“May we pray. Our Father and God, we thank You this day for the gifts of life, health, and strength. We thank You, Lord, because today we stand as the beneficiaries of so many of Your gifts, so many of Your blessings. Your word has taught us that every good and perfect gift comes from You. And so, today, God, we come and we ask, God, another blessing on this commencement of this opening Session. And we ask, Oh God, that You will grant to all of the Representatives, God, clarity of thought. We ask, Oh Lord, that You will grant wisdom. We ask, Oh Lord, that You will grant to us, God, a consciousness, God, concerning those whom we serve. It is from this place, God, from this city, and more… more specifically from this room that many decisions must be made. And so, we ask today that You will bless as only You can and give to us, God, the understanding that we need in order to remember, God, that we are sent here as ambassadors. And Father, for those whom we must serve, keep us mindful. We ask, Oh Lord, that You will bless the entirety of this Session, God, for the duration that it must… must continue. And we ask all of these 09400116.doc 1 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 116th Legislative Day 4/7/2006 blessing now in… in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "We’ll be led in the Pledge of Allegiance by Representative Carolyn Kraus.”
“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "Roll Call for Attendance. Representative Currie.”
"Thank you, Speaker. Please let the record show that Representatives Feigenholtz, Hamos, Jones, and Patterson are excused today.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "Representative Bost.”
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let the record reflect all Republicans are present, ready to do the work of the people on this glorious Friday.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "Thank you, Representative. Mr. Clerk, there’s 114 Members present. We do have a quorum. The Chair recognizes the Lady from Cook, Representative Toni Berrios. For what reason do you rise?”
“No. I’m not… no.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "No? Okay. Thank you, Representative.”
“It was so he would push his button.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "The Chair recognizes the Gentleman from Tazewell, Representative Keith Sommer.”
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Clerk read the Resolution, please?” Speaker Lyons, J.: "Mr. Clerk on the Resolution.” 09400116.doc 2 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 116th Legislative Day 4/7/2006
"House Resolution 1108, offered by Representative Sommer. WHEREAS, The Illinois Central College women's basketball team won the Championship Title of the National Junior College Athletic Association's Division II Tournament in Phoenix, Arizona, on March 18, 2006; and WHEREAS, This national championship marks the sixth such title in the history of women's basketball at Illinois Central College (ICC); and WHEREAS, This team of student athletes displayed excellence throughout their season by accumulating a record of 30-5; and WHEREAS, ICC's Rachel Merriman and Suzanne Bofia were named to the national All-Tournament Team with Rachel Merriman setting assist records for most in a tournament game with 15 and most in the tournament with 32 and has set a new record for career assists at ICC with 523, and Suzanne Bofia set a new ICC record for most rebounds in a season at 328 and highest season rebound average at 9.65; and (sic-WHEREAS, ICC's head coach Steve Garber received the Lorene Ramsey National Tournament Coach of the Year award; and WHEREAS, The team is led by Steve Garber, head coach; Greg Martin, associate coach; Laura Criswell and Riley Gardner, assistant coaches; and Carrie Redman, volunteer assistant coach; they were assisted by statisticians Donna Thomas and Margaret Kizer and supported by college president Dr. John Erwin, college dean Dr. Arthur Rich, and college athletic director Sue Sinclair; and 09400116.doc 3 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 116th Legislative Day 4/7/2006 WHEREAS, The team members are Stephanie Neely, Rachel Merriman, Whitney Meyer, Christine Rantisi, Jessica Maxwell, Tara Toepke, Lindsey Crum, Keshia Kennedy, Jodi Zimmerman, Tierney Burdett, Jessica Stapleton, Amy Snyder, Megan McGann, Calie Sobaski, Beatrice Bofia, Suzanne Bofia, and Marie Moser;) therefore, be it RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the Illinois Central College women's basketball team on winning the Championship Title of the National Junior College Athletic Association's Division II Tournament; and be it further RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to each of the members, coaches, and support persons of the ICC women's basketball team as an expression of our esteem.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "Representative Sommer.”
“Ladies and Gentlemen, would you give your attention to the Speaker’s gallery. I’m honored to present to you the national women’s champions from Illinois Central College who won that national title in Division II. We have most of the team members here today. We have coach Steve Garber, college president John Erwin. These are not just athletes. We routinely honor many of our fine athletes. These are national champions who also excel in the classroom. It takes a 3.0 cumulative average teamwide to receive academic all-American status. When the grades are finished this year we are confident that this group of young ladies will not only be national champions, but will be academic all- Americans. We recognize so often ath… athletic achievement. 09400116.doc 4 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 116th Legislative Day 4/7/2006 I think it’s so important that we also recognize academic achievement. Many of these young women are in school because of their ability to play ball. It’s given them their opportunity to have an education. They’ve all taken advantage of that opportunity. A number of them will be going on to four-year institutions to play basketball. I just have to point out to you the twins who will be unfortunately not going to the University of Illinois, who will be going to the University of Arizona. I believe they’re 6’5”, 6’6”, or maybe taller. The tallest set of twins in this country we know playing basketball. Please join me in recognizing their achievements on and off the court, the Lady Cougars.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "Congratulations, ladies. We’re proud to have you. The Chair recognizes the Gentleman from Peoria, Representative David Leitch.”
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Ladies and Gentlemen of the House. I, too, would like to join Representative Sommer in congratulating the ICC team. As many of you know, for year after year and year after year we’ve had high school championship teams from Peoria. Inevitably, they have been winning the boys’ championship statewide or certainly placing within the top four. So, it’s a very special pleasure to let the Body know that we have some very outstanding lady athletes as well. And so, with that, I would like to add my word of congratulations to those already expressed by Representative Sommer. Thank you.” 09400116.doc 5 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 116th Legislative Day 4/7/2006 Speaker Lyons, J.: "Thank you, Representative Leitch. The Chair recognizes the Gentleman from Lake, Representative Ed Washington.”
“Personal privilege, Mr. Speaker. Also joined with me today in the gallery are two other women who play a very special role in my district of Waukegan, and they have been fortunate to be a part of the Illinois Governmental Internship Program. And I think these are two ladies you’re gonna hear from in the near future as they complete their education. I would like the Body to join me in welcoming Dulce Zamora and Debra Carl. Would you stand up please? Thank you. Welcome to Springfield. Thank you.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "Is Representative Jerry Mitchell in the chamber? Mr. Clerk, on page 7 of the Calendar, under concurrences, we have House Bill 2946. The Chair recognizes the Gentleman from Lee, Representative Jerry Mitchell.” Mitchell, J.: “Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move to concur with Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 2946. This Bill was passed over a year ago out of the chamber, unanimously out of committee, and I think it only had 5 ‘no’ votes in the House, then it went to the Senate. This is a Bill that restricts convicted felons from having dogs that have not been spayed or neutered. The Senate amended the Bill to limit the prohibition of owning, possessing, having custody, or residing in a residence with an unspayed or unneutered puppy older than 12 weeks. They also provided a prohibition that applies to a person convicted of a Class III or higher felony violation… or Class III or higher felony evaluation (sic-violation) of the Cannabis Control Act and Class II or 09400116.doc 6 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 116th Legislative Day 4/7/2006 higher felony for violation of the Methamphetamine Control Act. They also extended the prohibition to any dog that has been determined to be ‘vicious’, so they’ve added ‘vicious dogs’ to the same Bill. And then they… they also put a sunset on the Bill of 10 years. Their information was that… that our law enforcement said that, quite frankly, convicted felons usually wind up back in prison in the last 2 or 3 years. If they, in fact, make it 10 years they’re usually pretty well reformed and we could drop the restriction. So, that’s the changes they made in the Bill. They’ve really made it a better Bill in my estimation. This has been a long time coming, but I request your support. Be happy to answer any questions.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "The Chair recognizes the Lady from Kane, Representative Pat Lindner.”
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?" Mitchell, J.: “No.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "He indicates he will.”
“Could you tell me… you said the Senate Amendment changed it to just ‘vicious dogs’. What… what is the definition of that?” Mitchell, J.: “The definition of ‘vicious dogs’?”
“Yes. Is that what you said that the Senate Amendment…” Mitchell, J.: “Yeah. Well, basically, county animal control officers or counties themselves had the right to determine a dog ‘vicious’ once it’s made an attack. Each dog always gets at least one attack before it’s demanded… it’s deemed ‘vicious’, and that’s basically up to local control. 09400116.doc 7 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 116th Legislative Day 4/7/2006 Usually, it’s… it’s an attack either on a human or another dog or another animal.”
“So, it’s not breed specific at all that it is that definition?” Mitchell, J.: “No. It… it could be any breed, but no dog is deemed ‘vicious’ until it’s attacked something or someone.”
“And is there research on what spaying or neutering does to a dog’s viciousness?” Mitchell, J.: “I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear that one, Representative.”
“Is there… do you have research on what happens when a dog is spayed or neutered?” Mitchell, J.: “Yes. Quite frankly, that… that research came from ASPCA, and we had a that a year ago. I don’t have it anymore, but Ledy VanKavage who works with the ASPCA… I’ve contacted her by telephone and… and that research is still good. It shows that dogs become more docile once they have been spayed or neutered, and that’s why they recommend it for one reason. The second reason, of course, is to control the pet population.”
“And what… what kinds of situations are you trying to cure? We… we discussed this a little bit in the Judiciary II Committee, so could you tell us?” Mitchell, J.: “Representative, I still… I didn’t catch the first part of your question.”
“I said we discussed it in Judiciary II Committee. Could you tell us what kinds of situations are you trying to cure?” 09400116.doc 8 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 116th Legislative Day 4/7/2006 Speaker Lyons, J.: "Pat, wait a second. Ladies and Gentlemen, if I could ask for a little quiet on the House Floor.” Mitchell, J.: “Representative, we’ve… we’ve had a concern over the years that those folks that get out of prison and go back to the… to the area of crack houses and methamphetamine labs, we’ve restricted them from using weapons or having weapons in their possession because it’s illegal. So, they get dogs that… that can be trained to be vicious and the law enforcement officers say that just about every time they bust a crack house or a methamphetamine lab they have gotta fight their way through at least one, usually more, vicious dogs or dogs that have been trained to attack to try to protect the lab.”
“All right. Thank you, Representative. I know you’ve worked very hard on this Bill.” Mitchell, J.: “Welcome.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "The Chair recognizes the Gentleman from Vermilion, Representative Bill Black.”
“Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?" Speaker Lyons, J.: "He indicates he will.”
“Representative Mitchell, does any state currently have such a law?” Mitchell, J.: “I… I don’t know, Representative Black, whether they do or not.”
“Staff indicates that no… no state has such a law, and I think maybe I can understand why. If… if the dog is spayed or neutered then can the felon own such a dog?” Mitchell, J.: “Yes.” 09400116.doc 9 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 116th Legislative Day 4/7/2006
“But if the dog isn’t spayed or neutered then the felon couldn’t own.” Mitchell, J.: “If it’s over 12… 12 weeks old, you’re correct.”
“Oh. So, it could be a miniature poodle or a Jack Russell terrier, a little teeny dog, a Chihuahua. A convicted felod… a convicted felon couldn’t own a dog, even though it might be a Chihuahua, unless the dog was spayed or neutered, right?” Mitchell, J.: “That’s correct, Representative. In fact, at one time we tried to put a weight limit on this Bill so that it would be dogs over 30 pounds, but many people in the committee felt that… that that was more restrictive because that would leave out collies, ya know, other kinds of dogs. But somewhere you have to draw the line.”
“Well, I… I know whenever I go into certain neighborhoods I just… I have a horrible fear of being attacked by a Chihuahua. I mean, you know, they sometimes weigh two or three pounds and I’m just… I’m just terrified of a Chihuahua. Mr. Spea… Mr. Speaker, to the Bill.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "To the Bill, Representative Black.”
“At some point, I wonder if it wouldn’t be advisable for the state to just not let anybody out of prison. Just keep ‘em there forever, because when they get out now they can’t even own a dog unless they have been out of prison for 10 years and have been a good boy or girl. Medical science has proven that dogs or pets have a great deal to do with lowering blood pressure and having some medical advantages. I’m… I’m involved with the animal foundation in my home county and we often take dogs out to nursing homes and let 09400116.doc 10 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 116th Legislative Day 4/7/2006 the patients interact with the dog. I don’t know what I would do without my dog. As I’ve said before, if you’re in politics and you need a real friend then you better have a dog. And I… I look forward to seeing my dog this afternoon. I… I don’t know what the real purpose of this Bill is. I have great respect for the Sponsor, but to say that someone who has paid their debt to society could not own a Chihuahua, a Miniature Poodle, a little teeny dog of some kind when, in fact, there are several states who have prison programs where they use inmates to train dogs for the blind or to train dogs for canine rescue. And the states that have done this have found that that interaction between the inmate and the dog has reduced disciplinary problems with those prisoners inside the institution. I think pets can be a very calming influence on someone. And I don’t know really what difference it makes. I’m not sure that the science has proven that it’s okay to own a dog if they’re spayed or neutered if you’re an ex-convict, but you can’t own a dog if the dog isn’t spay… spayed or neutered. I… I know the Sponsor’s worked on this Bill. I’m not sure that the Senate made this Bill any more reasonable. In fact, I think they’ve made it more unreasonable. And if we’re gonna check out the voracity of the Bill, then it would seem to me we’d want a sunset clause of 3 or 4 years, not 10 years. Even though I would do most anything for the Sponsor of this Bill if he were to ask me to do so, I just simply can’t… as a dog… You don’t own a dog, you… you simply are allowed to be a part of that dog’s life. And I’ve been blessed with a 09400116.doc 11 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 116th Legislative Day 4/7/2006 number of dogs that have let me be a part of their life. And knowing that relationship…” Speaker Lyons, J.: "Representative Black, your 5 minutes have expired. I’ll give you one minute to conclude your remarks.”
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Knowing how important that relationship is with the dogs that I’ve been able to share a part of my life with, I can’t in good conscience vote for this Bill.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "The Chair recognizes the Gentleman from Cook, Representative Bob Molaro.”
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?" Speaker Lyons, J.: "Indicates he will."
“Yes. Well, Representative Mitchell, from the debate here… I guess the question has to be does… the Senate Amendment seems to be making… well, I gotta tell ya, seems to be making more sense than the original Bill because you have a felon… and as Representative Delgado said in committee, you don’t want them… they can’t carry weapons, so you don’t want them to have a vicious dog that becomes their weapon. I got that. Okay. Now, the only way it seems to make sense to vote for your Bill, however, would be… is that you’re saying let’s take… that we talked about… let’s take a yellow lab, who’s definitely not a vicious dog. Okay. Now, I’m a convicted felon. I come out 3 years after I leave and I’m a dope guy. Right? Convicted for dope. And I wind up and I wanna buy a yellow lab for me and my family. Okay. The Bill says you can’t do it unless you spay or neuter the yellow lab. Now, since I’m not a dog breeder, the only way 09400116.doc 12 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 116th Legislative Day 4/7/2006 I could vote for this Bill is… I can see why Ledy and a lot of people wanna be… because therefore spaying and neutering dogs so we don’t have all this population and we have to kill ‘em. That’s good de… thing. But for… for… you are gonna have to tell me that there’s some scientific evidence that says if I’m a dope… a convicted dope dealer and now I’m out, if I have a yellow lab, that it makes medical sense that I should spay or neuter it, because if I don’t spay or neuter it something’s gonna happen. See what I mean? I mean, that’s what your Bill says. Ya can’t have the yellow lab unless it’s spayed or neutered. So I’m a criminal, so I guess I gotta spay or neuter it ‘cause a yellow lab won’t be as vicious if it’s spayed or neutered. So if somehow you can convince me of that or tell me the medical stuff, I guess I’ll vote ‘yes’. I guess.” Mitchell, J.: “Thank you. Yes. Everything you said… you almost answered your question. The research is there that says that… and it’s not just in the dog world, it’s just in the animal world altogether. Any animal that’s whole has the ability to be stronger, to be tougher than a neutered pet. And in deference to the speaker before who’s now on his phone and probably not listening, no one says the convicted felon can’t own a dog. This Bill doesn’t say that. You can own any dog, any breed, any size that you want. It just simply says that you must spay or neuter the dog, which only makes good sense anyway, unless you’re a breeder. I’ve had bird dogs that weighed up to 40, 45 pounds, but I had them spayed or neutered and they were still good bird dogs. There’s no problem with this fa… except the fact that if you 09400116.doc 13 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 116th Legislative Day 4/7/2006 train a dog to be vicious… and Representative Delgado said you can still train an unneutered dog to be vicious, but it’s tougher to do. All we’re trying to do is to slow down the use of animals as weapons for felons that want to use them that way. I can’t see what mu… how much of a restriction it is to tell them that they must spay or neuter the dog. It doesn’t make the dog less loving, it makes ‘em… makes a better home pet if they are spayed or neutered.”
“Well, Mr. Speaker, I don’t know what the rule is, ‘cause he just took about two minutes answering a previous speaker’s question. He took my two minutes.” Mitchell, J.: “I answered yours first.”
“All right. Anyway, here’s without due. Representative Mitchell, I’m assuming what you just said about spayed and neutered… I mean, maybe we should do that to our sex offenders instead of our… their dogs, but I… I guess we can’t go there. So I’m gonna take your word for it and I’m gonna vote ‘yes’ for the Bill, assuming that’s true. So, thank you for explaining that to me.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "Representative Mitchell to close. Jerry to close.” Mitchell, J.: “Thank you. Ladies and Gentlemen of the House, this Bill passed out of here with 5 votes last year. Everything that we’ve talked about… with 5 ‘no’ votes last year. Everything we talked about today was previously discussed. I realize, as… as the chairman of Jud II told me yesterday in committee that the reason it went back in committee is ‘cause this Bill has whiskers. It has been quite some time. This discussion… this debate happened a 09400116.doc 14 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 116th Legislative Day 4/7/2006 year ago, as well as again today. I didn’t realize the Bill was comin’ to the Senate but I’m grateful that it did. I’m also grateful for what the Senate did with the Bill because they did make it a stronger Bill. But as Representative Delgado said in committee, this is something that’s needed to help protect police, to help protect citizens that happen to be walking along in that neighborhood and it’s not a Chihuahua that bites ya. It’s usually a lab, it’s usually a big dog, it’s usually a Great Dane. It’s something that’s been trained to attack. This is what we’re trying to control. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "The question is, ‘Shall the House concur in Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 2946?’ This is final action. All those in favor signify by voting ‘aye’; those opposed vote ‘no’. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Representative Dan Reitz, would you like to be recorded? Mr. Clerk, take the record. On this Bill, there are 95 Members voting ‘yes’, 19 Members voting ‘no’. This Bill, having received… the House does concur in Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 2946. And this Bill, having received the Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. The Chair recognizes the Gentleman from White, Representative Brandon Phelps. For what reason do you rise?”
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Point of personal privilege.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "Please proceed, Representative.”
“I’d like for all my colleagues to join me in welcoming to Springfield, over to my right in the gallery, I have some Boy Scouts from my district. Two-fifty-eight from 09400116.doc 15 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 116th Legislative Day 4/7/2006 Goreville, Illinois. Help us… help me welcome them to Springfield.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "Welcome to Springfield, scouts. Glad to have ya. The Chair recognizes the Gentleman from Sangamon, Representative Poe. Do you seek recognition, Representative Raymond Poe? Raymond. Were you ready, Representative, for your… Not yet. Thank you. Okay. Mr. Clerk, on page 8 of the Calendar, under concurrences, is House Bill 4438. Representative Ramey. House Bill 4438. The Chair recognizes the Gentleman from DuPage, Representative Randy Ramey.”
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Asking for concurrence on House Bill 4438. There are two Amendments that were added by the Senate. Mr. Speaker, we’ll do ‘em one at a time.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "As long as there’s not a request, you can present ‘em both at the same time.”
"Okay. The first Amendment just clarifies part of the Bill that asks for personal identification, which was an Amendment we’d ask for it before we passed it. Added it on in the Senate. So, I’m acceptable with that. The second Amendment adds on not only state employees that would be affected by this Bill but also contract employees and temps. I ask for concurrence.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "No one’s seeking recognition on House Bill 4438. The question is, ‘Shall the House concur in Senate Amendments #1 and #2 to House Bill 4438?’ This is final action. All those in favor signify by voting ‘aye’; those opposed vote ‘nay’. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? 09400116.doc 16 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 116th Legislative Day 4/7/2006 Mr. Clerk, take the record. On this question, there are 114 Members voting ‘yes’, 0 voting ‘no’, 0 voting ‘present’. The House does concur in Senate Amendments number 1 and 2 to House Bill 4438. This Bill, having received the Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Mr. Clerk, on page 8 of the Calendar, under concurrence, is Representative Flider has House Bill 4789. House Bill 4789. The Chair recognizes the Gentleman from Macon, Representative Bob Flider.”
"Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen of the House. House Bill 4789 is a very important Bill to all of us. This Bill… and many have been awaiting action on this and we’re finally ready to take action. This Bill will reinstate the Senior Homestead Assessment Freeze (sic-Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption), which had been vacated as part of a court case, People v. Oleander. It was vacated on single subject grounds by the Illinois Supreme Court last year. So, this legislation will reinstate the Senior Homestead Assessment Freeze, but in addition to that it provides new benefits for seniors. It… as amended in the Senate… when it passed out of here we had created a new ceiling where the income threshold was… had moved up to $50 thousand from 45 thousand. And in the Senate they maintained that new ceiling; however, they put it in in a phased-in approach. So, there are still more benefits… in a new ceiling cap, more people will benefit from it; however, they… they chose a different approach. And secondly, the Senate improved the tax deferral program ceiling salary cap. We had moved it up from 40 thousand to 09400116.doc 17 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 116th Legislative Day 4/7/2006 45 thousand. The Senate moved it to 50 thousand. And that’s the provision that allows a senior to defer paying their taxes and… and can do so over a period of time. And lastly, the legislation, with regard to the homestead exemption, remains the same as we had passed it out of the House. And what it does is it increases the senior homestead exemption from $3 thousand to $35 hundred. This is a very important piece of legislation to tens of thousands of seniors throughout our state. I’d ask for your support of Amendment #2, which came over from the Senate.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "With no one seeking recognition, the question is, ‘Shall the House concur in Senate Amendments #2 to House Bill 4789?’ The Chair recognizes the Gentleman from Vermilion, Representative Black.”
“Mr. Speaker, I know you’re learning the ropes in the Chair, I went through that process myself a few years ago. You have to remember to keep the paper off of the Republican side of your speak board there. It’ll come to you. It’ll come to you.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "Representative, when your light goes on I see your name right in front of me here.”
“You’re… you’re very kind.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "So, it was… it was close. So…”
“You’ve very kind. Thank you. Will the Sponsor yield?" Speaker Lyons, J.: "He indicates he will."
“Representative, what was the genesis of this Bill? Was this an idea you had?”
"Well, this stemmed from calls that I had received and discussions that we had with our staff with the need to do a 09400116.doc 18 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 116th Legislative Day 4/7/2006 very important thing in the State of Illinois, and that is reinstate the Senior Homestead Freeze… Exemption Freeze.”
“Yeah, I’m… I’m familiar with the court case. Are… are you familiar with the court case that struck that down?”
"Well, I know it was struck down in a case called People v. Oleander and I know that it was struck down on the basis of single subject legislation.”
“All right. I… well, Mr. Speaker, to the Bill.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "To the Bill.”
“Obviously… obviously, the Bill is going to pass. Obviously, the Bill should pass. I’ve… I would be remiss if I didn’t simply point out that this is another one of these Bills that many people filed, but the only Bill that gets released and the only Bill that can be considered is one sponsored by a Democrat. Representative Hassert sponsored an identical Bill earlier than this one. I sponsored a Bill last year, couldn’t get out of Rules. That’s the way the process works, I guess. Although, I’ve never gotten used to that process and I never will. But, better to pass a Bill that may have been hijacked than to not pass the Bill at all. So, I certainly intend to vote ‘aye’, but I thank Representative Hassert and others who filed the Bill originally and much earlier than this Bill. But when all is said and done, it’s important that we pass the Bill, I guess. Maybe even more so than how it was passed in the first place.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "The Chair recognizes the Gentleman from Lake, Representative Ed Sullivan.”
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?" 09400116.doc 19 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 116th Legislative Day 4/7/2006 Speaker Lyons, J.: "He indicates he will."
“Representative, I’ve been looking at this for awhile and our staff’s been looking at it for awhile and I still don’t understand the provision that deals with… between 45 thousand and 50 thousand dollars. Can… can you explain that a little? I understand that you’re trying to step up or step down the amount that is covered under the Act, but how are our county clerks going to calculate this? I… I don’t quite get it, and if you’d give me an example with one of these percentages that would help.”
"Well, basically, I think it’s real simple. I think anybody with a calculator can do this.”
“Okay.”
"But I think county clerks who… ya know, they regularly calculate these kinds of things and they, you know, calculate tax levies and so on. This is like a very simple calculation. Basically, you take the amount of the exemption that would be allowed under the freeze. At the time, ya know, a home… a senior filed for this there’s a baseline. Then the assessment would have gone up. However, because of the fact that, ya know, they’ve applied for this they get a benefit. And so, what the Senate did is they put on an Amendment that said they’d like to phase this up. And so, for example, somebody who was making $45 thousand would get a 100 percent of the same benefit as they did. So nothing changes, the benefits stay the same. However, probably tens of thousands of seniors throughout the state will benefit from this legislation. However, the modification, for example, in the example I gave you, if 09400116.doc 20 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 116th Legislative Day 4/7/2006 you’re looking at an income of between 46,249 and 45 thousand, then what they would receive is 80 percent of that amount above the frozen amount. And you can calculate that with a simple calculator.”
"So, basically what you’re saying is if I had a hundred thousand dollar value and it went up by $10 thousand, they would get 80… and they were at $45 thousand and a dollar, they would get whatever the baseline year was of a hundred thousand plus only 80 percent of that 10 thousand increase?”
"Well, when you say ‘only’, they’d actually be getting a much better benefit than they would’ve.”
“I’m not… I’m not…”
"’Cause actually, they wouldn’t have had a benefit.”
“I’m not trying to disagree that this is good, I’m just trying to get an understanding ‘cause I know my county clerk is asking right now, more than anything else. Will that take baseline year that they already have or are we gonna recalculate new baseline years?”
"Well, ya know, if somebody were to have filed at a new income level, I would presume that they would not have been eligible previously.”
“Right.”
"So, in other words, if somebody’s now eligible above 45 thousand where they wouldn’t have previously, then this would be a new benefit for them.”
“Okay. So to understand this, if they went up $10 thousand they would only get the 80 percent, so they’d get 09400116.doc 21 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 116th Legislative Day 4/7/2006 $8 thousand as a… as a freeze. So then their… they’d be frozen at $108 thousand.”
"That… that would be my understanding, yes.”
“Okay. That’s all I really wanted to know.”
"Based on your example, yes.”
“Thanks.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "No one else seeking recognition, Representative Flider to close.”
"Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Ladies and Gentlemen of the House. I… I understand that we don’t… not any one of us here has a monopoly on ideas. I’m certainly aware of legislation that Democrats had proposed one year, Republicans decided that was a good idea, they implemented… or they introduced and passed similar legislation the next year. We all have great ideas around here and we should all be working together, and that’s a very important component of this legislation and how it came to pass. It wasn’t exactly the way it was when we sent it over to the Senate, it came back, we had a decision to make. But I do think that at the end of the day what it does is it provides better benefits than we had prior to this legislation. First of all, it reinstates a very important benefit for senior citizens who own their homes and whose incomes are now below 50 thousand. They will get a benefit. Secondly, every senior citizen who owns a home will see an increase in their homestead exemption. And thirdly, if we don’t take this action today there will be many seniors who will be very upset with the Legislature for not reinstating this Act. And as we all know, there are many people these days 09400116.doc 22 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 116th Legislative Day 4/7/2006 who are choosing between home heating bills, whether they can buy gasoline, and certainly prescription drug benefits. So, this benefit is extremely important. And if we have a long-term goal of making sure that senior citizens can stay in their homes and remain viable and be able to remain in them with the cost of living increasing then this legislation’s very important for us to pass today. I’d ask for your support. Let’s pass it and let’s ask the Governor to sign this as soon as he can. Thank you.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "Ladies and Gentlemen, the question is, ‘Shall the House concur in Senate Amendment #2 to House Bill 4789?’ This is final action. All those in favor signify by voting ‘yes’; those opposed vote ‘no’. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Representative Younge. Mr. Clerk, take the record. On this question, there are 114 Members voting ‘yes’, 0 voting ‘no’, and 0 voting ‘present’. The House does concur in Senate Amendment #2 to House Bill 4789. This Bill, having received the Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. On page 8 of the Calendar, under concurrence, is… Representative Will Davis has House Bill 4788. House Bill 4788. The Gentleman from Cook, Representative Will Davis.” Davis, W.: “Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Asking for the House to support on the concurrence of Senate Amendments #1 and what Senate Amendment #1 does is gives further guidance to the department concerning how they should implement the compromise program. The Amendment provides that all… that the compromise shall be offered in exchange for regular 09400116.doc 23 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 116th Legislative Day 4/7/2006 payments of… of support owed to the family and that obligors considered for debt compromise demonstrate inability to play… to pay during the time the assigned obligation accumulated. It also provides that a current compromise agreement shall be nullified and that any future agreement prohibited if the obligor fails to adhere to the agreement. This was what was requested in committee of the Senate… on the Senate side, and we responded accordingly. I ask for your support.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "Are there any questions on Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 4788? Seeing none, the question is, ‘Shall the House concur in Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 4788?’ This is final action. All those in favor signify by voting ‘aye’; those opposed vote ‘no’. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Representative Pritchard, be recorded? Mr. Clerk, take the record. On this question, there are 114 Members voting ‘yes’, 0 voting ‘no’. The House does concur with Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 4788. This Bill, having receive the Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Mr. Clerk, under concurrences on page 9, Representative Sid Mathias has House Bill 5416. House Bill 5416 on page 9 of the Calendar under concurrences. The Chair recognizes the Gentleman from Lake, Representative Sid Mathias.”
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is a concurrence to Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 5416. Basically, all the parties are now in agreement. I don’t… I’m not aware of any opposition. What Senate Amendment now does… it really adds 09400116.doc 24 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 116th Legislative Day 4/7/2006 to the Bill. It provides that the qualifications of persons performing reviews and inspections of school facilities, in addition to any other requirements that will be put into law under the Bill… the original Bill, must have at least 2 years of relevant inspection and review experience. And finally, the other part of the Bill states that a municipality or an unicorporated… if in the case of an unincorporated area, a county or a fire protection district, if they wish to perform these reviews and inspections they must do it under the jurisdiction of the regional superintendent of schools and they must register that wish with the regional superintendent of school. I ask for your ‘aye’ vote.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "You’ve heard the explanation on Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 5416. The Chair recognizes the Gentleman from Vermilion, Representative Bill Black.”
“Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker and Ladies and Gentlemen of the House. Once again, I rise to play Don Quixote and continue to joust with windmills. This Bill will pass overwhelmingly, I have no… no doubt in my mind. Good Sponsor. Good idea. But ya know, it’s amazing to me. We can pass Bills that say schools should be inspected, schools should be regulated, schools should do this, schools should do that, but what we can’t seem to do here is to adequately fund those schools so they can carry out their core mission of educating students for an evermore complex and technological world. My home school district just laid off 14 teachers because they don’t know what kind of funding they’ll have next year. We aren’t fully funding ca… 09400116.doc 25 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 116th Legislative Day 4/7/2006 mandated categoricals, regardless of what you hear from the second floor or the State Board of Education. The Illinois Standardized Achievement Test, oh, what a great feather in our cap that has been this year. Ya know, I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. I don’t care if I’m the only ‘no’ vote. When we seriously address how to adequately fund K-12 education in this state then I will worry about inspection and regulation and what kids eat and what kids don’t eat and whether Pepsi machines should be in school or whether they shouldn’t be in school and all of the rest of that window-dressing nonsense. I’ll be the first, my Bill is still in Rules, that calls for a constitutional Amendment to change how we fund education in this state. And until we adequately fund it and give each child in this state, whether they go to school in Cairo, Carbondale, Chicago, South Chicago, or Danville, when we fully address that issue of funding education then I’ll vote for this kind of window- dressing that says how we’re going to inspect, how we’re going to regulate, and how many other ridiculous bureaucratic nonsense rules and regulations we put on schools. Until we fund it, how can you worry about anything else? I intend to vote ‘no’.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "Representative Mathias to close.”
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I did want to make sure that the Body does understand that this legislation does state that these inspections must be at no cost to the school district. So, there is no cost to the school district. I ask for your ‘aye’ vote to the concurrence.” 09400116.doc 26 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 116th Legislative Day 4/7/2006 Speaker Lyons, J.: "The question is, ‘Shall the House concur in Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 5416?’ This is final action. All those in favor signify by voting ‘yes’; those opposed vote ‘no’. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Representative Durkin to be recorded. Jim. Jim Durkin to be recorded. Mr. Clerk, take the record. There are 96 Members voting ‘yes’, 18 Members voting ‘no’. The House does concur in Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 5416. The Bill, having received the Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. The Chair recognizes the Gentleman from Sangamon County, Representative Raymond Poe, on House Resolution 9997… 997. House Resolution 997. Mr. Clerk.”
“Mr. Speaker, could the Clerk read the Resolution?” Speaker Lyons, J.: “Representative, you want the Clerk to read the Resolution or do you wanna go first? Mr. Clerk, read the Resolution.”
"House Resolution 997, offered by Representative Poe. WHEREAS, In response to a series of violent acts in Springfield, the Reverend Lee Fields, Jr., senior pastor of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Springfield, organized a "Stop the Violence" march, held on February 6, 2006; and WHEREAS, Hope and faith were the overall messages of the march, and the need for each citizen to take responsibility for stopping the violence in their own home was highlighted; and WHEREAS, The event included speeches from students, clergy, State lawmakers, and community leaders; the mayor, police 09400116.doc 27 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 116th Legislative Day 4/7/2006 chief, aldermen, and other city and State officials also attended; and WHEREAS, Participants gathered in more than 200 vehicles at Southeast High School then drove together to Fourth Street and Capitol Avenue to walk to the east steps of the Capitol for a prayer and candlelight vigil; and WHEREAS, Reverend Fields talked about people taking charge of their own children and the importance of teaching self-respect and not blaming the problems of youth on their schools; therefore, be it RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we thank Reverend Lee Fields, Jr., for his community leadership in heightening public awareness to the growing violence in his community by organizing a "Stop the Violence" march; and be it further RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Reverend Fields as an expression of our gratitude for his involvement in the community.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "The Chair recognizes the Gentleman from Sangamon, Representative Raymond Poe.”
“Yeah, Mr. Speaker, Ladies and Gentlemen of the House, Pastor Fields and his wife Kim is up in the gallery and his daughter Jasmine, who works in the Speaker’s Office, is here with me on the House Floor. A lot of times there’s community leaders that do a lot of things and they need recognition for something that… that they did in the past, and we had a situation in Springfield where he brought that attention and I think that it’s… it’s helped the situation. 09400116.doc 28 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 116th Legislative Day 4/7/2006 And this is a little bit of gratitude just for him helping us out in Springfield. Thank you.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "Thank you, Representative Poe. Mr. Clerk, under Senate Bills-Third Reading, on page 2 of the Calendar, Representative Saviano has Senate Bill 2395. Read the Bill, Mr. Clerk.”
"Senate Bill 2395, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. Third Reading… Third Reading of this Senate Bill.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "The Chair recognizes the Gentleman from Cook, Representative Skip Saviano.”
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Members of the House. Senate Bill 2395, as amended, addresses the displaced dentist language as a result of Hurricane Katrina. It allows dentists who were displaced, they get temporary license to continue their practice here in Illinois. And the department drafted this Amendment, the Illinois Dental Society is in full support. And I would ask for your favorable consideration.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "The Chair recognizes the Gentleman from Cook, Representative David Miller.”
“Thank… thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the Bill. This is a great Bill which is in response to a natural disaster. The Sponsor’s worked very diligently in trying to put this language together. I would ask a favorable vote from every Member of this chamber.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "No one seeking further recognition, the question is, ‘Should Senate Bill 2395 pass?’ All those in favor signify by voting ‘yes’; those opposed vote ‘no’. The 09400116.doc 29 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 116th Legislative Day 4/7/2006 voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Representative Brady, do you want to be recorded? Mr. Clerk, take the record. On this Bill, there are 114 Members voting ‘yes’, 0 voting ‘no’. This Bill, having received the Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Mr. Clerk, on page 3 of the Calendar, under Senate Bill-Third Readings, Representative Brady has Senate Bill 2709. Read the Bill, Mr. Clerk.”
"Senate Bill 2709, a Bill for an Act concerning revenue. Third Reading of this Senate Bill.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "The Chair recognizes the Gentleman from McLean, Representative Dan Brady.”
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Ladies and Gentlemen of the House. Senate Bill 2709 simply extends three tax exemptions that expire at the end of this year. Exemptions are for vegetative strips, nursing home food and drugs, and items bought in Illinois and tem… that are temporarily stored in Illinois for use in other states. Simply what we’re doing is extending the exemptions and not allowing them to sunset. I’d be happy to answer any questions regarding the legislation.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "Are there any questions on Senate Bill 2709? Seeing none, the question is, ‘Should Senate Bill 2709 pass?’ All those in favor signify by voting ‘yes’; those opposed vote ‘no’. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Clerk, take the record. On this Bill, there’s 114 Members voting ‘yes’, 0 voting ‘no’. This Bill, having 09400116.doc 30 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 116th Legislative Day 4/7/2006 received the Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Mr. Clerk, on page 3 of the Calendar, Representative Hassert has Senate Bill 2713. Read the Bill, Mr. Clerk.”
"Senate Bill 2713, a Bill for an Act concerning local government. Third Reading of this Senate Bill.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "The Chair recognizes the Gentleman from Will, Leader Hassert.”
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Members of the General Assembly. 2713 amends the Joliet Regional Port District Act. Provides that the County Executive of Will, with the advice and consent of the county board, may appoint three members to the Joliet Regional Port District. Also, it allows the Waukegan Port District to provide the Mayor of the City of Waukegan should appoint two additional members with the advice and consent of the city council. I’ll be happy to try to answer any questions.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "The Chair recognizes the Gentleman from McHenry, Representative Jack Franks.”
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?" Speaker Lyons, J.: "He indicates he will."
“Representative, why do we need to increase the size of the government?”
“This was at the request at the County Executive in Will County, Larry Walsh, that he wanted equal participation on the port authority for what he thought was just to have a balance from the Joliet mayor and the Governor and himself. And I’m not exactly sure what the objective be… Senator Link put the Waukegan language on there for Waukegan. I’m not 09400116.doc 31 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 116th Legislative Day 4/7/2006 exactly sure… ya know, my analysis pointing out that the mayor of Waukegan then would have a larger appointment authority or more control over the board than the Governor. So I don’t think it’s necessarily increasing, it’s just a matter of balance of control.”
“Well, it is an increase. They’re moving up from seven to nine. So, they’re…”
“Well, it’s increasing number, but increasing government I’m not exactly sure if you’re looking at particular… suggesting it might be a cost factor or somethin’. I really don’t know the underlying cost. These people serve at minimal cost to… to… when they’re appointed to these authorities.”
“Yeah, I don’t… I don’t know if they receive a salary or whether they’re just getting reimbursements. I don’t know enough about these boards, and maybe someone can answer those. But when… the Joliet Regional Port District Board, are they paid? How long are the… and how long are the terms?”
“I think their terms are 6 years and I think they get, I would assume, like a per diem type thing for their meetings. I think they meet once a month…”
“Okay.”
“…so I don’t think it’s as significant. Their monies, I think, are derived basically from fees that regarding… like for Joliet Port Authority I know it’s the Lewis Airport, so their fees are generated from the airport and whatnot that support the port district in that. So…”
“Okay. Thank you for your answers.” 09400116.doc 32 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 116th Legislative Day 4/7/2006 Speaker Lyons, J.: "The Chair recognizes the Gentleman from Will, Representative Jack McGuire.”
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just rise in support of the Motion by Representative Hassert. This initiative came to us from the Will County executive, former Senator Larry Walsh, and I certainly concur in that. And I thank Representative Hassert for a great presentation. Vote ‘aye’, please.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "No one further seeking recognition, the question is, ‘Should Senate Bill 2713 pass?’ All those in favor signify by voting ‘yes’; those opposed vote ‘no’. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Representative Lang. Mr. Clerk, take the record. On this Bill, there are 107 Members voting ‘yes’, 7 Members voting ‘no’. This Bill, having received the Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. Mr. Clerk, on page 13 of the Calendar, on the Order of Resolutions, Representative Connie Howard has House Resolution 1004. The Chair recognizes the Lady from Cook, Representative Connie Howard.”
“Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. A couple of weeks ago, in fact, it was the 29th of March, my sorority sisters came to Springfield again. And at that time, they visited their Representatives and Senators and they learned more about the process here in Springfield. They had a very, very valuable and fruitful day and they were very happy that they came. So, belatedly, I ask that this House proclaim March the 29th as Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Day in Springfield.” 09400116.doc 33 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 116th Legislative Day 4/7/2006 Speaker Lyons, J.: "Thank you, Representative Howard. We’ve heard the request for the adoption of House Resolution 1004. All those in favor signify by saying ‘yes’; those opposed say ‘no’. In the opinion of the Chair, the ‘ayes’ have it. And House Resolution 1004 is adopted. Thank you, Representative Howard. Mr. Clerk, read the Agreed Resolutions.”
Clerk Bolin: "Agreed Resolutions. House Resolution 1166, offered by Representative Pritchard. House Resolution 1167, offered by Representative Molaro. House Resolution 1168, offered by Representative Collins. House Resolution 1169, offered by Representative Currie. House Resolution 1170, offered by Representative Froehlich. And House Resolution 1171, offered by Representative Parke.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "You’ve heard the Agreed Resolutions. All those in favor of their adoption indicate by saying ‘yes’; those opposed say ‘no’. In the opinion of the Chair, the ‘ayes’ have it. And the Agreed Resolutions are hereby adopted. Mr. Clerk, read the Adjournment Resolution.”
Clerk Bolin: "House Joint Resolution 120, offered by Representative Currie. RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that when the two Houses adjourn on Friday, April 07, 2006, the House of Representatives stands adjourned until Monday, April 10, 2006, at 4:00 p.m.; and the Senate stands adjourned until Monday, April 10, 2006.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "Representative Currie moves for the adoption of the Adjournment Resolution. All those in favor signify 09400116.doc 34 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 116th Legislative Day 4/7/2006 by saying ‘yes’; those opposed say ‘no’. In the opinion of the Chair, the ‘ayes’ have it. And the Adjournment Resolution is adopted. The Chair recognizes the Gentleman from Will, Representative Jack McGuire. For what reason do you seek recognition? Representative McGuire. We have a lost Page, is that the issue there, Representative? Representative Mautino.”
“Mr… Mr. Speaker, thank you. Just for the Members on the Democratic aisle, we have a young man who went down to get lunch. He’s got a veggie sandwich and cup of ice.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "We found him.”
“Okay. Representative Fritchey is acknowledging his order. Thank you, Representative. The Chair recognizes the Gentleman from Cook, Representative Terry Parke.”
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise as a point of personal privilege. I would ask if we are going to extend the deadlines on the Calendar… the Bills on the Calendar, and will it be for all the Bills on the Calendar?” Speaker Lyons, J.: "Representative Parke, I’ll get an answer for you in one moment. Representative Parke. Terry, the extension dates on the… on the Bills that are still on the Calendar, they will be extended next week. I don’t have an exact date, but they will be extended. So we’ll have an opportunity for next week. They will be extended.”
“And you’re saying all the Bill’s dates will be extended?” Speaker Lyons, J.: "Correct, Representative.”
“Thank you.” 09400116.doc 35 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 116th Legislative Day 4/7/2006 Speaker Lyons, J.: "The Chair recognizes the Gentleman from Kendall, Leader Cross.”
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s customary on the last day of Session to congratulate and thank staff for the wonderful job they’ve done during Session. Would this be the time I do that or do you think there might be a few more opportunities over the next week or month… months to thank our staffs? Can you give me some insight on that?” Speaker Lyons, J.: "Leader Cross, you are always welcome to thank our wonderful staffs if that’s what you so choose to do so today. Obviously, we’ll have a chance next week to extend that congratulatory…”
“So this is not the last day of Session?” Speaker Lyons, J.: "Not to my knowledge…”
“Okay.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "…since we’re gonna be re… re…”
“All right.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "…we’re gonna be coming back together next week.”
“Thank you so much, Mr. Speaker. You’re doing a great job.” Speaker Lyons, J.: "Thank you, Leader Cross. And now, allowing perfunctory time for the Clerk, the House will stand adjourned to the hour of 4 p.m. on Monday, April the 10th. The House stands adjourned until the hour of 4 p.m. on Monday, April the 10th. Everyone drive carefully, have a good weekend. We’ll see you on Monday.”
"House Perfunctory Session will come to order. Introduction and reading of House Bills-First Reading. 09400116.doc 36 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 116th Legislative Day 4/7/2006 House Bill 5781, offered by Representative Granberg, a Bill for an Act concerning State Government. Introduction and reading of Senate Bills-First Reading. Senate Bill 585, offered by Representative Flider, a Bill for an Act concerning government. Senate Bill 627, offered by Representative Mautino, a Bill for an Act concerning State Government. Senate Bill 858, offered by Representative Brosnahan, a Bill for an Act concerning education. Senate Bill 931, offered by Representative Lang, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. Senate Bill 837, offered by Representative Gordon, a Bill for an Act concerning local government. Senate Bill 1143, offered by Representative Froehlich, a Bill for an Act concerning criminal law. Senate Bill 1520, offered by Representative Madigan, a Bill for an Act concerning appropriations.”
"House Perfunctory Session will come to order. Reading of Senate Bills-Second Reading. These Bill will be read on the Order of Second Reading and held on the Order of Second Reading. Senate Bill 835, a Bill for an Act concerning local government, offered by Representative Bradley. Senate Bill 860, a Bill for an Act concerning education. Senate Bill 1183, a Bill for an Act concerning civil law. Senate Bill 1682, offered by Representative Tryon, a Bill for an Act concerning taxes. Senate Bill 1684, a Bill for an Act concerning law enforcement. Senate Bill 1827, a Bill for an Act concerning energy conservation. Senate Bill 2199, a Bill for an Act concerning State Government. Senate Bill 2225, a Bill for an Act concerning education. Senate Bill 2277, a Bill for an Act concerning 09400116.doc 37 STATE OF ILLINOIS 94th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 116th Legislative Day 4/7/2006 gaming. Senate Bill 2295, a Bill for an Act concerning civil law. Senate Bill 2339, a Bill for an Act concerning employment. Senate Bill 2368, a Bill for an Act concerning transportation. Senate Bill 2374, a Bill for an Act concerning criminal law. Senate Bill 2437, a Bill for an Act concerning health facilities. Senate Bill 2477, a Bill for an Act concerning education. Senate Bill 2626, a Bill for an Act concerning public aid. Senate Bill 2664, a Bill for an Act concerning local government. Senate Bill 2673, a Bill for an Act concerning civil law. Senate Bill 2737, a Bill for an Act concerning criminal law. Senate Bill 2745, a Bill for an Act concerning regulation. Senate Bill 2762, a Bill for an Act concerning education. Senate Bill 2917, a Bill for an Act concerning insurance. Senate Bill 3016, a Bill for an Act concerning sex offenders. And Senate Bill 3018, a Bill for an Act concerning criminal law. And Senate Bill 3088, a Bill for an Act in relation to revenue. There being no further business, the House Perfunctory Session will stand adjourned.” 09400116.doc 38