First the Chief Justice of the Court, Justice Moses Harrison; Justice Charles Freeman; Justice Mary Ann McMorrow; Justice Thomas Fitzgerald; Justice Thomas Kilbride. I believe that Loretta Durbin, wife of Senator Richard Durbin, is with us today and we would like to acknowledge her presence. So, Loretta, I believe she's here. The President of the Cook County Board, John Stroger and his wife Yonnie; the State's Attorney of Cook County, Richard Devine; the Recorder of Cook County, Gene Moore; newly elected Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Dorothy Brown; two members from the Cook County Board of Review, former Representative Joe Berrios, and Commissioner Robert Shaw; and former Assessor of Cook County, Tom Hynes; three members of the Olivo family, first, Alderman Frank Olivo of the 13th Ward; Karen Olivo; and Frank Olivo; the alderman of our neighboring ward, Tom Murphy from the 18th Ward. I want to make a promise and you know I'm usually good for my promises and my promise is to be very brief in these remarks. Today is my, is the beginning of my 31st year as a Member of the House of Representatives. And I heard some groans out there. As you can imagine, there have been many changes in this institution over 30 years. And just for simplicity's sake, let me say to those of you who are freshmen and who are very concerned about your office location, who will serve as your secretary, and the quality of your telephones, that when I was a freshman in 1971, we had none of those items. Okay? There were no offices, no secretaries and there were about 10 telephones outside of the chamber, 10 for the Democrats, 10 for the Republicans, to handle your telephone calls. So there have been 28 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001 significant changes over these many years, changes for the betterment of this institution and changes that greatly aid you in performing your duties as a State Representative. And let me take this opportunity to give proper credit to former Speaker, Bob Blair, who is the one who started us along the path of making this institution a truly professional place in which to work. I think that bipartisanship and cooperation has served us very well during the 90th and the 91st General Assembly. I think it ought to continue. It is my personal pledge to all of you that we will proceed in a spirit of bipartisanship and cooperation and obviously, I want and I need, all of your cooperation to accomplish that goal. I think it's very obvious that there'll be certain agenda items that we will work on. Obviously, we'll be concerned with this phenomenon called reapportionments. And for those of you who are new to that, fasten your seat belts. In light of the results of the Presidential election, I think we'll see many, many Bills, many, many ideas suggesting changes in the Illinois election law. And surprise, surprise, I think we'll spend a great deal of time talking about something called the educational funding formula. And lastly, we'll spend a lot of time concerned with the budget for the State of Illinois. I think it's pretty obvious that it will not be as easy to fashion our budget this year as it was during the last two years. But, the right amount of dedication and preparedness to compromise, I think we can get the job done. As we proceed to work our way through all of these issues, I would like everyone just to do two things. Number one, please remember that the Illinois Legislature is part of a federated system of government with a built-in system of separation of powers and checks and balances. As 29 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001 you remember that, always recognize the wisdom of our governmental system and the true greatness of this country where we live. Very recently, we experienced rather interesting few weeks in the aftermath of a Presidential election. Now, in that election, the candidate of my political party apparently carried the popular vote nationwide by over 500 thousand votes. But, the candidate of my party lost the election because he lost to the electoral college, because he lost the decision by the United States Supreme Court. In other countries, in other parts of the world, the election would have been taken to the streets. But here in the United States of America, my political party is proceeding in a civil and orderly fashion to help organize the government in Washington, D.C., headed by the other political party. This is truly, truly a great country that we live in. And a great country that we serve. God bless America. God bless all of you. Let us begin with our work. Thank you very much. The Chair recognizes Representative Daniels."
Leader Daniels: "Mr. Speaker, I would like to extend my congratulations to you and your caucus for your hard-fought victory in retaining the Majority. While I wish, personally, that the results of the elections were different I accept that the people have spoken and it is now our job to put our differences aside for the good of our great state. And with that in mind, Mr. Speaker, and Ladies and Gentlemen of the House, it is indeed an honor to accept the nomination as Republican Leader of the Illinois House of Representatives. I thank each and everyone of you for that honor. I'd like to take this opportunity to introduce to you parts of my family that are here. My wife Pam is here. Pam. And we are joined by our eldest 30 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001 daughter, Laurie. Laurie, who you have heard from before, past. Our daughter Rachel is in Florida with her husband and two children. Our daughter Julia is in Boston where she's studying to become a physician's assistant. Our son Tom is in Chicago working; he couldn't get off work, but he is a graduate of the University of Illinois, I'll have you know, for those of you that care. And our daughter Christina, Mr. Speaker, gave the similar answer to us; she's a senior at York High School. When asked if she would like to come, she said, 'Been there, done that.' I'm joined also by many public officials from DuPage County and parts of the state. We're honored, I believe, that our Congressman from the 10th District is still here, Congressman Mark Kirk. Congressman Kirk. The Chairman of the DuPage County Board, Bob Schillerstrom. Bob. Joe Birkett, the State's Attorney of DuPage County. Joel Kagann, the Clerk of the Circuit Court of DuPage County is here. Roger Jenisch, county board member of DuPage County. The great Mayor of the great City of Elmhurst, 'Gonnella Bread' himself, Mr. Tom Marcucci. John Milner, the chief of police of the City of Elmhurst. And, of course, Margot Schriver, the director of the Department of Aging is here with us today as well. And several of my personal friends are here. We're also joined by Jack Kubick and his wife, Aggie. Jack, as you know, is the director of the racing board and we're delighted, as a former Member, that he is joining us as well. Mr. Speaker, last Session the General Assembly accomplished many great things that I spoke about yesterday in the closing moments of the 91st General Assembly: like implementing the best senior assistance program in the nation, and providing increased educational opportunity and temporary property tax relief. We can 31 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001 share a collective pride in these accomplishments, but I think we can and should expect even bigger and better things now. If the problems the nation's witnessed in our Presidential election taught us anything, it's that the people want us to work more closely together. They want and deserve to have us set aside our personal and political differences for the sake of progress and accomplishment on behalf of all citizens of this great state. I'm reminded that Thomas Jefferson thought that as soon as he accepted the peoples' trust by taking public office, he became public property. We could learn a lesson from President Jefferson. The ideals of the people who elected us are no different today. They expect good things from us because we won our elections. We have been sworn in to represent the people of Illinois. It's as simple as that. And while the recent contest of opinions is now over, it's important to remember that everyone in this room is a winner. We won our races. Our constituents sent us to Springfield to represent them, not to engage in partisan bickering and to fall in trap to the lack of progress. It's only through rejecting the precepts of cooperation in public service that we fail to meet our mandate of leadership. Now that this chamber has been restored to historical standards, as you can see by the beautiful new accomplishments, accouterments, and the beautiful new draperies, we can all be reminded of the great statesmen and women of the past. People with vision and honor who put aside their differences for the people of Illinois and the good of Illinois. Look around you. This is a magnificent and honored place where giants of democracy once served. Our forefathers weathered some of the most troubled times known to mankind. Did they disagree and have political battles? 32 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001 Of course they did. That's part of democracy and this great institution. But in the end, we'll be measured by our accomplishments and not our differences. With that in mind, I will share with you a few of the House Republicans' objectives for the 92nd General Assembly; not to lay down the gauntlet, but rather to open the door to bipartisan efforts and cooperation. First, education, always first. It will come as no surprise to you that once again we will be seeking true reform and improvement in Illinois' education system. We're proud of our accomplishments of the past such as champion Chicago school reform, increasing downstate foundation level funding, promoting quality-based initiatives and advocating additional state funding to relieve the burden of property taxes. These improvements have resulted in our students learning and leading the nation in some areas, but not all. There are areas still need and still in need of vast improvements from increasing the number of teachers in classrooms to expanding the Great School Construction Grant Program that the state has implemented and I'm sure that there are many areas involving education where we can find common ground. We also plan to further expand the nation's preeminent senior citizen assistance program. While we can be proud of what we did for our greatest generation by expanding the Circuit Breaker Program last Session, I'm not satisfied and I'm sure you aren't either that we've gone far enough. For that reason House Republicans have introduced House Bill 5, which would increase the circuit breaker income limit to 35 thousand for a couple and expand the list of eligible drugs to cover even more diseases. Once again, improving on already the nation's best prescription drug program to make it even better. And I think we can all agree that it is 33 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001 time to sit down and examine campaign finance reform and ethics reform. I'm sure that there will be a number of proposals from which we can find agreement; if we have the will to act as one, I'm sure we will accomplish the result. And we must carefully and thoughtfully examine our state's electoral process. For example, my home county of DuPage County is now experimenting in the upcoming township elections with what is called optical scanning. This has proved to be a most effective and efficient way of making sure that every vote is counted. We are waiting to see the results of that experiment in April and we hope that this can be expanded further throughout the state to assure that Florida's mistakes are not repeated here. Can we improve our election laws overall in Illinois? I think we can and I think we must. So here we stand at another fork in the road, both leading toward an unknown tomorrow. One of those roads leads us to repeat the ways of the past where ironfisted rules allow a solitary Member to silence the collective voice of the Members of this House. The other road leads to an honest and open debate where Members are allowed to articulate the view of their constituents. I ask each and every Member of this Assembly to reflect on the honored traditions of Lincoln and Douglas whose portraits are silent testimony to the greatness and the promise of this institution. Ask yourself, what would they do? Would they disenfranchise Illinois citizens or would they celebrate open and honest debate? So, Mr. Speaker, I know that we will continue to have our differences, but we owe it to our state, our family, and our future to seek that elusive common ground that is so difficult to maintain in a political world. As for me, I'm proud to accept the mantle of being House Republican Leader and pledge my 34 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001 loyalty to this august Body to find ways to bring us together. We must do so for our state, our communities, our families, and our futures. Once again, my congratulations to you on your continued service and your commitment to the people of Illinois. Like you, God bless America, God bless Illinois, and God bless this institution."
"The next order of business is the election of the Chief Clerk. The Gentleman from Rock Island, Mr. Brunsvold."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move for the immediate consideration and suspension of the applicable House Rules, the adoption of House Resolutions 1, 2, and 3."
Speaker Madigan: "You've all heard the Gentleman's Motion. All in favor will say 'aye'; all those opposed say 'no'. The 'ayes' have it, and the Motion is adopted. The Gentleman from Rock Island, Mr. Brunsvold."
"Mr. Speaker, I move for the adoption of House Resolution 1, a Resolution for the election of Tony Rossi as Chief Clerk, Brad Bolin as Assistant Clerk, and Lee Crawford as Doorkeeper. The Resolutions are on the Clerk's desk."
"Resolutions. Mr. Provisional Clerk, read the Resolution."
"House Resolution #1, be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the 92nd General Assembly, the State of Illinois, that the following officers are hereby elected for the term of the 92nd General Assembly; Tony Rossi as Chief Clerk of the House, Brad Bolin as Assistant Clerk of the House, and Lee Crawford as Doorkeeper of the House."
Speaker Madigan: "On the Resolution, the Gentleman from Rock Island, Mr. Brunsvold." 35 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001
"Mr. Speaker, I move for the adoption of House Resolution #1."
"The Gentleman has moved the adoption of House Resolution #1. All in favor signify by saying 'aye'; all those opposed by saying 'no'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it, and the Resolution is adopted. Pursuant to House Resolution 1, the Chair declares Tony Rossi elected as the Chief Clerk of the House for the 92nd General Assembly. The Chair further declares that Brad Bolin is declared elected as the Assistant Clerk of the House for the 92nd General Assembly. And then, Lee Crawford is declared elected as the Doorkeeper of the House for the 92nd General Assembly. Do these gentlemen accept the offices to which they have been elected? They've all nodded their heads 'yes'. The Gentleman from Rock Island, Mr. Brunsvold, is recognized to offer a Resolution."
"Mr. Speaker, I move for the adoption of House Resolution #2, to direct the Clerk to inform the Senate that the House has organized."
Speaker Madigan: "The Gentleman has moved the adoption of House Resolution 2. This is the traditional notification to the other chamber that this Body is prepared to do the people's business. The Gentleman from Rock Island, Mr. Brunsvold, is recognized to offer a Resolution."
"Mr. Speaker, I move for the adoption of Resolution #3, for the appointment of a committee to attend the Governor and inform him that we are organized and await any commun... any communication he may have."
"The Gentleman has moved the adoption of the Resolution. This is another traditional, ceremonial procedure. Without objection, we can take both Motions on one vote. All in favor signify by saying 'aye'; all those 36 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001 opposed say 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it, and the Resolutions are adopted. Pursuant to House Resolution 3, I appoint the following committee to wait upon the Governor: Representative Edward Acevedo, Representative Shirley Jones, Representative Eileen Lyons, Representative Joe Lyons, Representative Don Moffitt, Representative Mary Kay O'Brien, Representative Dan Reitz, Representative Doug Scott, Representative John Turner. The Speaker needs in little help right now, and he's trying to find his Chief of Staff. Let me do it this way, we've... we've come to the item in the agenda where we announce the Leadership team, and for the Democrats, there'll be no change in the Leadership team, with the exception of the vacancy created by the departure of Edgar Lopez, and that decision will be deferred and made at a later time. Mr. Daniels."
"We had some volunteers for your Chief of Staff, but Tim... I see Tim showed up. And the one thing that we've noticed already is we both have the same problem, so we start the same... the Session the same way. So, Mr. Speaker, Ladies and Gentlemen of the House, I'd like to designate the leaders for the 92nd General Assembly, which are the same as served in the 91st. To reiterate, the Deputy Republican Leaders are the great Art Tenhouse and Tom Ryder. It's just a small applause for you. For Assistant Republican Leaders, Bill Black. Where would we be without your verbiage, Bill? Tom Cross. David Leitch. Dan Rutherford. Ron Stephens. Kay Wojcik. And for the Conference Chair, that calls all those House Republican Caucuses, and I'm sure will cause... call many more this year, Pat Lindner."
Speaker Madigan: "Mr. Daniels, we in the Democratic Majority, 37 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001 think that Pat Lindner is overworked. And I'd like to recognize a real veteran of the Legislature wars, former President of the Senate, Senator Phil Rock. Phil. And we're pleased to see that Larry Woolard is back already. Will the Members please stand for the Benediction. We'll be led in the Benediction by Father Chiola of the Blessed Sacrament Church in Springfield, Illinois."
"... of peace, seeker and searcher of hearts, power, for every good we seek to do, hear our prayer. We come to You, source of our peace, and ask Your protection for these women and men. We ask, especially, for protection from unjust criticism. We ask that their fellow citizens respect their duty to discern the common good. And we pray, that You'll give these Representatives the wisdom to discern that good, so that the citizens of our state may live together in Your peace. You search our hearts, and You know us. Search the hearts of those who serve in this House, cast Your light upon the darkness of their fears. Give them Your strength so that the specter of re-election will not overpower them. Rather, grant them the courage to bring together what competing interests may drive apart. Give them a desire to be an example to the youth who seek to enter public service. May this desire guide their every decision. You are the power, for our doing every good. Grant these men and women the grace to live their public lives without neglecting either their personal conscience, or their families. Make them faithful to their personal commitments. May the good they accomplish through public office reflect the depth of life and love You bestow upon them in their private lives. Thus, may the common good they seek reflect both the fullness of their hearts and the abundance of Your peace. 38 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001 We ask this of You, who are but one God, yet thrice blessed, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen."
Speaker Madigan: "Thank you very much, Father. The Chair recognizes Representative Brunsvold."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I now move that the House stand adjourned until Thursday, January 11, 2001, at the hour of 10:00 a.m. And allowing perfunctory time for the Clerk, for introduction of Bills."
Speaker Madigan: "The Gentleman's Motion is that the House shall stand adjourned until Thursday, January 11 at 10:00 a.m. Those in favor say 'aye'; those opposed say 'no'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. The Motion is adopted. The House stands in Perfunctory Session, and will convene tomorrow at 10:00 a.m."
Clerk Rossi:"House Perfunctory Session will come to order. House Bill 1, filed by Representative Hoffman, a Bill for an Act in relation to child death review. House Bill 2, offered by Representative Novak, a Bill for an Act in relation to alternate fuels. House Bill 3, offered by Representative Daniels, a Bill for an Act in relation to taxes. House Bill 4, offered by Representative Daniels, a Bill for an Act concerning taxation. House Bill 5, offered by Representative Daniels, a Bill for an Act to amend the Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons Property Tax Relief and Pharmaceutical Assistance Act. House Bill 6, offered by Representative Daniels, a Bill for an Act concerning taxation. House Bill 7, offered by Representative Daniels, a Bill for an Act to amend the Illinois Income Tax Act. House Bill 8, offered by Representative Daniels, a Bill for an Act to amend the Unemployment Insurance Act. House Bill 9, offered by Representative Parke, a Bill for an Act to amend the Unified Code of Corrections. House Bill 10, 39 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001 offered by Representative Cowlishaw, a Bill for an Act in relation to vehicles. House Bill 11, offered by Representative Bill Mitchell, a Bill for an Act in relation to vehicles. House Bill 12, offered by Representative Mathias, a Bill for an Act to amend the School Code. House Bill 13, offered by Representative Daniels, a Bill for an Act to amend the Illinois Income Tax Act. House Bill 14, offered by Representative Parke, a Bill for an Act to amend the Unemployment Insurance Act. House Bill 15, offered by Representative Winkel, a Bill for an Act regarding taxation. House Bill 16, offered by Representative Granberg, a Bill for an Act in relation to disabled persons. House Bill 17, offered by Representative Bill Mitchell, a Bill for an Act in relation to taxation. House Bill 18, offered by Representative Daniels, a Bill for an Act concerning bonds. House Bill 19, offered by Representative Schoenberg, a Bill for an Act concerning the allocation of telephone numbers. House Bill 20, offered by Representative Schoenberg, a Bill for an Act in relation to vehicles. House Bill 21, offered by Representative Lyons, a Bill for an Act to amend the Illinois Vehicle Code. House Bill 22, offered by Representative Cowlishaw, a Bill for an Act to create the Water Conservation Act. House Bill 23, offered by Representative Feigenholtz, a Bill for an Act concerning children's health care. House Bill 24, offered by Representative Franks, a Bill for an Act concerning pharmaceutical assistance. House Bill 25, offered by Representative Feigenholtz, a Bill for an Act in relation to public aid. House Bill 26, offered by Representative Black, a Bill for an Act to amend the Private Detective, Private Alarm, Private Security and Locksmith Act. House Bill 27, offered by Representative Black, a Bill for an Act 40 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001 concerning the demolition of unsafe buildings. House Bill 28, offered by Representative Black, a Bill for an Act concerning police and fire fighters. House Bill 29, offered by Representative Delgado, a Bill for an Act to amend the Unified Code of Corrections. House Bill 30, offered by Representative Brunsvold, a Bill for an Act to amend the Workers' Compensation Act. House Bill 31, offered by Representative McKeon, a Bill for an Act in relation to public aid. House Bill 32, offered by Representative McKeon, a Bill for an Act to amend the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act. House Bill 33, offered by Representative McKeon, a Bill for an Act to amend the Condominium Property Act. House Bill 34, offered by Representative McKeon, a Bill for an Act to amend the Illinois Human Rights Act. House Bill 35, offered by Representative McKeon, a Bill for an Act making appropriations. House Bill 36, offered by Representative Poe, a Bill for an Act concerning agricultural development. House Bill 37, offered by Representative Poe, a Bill for an Act making appropriations. House Bill 38, offered by Representative Poe, a Bill for an Act making appropriations. House Bill 39, offered by Representative Poe, a Bill for an Act making appropriations. House Bill 40, offered by Representative Bellock, a Bill for an Act in relation to aging. House Bill 41, offered by Representative Stephens, a Bill for an Act to amend the Unified Code of Corrections. House Bill 42, offered by Representative Stephens, a Bill for an Act making an appropriation to the Department of Corrections. House Bill 43, offered by Representative Lawfer, a Bill for an Act in relation to agricultural development. House Bill 44, offered by Representative Lawfer, a Bill for an Act concerning private 41 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001 property. House Bill 45, offered by Representative Bill Mitchell, a Bill for an Act in relation to taxation. House Bill 46, offered by Representative Burke, a Bill for an Act concerning window guards and guard rails in commercial and residential buildings. House Bill 47, offered by Representative Burke, a Bill for an Act to amend the Residential Mortgage License Act. House Bill 48, offered by Representative Burke, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation of surgical assistants. House Bill 49, offered by Representative Parke, a Bill for an Act in relation to the regulation of professions. House Bill 50, offered by Representative Parke, a Bill for an Act concerning tobacco settlement proceeds. House Bill 51, offered by Representative Parke, a Bill for an Act to amend the Illinois Vehicle Code. House Bill 52, offered by Representative Parke, a Bill for an Act to amend the Humane Care of Animals Act. House Bill 53, offered by Representative Parke, a Bill for an Act to amend the Humane Care of Animals Act. House Bill 54, offered by Representative Parke, a Bill for an Act concerning taxes. House Bill 55, offered by Representative Parke, a Bill for an Act to amend the Unified Code of Corrections. House Bill 56, offered by Representative Parke, a Bill for an Act to amend the Unemployment Insurance Act. House Bill 57, offered by Representative Parke, a Bill for an Act in relation to taxes. House Bill 58, offered by Representative Parke, a Bill for an Act to amend the Illinois Income Tax Act. House Bill 59, offered by Representative Bill Mitchell, a Bill for an Act to amend the Motor Fuel and Petroleum Standards Act. House Bill 60, offered by Representative Black, a Bill for an Act concerning carnivals. House Bill 61, offered by Representative 42 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001 Feigenholtz, a Bill for an Act concerning Pet Friendly license plates. House Bill 62, offered by Representative Granberg, a Bill for an Act in relation to the Metro-East Sports Facilities Authority. House Bill 63, offered by Representative Granberg, a Bill for an Act in relation to coal. House Bill 64, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act to amend certain Acts in relation to mental health. House Bill 65, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act to amend the Abused and Neglected Long Term Care Facility Residents Reporting Act. House Bill 66, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act to amend the Children and Family Services Act. House Bill 67, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act to amend the Election Code. House Bill 68, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act in relation to defendants found not guilty by reason of insanity. House Bill 69, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act to amend the Illinois Income Tax Act. House Bill 70, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act to amend the Illinois Income Tax Act. House Bill 71, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act relating to simulated voting by minors. House Bill 72, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act to amend the Illinois Income Tax Act. House Bill 73, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act to amend the Illinois Vehicle Code. House Bill 74, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act making appropriations. House Bill 75, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act to amend the Code of Civil Procedure. House Bill 76, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act to amend the Toll Highway Act. House Bill 77, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act to 43 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001 amend the Toll Highway Act. House Bill 78, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act to amend the Toll Highway Act. House Bill 79, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act to amend the Illinois Insurance Code. House Bill 80, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act concerning liability for the provision of health care. House Bill 81, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act relating to education funding. House Bill 82, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act concerning education funding. House Bill 83, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act to amend the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act. House Bill 84, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act in relation to support. House Bill 85, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act regarding child support. House Bill 86, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act concerning State collection of debt. House Bill 87, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act in relation to taxes. House Bill 88, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act in relation to debt collection. House Bill 89, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act in relation to State loans. House Bill 90, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act to amend the Illinois Vehicle Code. House Bill 91, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act in relation to the operation of school buses. House Bill 92, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act to amend the Illinois Vehicle Code. House Bill 93, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act concerning State funds and funds received by State officials and employees. House Bill 94, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act to amend the Illinois Insurance Code. House Bill 95, 44 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001 offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act to amend the School Code. House Bill 96, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act to amend the Nursing Home Care Act. House Bill 97, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act in relation to health facilities. House Bill 98, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act creating a commission to study the problems and organic laws pertaining to local government. House Bill 99, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act amending the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act. House Bill 100, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act in relation to criminal law. House Bill 101, offered by Representative McKeon, a Bill for an Act to amend the Illinois Human Rights Act. House Bill 102, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act to amend the Illinois Act on aging. House Bill 103, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act to amend the Election Code. House Bill 104, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act to amend the Election Code. House Bill 105, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act in relation to the elderly. House Bill 106, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act making an appropriation to the Department of Public Aid. House Bill 107, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act to amend the Riverboat Gambling Act. House Bill 108, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act concerning education. House Bill 109, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act making an appropriation to the Department of Human Services. House Bill 110, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act in relation to health facilities. House Bill 111, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act to amend the 45 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001 Illinois Insurance Code. House Bill 112, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act in relation to the elderly. House Bill 113, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act in relation to aging. House Bill 114, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act concerning senior citizens and disabled persons. House Bill 115, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act making an appropriation to the Department of Human Services. House Bill 116, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act in relation to health. House Bill 117, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act in relation to health. House Bill 118, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act concerning Comptroller debt collection. House Bill 119, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act in relation to aging. House Bill 120, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act to amend the Illinois State Auditing Act. House Bill 121, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act to amend the Illinois State Collection Act. House Bill 122, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act in relation to the elderly. House Bill 123, offered by Representative Bellock, a Bill for an Act to amend the Illinois Vehicle Code. House Bill 124, offered by Representative Mulligan, a Bill for an Act to amend the Election Code. House Bill 125, offered by Representative Daniels, a Bill for an Act to amend the School Construction Law. House Bill 126, offered by Representative Daniels, a Bill for an Act in relation to controlled substances. House Bill 127, offered by Representative Black, a Bill for an Act concerning Hospice license plates. House Bill 128, offered by Representative Schoenberg, a Bill for an Act in relation to balanced budgets. House Bill 129, offered by 46 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001 Representative Schoenberg, a Bill for an Act in relation to the State budget. House Bill 130, offered by Representative Schoenberg, a Bill for an Act concerning health care facilities. House Bill 131, offered by Representative Schoenberg, a Bill for an Act concerning local government. House Bill 132, offered by Representative Schoenberg, a Bill for an Act in relation to highways. House Bill 133, offered by Representative Schoenberg, a Bill for an Act in relation to highways. House Bill 134, offered by Representative Schoenberg, a Bill for an Act in relation to highways. House Bill 135, offered by Representative Schoenberg, a Bill for an Act regarding highways. House Bill 136, offered by Representative Schoenberg, a Bill for an Act in relation to hate crimes. House Bill 137, offered by Representative Schoenberg, a Bill for an Act concerning Internet transactions. House Bill 138, offered by Representative Schoenberg, a Bill for an Act concerning open access for Internet services. House Bill 139, offered by Representative Schoenberg, a Bill for an Act concerning schools. House Bill 140, offered by Representative Schoenberg, a Bill for an Act regarding schools. House Bill 141, offered by Representative Schoenberg, a Bill for an Act concerning State budget stabilization. House Bill 142, offered by Representative Schoenberg, a Bill for an Act concerning State finances. House Bill 143, offered by Representative Black, a Bill for an Act concerning telephone solicitations. House Bill 144, offered by Representative Black, a Bill for an Act in relation to railroads. House Bill 145, offered by Representative Black, a Bill for an Act concerning the demolition of unsafe buildings. House Bill 146, offered by Representative Black, a Bill for an Act concerning police and fire fighters. 47 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001 House Bill 147, offered by Representative Black, a Bill for an Act concerning the use of Social Security numbers. House Bill 148, offered by Representative Black, a Bill for an Act to require criminal background checks of applicants for the position of peace officer. House Bill 149, offered by Representative Klingler, a Bill for an Act in relation to public employee benefits. House Bill 150, offered by Representative Bellock, a Bill for an Act to amend the Illinois Vehicle Code. House Bill 151, offered by Representative John Turner, a Bill for an Act concerning civil procedure. House Bill 152, offered by Representative Schmitz, a Bill for an Act to amend the Child Passenger Protection Act. House Bill 153, offered by Representative Mautino, a Bill for an Act to amend the Religious and Charitable Risk Pooling Trust Act. House Bill 154, offered by Representative Mautino, a Bill for an Act concerning scholarships. House Bill 155, offered by Representative Zickus, a Bill for an Act regarding the Structural Engineering Board. House Bill 156, offered by Representative Brosnahan, a Bill for an Act concerning civil procedure. House Bill 157, offered by Representative Dart, a Bill for an Act concerning liens. House Bill 158, offered by Representative Dart, a Bill for an Act concerning structural work. House Bill 159, offered by Representative Krause, a Bill for an Act concerning income taxes. House Bill 160, offered by Representative Cowlishaw, a Bill for an Act concerning income taxes. House Bill 161, offered by Representative Hannig, a Bill for an Act in relation to vehicles. House Bill 162, offered by Representative Wojcik, a Bill for an Act making appropriations. House Bill 163, offered by Representative Hartke, a Bill for an Act to amend the Illinois Petroleum 48 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001 Education and Marketing Act. House Bill 164, offered by Representative Hartke, a Bill for an Act to amend the Illinois Petroleum Education and Marketing Act. House Bill 165, offered by Representative Reitz, a Bill for an Act concerning coal. House Bill 166, offered by Representative Black, a Bill for an Act in relation to background checks. House Bill 167, offered by Representative Krause, a Bill for an Act concerning unemployment insurance. House Bill 168, offered by Representative Smith, a Bill for an Act concerning education. House Bill 169, offered by Representative Holbrook, a Bill for an Act to amend the Unemployment Insurance Act. House Bill 170, offered by Representative Mautino, a Bill for an Act regarding business corporations. House Bill 171, offered by Representative Julie Curry, a Bill for an Act concerning meth (sic-MTBE). House Bill 172, offered by Representative Brunsvold, a Bill for an Act in relation to gambling. House Bill 173, offered by Representative Brunsvold, a Bill for an Act concerning conservation. House Bill 174, offered by Representative Hartke, a Bill for an Act in relation to the regulation of dry cleaners. House Bill 175, offered by Representative Hartke, a Bill for an Act in relation to the regulation of dry cleaners. House Bill 176, offered by Representative Hoffman, a Bill for an Act concerning telephone solicitation. House Bill 177, offered by Representative Hartke, a Bill for an Act concerning townships. House Bill 178, offered by Representative Hartke, a Bill for an Act concerning townships. House Bill 179, offered by Representative Hartke, a Bill for an Act concerning townships. House Bill 180, offered by Representative Bost, a Bill for an Act in relation to vehicles. House Bill 181, offered by Representative Bost, a 49 STATE OF ILLINOIS 92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 1st Legislative Day January 10, 2001 Bill for an Act concerning government employee benefits. House Bill 182, offered by Representative Bugielski, a Bill for an Act concerning motor vehicles. House Bill 183, offered by Representative Beaubien, a Bill for an Act regarding taxes. House Bill 184, offered by Representative Wojcik, a Bill for an Act in relation to child care. Introduction and First Reading of these House Bills. There being no further business, the House Perfunctory Session stands adjourned. The House will reconvene in regular Session tomorrow at the hour of 10:00 a.m." 50