“The House shall come to order. The Members shall be in their chairs. We ask the Members and our guests in the gallery to turn off laptop computers, cell phones and pagers. And we ask our guests in the gallery to rise and join us for the invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance. We shall be led in prayer today by the Reverend Deborah Owen of the McKinley Presbyterian Foundation in Champaign, Illinois. Reverend Owen is the guest of Representative Jakobsson.”
“With honor given to God and appreciation to Speaker Madigan and my Representative, Naomi Jakobsson and to all of you Representatives and to distinguished guests, may we pray together, please. God of grace, God of glory, God who was already here waiting before this chamber was ever filled, thank You for Your presence and Your guidance in this Session. Forgive any time or talent wasted and free each one from selfishness, envy, pride or unnecessary partisanship. We would ask instead for an infusion of wisdom, vision, clarity of mind and purity of motive. For the citizens of Illinois represented, those particularly whose health, education, livelihoods and hopes are entrusted into the care of these Legislators, let Your spirit be with them. May they know with assurance that those who serve them are good stewards of resources and both confident and courageous in their convictions. With a boldness of character, but a humility of heart, we pray to let Your spirit reign supreme, Your truth and Your justice 09400009.doc 1 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 be embodied in word spoken and Your will be reflected in the actions taken. All honor and praise to You. Amen.”
“We shall be led in the Pledge of Allegiance by Representative Black.”
“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
“Roll Call for Attendance. Representative Currie.”
“Thank you, Speaker. Please let the record reflect that Representatives Holbrook, McCarthy and Molaro and excused today.”
“Mr. Watson. Mr. Watson.”
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. All Republicans are present. There are no excused absences.”
“Thank you. The Clerk shall take the record. There being 115 Members responding to the Attendance Roll Call, there is a quorum present. Mr. Clerk.”
Clerk Mahoney: "Committee Reports. Representative Barbara Flynn Currie, Chairperson from the Committee on Rules, to which the following legislative measure/s and/or Joint Action Motions was/were referred, action taken on Thursday, February 3, 2005, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'approved for floor consideration' is House Joint Resolution 12 offered by Representative Currie.” 09400009.doc 2 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005
“The Chair recognizes Representative Currie on HJR12.”
“Thank you, Speaker. This is the Joint Session Resolution that provides for the Governor’s appearance before us today. I urge its adoption.”
“The Lady moves for the adoption of HJR12. Those in favor say ‘aye’; those opposed say ‘no’. The ‘ayes’ have it. The Resolution is adopted. Mr. Clerk.”
Clerk Mahoney: "Committee Reports. Representative Giles, Chairperson from the Committee on Elementary & Secondary Education, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on Wednesday, February 2, 2005, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass Short Debate' House Bill 156. Representative Fritchey, Chairperson from the Committee on Judiciary I- Civil Law, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on Wednesday, February 2, 2005, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass Short Debate' House Bill 174, House Bill 179, House Bill 202 and House Bill 328. Representative Delgado, Chairperson from the Committee on Human Services, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on Wednesday, February 2, 2005, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass Short Debate' House Bill 153, House Bill 210, House Bill 213 and House Bill 258. Representative Burke, Chairperson from the Committee on Executive, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on Wednesday, 09400009.doc 3 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 February 2, 2005, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass Standard Debate' House Bill 337. Representative Franks, Chairperson from the Committee on State Government Administration, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on Wednesday, February 2, 2005, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass Short Debate' House Bill 20, House Bill 128, House Bill 211 and House Bill 335; 'do pass as amended Short Debate' House Bill 62. Representative Osterman, Chairperson from the Committee on Local Government, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on Wednesday, February 2, 2005, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass Short Debate' House Bill 3, House Bill 15, House Bill 236 and House Bill 330; 'do pass amended Short Debate' House Bill 339. Representative Howard, Chairperson from the Committee on Computer Technology, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on Wednesday, February 2, 2005, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass Short Debate' House Bill 380.”
“Mr. Fritchey.”
“Thank you, Speaker. I’d like to move to table House Bill 685. That’s House Bill 685.”
Speaker Madigan: “You’ve all… Mr. Fritchey, are you the principal Sponsor of the Bill? Mr. Fritchey. Mr. Fritchey, are you the principal Sponsor of the Bill?”
“Yes, I am.” 09400009.doc 4 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005
“All right. You’ve all heard the Gentleman’s Motion. Is there leave? Leave is granted. The Bill is tabled. Ladies and Gentlemen, if everybody could take their seats. Ladies and Gentlemen, please. If all Members could take their seats. Would all Members please take their seats. Mr. Fritchey, please take your seat. Mr. Filan. Mr. Filan, please take your seat. Would all Members please take their seats. The Regular Session will stand in recess. The Chair recognizes the Doorkeeper for an announcement.”
Doorkeeper Crawford: “Mr. Speaker, the Honorable President Jones and the Members of the Senate are at the door and seek admission to the chamber.”
“Mr. Doorkeeper, please admit the Honorable Senators. As designated in House Joint Resolution #12, the hour of 12 noon having arrived, the Joint Session of the 94th General Assembly will now come to order. Will the Members of the House and our esteemed guests from the Senate please take their seats. Mr. Clerk, is a quorum of the House present?”
"A quorum of the House is present.”
“Senator Jones. Mr. President, is a quorum of the Senate present in this chamber?”
President Jones: “Mr. Speaker, a quorum of the Senate is present.”
Speaker Madigan: “There being a quorum of the House and a quorum of the Senate in attendance, this Joint Session is convened. And before the Governor arrives, the Chair would 09400009.doc 5 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 like to announce certain dignitaries that have joined us today. First, the Deputy Governor, Bradley Tusk; the Governor’s Chief of Staff, Lon Monk; the Director of the Bureau of the Budget, John Filan; the Lieutenant Governor, Pat Quinn; the Comptroller, Dan Hynes; the Treasurer, Judy Baar Topinka; the Superintendent of Education, Randy Dunn; the Auditor General, Bill Holland; from the United States Congress, Congressman Jesse Jackson. The Congressman brought his father to town, Reverend Jackson. I’m the only Madigan with you today and so Lisa and Shirley send their regards. As you know, Lisa’s in the first three weeks with the baby and she promises to be here for the budget message. And of course, Shirley’s busy with Lisa and the baby. The Chair recognizes Representative Currie.”
“Thank you, Speaker. Would the Clerk please read Joint Session Resolution #1.”
“Mr. Clerk.”
"Joint Session Resolution #1. RESOLVED, That a committee of ten be appointed, five from the House, by the Speaker of the House, and five from the Senate, by the President of the Senate, to wait upon his Excellency Governor Rod Blagojevich and invite him to address the Joint Assembly. Representative Patricia Bellock Representative Thomas Holbrook Representative Robin Kelly Representative Karen May Representative John Millner 09400009.doc 6 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 Senator Deanna Demuzio Senator Kwame Raoul Senator Jeffrey Schoenberg Senator Dave Sullivan Senator Kathleen Wojcik
“Representative Currie.”
“Thank you, Speaker. I move for the adoption of Joint Session Resolution 1.”
“Representative Currie moves for the adoption of the Resolution. All those in favor say ‘aye’; those opposed say ‘no’. The ‘ayes’ have it. The Resolution is adopted. Pursuant to the Resolution, the following are appointed as a committee to escort the Governor. The appointments from the House will be: Representative Patricia Bellock, Representative Robin Kelly, Representative Karen May, Representative Jack McGuire, Representative John Millner.”
“The Senate Members of the Escort Committee are: Senator Deanna Demuzio, Senator Kwame Raoul, Senator Jeffrey Schoenberg, Senator Dave Sullivan, Senator Kathleen Wojcik.”
“Will the Committee of Escort please convene at the rear of the chamber and await his Excellency, the Governor. The Doorkeeper is recognized for an announcement.”
“Mr. Speaker, the Honorable Governor of the State of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, and his party wish to be admitted to this chamber.” 09400009.doc 7 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005
“Admit the Honorable Governor. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the Governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich.”
“Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you very much. Speaker Madigan, thank you. Senate President Jones, thank you so much. Distinguished guests, my fellow citizens and our fellow Constitutional Officers: State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka, State Comptroller Dan Hynes, Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn, and Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Secretary of State Jesse White, even though you’re not here we’re thinking of you, you’re in our thoughts and in our best wishes. Before I begin, I’d like to take a brief moment to recognize the 3500 brave men and women from Illinois who are serving our country in Iraq and Afghanistan. We honor their courage, we honor their sacrifice and we pray for them and for their families and we pray for their safe return. May God bless them and may God be with them. Two years ago, we came to office with a mission to reform Illinois and restore faith in our government. We had record deficits and an economy mired in a recession. The cost of health care and prescription drugs were going up, and the number of people covered was going down. Our school system was spending more time on paperwork than on educating our kids and there was more doubt than hope that we could turn things around. But thanks to you and to the hard-working people of Illinois, I am proud to say that the state of our state is strong and 09400009.doc 8 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 growing stronger. Our economy is coming back. Last year, we created nearly 50 thousand new jobs and last month the unemployment rate fell to its lowest level since October of 2001. We eliminated a $2.5 billion budget deficit just a year after eliminating a record $5 billion budget deficit. We cut the size of State Government. We consolidated 20 state agencies. We have the smallest workforce in 30 years. And we cut government spending by more than $3 billion. We cut the cost of prescription drugs through our I-Save Prescription Drug Program and we expanded health care to 100 thousand more parents and children. We raised the minimum wage by more than $1 an hour giving nearly 340 thousand people a bigger paycheck so they can better provide for their families. We made our highways safer, putting more than 100 new state troopers on the frontlines just last year and we now have the lowest number of traffic fatalities since 1943. We rescued 12 children through our new Amber Alert System and in the area of homeland security, Illinois has been recognized as a national leader for our weapons of mass destruction teams. I went to Washington and personally lobbied for the approval of our hospital assessment plan and it worked. In late December, we got some very good news: $490 million in new federal funding for our hospitals and nursing homes. Now, I’m not sure if they gave us the money because of the arguments we made or if they were persuaded by the 57 bodyguards I took with me to that meeting. I wanna thank Speaker Dennis Hassert for his help in Washington, D.C. I wanna thank the 09400009.doc 9 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 Senate Sponsor, Jeff Schoenberg, for his vision and for his idea. And I wanna thank Barry Maram from the Department of Public Aid for his persistence and for his commitment. And after decades of bureaucracy and low achievement, we finally said enough to a school system that refused to put our kids first. We started cutting reams of red tape. Test scores are up, 17 thousand more children can now go to preschool. And we were able to invest more than a billion dollars in new education funding. And we did it together. It wasn’t always easy. It took a little longer than usual. But we did it. And we did it without asking the people to bail us out by paying more in income taxes or sales taxes. We showed that in tough times we can make tough decisions and we showed that in tough times, we can still move Illinois forward and help people build better lives. Because whether you live in Pilsen or Plainfield, Peoria or Pinckneyville, we all really want the same things: a good job, a good education, access to health care, time with our family. And so the question for all of us here today is: what can we do to help the people of Illinois build better lives? For children, it, of course, begins with a good education. Last year, I asked you for the opportunity to bring major change to the State Board of Education. You gave us that opportunity and we've run with it. We completely eliminated the teacher certification backlog, which kept almost 7 thousand teachers in limbo. And soon, we expect to eliminate hundreds of pages of rules and regulations and simplify hundreds more. We are making the 09400009.doc 10 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 teacher certification process easier. So instead of filling out up to a hundred pages of forms, teachers will only have to fill out two or three. Now teachers and principals can spend less time satisfying bureaucrats and more time teaching children. We are streamlining school report cards… report cards, providing meals to 40 thousand more children and cutting agency spending and using the savings to help schools consolidate. We’ve made it easier for kids in foster care to attend school, helped the Chicago Public Schools save their After-School Tutoring Programs, and in the Metro East area, we started a charter school so the high school kids in Venice can now go to a school in their own community. I am pleased to report to you that the process of change and reform at the State Board of Education is well underway. And one more thing, there's something else I want the State Board of Education to do. Over the last two years, we expanded funding so that 17 thousand kids who weren't able to attend preschool now can attend preschool. That’s been a priority of mine, it’s been a priority of Senate President Emil Jones and of many of you in this chamber. Thank you. Thank you, for your commitment. But did you know that if you're a child of an undocumented immigrant, you're not eligible to attend a publicly-funded preschool? That's not what the American Dream is supposed to be about. It’s wrong and we’re going to change it. I’m asking… I’m asking the State Board of Education when they meet this month to vote to give every single child in Illinois, including the children of 09400009.doc 11 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 undocumented immigrants, the right to go to preschool. Estas son sus escuelas tambien. (These are your schools, too.) Estas son sus escuelas tambien. These are your schools, too. And the same goes for health care. Health care is not a privilege, it's a right and giving everyone access to health care is not only the right thing to do, it's the moral thing to do. Stop for a moment and ask yourself what it wou… what it would be like if you didn’t have health care. Even worse, ask yourself what would… what would it be like if your child couldn’t visit a doctor or get the medical attention he or she might need. During the first two years of my administration, we have made expanding health care a priority; we would not compromise. While other states have chosen to deal with their budget deficits by retreating on health care, here in Illinois, we've advanced. We’ve advanced so much so, that according to the Kaiser Foundation, Illinois now leads the nation in providing health care to children and working parents who otherwise wouldn’t have health care. Last year, we watched spring turn to summer, stayed here in Springfield working in the longest overtime Session in our state's history. We can all take great pride in that, and I’ll tell you why. Because last year alone, thanks to the budget we enacted, 56 thousand more men, women and children who didn’t have health care now have health care today. Thank you very much for your hard work. And as for the cost of the medicine your doctor says you need, well, now in Illinois, you can get that same medicine made by the exact same 09400009.doc 12 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 company but now you can get it for 25 to 50 percent less. Every resident of Illinois… every resident of Illinois can now be a member of our I-Save Prescription Drug Program. It doesn't cost anything to join. It's safe. It's affordable. And it's a way to help people afford the medicine they can't afford now. And let me tell you something else. We're just not going to sit back and continue to allow the big, powerful pharmaceutical industry to price gouge the senior citizens and working people of our state. People should be able to get the medicine they need at prices they can afford. But it's not just our seniors who are struggling with the high cost of health care. Ask any woman and she'll tell you, health care for women is more expensive than it is for men. In fact, during their reproductive years, women spend 68 percent more on health care than men do. But thanks to some of the things we've been able to accomplish together, that's starting to change. The law now requires private insurance companies to cover female contraceptives. That's never been done before in Illinois. And now… and now women can save, on average, $400 a year. And that's not all we've been doing. We've expanded funding for breast cancer screenings, cervical cancer screenings and HIV/AIDS prevention. And we created the Illinois Healthy Women Program to help women avoid unplanned pregnancies. But making health care more accessible and more affordable can’t happen unless we keep doctors in Illinois. We need medical malpractice reform and we need it now. Thank you. 09400009.doc 13 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 Did I say something wrong? We can protect the personal assets of doctors, preserve the rights of injured people to bring their claims, and make sure insurance companies reduce their premiums. Last Session we tried to get something done. Nothing happened. Last fall I appointed a mediator. So far nothing. Only gridlock. I know the lawyers are well represented around here, so is the medical society and the hospital association and the insurance industry. We all know them; they all wield a lot of influence. But the Constitution gives us the power to make the laws. So let's pass a law that provides real and meaningful medical malpractice reform; reform that protects doctors, lowers the costs of their insurance premiums and encourages doctors to practice medicine in Illinois. And while we're at it, we also need more nurses. There’s a nursing shortage here just like there is across America. So I want… so there’s two things I’d like to do. First, we are issuing $5 million in grants so we can train more than 15 hundred new nurses. And second, I'm directing the Department of Professional Regulation to make the licensing process easier for experienced nurses who have relocated to Illinois from other states or other countries. In order for people to build better lives, they need more than access to health care. They need the opportunity to earn a good living. They need the opportunity to have a good job. Over the past 2 years, we've negotiated over 200 deals with companies to create and retain jobs throughout our state. We've brought Target to DeKalb, Ameriquest to Schaumburg, 09400009.doc 14 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 PETsMART to Ottawa, SUPERVALU to Urbana, and Hospira to Lake Forest. We brought Hershey Foods to Edwardsville and kept 600 Wells Fargo jobs right here in Springfield. We helped the DemirCo expand in Decatur, helped NTN Bower expand in Macomb, helped Hormel expand in Rochelle, and helped CCL expand in Danville. We helped Aisin expand in Marion, helped Ford expand in Chicago, and Chrysler expand in Belvidere. And we convinced BP Amoco to locate the headquarters for their new chemical subsidiary in Chicago. And thanks to the hard work and vision of State Senator Ricky Hendon and State Representatives Ken Dunkin and Skip Saviano, we’ve helped Hollywood expand in Illinois, too. We’ve helped Hollywood expand in Illinois by offering tax credit to the film industry that have helped create 15 thousand new jobs. Now I know why they call Ricky Henderson, ‘Hollywood’, Ricky Hendon, ‘Hollywood’. He can’t steal as many bases. We expanded funding for job training and worker development so businesses have access to the skilled workforce they need. We created the Illinois Finance Authority to offer low-interest loans to businesses interested in coming to our state. We created Opportunity Returns, launched six regional plans and next week we're launching new plans for the Central, East- Central and Southeast regions. We’ve completed almost half of the Opportunity Returns projects. We’ve invested in small businesses like Maytag Herrin in Marion and Jaros Technologies in Collinsville. We built new entrepreneurship centers in Champaign, Macomb, Galesburg 09400009.doc 15 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 and in the Quad Cities and we are creating technology incubators in Rockford and Peoria. These efforts are paying off and with your help we can do even more. Last year, 50 thousand new jobs were created, hotel/motel receipts are up 11 percent and I'm proud to say that the unemployment rate in Illinois has dropped to 5.8 percent, the lowest it has been since the aftermath of September 11. We held our ground. We said ‘no’ to income tax increases. We said ‘no’ to sales tax increases and as the economy is starting to turn the corner, now is the time to seize the moment. So, today, we’re seizing the moment with a new plan intended to help businesses reduce their costs, take advantage of our state's natural resources, and attract new industries. We will do whatever it takes to bring good jobs to every county in Illinois. And how will we do it? By working to bring the growing homeland security industry to Illinois, by building the biggest coal plant built in the United States in the last 20 years, by building the world's largest wind farm, by developing the wine industry in Central and Southern Illinois, by improving trade with other nations, by building a South Suburban Airport in Peotone, Illinois, by taking on workers compensation costs, by cutting needless regulations and red tape, by creating one-stop shopping for businesses who need state services by helping small businesses afford the high cost of health insurance. And by not raising the personal income tax, or the corporate income tax, or the sales tax, so Illinois continues to be a place that businesses want to come. Last 09400009.doc 16 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 year, the Federal Government, states, cities and the private sector spent more than $100 billion on homeland security needs, ranging from the filters that protect us from viruses and toxins to the wireless tracking devices that monitor the cargo on our ships. This is a growing industry. And the products that will keep America safe oughta be made right here in Illinois. And why not Illinois? Located in the center of the country, on the Great Lakes, connected to the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, home to O’Hare Airport and the nation’s railroad hub, Illinois is the perfect place to do this. We have a trained and eager workforce, a strong manufacturing infrastructure, excellent transportation, top notch military bases, and some of the best universities and research institutions in the world. We need to bring these jobs to Illinois. We are creating a division within the… the… within the… Walt, let’s do that again. How did Shadrock Bond give his state-of-the-state addresses without a teleprompter, I’ll never know. We are creating a division within the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity whose sole purpose it is to encourage companies that make homeland security products to either come to Illinois or expand in Illinois. We're going to take existing tax credits and programs and use them in new ways to give companies that make homeland security products the financial incentives they need to make their products here. I’m asking our universities to work with us to help develop a curriculum that trains our students to work in the 09400009.doc 17 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 homeland security industry because the better our workforce understands their industry, the more likely it is the companies will locate here in Illinois. And our military bases can serve as testing grounds for new homeland security products. They’re tailor-made to do this. It is critical that we do everything possible to not only keep our bases open, but that we expand them and make them more useful than ever. This initiative makes that possible. Who knows? If we're successful, we might be able to produce gas masks in Rockford, make filters in Quincy, or develop sensors in Peoria. Because I don’t know about you, but God forbid another attack occurs, it would be nice to know that when the firefighters in Collinsville put on their equipment, the masks they slip on their faces read ‘Made in America’. Part of protecting our homeland means being less dependent on foreign countries for our energy. We have to be more energy self-sufficient. We can do that and create more jobs by turning to two things we have plenty of: wind and coal. I am going to ask the Illinois Commerce Commission to increase the standard portion of our energy that comes from renewable sources like wind. And I'm going to ask the Illinois Finance Authority to look at new ways to provide financing for wind farms. Our goal is to have 3 thousand megawatts of wind power up and running by the year 2012. That's enough power for one million households. That’s good for the environment, it’s good for our economy, and I want to plug our Lieutenant Governor, Pat Quinn, for his efforts on renewable energy over the 09400009.doc 18 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 years. Pat, thank you. Doing this could mean 1 thousand new jobs over the next 2 years. It could mean $2 billion in new investment over the next decade. And it could mean building the largest wind farm in the world in McLean County. We will submit our plan to the Illinois Commerce Commission next week, and I hope they approve it quickly. And speaking of the environment, new technology gives us the opportunity to both mine Illinois coal and protect the environment. In the old days, you couldn’t mine Illinois coal and protect the quality of our air. Now you can. Peabody Energy is building a $2 billion clean coal power plant in Washington County, a coal plant that’s nearly three times cleaner than any coal plant built in Illinois. In fact, this is the biggest coal plant to be built in the nation in the last 20 years, and it's one of the largest projects ever built in the history of downstate Illinois. This project will also create jobs, lots of jobs, 25 hundred new construction jobs, 450 new mining and operations jobs, and even more jobs will be on the way when new transmission lines are built. And these aren't just new jobs, they're also jobs that pay very good wages. The average salary… the average salary will be over $55,000 a year. And this coal plant will be one of the cleanest coal plants built in the entire country. Peabody Energy is spending more than $500 million on new technology that will control emissions and protect the environment. And we are doing our part by providing permits for the EPA, grants from the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, 09400009.doc 19 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 and more than $1.7 billion in financing from the Illinois Finance Authority. And as we revive the coal industry, it must never come at the expense of the environment. We must reduce emissions that come from old, coal-fired plants. But if we unilaterally change emission standards, we put our power producers at a competitive disadvantage, we jeopardize the stability of our power grid, and since air knows no boundaries, we still face pollution from our five bordering states. That's why the Illinois EPA is taking the lead by talking to the other Midwestern states about developing a regional emission standard for older coal plants. Working together, we can protect jobs and the environment. In a few weeks, I’ll begin my tenure as Chair of the Midwest Governors’ Association, and I intend to make developing a regional standard to reduce coal emissions one of the top items on our agenda. And speaking of air, what about airports? O'Hare is the nation's busiest airport. It is the economic jewel of Chicago. It is also the economic jewel of our state. But one of every four flights at O’Hare is delayed. We have to expand O’Hare, and nothing, nothing should stand in its way. However… however, considering the explosive growth in Will County and the South Suburbs, expanding O'Hare isn't enough. We need another airport. And if we build it, we can create 15 thousand jobs in an area of our state that desperately needs jobs. So I say, let's build the Peotone Airport. United States Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr.'s plan to build the Abraham Lincoln National Airport at Peotone will not 09400009.doc 20 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 compete with O'Hare for needed federal dollars, and during tough fiscal times like these, his plan to use private investment is both a welcome and innovative way to build an airport. I strongly support it and I hope you do too. I’d like now to ask Congressman Jackson to take a bow. He’s with us today and I want to appreciate him for coming all the way to Springfield. Thank you, Jesse. It’s good to see you. And while I’m at it, I’d also like to introduce someone who I think many of you have probably seen over the years on television and other places, Reverend Jesse Jackson. Reverend, thank you for coming. We also have another special guest here, I might as well mention her. She’s 17 years old, she’s a senior in high school, she will soon be going to college, she lives in Peoria and her grandpa is State Senator George Shadid, a guy who believes in civil rights. I want to introduce Lauren Shadid, who’s with us here today. Lauren, where are you honey? Can you take a bow? There she is. In addition to Congressmen Jackson, people like former State Senator, a great leader, a Will County Executive Larry Walsh and State Senator Debbie Halvorson, the first woman Majority Leader in the Illinois State Senate. Both Senator Halvorson and former Senator Walsh have a strong interest in the area. They know better than anyone what this airport means for the economy of Will County and the South Suburbs. I intend… I should say, I wanna submit a plan to the FAA by this spring so people can start working and planes can start flying. A few weeks ago, I spent a couple of days in Southern 09400009.doc 21 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 Illinois. It was a great visit. I met with community leaders who came together and developed a shared regional vision for the growth of their economy. Part of their vision includes making Southern Illinois a tourist destination. And one of the ways to bring more tourists to Southern Illinois is to help the nascent wine industry in our state. That's why we should develop a campaign to promote Illinois wine. It's why we should fund research and production methods and product testing. It's why you should listen to Senator Kay Wojcik when she lobbies you on this. It’s why we should provide business consulting for Illinois wineries and it's why I intend to declare September, ‘Illinois Wine Month’. Another way to expand our economy is to expand our trade because the more trade we conduct, the more jobs we create. Illinois’s industries export to nations across the world. We export machines, chemicals, and agricultural commodities. A couple of weeks ago, Speaker Madigan presented an idea to me to help increase our trade. His proposal calls for the creation of the Illinois Business Council. The council will be made up of business leaders throughout Illinois. They will host monthly leadership forums, create trade missions, help businesses enter new world markets, represent Illinois at trade shows and market and promote our agricultural products. I like this idea because promoting trade is always better when it comes from the private sector. The six ideas I just outlined will help bring new jobs to Illinois, but we also have to reduce the cost of doing 09400009.doc 22 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 business in Illinois. One way to do it is by reforming our workers’ compensation system. Illinois is the nineteenth most expensive state in the nation when it comes to workers compensation premiums. In fact, Illinois companies pay 40 percent more for workers’ comp than Michigan, Wisconsin and Indiana. We have to bring those costs down and we can if we're willing to embrace reform. The first reform is to get fraud out of the system. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, fraud in workers’ compensation cases costs employers $6.5 billion a year. Yet, Illinois is 1 of only 11 states that does virtually nothing to stop it. How can that be? Who can possibly be against fighting fraud? Yet, there’s fraud throughout the system: from phony claims to doctors who over-bill to insurers who won’t pay. We need to crack down on workers compensation fraud. So, we are creating an anti-fraud unit and I’m asking you to pass a Bill that gives that unit real investigatory and subpoena power. We also have to find new ways to bring down costs. I'm asking business leaders and labor leaders to come together and work with us on legislation that would lower workers’ compensation costs. We should consider setting pri… provider fee schedules, so we know what medical providers can and can't charge. We should set hospital payment regulations, so there's consistency to what hospitals charge and what employers pay. And we should require insurance companies to pay medical providers directly, instead of making the workers responsible. Every other state… every other state does this and they do it for 09400009.doc 23 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 good reason: it prevents workers from having their treatment stopped while they fight with their insurance companies over who pays the medical bills. We can also reduce costs for businesses if we start cutting red tape and reduce regulations. You shouldn't have to know which state… state agency does what just to get the forms you need to manage your business. Starting today, I am happy to announce that our one-stop shop is open for business. On our new website business.illinois.gov, you can get your questions answered. You can download forms, licenses, permits and find information about different programs and incentives and you can do it easily and efficiently because the information you need is just a click away. The first version of the site is up today and we're gonna keep expanding that site over the next several years to make sure that doing business in Illinois keeps getting easier. We're also creating a committee, a committee to review the burdensome rules and regulations that businesses face. Let’s see what we can eliminate; let’s see what we can streamline and simplify, just as we’re doing at the State Board of Education. We're going to talk to business owners around Illinois and find out which rules and regulations they find excessive and we’ll see whether they're really necessary or whether we can make them easier. This will be an ongoing process and as we learn of the ways to reduce the regultor… regulatory burdens on businesses, we will. Finally, we have to help businesses. We have to help businesses save money on the high cost of health insurance. 09400009.doc 24 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 This is a problem that's only getting worse. Health care premiums for companies have risen by nearly 11 percent in the last year alone. Let me give you a real-life example. General Packaging Products has 100 employees in Chicago. In 1999, they spent $215 thousand on health care costs. Last year, they spent $575 thousand to insure the same number of employees. In 1999, employees with families at General Packaging spent $10 per week on their insurance. Today, they spend $49. And William Kellogg, the owner of General Packaging, spends an additional $65 thousand each year to give his employees free eye, ear and dental checkups. Things can’t keep going this way. It’s not good for business and it’s not good for families. That's why we're working with the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and the Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce to help small businesses save money on the cost of health insurance. Here's what they do in Cleveland: 14 thousand businesses with 88 thousand employees save 15 percent on their health care costs by pooling their resources and leveraging their buying power to lower their rates and reduce their expenses. What we're proposing is a first-time partnership between the State of Illinois and local Chambers of Commerce across our state. It's modeled after what they're doing in Cleveland only we would do it at the statewide level. It's… it’s never been done before. And bringing down the cost of health insurance isn't going to be quick or easy. We’re venturing into uncharted territory, but as the old adage says, ‘nothing ventured, nothing gained.’ 09400009.doc 25 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 Adopting the Cleveland model gives us a chance to both help businesses save money and help more people get health insurance. I say, we oughta give it a try. Things are getting better. The economy has turned the corner. Tomorrow offers an abundance of possibilities and our jobs agenda will help us seize the moment. But building a better life isn’t just about having a good job or having good health care. It’s about the quality of your life. How you live it. It's about being able to spend more… more time with your family. Nothing is more important than that. It's the motivation behind our 10-year $5.3 billion plan to rebuild the entire tollway system. Yes, the plan means we will be able to knock down toll booths and make Illinois the first state in the nation to bring open-road tolling to its entire system. Yes, it means we will be able to add lanes to I-90 and I-294. Yes, it means we will be able to finally build I-355. Yes, it means we will create 252 thousand new jobs including 42 thousand jobs this year alone. And yes, it means we can reduce carbon monoxide emissions by more than 40 percent. Thank you. But more important than all of that, it means parents can get home from work a little earlier, and spend a little more time with their children. And we're doing the same thing across Illinois. We’re improving I-74 in Peoria and rebuilding the McKinley Bridge near Granite City. We’re upgrading Route 136 in Carthage and fixing I-72 in Decatur, I-24 in Johnson County, I-39 in Rockford and the North Dirksen Parkway here in Springfield. That extra time can 09400009.doc 26 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 make all the difference in the world if it means helping your daughter with her homework or making it to your son's basketball game before the opening tip. And it's even more important for single parents. Today in Illinois, there are more than 300 thousand single moms struggling to make a living while raising their children and doing this all by themselves. They shouldn't have to spend their free time hunting down the child support they're owed. They've got enough to do already. Over the past 2 years, we've increased child support collections by more than $100 million and last year, we set a record by collecting $950 million in delinquent child support payments. That’s the largest dollar amount ever collected in Illinois. And this year, if present trends continue, we are on pace to collect over a billion dollars in outstanding child support. In Illinois, we are finally making deadbeat dads do what they’re supposed to do, pay the child support they owe. But we can do more. One of the greatest challenges in collecting child support is that deadbeat dads oftentimes move from job to job and from state to state. It’s difficult to keep track of them. So I'm directing the Department of Public Aid to help business owners identify which of their employees owe child support and when they identify them to immediately garnish their wages so the money goes where it's supposed to go, to help support their children. Oh, no. But thank you. You can do that, I’m sorry, I appreciate that. That was not… The Department of Public Aid will distribute almost 300 thousand new 09400009.doc 27 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 handbooks to businesses. They will call employers… they will call employers, they’ll e-mail them, track them down and make sure they know that their employees have responsibilities not just to the company, but also to their children. And speaking of children, just before the holidays I met with several moms in Naperville. They have kids at home and like all moms, they worry about their children. Are they safe? Are they healthy? Are they eating their vegetables? Are they doing their homework? Who are they hanging around with and what kind of games do they play? Kids today are technologically sophisticated. In many families, they’re way ahead of their parents. That’s certainly the case with me. Parents have a right to know what their kids are doing, and they have a right to know what games their children are playing, and what hidden dangers may be in those games. For the same reason we don’t allow kids to buy pornography, for the same reason we don’t allow kids to buy cigarettes, for the same reason we don’t allow kids to buy alcohol, we shouldn’t allow kids to buy video games that teach them to do the very things we put people in jail for. Things like picking up prostitutes, joining street gangs, killing police officers, even assassinating President Kennedy. Buying these games should be up to parents, not children. And don’t believe the excuse… and don’t believe the excuse that we don’t need to act because stores won’t sell these games to kids because they do. And if you don't believe me, just ask Representative Paul Froehlich. Representative Froehlich 09400009.doc 28 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 just conducted a sting operation and he found that 75 percent of the time, 75 percent of the time, stores were willing to sell kids video games even though those games are not rated suitable for children. And what Representative Froehlich found here in Illinois was consistent with studies conducted nationwide by the Federal Trade Commission. So, I’m asking you to join me in helping parents by passing a Bill that makes it illegal for kids to buy excessively violent or sexually explicit video games: video games where kids spend their free time simulating acts of murder, rape, decapitation and dismemberment. Now the pundits will tell you this isn’t a real problem. But the pundits don’t raise our children, we do. We need to give parents the tools they need to protect their children. And we have to help our veterans. For decades, Illinois’s veterans have been shortchanged by the Federal Government. Wanna, one more time. I’m sorry to do this to you, Pat. But I want to just quickly plug Pat Quinn again for all that he’s been doing on behalf of the veterans in Illinois and also on behalf of the families of the brave men and women who have lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan. Well done, Pat. It’s time we fight for those who fought for us. So, I’m proposing we increase the field staff at the Department of Veterans’ Affairs by 50 percent so we can do more to help veterans apply for and receive their federal benefits. If we do this correctly, we can help the one million Illinois veterans collect over $400 million in additional federal benefits each year. Although I’ve 09400009.doc 29 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 announced a number of different ideas and programs, it all comes down to one basic concept, the responsibility of this government is to give families what they need to prosper. If we can help people earn a good living, help businesses reduce their costs, if we can respect and protect people's paychecks, if we can give kids a good education, if we can give everyone access to good health care, keep people safe and give families more time for the things that really matter, then we will truly deliver on our promise to the people of Illinois. The last 2 years have been a good start. We've made our schools and the State Board of Education more accountable. We've provided significantly more funding and resources. We are leading the nation in offering health care to people who need it. We've brought down the cost of prescription drugs for seniors and the uninsured, helped our hospitals and nursing homes and we've given women better health care options. We've made Illinois the best state in the nation when it comes to protecting our homeland security. We've made our highways safer and added more state troopers. We've turned the corner on the economy, created 50 thousand new jobs last year, brought down the unemployment rate, and given women and those who work for the minimum wage a chance at a better life. We've launched a plan to rebuild our roads and help families spend more time together. We've done a lot, but there's still more to do. I've outlined a plan to do it but I need your help. We can only accomplish all of this if we work together. We won't agree on every idea. 09400009.doc 30 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 We won't share all of the same values or all the same priorities, but if we keep in mind just a few simple goals: better schools, affordable health care, safe communities, good jobs, and the value of family, we can help people build better lives. I'd like to conclude with an invitation. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum will open on April 19. It will be the best Presidential Library and Museum in the nation befitting our nation’s greatest American President. It will be an economic engine for Springfield and a point of pride for all of Illinois. I'd like all of you to join me at the opening. Yes, there is more work to be done, but as Lincoln himself said, ‘The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.’ If we remain determined to succeed, if we try to use every day to make a difference, we can touch the lives of everyone in Illinois and we will be a better state for it. Thank you. God bless the people of Illinois and God bless the United States of America. Thank you.”
“Will the Committee of Escort please come forward to escort the Governor from the chambers. The President of the Senate is recognized for a Motion.”
“Mr. Speaker, I move that the Senate… that the Joint Session do arise.”
“The President of the Senate has moved that the Joint Session do now arise. All those in favor signify by saying ‘aye’; all opposed say ‘no’. The ‘ayes’ have it. And the Joint Session will now arise. The regular Session 09400009.doc 31 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 will come to order. The House shall come to order. The Members shall be in their chairs. For House Members, we plan to call Bills. So House Members, we need your attention. House Members, please take your chairs. Representative Feigenholtz, did you wish to call House Bill 114? It’s on the Order of Second Reading. The Lady indicates she does not wish to call the Bill. Mr. Joe Lyons. Mr. Lyons, the clock is running. The clock is running. Time to call Bills. The Gentleman indicates he does not wish to call the Bill. On the Order of Third Reading, Mr. Froehlich, do you wish to call House Bill 21? The Gentleman indicates he wishes to call the Bill. Mr. Clerk, read the Bill. Ladies and Gentlemen, we are on Third Reading. Please take your seats. Again, we are on Third Reading. Mr. Froehlich.”
"House Bill 21, a Bill for an Act concerning transportation. Third Reading of this House Bill.”
“Mr. Froehlich.”
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 21 is narrowly drafted to address a problem regarding drivers who have a provisional license, a learner’s permit. This Bill would simply forbid them from speaking on the cell phone while they’re driving, unless they’re making an emergency call. I’d be happy to answer questions and I hope for your support.”
“The Gentleman has moved for the passage of the Bill. The Chair recognizes Mr. Parke.”
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?” 09400009.doc 32 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005
“Sponsor yields.”
“Representative Froehlich, what is the penalty if one of these, and by the way what is… what is the definition? Anybody under a… on a driving permit if they’re 50 years old and driving permit or… or 16 on a driver’s permit. Doesn’t matter, right?”
"Doesn’t matter. Anybody on the learner’s permit.”
“Okay. And…”
“Generally, you’re talking 15 year olds, but 16 year olds…”
“Or somebody from another country?”
"…or it could be an immigrant from another country who has never driven before, yes.”
“Okay. And what would be the fine of that individual?”
“It would be a fine of no more than $79 for a petty offense.”
“And… and then court costs?”
"I suppose.”
“Yeah. And would this individual, would he… would this be a moving violation?”
"No, it would not.”
“Would this be a primary cause for a ticket… is this probable cause for being pulled over?”
"Well, it’s like any law. If… any other law, if police see a violation they would be able to act on it.”
“So, this is probable cause. So, police officer can pull them over and give them a ticket if they see ‘em with a phone in their hand?” 09400009.doc 33 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005
"Well, if they have reason to believe the person is driving on a learner’s permit, yes.”
“If it was an accident created and they could prove they are on a cell phone at the time, that would be… and also a reason for a violation of that law, then… your law?”
"Yes. If they’re on a learner’s permit, yes.”
“Okay. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.”
“Mr. Lang.”
“Thank you. Will the Sponsor yield?”
“Sponsor yields.”
“Thank you. Representative, I’m not opposed to your Bill. But there’s been a lot of talk in this state and other states over a period of time about having nobody driving and being on a cell phone. Did… did you consider making this Bill more expansive?”
"I did not. I did not. I… it seems to me the evidence is not there. I think this issue needs to be studied and we need more data. There’s not sufficient data yet, I don’t believe, to expand it.”
“Do you ever drive behind someone with taking on a cell phone?”
"Yes, I have.”
“Is that… that wasn’t sufficient data for you?”
"Well, anec… it’s an anecdote.”
“Ah, just anecdotal. All right. Thank you very much.”
“The Gentleman moves for the passage of the Bill. The Chair recognizes Mr. Black.” 09400009.doc 34 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005
“Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield? Representative, it’s my understanding that if you’re driving on a learner’s permit you cannot drive in that automobile by yourself. You must either be with a parent, a guardian, or I believe, the law now says a driver who’s had a license and I think is of minimum age 21. It might be 18, correct me if I’m wrong.”
"I think it’s 21.”
“But since you can’t drive an automobile by yourself when you have a learner’s permit, is the law really necessary? Why don’t we just, by administrative rule, tell the parents the child on a learner’s permit cannot use a cell phone and give the ticket to the parent? Because if the… if you’re driving with a learner’s permit, you… you’re not allowed to be in the car by yourself anyway.”
"Well, that’d be another way to do it. I think this way will work, too. We’re also educating the parent or the adult in the car that what is not proper driving behavior.”
“But… but the fine… well, the fine ostensively will be paid by the young driver. Probably will be paid by the parent or guardian. I… I tend to, as I told you in committee, I… I tend to follow on what… on what Representative Lou Lang said. And I was absolutely opposed to the elimination of cell phones while driving 3 or 4 years ago. But I have witnessed too many problems, not with young drivers, because they’re not alone. I’m witnessing more and more problems with people my age, people your age, all over the road using cell phones. And 09400009.doc 35 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 maybe we should expand that ban period or go to hands free. Do you… you see this Bill as a first step toward that eventuality or…”
"Not necessarily. Again, I think we need a lot more data and a couple other states have experimented in this regard and personally I don’t think the time is right for a broad-based ban.”
“Okay. Thank you very much.”
“Mr. Franks.”
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?”
“Sponsor yields.”
“Representative, I understand what you’re trying to do here and I think it’s a good idea. But I’m wondering if the way this is written that it couldn’t be written better in the sense, what I’m concerned about is people who are distracted while they’re driving. I’m not sure this is all encompassing. And I wanted to talk to you about possibly amending this Bill. For instance I… I’ve been with people… when a former Representative, I drove down here used to shave on the way down with his electric shaver. I would think he’d be distracted while doing that. I… I’ve seen young girls put their makeup on in the car while driving. I know when kids go through a drive-thru, you know, and they’re spilling their chimichanga on themselves as they’re driving, they’re distracted. So, I think maybe this could be better drafted or possibly enhancing penalties for those who are driving while distracted because I can see this is a real problem for implementation, first of all, for our 09400009.doc 36 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 police and second of all, I’m not sure we’re encompassing everything we should be here. Because I think the real danger is driving while distracted. Not so much on the cell phone, especially if you’ve got a hands-free device or something. But if you’ve gotta like my car, for instance, is wired so I can speak, nobody knows I’m on the cell phone, somebody’s driving next to me and they might think I’m a little crazy. But I’ve got 10 speakers in my car and I’m talking while I’m driving with 2 hands on the wheel. So… I don’t mean to monopolize here, but I wanted to know your thoughts on this.”
"Well, I think that you’ve got a point well-taken about the… the dangers of distraction in general. And I agree with you and actually we worked together on many Bills and if you proposed something on distraction, I’d probably cosponsor it. But what we’ve seen… here’s what we know.”
“Okay.”
"There’s a lot more cell phones out there than there used to be.”
“Right.”
“Especially in the hands of young people who spend a lot more time than they used to talking on the phone. And my feeling is because these beginning drivers can least afford distraction, here’s one thing we can make progress on. So, I agree with you, there’s other problems. But I don’t know that the other problems have proliferated as rapidly as the cell phone.” 09400009.doc 37 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005
“Have you talked to the Illinois State Police on this, ‘cause I’m wondering about the enforcement mechanism? How are they gonna tell if someone is on their… is just a permit driver?”
"I have talked to the State Police. They recommended a refinement to the wording, which I adopted in the Amendment and they’re supportive.”
“Okay. Well, I look forward to working with you on something that’ll be a little more comprehensive. I think it’s good start.”
"Thank you.”
“Thank you.”
“Mr. Eddy.”
"Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?”
“Sponsor yields.”
"A quick question for ya. I have a… a knowledge of instruction permits with students and in those situations normally an adult is gonna be with them. Does this Bill cover OnStar Systems, systems with hands-free communications that don’t impair the ability of the driver to speak and to fiddle with a phone? Is this for all types of communications?”
"Yes, it is. So far the research shows it doesn’t matter. The distraction level is the same whether you’re hands-free or hand-held. So, it does apply to any kind of wireless phone.” 09400009.doc 38 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005
"So, for people that are traveling in the vehicle with a student, for example, that’s on an instruction permit. In those cases, in there… they happen to be talking on a… on a hands-free phone, how would someone discern whether or not it’s the driver or the adult in the car that may be having the conversation on the hands-free phone?”
"Well, especially if there’s no ear bud, telltale ear bud, it… it could be very difficult and in that case, I don’t know how they could enforce it.”
"A lot of vehicles now have systems where the speakers are built in. There… there’s not an ear piece, there’s no way to tell. And if a 15-year-old student may be going down the road with another distraction, as the earlier speaker said, maybe a radio, maybe they’re singing along with the radio, maybe they’re speaking or they’re talking to someone else in the car. My… I guess my question is, if we’re in a hands-free situation and that communication’s taking place, won’t it be very difficult for someone trying to enforce this to know what… when that person is actually on a cell phone or…?”
"Yes, it would.”
"Okay. Thank you very much.”
"You’re welcome.”
“Representative Howard.”
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Representative Froehlich, I’m a little bit confused about this. Is the… the essence of this legislation that anybody driving a car cannot use a cell phone?” 09400009.doc 39 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005
"No, that would be far too broad. I have chosen just a very narrow group, who temporarily would be forbidden, people on a learner’s permit who are primarily 15 and 16 year olds.”
“Oh, thes… so, this is for young people who are learning how to drive?”
"Yes.”
“They cannot use a cell phone while driving?”
"Correct. Unless they pull over or unless they’re making an emergency call. That’s correct.”
“All right. I was… I guess on… on the computer I was a little bit confused about it… what it was saying. It seemed like it was everybody that was being told that.”
"No, no. That’s not my Bill.”
“Thank you, dear.”
"You’re welcome.”
“Mr. Washington.”
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Representative, just as a follow-up question for… for myself and Representative Howard. So, the Amendment that we’re looking at says, ‘provides that a person may not use a wireless telephone while operating a motor vehicle on a roadway’, rather than providing that a person may not operate a vehicle while using a wireless phone. So, that’s not the… is that part of your legislation?”
"Yeah, it… it’s… it… that rewording allows people to pull over, the person who has a learner’s permit only. They may legally pull over and park along the side of the 09400009.doc 40 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 road and use their phone. This… this clarif… clarifying Amendment was drafted for me by State Police.”
“Okay.”
"To make it clear, you can pull over if you’re on a learner’s permit and legally talk if you’re parked on the side.”
“So, this Amendment only applies to someone 16 with a learner’s permit?”
"That’s correct.”
“Thank you.”
“Mr. Mautino.”
“Thank you, Speaker. I’m… just had a… had a quick question on this. And the Bill which you’re getting at is, should someone on a… on a learner’s permit be on a cell phone? Answer is obviously, ‘no’. My question is, is this a primary stop? I mean, how do we get to the point where somebody issues a ticket? Does the law enforcement officer see someone in a car and just say he looks like he’s under this age so therefore I will stop him only for this?”
"Well, I think that’s possible. I think it’d… might be a little difficult unless they have a sign that says student driver in the window then that would be a good tip off. Otherwise, I think practically speaking, it’d be difficult for an officer to know if just watching you drive by if you’re on a learner’s permit or not. But it is standard enforcement. It is standard enforcement to directly answer, I think, your real question there.” 09400009.doc 41 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005
“So, would you… so, it isn’t in the Bill itself. It’s a… it’s a primary reason for… for the stop?”
"Well, the Bill is doesn’t address it. I mean…”
“I just wondered whether you’ll have a question later on.”
"Right. Like any other Bill, if police see a violation they may act upon it. Yes.”
“Thank you.”
“The question is, ‘Shall this Bill pass?’ Those in favor signify by voting ‘yes’; those opposed by voting ‘no’. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Has Mr. Rose voted? Has Mr. Cultra voted? Has Mr. Cultra voted? The Clerk shall take the record. On this question, there are 102 people voting ‘yes’, 13 voting ‘no’. This Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Mr. Lang on House Bill 59. Mr. Clerk, read the Bill.”
"House Bill 59, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. Third Reading of this House Bill.”
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. After many years of work, 3 years ago this House agreed with many of us that mental health was an issue we should deal with. And we passed a Mental Health Parity Law. That was a law that expired this year. That it sunsetted this year. All this Bill does is remove the sunset date so that we can continue to have mental health parity and health insurance policies in the State of Illinois. I would ask your support.”
“Representative Bellock.” 09400009.doc 42 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005
“Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. To the Bill. I just hope that all of us will join in in supporting this Bill as it would sunset this year. And by passing this Bill a couple of years ago Illinois became a model state. There are only 11 states in the United States that have some form of parity for mentally ill people in their states. So, I ask all of you to support this Bill to show the people that we are always talking about, the mentally ill people of Illinois, our support. Thank you.”
“Mr. Parke.”
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?”
“Sponsor yields.”
“Representative Lang, it is my understanding that there was supposed to be a report given to the General Assembly on the subject matter, the underlying subject matter. What is the status of that report?”
“The re… the report has not yet been issued. It’s due, but it’s not issued. I would respond by saying this. We had a hearing, as you know, in the Insurance Committee and even those organizations who were opposed to this, were opposed simply because they didn’t want the… any… any new mandate or even any old mandate. And nobody came to testify that this has cost them any money, that it’s kept people from getting coverage or that it’s created any issues for them. And therefore, that would be the best testimony we could have. The business groups were there and all these people who have been opposed to it in the 09400009.doc 43 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 past, did not wish to testify against this piece of legislation.”
“Could it have been because they didn’t have the report in front of them? Is there any way, Representative, you could hold this off? Isn’t the date that this is due February… no March 1 or is it March 15? What is the date due… do you remember?”
“The report is due March 1.”
“Can you… is there time enough to hold this until the report comes out? So, we can have it in the light of day?”
“I… I’m not prepared to do that. But I… I will suggest to you that I will suggest to the Senate Sponsor that it not go anywhere ‘til after March 1, if that satisfies ya?”
“Well, I just would like that… that was… that was the agreement that was made and we’re moving a Bill that’s not fulfilling an agreement. And that… that makes me feel awkward. And I, ya know, I have confidence in… that you’ll probably do that and that report probably will be reasonable. Well, I know that this costs money. There’s no doubt that this costs money. I’d just like to know what the report has to say. So, I guess I’m going to vote for it to move it to the Senate. I wish you would… I wish there was time to hold it here so we can see what the report says. But if you could convince the Senate Sponsor not to send it to the Governor, to hold it until that report’s out so that all parties can look at it, then I would… I will vote for this to move it to the Senate with your commitment that nothing will happen until March 1 when 09400009.doc 44 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 the report comes out. And with that understanding, I… I will, I mean, the underlying concept has merit, but it bothers me that we don’t have the report.”
“Well, thank you, Representative. I don’t know who the Senate Sponsor will be. But I will make the pledge to you that I will make sure it’s held ‘til March 1 in the Senate.”
“Thank you.”
“The question is, 'Shall this Bill pass?' Those in favor signify by voting 'yes'; those opposed by voting 'no'. This is a Third Reading Roll Call. Have all voted who wish? Has Mr. Jenisch voted? Has Mr. Jerry Mitchell voted? The Clerk shall take the record. On this question, there are 114 people voting ‘yes’, 1 person voting ‘no’. This Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. House Bill 115, Representative Feigenholtz. Mr. Clerk, read the Bill.”
"House Bill 115, a Bill for an Act concerning elections. Third Reading of this House Bill.”
“Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 115 seeks to change language so that in state absentee voter ballots are treated the same as overseas and military ballots and that they’re still counted as long as they’re postmarked by 11:59 the day be… the day of the election and received within 14 days of that election.”
“The Lady moves for the passage of the Bill. There being no discussion, the question is, ‘Shall this Bill pass?’ Those in favor signify by voting ‘yes’; those 09400009.doc 45 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 opposed by voting ‘no’. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Has Representative Younge voted? Representative Younge. The Clerk shall take the record. On this question, there are 114 people voting ‘yes’, 1 person voting ‘no’. This Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. House Bill 197, Representative Krause. Representative Krause. Mr. Clerk, read the Bill.”
"House Bill 197, a Bill for an Act concerning insurance. Third Reading of this House Bill.”
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 197 addresses a change in our Comprehensive Health Insurance Act. The CHIP Act as we know provides for the opportunity for people to seek health insurance where often they are unable to seek it from our insurance companies. There’s also a provision in the State Act that provides where there is not an eligibility in the Act. One of the sections in there provides that if a person has received a settlement or a judgment resulting from any injury, so long as there are benefits remaining in excess of $100 thousand, they are ineligible for the insurance. I filed an Amendment to the Bill which now would increase that to $300 thousand which would give the opportunity, I would hope, for at least for us to include a few more people to apply and be eligible for the CHIP Program. I ask for your support and would answer any questions.”
“The Lady moves for the passage of the Bill. There being no discussion, the question is, ‘Shall this 09400009.doc 46 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 Bill pass?’ All those in favor signify by voting ‘yes’; those opposed by voting ‘no’. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Sacia. The Clerk shall take the record. On this question, there are 115 people voting ‘yes’, 0 voting ‘no’. This Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. For what purpose does Mr. Fritchey seek recognition?”
“Thank you, Speaker. If I may, I’d like to move to table House Bill 618, in the interest of cleaning the Calendar up a little bit.”
“Are you the principal Sponsor of the Bill?”
“I am, Sir.”
“You’ve all heard the Gentleman’s Motion. Is there leave? Leave is granted. The Bill is tabled. House Bill 203, Mr. Myers. Mr. Clerk, read the Bill.”
"House Bill 203, a Bill for an Act concerning elections. Third Reading of this House Bill.”
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 203 provides that a qualified voter admitted to a hospital nursing home or rehabilitation center within five days of an election is entitled to a personal delivery of an absentee ballot. This issue was brought to me by a constituent in my district that informed me the current law now reads that if they are admitted to a hospital they can receive a ballot. But this person’s mother was admitted to a nursing home on short notice for a rehabil… rehabilitation effort and hadn’t been planned and thought it would be something 09400009.doc 47 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 useful to help gain additional voters for those who encounter this in the future.”
“The Gentleman moves for the passage of the Bill. There being no discussion, the question is, ‘Shall this Bill pass?’ Those in favor signify by voting ‘yes’; those opposed by voting ‘no’. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? The Clerk shall take the record. On this question, there are 115 people voting ‘yes’, 0 voting ‘no’. This Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. House Bill 229, Mr. Pritchard. Mr. Clerk, read the Bill.”
"House Bill 229, a Bill for an Act containing agri… agriculture. Third Reading of this House Bill.”
"Yes, Mr. Speaker. The intent of this Bill is to continue with our policy of making it easier for agriculture producers to continue to farm and to do those kinds of activities in an area that has been approved locally and is consistent with the goals and objectives that this Legislative Body has set out before. Our intent in trying to modify this legislation is to expand it so that it’s a little bit easier to add to the contiguous property. We found in our district that people were interpreting ‘nearly contiguous’ to be ‘literally contiguous’. And this legislation makes that clearer. And we came out of committee with a full and unanimous support. I would encourage your support for this legislation.” 09400009.doc 48 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005
“The Gentleman moves for the passage of the Bill. There being no discussion, the question is, ‘Shall this Bill pass?’ Those in favor signify by voting ‘yes’; those opposed by voting ‘no’. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Has Mr… the Clerk shall take the record. On this question, there are 115 voting ‘yes’, 0 voting ‘no’. This Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. House Bill 253, Representative Flowers. Mr. Clerk, read the Bill.”
"House Bill 253, a Bill for an Act concerning insurance. Third Reading of this House Bill.”
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Ladies and Gentlemen of the House. House Bill 253 would require health insurance policies to provide coverage for AIDS vacc… vaccination once it’s been approved by the AFDA. And… I’m sorry about that, FDA. And I’ll be more than happy to answer any questions you may have regarding this Bill.”
“Mr. Meyer.”
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Would the Sponsor yield?”
“Sponsor yields.”
“Representative, what’s the genesis of this Bill?”
“The genesis of this Bill is anticipating that there will be approval by the FDA of some type of vaccination that would prevent the AIDS virus. And so, when there is that approval, I would like already for it to be on the books that the insurance companies would be able to provide insurance coverage.” 09400009.doc 49 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005
“Well… well, what is the status of the research that is to provide this vaccine?”
“Well… well, they haven’t… they… there has not been a vaccine found as of yet. But I don’t think that we should wait until they have discovered the vaccination. Whenever they discover it, it should be on the books that the insurance companies would be able to provide coverage, like they would any other medical condition or any other vaccination. And I just wanted to bring to your attention that…”
“Well, Representative, are we talking about 5 years, 10 years, 15 years. What are we talking about?”
“It may be that. It may be 5, 10, 15 years. I don’t think so, because in recent years there has been on the verge… they thought they had a… a vaccination. But it didn’t work out.”
“Well, what is it…”
“But in the meantime we’re… see, ya know, the President said last night that we should do everything we can to prevent this deadly disease from spreading. So, this is an opportunity that we could use to be proactive if there’s ever a vaccination found, we will be proactive. It would already be on the books that the insurance com… companies will cover it. And I just want to bring to your attention that Viagra is to be covered by the Medicare plan. The reason why they thought that was important is that there are many drugs that improves the quality of life 09400009.doc 50 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 and once they find a vaccination for AIDS, of course, it would improve the quality of life.”
“Well, Representative, in all due respect, I… I just do not understand your comparison of the two… two subject matters you just addressed there, a vaccine and…”
“It’s all about coverage, Sir.”
“…and a drug…”
“It’s all about coverage.”
“…a drug which is completely different than a vaccine. What… what is the cost of this at the point the vaccine is made available?”
“Right now, Sir, if this Bill were to pass and the Governor would be kind enough to sign it, it wouldn’t cost anything because there is not a vaccination out there. So, it’ll be no charge.”
“But my question was, what about when the vaccine is available, what is the cost at that point?”
“Well, I hope what the Governor do is what he’s been doing in regards to prescription drugs, maybe he’ll help lower the cost. So, once again, I’m not privy to how much it’s gonna cost. I don’t know when they may discover it and if so, how much they may charge for it.”
“Well, Representative… To the Bill. Ladies and Gentlemen of the House, here we have a Bill that is being proposed that deals with an event that has not yet occurred, at a cost which we don’t know what it might be and we don’t even know if this event is ever going to take place, unfortunately. I… I think that’s bad public policy 09400009.doc 51 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 to lock in… lock employers into paying for something that doesn’t exist at a point when we don’t even know when or if it will exist. I… I think that this discussion’s best taken up at the point that we know what… that there is a vaccine available, at the point that we know what it would cost, at the point of we know what impact it’s going to have on… on our economy and on the health of people in this state. Right now, I… I think, in all due respect, that it… it’s nothing more than a press pop. And I would encourage the people in this Body to vote ‘no’ on it.”
“Mr. Parke.”
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?”
“Sponsor yields.”
“Representative, I’m just kind of curious, under what basis will the approval of this mystery drug be done? I mean, we don’t have the drug. So, is it something that just… if it’s approved in France does that authorize us to go ahead and proceed with it, or does it have to get approved in the United States? Does it have to get approved through the FDA? What… what levels are we gonna…”
“You know, I’m glad you asked that question, Representative.”
“Well, I’d like to ask those kind of questions for you.”
“Because whatever… whatever process… whatever normal process that any other vaccines have to go through for approval through the FDA, through the trials and different things like that, whatever process it may be. But… but it will be, and whenever it occur, of course, it will be FDA 09400009.doc 52 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 approved. And, ya know, when you talk about the cost of this. I have to say to you, you need to think about this, this would be a cost savings. Because that means that the insurance companies will not be paying for sick people to linger, linger, linger in the hospital for an indefinite amounts of time having all these different types of… of medicines and different things like that, because the vaccination would have prevented this from occurring. So, it truly will be a cost savings. And I just want to bring to your attention that in January, 2005, the Chicago Tribune reported that there was an AIDS vaccin… vaccination developed by the Merck Company and is moving into its second stages. So, once again, it truly will be a cost savings. It just…”
“Well, Representative I didn’t ask anything about a cost.”
“Oh, well, I anticipated.”
“You gotta pay attention.”
“I anticipated…”
“You gotta pay attention to my question.”
“…I anticipated that…”
“My question was, what’s the approval process?”
“The approval process is what it is today. Adds a…”
“Is this similar to what we would do as if we had a flu vaccine that we bought from France and didn’t get it approved by the…?”
“No, no, no, no, no, no, because that…”
“It’s not the same thing?” 09400009.doc 53 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005
“…no, no, no, because that was not FDA approved.”
“Okay. I’m just… just kind of curious.”
“You know we couldn’t use that because it wasn’t FDA approved”
“Well, I mean…”
“What we’re talking about has to be FDA approved.”
“Okay. Ladies and Gentlemen, to the Bill. There is no vaccine, though we certainly would pray that someday there is a vaccine. I think this Bill is premature. We don’t know under what… what basis it is. We don’t know the ultimately cost of it. Until we have the real facts, I’m not gonna vote for this. This is a, ya know, I would like to take a ride in space someday and I would like to have a legislation to approve me so that I can ride in space someday and not be burdened by the… by whatever laws are comin’ along. Ladies and Gentlemen, though I make a little light of, the process is the only thing I’m making light of. I have a problem approving something that is a pie in… it’s not there yet. So, I’m… until I have some basis of which to make judgment, I don’t think this Body oughta be voting for this legislation. It’s… I think it’s short in the… I think it’s just misguided. I understand what the Sponsor is trying to do. I think everybody that would listen to this debate would understand the… what the Sponsor’s trying to do and it’s commendable. But we don’t have a drug. And to approve something before we have it is just not smart politics. And it’s… and it’s not good 09400009.doc 54 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 government. So, I rise in opposition to the Lady’s vot… Bill.”
“Mr. McKeon.”
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the Bill. I’d just like to comment on the remarks of the pre… of the previous speaker. There are vaccines for AIDS that are under final testing by the FDA here in the United States. And those trials are going on and will continue to go on. There’s about a half-dozen vaccines that are currently in the final testing stages. And Europe has a number of vaccines, some actually have been released under their system that are still being evaluated. But I… It is inaccurate and a fallacy to suggest that there are no such vaccines. They do exist. They are being tested. And hopefully, within if not months or the next couple of years they will be approved for final use by the FDA. But it is a gross misstatement of fact to suggest that these vaccines do not exist.”
“Mr. Washington. Mr. Washington.”
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?”
“Sponsor yields.”
“To the Bill. Mr. Speaker, I just want to add for the discussion that the Bill is very simple. It’s a simplistic Bill and it clearly states is that it just wants to require a plan where health insurance policies to provide coverage for any AID vaccine approved by the FDA. Now, the FDA is a authorized body that approves a lot of things that we use on a day-to-day basis. And if we start 09400009.doc 55 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 undermining that approval, then we undermine basically everything we consume. And it clearly says and it’s recommended by the U.S. Public Health Service. So, to ensure that we’re talking about something legitimate for a growing problem not only in the State of Illinois, but worldwide. I think that this is a good Bill. I think that this is a lifesaving Bill. I think that any Bill that we pass, particularly this one dealing with AIDS, with the scourge of AIDS, the President of the United States talking about AIDS, the number of loved ones and friends who have contracted HIV AIDS. I think this Bill is a moral Bill to me and it really deserves to pass and give an opportunity to set up in advance a mechanism that will not keep a needed product to those who need it most. And I’m talking about those who are unfortunate to have this disease. I hope that my colleagues reflect very deeply as to the root of this problem and that we give favorable passage to this Bill. Thank you.”
“The question is, 'Shall this Bill pass?' Those in favor signify by voting 'yes'; those opposed by voting 'no'. Have all voted who wish? Has Mr. Reitz voted? The Clerk shall take the record. On this question, there are 61 people voting ‘yes’; 52 voting ‘no’. This Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Mr. Reitz on House Bill 295. Mr. Reitz.”
"House Bill 295, a Bill for an Act concerning safety. Third Reading of this House Bill.” 09400009.doc 56 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House Bill 295 provides that any pesticide dealer that sells pesticide in the capacity of over 2.5 gallons or greater or 10 pounds or greater must register with the Department of Agriculture. This is a safety measure. We have a number of businesses, Agri- businesses, that sell bulk pesticide is out there. This will not affect anything along the line of household products. But there are a number of pesticides that we think should be registered and people aware of the dangers that are… that are inherent with some of these pesticides. This is an initiative of the Illinois Fertilizer Council and the Illinois Department of Agriculture. And I’d be happy to answer any questions.”
“The Gentleman moves for the passage of the Bill. There being no discussion, the question is, 'Shall this Bill pass?' Those in favor signify by voting 'yes'; those opposed by voting 'no'. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? The Clerk shall take the record. On this question, there are 115 people voting ‘yes’, 0 voting ‘no’. This Bill, having received a Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Mr. Schmitz, did you wish to move your Motion on House Bill 39? Mr. Schmitz.”
“Yes, Mr. Speaker. I would wish to table House Bill 39.”
“Are you the principal Sponsor of the Bill?”
“I am.” 09400009.doc 57 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005
“You’ve all heard the Gentleman’s Motion. Is there leave? Leave is granted. The Bill is tabled. Mr. Schmitz on House Bill 41.”
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would also move to table House Bill 41.”
“You’ve all… you’ve all heard the Gentleman’s Motion. Is there leave? Leave is granted. And the Bill is tabled. On the Order of the Supplemental Calendar, on the order of House Bills-Second Reading, Representative Kelly, did you wish to move House Bill 3? Mr. Clerk, read the Bill.”
"House Bill 3, a Bill for an Act concerning firefighters. Second Reading of this House Bill. No Committee Amendments. No Floor Amendments. No Motions filed.”
“Third Reading. Mr. Hannig, did you wish to move 15? The Gentleman indicates he does not wish to move the Bill. Representative Bassi, did you… did you wish to move House Bill 20? Mr. Clerk, read the Bill.”
"House Bill 20, a Bill for an Act concerning State Government. Second Reading of this House Bill. No Committee Amendments. No Floor Amendments. No Motions filed.”
“Third Reading. Mr. Lang on 62. Mr. Clerk, read the Bill.”
"House Bill 62, a Bill for an Act con… creating a commission to study the problems and organic laws pertaining to local government. Second Reading of this 09400009.doc 58 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 House Bill. Amendment #1 was adopted in committee. No Floor Amendments. No Motions filed.”
“Third Reading. Representative Munson on 128. Mr. Clerk, read the Bill.”
"House Bill 128, a Bill for an Act concerning State Government. Second Reading of this House Bill. No Committee Amendments. No Floor Amendments. No Motions filed.”
“Third Reading. Mr. Froehlich on 153. Mr. Clerk, read the Bill.”
"House Bill 153, a Bill for an Act concerning State Government. Second Reading of this House Bill. No Committee Amendments. No Floor Amendments. No Motions filed.”
“Third Reading. Mr. Moffitt, on 156. Mr. Clerk, read the Bill.”
"House Bill 156, a Bill for an Act concerning education. Second Reading of this House Bill. No Committee Amendments. No Floor Amendments. No Motions filed.”
“Third Reading. Representative Osmond on 174. Mr. Clerk, read the Bill.”
"House Bill 174. Second Reading of this House Bill. A Bill for an Act concerning civil procedure. No Committee Amendments. No Floor Amendments. No Motions filed.” 09400009.doc 59 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005
“Third Reading. Mr. Leitch on 179. The Gentleman indicates he does not wish to call the Bill. Mr. Delgado. Mr. Clerk, on 202, read the Bill.”
"House Bill 202, a Bill for an Act concerning energy assistance. Second Reading of this House Bill. No Committee Amendments. No Floor Amendments. No Motions filed.”
“Third Reading. Mr. Delgado on 210. Mr. Clerk, read the Bill.”
"House Bill 210, a Bill for an Act concerning State Government. Second Reading of this House Bill. No Committee Amendments. No Floor Amendments. No Motions filed.”
“Third Reading. Mr. Delgado on 211. Mr. Clerk, read the Bill.”
"House Bill 211, a Bill for an Act concerning State Government. Second Reading of this House Bill. No Committee Amendments. No Floor Amendments. No Motions filed.”
“Third Reading. Representative Nekritz on 236. Mr. Clerk, read the Bill.”
"House Bill 236, a Bill for an Act concerning townships. Second Reading of this House Bill. No Committee Amendments. No Floor Amendments. No Motions filed.”
Speaker Madigan: “Third Reading. Mr. Verschoore. Mr. Verschoore on House Bill 330. Did you wish to move the Bill? The Gentleman indicates he does not wish to move the 09400009.doc 60 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 Bill. Mr. Fritchey on 380. Do you wish to move the Bill? Mr. Clerk, read the Bill.”
"House Bill 380, a Bill for an Act concerning business. Second Reading of this House Bill. No Committee Amendments. No Floor Amendments. No Motions filed.”
“Third Reading. Mr. Clerk, on House Bill 328… 328, read the Bill.”
"House Bill 328, a Bill for an Act concerning property. Second Reading of this House Bill. No Committee Amendments. No Floor Amendments. No Motions filed.”
“Third Reading. House Bill 337. Read the Bill.”
"House Bill 337, a Bill for an Act concerning courts. Second Reading of this House Bill. No Committee Amendments. No Floor Amendments. No Motions filed.”
“Third Reading. 335. Read the Bill.”
"House Bill 335, a Bill for an Act concerning State Government. Second Reading of this House Bill. No Committee Amendments. No Floor Amendments. No Motions filed.”
“Third Reading. House Bill 339. Read the Bill.”
"House Bill 339, a Bill for an Act concerning jurors. Second Reading of this House Bill. Amendment #1 was adopted in committee. No Floor Amendments. No Motions filed.”
“Third Reading. Representative Monique Davis. Ladies and Gentlemen, if you please… if you would please 09400009.doc 61 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 give your attention to Representative Monique Davis, who wishes to address us concerning Black History Month.” Davis, M.: “Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think most of us know that February is Black History Month. And the reason for that dedication is because so often the history of African Americans in this country have been omitted from the text books. Today I’d like to introduce you to Dr. Daniel Hale Williams. Dr. Williams was born in 1856. He was a pioneer in open heart surgery. He attended school and… Chicago Medical College, Northwestern Medical College. He helped to found the Provident Hospital. Because of primitive social and medical circumstances existing during this time not permitting African Americans to per… to work in medical facilities, Dr. Williams’ early medical practice called for him to treat patients in their homes, including conducting occasional surgeries on kitchen tables. In doing so, Dr. Williams utilized many of the emerging antiseptic, sterilization procedures of the day and gained a reputation for his professionalism. He was soon appointed as a surgeon on the staff of the South Side Dispensary and a clinical instructor in anatomy at Northwestern. In 1889 he was appointed to the Illinois State Board of Health and 1 year later he set to create interracial hospitals. Dr. Daniel Hale Williams established Provident Hospital and a training association, which held 12 beds and served members of the community as a whole. The school also served to train African-American nurses, utilized doctors of all races. Within his first year, 189 patients were treated at 09400009.doc 62 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 Provident Hospital and of those, 141 saw a complete recovery, 23 had recovered significantly. We feel that Dr. Daniel Hale Williams performing the first open heart surgery on a gentleman who had been stabbed in the chest with a knife. Dr. Daniel Hale Williams through his studies, through his practice established the method of open heart surgery with the chest. Can we give Dr. Daniel Will… Hale Williams a big round of applause. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And each day throughout the month an African- American Caucus Member will inform us on some history we probably missed. Thank you.”
“Mr. Clerk, House Bill 339, 339. What is the status of the Bill?”
Clerk Mahoney: "House Bill 339 is on the Order of Third Reading.”
“Put the Bill on the Order of Second Reading. Mr. Clerk, do you have an Adjournment Resolution? Mr. Clerk, Agreed Resolutions.”
"On the Order of Agreed Resolutions: House Resolution 75, offered by Representative Sullivan. House Resolution 77, offered by Representative Rose. House Resolution 78, offered by Representative Rose. House Resolution 79, offered by Representative Brosnahan. House Resolution 80, offered by Representative Brosnahan.”
“The Clerk has read the Agreed Resolutions. Representative Currie moves for the adoption of the Agreed Resolutions. Those in favor say 'aye'; those opposed say 09400009.doc 63 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 'no'. The 'ayes' have it. The Agreed Resolutions are adopted. The Chair recognizes Mr. Colvin.”
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just rise for a point of personal privilege. As you all know, this is… we’re in the midst of African-American History Month here in the State of Illinois. And last year we started a tra… a wonderful tradition by hosting a African-American Soiree at the Governor’s Mansion last year. We intend, once again, to host an event at the Governor’s Office, the evening of February 23 at 6 p.m. at the Governor’s Mansion. And we want to extend a hearty and over welcome invitation to all of our colleagues once again, in the General Assembly and both chambers can join us that night in the Governor’s Mansion. It’ll start at 6 p.m. on February 23. And all will be invited. We’ll make a more formal presentation on at a later date. But we just wanted to make sure that everybody knows about it at this point. We also encourage you to wear your colorful African garb like many of you did last year and just join with us in celebrating African- American History Month in the State of Illinois. Thank you very much.”
Speaker Madigan: “Mr. Clerk, do you have a Adjournment Resolution?”
"Senate Joint Resolution #8. RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that when the two Houses adjourn on Thursday, February 3, 2005, the Senate stands adjourned 09400009.doc 64 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 until Tuesday, February 15, 2005 at 12:00 noon; and the House of Representatives stands adjourned until Monday, February 7, 2005, in Perfunctory Session; and when it adjourns on that day, it stands adjourned until Tuesday, February 8, 2005, and when it adjourns on that day, it stands adjourned until Wednesday, February 9, 2005, and when it adjourns on that day, it stands adjourned until Thursday, February 10, 2005, and when it adjourns on that day, it stands adjourned until Monday, February 14, 2005, in Perfunctory Session; and when it adjourns on that day, it stands adjourned until Tuesday, February 15, 2005. Adopted by the Senate, February 3, 2005.”
“Representative Currie moves for the adoption of the Adjournment Resolution. Those in favor say 'aye'; those opposed say 'no'. The 'ayes' have it. The Adjournment Resolution is adopted. The Chair is prepared to adjourn. Representative Currie moves that the House stands adjourned until Tuesday, February 8 at 12 noon, providing perfunctory time for the Clerk. Those in favor say 'aye'; those opposed say 'no'. The 'ayes' have it. The House does stand adjourned until Tuesday, February 8 at 12 noon, providing perfunctory time for the Clerk.”
"The House Perfunctory Session will come to order. Referred to the House Committee on Rules: House Resolution 76, offered by Representative Stephens. House Resolution 81, offered by Representative Froehlich. House Resolution 82, offered by Representative Rose. House Resolution 83, offered by Representative Miller. House 09400009.doc 65 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 Resolution 84, offered by Representative Phelps. Introduction and reading House Bills-First Reading. House Bill 928, offered by Representative Saviano, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. House Bill 929, offered by Representative Saviano, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. House Bill 930, offered by Representative Saviano, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. House Bill 931, offered by Representative Phelps, a Bill for an Act concerning alternative fuels. House Bill 932, offered by Representative Phelps, a Bill for an Act concerning civil law. House Bill 933, offered by Representative Phelps, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. House Bill 934, offered by Representative Phelps, a Bill for an Act concerning transportation. House Bill 935, offered by Representative Phelps, a Bill for an Act concerning firearms. House Bill 936, offered by Representative Phelps, a Bill for an Act in relation to criminal law. House Bill 937, offered by Representative Phelps, a Bill for an Act concerning wildlife. House Bill 938, offered by Representative Phelps, a Bill for an Act concerning local government. House Bill 939, offered by Representative Tryon, a Bill for an Act concerning safety. House Bill 940, offered by Representative Mathias, a Bill for an Act concerning local government. House Bill 941, offered by Representative Flider, a Bill for an Act concerning warehouses. House Bill 942, offered by Representative Flider, a Bill for an Act concerning warehouses. House Bill 943, offered by Representative Flider, a Bill for an 09400009.doc 66 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 Act concerning warehouses. House Bill 944, offered by Representative Smith, a Bill for an Act concerning public employee benefits. House Bill 945, offered by Representative Smith, a Bill for an Act in relation to public employee benefits. House Bill 946, offered by Representative Smith, a Bill for an Act in relation to public employee benefits. House Bill 947, offered by Representative Hoffman, a Bill for an Act concerning transportation. House Bill 948, offered by Representative Hoffman, a Bill for an Act concerning local government. House Bill 949, offered by Representative Fritchey, a Bill for an Act concerning revenue. House Bill 950, offered by Representative Fritchey, a Bill for an Act concerning liability. House Bill 951, offered by Representative Fritchey, a Bill for an Act concerning revenue. House Bill 952, offered by Representative Fritchey, a Bill for an Act concerning criminal law. House Bill 953, offered by Representative Currie, a Bill for an Act concerning civil law. House Bill 954, offered by Representative Currie, a Bill for an Act concerning State Government. House Bill 955, offered by Representative Smith, a Bill for an Act regarding schools. House Bill 956, offered by Representative Dunkin, a Bill for an Act concerning business. House Bill 957, offered by Representative Saviano, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. House Bill 958, offered by Representative Saviano, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. House Bill 959, offered by Representative Acevedo, a Bill for an Act concerning 09400009.doc 67 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 revenue. House Bill 960, offered by Representative Berrios, a Bill for an Act concerning transportation. House Bill 961, offered by Representative Younge, a Bill for an Act in relation to human services. House Bill 962, offered by Representative Younge, a Bill for an Act in relation to foreign trade zones. House Bill 963, offered by Representative Younge, a Bill for an Act concerning economic development. House Bill 964, offered by Representative Younge, a Bill for an Act making appropriations. House Bill 965, offered by Representative Younge, a Bill for an Act making appropriations. House Bill 966, offered by Representative Younge, a Bill for an Act to create the Millennium Project Act. House Bill 967, offered by Representative Younge, a Bill for an Act making appropriations. House Bill 968, offered by Representative Younge, a Bill for an Act concerning criminal law. House Bill 969, offered by Representative Younge, a Bill for an Act making appropriations. House Bill 970, offered by Representative Younge, a Bill for an Act concerning appropriations. House Bill 971, offered by Representative Granberg, a Bill for an Act concerning State Government. House Bill 972, offered by Representative Granberg, a Bill for an Act concerning appropriations for capital projects. House Bill 973, offered by Representative Moffitt, a Bill for an Act concerning revenue. House Bill 974, offered by Representative Moffitt, a Bill for an Act concerning finance. House Bill 975, offered by Representative Bellock, a Bill for an Act concerning local government. 09400009.doc 68 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 House Bill 976, offered by Representative Younge, a Bill for an Act in relation to criminal law. House Bill 977, offered by Representative Younge, a Bill for an Act concerning housing. House Bill 978, offered by Representative Mathias, a Bill for an Act concerning education. House Bill 979, offered by Representative Bradley, Richard, a Bill for an Act concerning public employee benefits. House Bill 980, offered by Representative Bradley, Richard, a Bill for an Act concerning bail. House Bill 981, offered by Representative Bradley, Richard, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. House Bill 982, offered by Representative Bradley, Richard, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. House Bill 983, offered by Representative D'Amico, a Bill for an Act making appropriations and reappropriations. House Bill 984, offered by Representative Phelps, a Bill for an Act concerning infants who are born alive. House Bill 985, offered by Representative Phelps, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. House Bill 986, offered by Representative Mautino, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. House Bill 987, offered by Representative Millner, a Bill for an Act concerning transportation. House Bill 988, offered by Representative Millner, a Bill for an Act concerning transportation. House Bill 989, offered by Representative Rose, a Bill for an Act concerning criminal history record information. House Bill 990, offered by Representative Graham, a Bill for an Act in relation to firearms. House Bill 991, offered by 09400009.doc 69 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 Representative Graham, a Bill for an Act concerning health. House Bill 992, offered by Representative Delgado, a Bill for an Act concerning criminal law. House Bill 993, offered by Representative Davis, William, a Bill for an Act concerning taxes. House Bill 994, offered by Representative Davis, William, a Bill for an Act in relation to vehicles. House Bill 995, offered by Representative Nekritz, a Bill for an Act concerning mobile homes. House Bill 996, offered by Representative Boland, a Bill for an Act concerning transportation. House Bill 997, offered by Representative Wait, a Bill for an Act concerning local government. House Bill 998, offered by Representative Reitz, a Bill for an Act concerning liquor. House Bill 999, offered by Representative Joyce, a Bill for an Act concerning local government. House Bill 1000, offered by Representative Fritchey, a Bill for an Act concerning human rights. House Bill 1001, offered by Representative Joyce, a Bill for an Act concerning safety. House Bill 1002, offered by Representative Joyce, a Bill for an Act concerning criminal law. House Bill 1003, offered by Representative Joyce, a Bill for an Act concerning aging. House Bill 1004, offered by Representative Joyce, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. House Bill 1005, offered by Representative Joyce, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. House Bill 1006, offered by Representative Joyce, a Bill for an Act in relation to public employee benefits. House Bill 1007, offered by Representative May, a Bill for an Act concerning 09400009.doc 70 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 regulation. House Bill 1008, offered by Representative Fritchey, a Bill for an Act concerning civil law. House Bill 1009, offered by Representative Joyce, a Bill for an Act concerning public employee benefits. House Bill 1010, offered by Representative Joyce, a Bill for an Act concerning public employee benefits. House Bill 1011, offered by Representative Mulligan, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. House Bill 1012, offered by Representative Mulligan, a Bill for an Act concerning criminal law. House Bill 1013, offered by Representative Davis, Monique, a Bill for an Act concerning education. House Bill 1014, offered by Representative Coulson, a Bill for an Act concerning housing. House Bill 1015, offered by Representative Boland, a Bill for an Act concerning elections. House Bill 1016, offered by Representative Rita, a Bill for an Act concerning government. House Bill 1017, offered by Representative Colvin, a Bill for an Act concerning communications. House Bill 1018, offered by Representative Younge, a Bill for an Act concerning insurance. House Bill 1019, offered by Representative Colvin, a Bill for an Act concerning transportation. House Bill 1020, offered by Representative Younge, a Bill for an Act in relation to East St. Louis Area economic development. House Bill 1021, offered by Representative Younge, a Bill for an Act concerning insurance. House Bill 1022, offered by Representative Younge, a Bill for an Act making appropriations. House Bill 1023, offered by Representative Younge, a Bill for an Act making 09400009.doc 71 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 appropriations. House Bill 1024, offered by Representative Younge, a Bill for an Act making appropriations. House Bill 1025, offered by Representative Younge, a Bill for an Act making appropriations. House Bill 1026, offered by Representative Younge, a Bill for an Act making appropriations. House Bill 1027, offered by Representative Younge, a Bill for an Act making appropriations. House Bill 1028, offered by Representative Younge, a Bill for an Act making appropriations. House Bill 1029, offered by Representative Younge, a Bill for an Act making appropriations. House Bill 1030, offered by Representative Younge, a Bill for an Act making appropriations. House Bill 1031, offered by Representative Saviano, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. House Bill 1032, offered by Representative Saviano, a Bill for an Act concerning local government. House Bill 1033, offered by Representative Rose, a Bill for an Act concerning civil law. House Bill 1034, offered by Representative Black, a Bill for an Act in relation to public employee benefits. House Bill 1035, offered by Representative Meyer, a Bill for an Act concerning revenue. House Bill 1036, offered by Representative Nekritz, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. House Bill 1037, offered by Representative Gordon, a Bill for an Act concerning education. House Bill 1038, offered by Representative Flider, a Bill for an Act concerning open meetings. House Bill 1039, offered by Representative Brosnahan, a Bill for an Act concerning criminal law. House Bill 1040, offered by Representative 09400009.doc 72 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 9th Legislative Day 2/3/2005 Franks, a Bill for an Act concerning property. House Bill 1041, offered by Representative Franks, a Bill for an Act in relation to taxes. House Bill 1042, offered by Representative Franks, a Bill for an Act concerning public employee benefits. House Bill 1043, offered by Representative Franks, a Bill for an Act concerning conservation districts. House Bill 1044, offered by Representative Flowers, a Bill for an Act concerning health. House Bill 1045, offered by Representative Flowers, a Bill for an Act concerning business. House Bill 1046, offered by Representative Flowers, a Bill for an Act concerning health care. House Bill 1047, offered by Representative Flowers, a Bill for an Act concerning telecommunications. House Bill 1048, offered by Representative Bradley, John, a Bill for an Act concerning safety. There being no further business, the House Perfunctory Session will stand adjourned." 09400009.doc 73