“House Perfunctory Session will come to order. Referred to the House Committee on Rules is House Resolution 923, offered by Representative Rose.”
“The hour of 12:00 having come and went, the House will be called to order. We shall be led in prayer today by Pastor T. L. Barrett, Jr., founder and Pastor of the Life Center Church of God in Christ in Chicago, Illinois. Pastor Barrett is the guest of Representative Ken Dunkin. Members and guests are asked to refrain from starting their laptops, turn off all cell phones and pagers, and rise for the invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance. Pastor Barrett.”
“Mr. Speaker and to my own Representative, Ken Dunkin, and to all of the Representatives of the great State of Illinois, good morning. Thank you all for inviting me and allowing me to share with you. Just before I offer prayer, I must recognize the presence of my sweetheart. Now, understand I’ve been married for 37 years, have 18 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren, been married for 37 years to the same woman, but I let her stay home today because it’s Valentines Day and I brought my sweetheart. But they happen to be the same woman, she’s there in the balcony, Mrs. Barrett, just like to recognize you. Thank you so much. They… they told me that when I finish my prayer that I could stay for the Session. Huh uh, we… we… I… I ret’ to go, when this… when this is over. Let us pray. Eternal Creator of all mankind, You who are the divine, the iconoclastic object of worship of all faiths, it is with an attitude of extreme gratitude that we offer this prayer to 09400093.doc 1 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 93rd Legislative Day 2/14/2006 You. We are thankful for a merciful and magnanimous extension of the miracle of life and the gift of sound mind. We thank You for the opportunity to participate in the most worthy project of making this world a kinder and gentler world in which for all mankind to live. You have called some to participate in this most sacred effort through pastoral ministries, therefore, we ask Your blessings upon all ministers. You have called some to participate by providing educational excellence for our children. Thus, we ask Your blessings to be upon all educators. You have called some to participate through the medical sciences of healing. Therefore, we ask Your blessings to rest greatly upon all the health care workers. And not least of all, You have called and ordained some to participate through the legislative processes, that greatly affect and determines the quality of life for all citizens of our cities, our states. Therefore, we ask Your choicest blessings to be upon all city, state, and federal Legislative Bodies. And now we ask that You grant a special blessing upon each Member of this great House of Representatives of the great State of Illinois as they endeavor to make living in Illinois the most wonderful experience of all who reside in any state in these United States of America. I am confident that as You have blessed this Body before, You shall bless them now and forever. I offer this prayer in the consciousness of love, truth, and justice for all. And we all said, Amen.”
“We shall be led in the Pledge today by the Lady from Cook, Representative Kelly.” 09400093.doc 2 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 93rd Legislative Day 2/14/2006
"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
“Roll Call for Attendance. The Gentleman from Jackson, Representative Bost, for what reason do rise?”
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let the record reflect that Representative Daniels is excused today.”
“Representative Mautino, for what reason do you… I’m sorry. The Lady from Cook, Representative Currie, for what reason do you rise?”
“Thank you, Speaker, to report that the record should reflect the excused absences of Representatives Brosnahan, Giles, and Patterson.”
“114 Members being present, quorum is here. We shall start business. The Gentleman from Bureau, Representative Mautino, for what reason do you rise?”
“Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I just wanted to… one, wish you a Happy Valentine’s Day to you and your family. And in honor of that, I’d like to cancel the House Insurance Committee.”
“And a Happy Valentine’s Day to you. Mr. Clerk, Committee Reports.
“Committee Report. Representative Barbara Flynn Currie, Chairperson from the Committee on Rules, to which the following legislative measures and/or Joint Action Motions were referred, action taken on February 14, 2006, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'approved for floor consideration' is Amendment #2 to House 09400093.doc 3 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 93rd Legislative Day 2/14/2006 Bill 4132, Amendment #2 to House Bill 4173, Amendment #2 to House Bill 4300, Amendment #2 to House Bill 4756, and Amendment #2 to House Bill 4758; 'recommends be adopted' is House Resolution 909 and Resolution 923.”
“Mr. Clerk, House Supplemental Calendar #1, we have House Resolution 923. Representative Rose on House Resolution 923.”
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Ladies and Gentlemen. Many of you last year will recall Tech 2005 Day. Tech 2006 Day is coming up this week and we’d just like to have this adopted to recognize the students from all over the state who will be here this week to show off their technology projects.”
“Representative Rose asks leave for the adoption of House Resolution 923. Gentleman… Representative Rose.”
“Mr. Speaker, will… could I ask that all Members be added to this Resolution.”
“With leave of the House, that all Members be added. The Gentleman asked that House Resolution 923 be adopted. All those in favor should say ‘aye’; all those opposed say ‘no’. The opinion of the Chair is the ‘ayes’ have it. And the Resolution is adopted. Representative Mautino. The Gentleman from Bureau, Representative Mautino on House Resolution 909.”
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Ladies and Gentlemen of the House. This Resolution will extend the Private Sewage Disposal Evaluation Committee ‘til the end of this General Assembly, gives us more time to bring all the stakeholders in and come up with a report that’ll look at how we’re gonna 09400093.doc 4 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 93rd Legislative Day 2/14/2006 treat onsite wastewater permits and the NPDES problems it faces. And ask for an ‘aye’ vote.”
Speaker Turner: “The Gentleman… the Gentleman asks… the Gentleman moves for the adoption of House Resolution 909. All those in favor should vote 'aye'; all those opposed vote 'no'. The voting is now open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Representative Mitchell. Pritchard. The Clerk shall take the record. On this question, there are 113 voting 'aye', 0 'noes', 0 ‘presents’. And this Resolution is adopted. The Lady from Cook, Representative Currie on a Motion.”
“I have a Motion to suspend the posting requirements on a fair number of House Bills so they can be heard in committee. I’ll read the number of the Bill and the committee: House Bill 1614, Environment & Energy; 2006, Elementary & Secondary; 2150, Child Support; 3690, Environmental Health; 4157, State Government; 4274, Pensions; 4343, Elementary; 4365, Elementary; 4404, Aging; 4519, Jud I; 4657, Transportation; 4662, Revenue; 4717, Judiciary I; 4726, Consumer Protection; 4793, Revenue; 4895, Revenue; 4972, Revenue; 5002, Labor; 5031, Elementary; 5233, Local Government; 5243, State Government; 5267, Jud I; 5284, Consumer Protection; 5321, Local Government; 5330, Jud I; 5349, Insurance; 5375, Elementary; 5379, Jud I; and 5578, Environmental Health.”
“Representative Currie moves to suspend the posting requirements on the foreread Bills. All those in favor should say ‘aye’; all those opposed say ‘no’. In the opinion of the Chair is the ‘ayes’ have it. And the posting 09400093.doc 5 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 93rd Legislative Day 2/14/2006 notice to suspension is granted. On page 10 of the Calendar, Representative Franks on House Bill 4182. Representative Franks. He moves to table House Bill 4182. All those in favor say ‘aye’; all those opposed say ‘no’. The opinion of the Chair is the ‘ayes’ have it. And the Bill is tabled. Mr. Clerk, Agreed Resolutions. Mr. Clerk, just a minute. The Gentleman from Bureau, Representative Mautino, for what reason do you rise?”
“Well, I think to announce the first heartbreak of the valentine season. Although we had canceled Insurance, the Rules just posted House Bill 5349 to Insurance. So, we will, in fact, be meeting at our scheduled time of 2:00. So, all Members of the House Insurance Committee, committee’s back on.”
“So, you didn’t see the candy in your office? Mr. Clerk, Agreed Resolutions.”
Clerk Mahoney: “Agreed Resolutions. House Resolution 914, offered by Representative Brosnahan. House Resolution 916, offered by Representative Gordon. House Resolution 917, offered by Representative Patterson. House Resolution 918, offered by Representative Bellock. House Resolution 919, offered by Representative Monique Davis. House Resolution 920, offered by Representative Monique Davis. House Resolution 922, offered by Representative Feigenholtz. House Resolution 924, offered by Representative Rose. House Resolution 925, offered by Representative Granberg. And House Resolution 926, offered by Representative Granberg.”
“The Clerk moves for the adoption of the Agreed Resolutions. All those in favor say ‘aye’; all those 09400093.doc 6 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 93rd Legislative Day 2/14/2006 opposed say ‘no’. In the opinion of the Chair is the ‘ayes’ have it. The Agreed Resolutions are adopted. The Gentleman from Cook, Representative McKeon, for what reason do you rise?”
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have House Bill 4763 which was posted to Judiciary I last week, indicates it’s posted this week in one place and not posted in another. So, I move to waive the rules to allow hearing tomorrow morning in Judiciary I of House Bill 4763.”
“Gentleman asks leave to waive the posting requirements so that House Bill 4763 can be heard tomorrow in a Judiciary I Committee. Gentleman asks leave and leave is granted. The Bill will be posted for… House Bill 4763 will be posted for Judiciary I Committee tomorrow morning. If the Members would give their attention to the Clerk. Mr. Clerk, state your anou…”
“For an announcement. All Members should’ve received a pink copy of the House Committee schedule which includes additional Bills added to committee this week. These are additional Bills that have been added to committee this week. It’s on the pink House Committee schedule.”
Speaker Turner: “The Gentleman from Lake, Representative Washington, for what reason do you rise?”
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Personal privilege to share with the Body some facts concerning this particular month is Black History Month. And this is my day, our day, those who wanna participate. But I wanna share a little fact of something and I’m gonna ask that the Body join me in a few minutes of silence. On Sunday, September the 15th, 09400093.doc 7 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 93rd Legislative Day 2/14/2006 1963, 43 years ago in Birmingham, Alabama, four girls ages 11 to 14 attended the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church at approximately 10:22 a.m. A bomb exploded, killing those little girls, robbing their parents of the ability to see those young girls grow up to be young women to go on and to do great things and add to the legacy of a great people. In that bombing, along with the killing of those four little girls and wounding 20 other people, many of them were children. Denise McNair was 11 years old. She, like any other young, little girl, loved to play with dolls. Carole Robertson, age 14, Carole had just registered… Mr. Speaker, can we get some order of respect just for a few minutes and I’ll be finished. Thank you. Carole Robertson, 14, she had just registered for junior high school. She was an avid reader and she loved to play the clarinet. Addie Mae Collins, 14, she was a nature lover. She just loved anything that had something to do with the Creation. And 43 years ago, these innocent lives of these four young, beautiful black girls were robbed and torn from the presence of their mothers and fathers. Cynthia Diane Wesley, 14, was adopted. And believe it or not, history sows… showed that she would’ve been a church usher for the first time had she lived. This is a fact, an infamous fact, in the history of America. And though, Mr. Speaker, sometime it said that 43 years is not a long time at all. And as we live we notice certain people who were participants of violence and act of terrorism back in that time, that it took 30 to 40 years to bring some of them to justice. But yet, we still hear the old sayin’, ‘how long, not long.’ But I wanna read and end 09400093.doc 8 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 93rd Legislative Day 2/14/2006 with a quote and I ask that the Body join me in a few minutes of silence, because if any mothers and fathers in here, you know what it would be like if you haven’t already lost a child. And most of us who are parents, we hope that we would go before our children. But nowadays we bury our young like we bury our old. And that’s why our job become more magnified and more meaningful to me being a freshman in my sophomore year, because we can make a difference, we should make a difference. And if we don’t make a difference, then God curse us all for not doing so when we have the ability, the power to do so. So, Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues over to the right and those to the left to stand and join me in a moment of silence and then I will wrap this factoid of history up in memory of those four young, black, beautiful children who died of a bomb of terrorism on Sunday, September the 15th, 1963, 43 years ago in Birmingham, Alabama. Thank you to my colleagues on behalf of those parents who would love to know that you respect the memory of their children. Last but not least, to show you how far we have to go and we can’t even begin to measure how far we’ve come, because I don’t know about you, but there are some amongst us, maybe in the chamber, outside the chamber, in the balcony, outside on the property of the ground, that if you give them an inch, they’ll take a mile every time. And I’m saying that to say this, during the time that those young four girls lost their life, a Reverend Connie Lynch… Reverend Connie Lynch who founded the National States Rights Party had this to say afterwards, ‘The victims, they were not children. Children are little 09400093.doc 9 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 93rd Legislative Day 2/14/2006 people, little human beings, and that means white people. They just little…’ the ‘n’ word, ‘and if there’s four less’ ‘n’ words, ‘tonight, then I say, good for whoever planted the bomb.’ So, when we talk about terrorism in the midst of Iraq and the midst of the world global community, we must be reminded that some of us in this chamber are the outgrowth and the legacy of seeing terrorists right here at home. And I do believe that charity should begin at home before it goes abroad. And we must straighten up our own house first before we… start talking about straightening up the world. I thank you, Mr. Speaker, and for the respect shown for this factoid.”
“The Lady from Grundy, Representative Gordon, for what reason do you rise?”
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Point of personal privilege.”
“State your point.”
“Ladies and Gentlemen of the House, Representative Washington has just made a very eloquent statement about a very dark day in the history of this country. Most of which by miss… most of which was missed by this House because we were busy doing other things. Four little girls died on a Sunday morning because of an arsonist at a church in Alabama. That is something that we need to remember on this day and every day because we need to learn from our mistakes. Every single person in this House is in a position as a leader; a leader against racism, bigotry, prejudice, and ignorance. And it is… and those are things that we have the ability to stop as Members of the House of Representatives, not to continue in this state. Remember 09400093.doc 10 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 93rd Legislative Day 2/14/2006 those four little girls and what they died for because they are some of the reasons why we are able to stand on this House Floor today. Remember the people who gave you the job and why they gave it to you, because that is the important reason for being here, not your own personal agendas. Thank you.”
“We’d like to announce that immediately after adjournment today both caucuses will be meeting, both the Democrats and the Republican Caucus will be meeting immediately after we adjourn. Democrats in 114, Republicans in 118, immediately upon adjournment. And now, allowing perfunctory time for the Clerk, Representative Currie moves that the House stand adjourned until 11:30 a.m. tomorrow, 11:30 tomorrow, February 15 at the hour of 11:30. And the House does stand adjourned until 11:30 tomorrow.”
“House Perfunctory Session will come to order. Introduction and reading of Senate Bills-First Reading. Senate Bill 2334, offered by Representative Reitz, a Bill for an Act concerning wildlife. Senate Bill 2199, offered by Representative Will Davis, a Bill for an Act concerning State Government. Senate Bill 2283, offered by Representative Feigenholtz, a Bill for an Act concerning identification. Senate Bill 2381, offered by Representative Ryg, a Bill for an Act concerning State Government. First Reading of those Senate Bills. Committee Reports. Representative Yarbrough, Chairperson from the Committee on Housing & Urban Development, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on February 14, 2006, reported the same back with the following 09400093.doc 11 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 93rd Legislative Day 2/14/2006 recommendation/s: 'do pass as amended Short Debate' House Bill 4715. Representative Flowers, Chairperson from the Committee on Health Care Availability & Access, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on February 14, 2006, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass Standard Debate' is House Bill 4999; 'do pass as amended Standard Debate' House Bill 5000; 'recommends be adopted' Floor Amendment #1 to House Bill 4125. Representative Colvin, Chairperson from the Committee on Consumer Protection, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on February 14, 2006, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass Short Debate' House Bill 4991 and House Bill 5284; 'do pass as amended Short Debate' House Bill 5376; 'recommends be adopted' Floor Amendment #1 to House Bill 4205. Representative Jefferson, Chairperson from the Committee on Elections & Campaign Reform, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on February 14, 2006, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass as amended Short Debate' House Bill 5001. Representative Hoffman, Chairperson from the Committee on Transportation & Motor Vehicles, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on February 14, 2006, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass Short Debate' is House Bill 280, House Bill 4301, House Bill 4657, and House Bill 4746; 'do pass as amended Short Debate' House Bill 4314 and House Bill 4768; 'recommends be adopted' House Joint Resolution 66. Representative Granberg, Chairperson from the Committee on 09400093.doc 12 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 93rd Legislative Day 2/14/2006 Agriculture & Conservation, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on February 14, 2006, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass Short Debate' is House Bill 5371; 'do pass as amended Short Debate' House Bill 4238. Representative Collins, Chairperson from the Committee on Public Utilities, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on February 14, 2006, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass as amended Short Debate' House Bill 5555. Representative Mautino, Chairperson from the Committee on Insurance, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on February 14, 2006, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass as amended Short Debate' House Bill 5349. There being no further business, the House Perfunctory Session will stand adjourned." 09400093.doc 13