"House Perfunctory Session will come to order. Introduction and Reading of Senate Bills-First Reading. Senate Bill 1874, offered by Representative John Bradley, a Bill for an Act concerning appropriations. First Reading of this Senate Bill."
"The hour of 12:00 having arrived, the House will be in Session. We shall be led in prayer today by the Reverend C. J. Plogger, who is the pastor of the First Church of God in Pekin, Illinois. Reverend Plogger is the guest of rever… Representative Smith. 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. Reverend Plogger."
"Would you join me in a word of prayer. Today is a gift from God. From each heartbeat that pounds within our chest to each breath that expands our lungs, we've been entrusted with this precious gift. The gift of today is something not to be taken for granted or be flippantly thrown aside and the gift of today was not one that we could give ourselves. We've received it from the ultimate giver, the giver of Creation who is the giver of life. So, we want to thank You, our Heavenly Father, who is the great giver. We're grateful for each aspect of the gift of today. I thank You for each of my brothers and sisters here today. I thank You for bringing us here safely. Thank You for the talents and abilities and wisdom that they have brought with them. I ask that You will direct and guide their thinking and decisions and that they will be such that honors and glorifies You. And now we 09500235.doc 1 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 235th Legislative Day 3/5/2008 pray for the many who are searching for inner peace from sources which will never provide it. We pray for the many who are attempting to face life utilizing their own strength and only discovering their weakness. We pray for the many who are trying to fill a vacuum within their souls only to find themselves spiraling down in a state of spiritual stagnation. And I ask today that they and all of us be willing to receive Your gifts. So, please great, almighty, omniscient, all powerful God, the giver of life, receive our gratitude for the gift of today and all the days to come, Amen."
"The Lady from DuPage, Representative Pihos, will lead us in the Pledge."
"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 Lady from Cook, Representative Currie."
"Thank you, Speaker. Please let the record reflect the excused absences of Representatives: Dugan, Gordon, Joyce, Patterson, Washington, and Rich Bradley."
"The record will so reflect. The La… the Gentleman from Jackson, Representative Bost, for what reason do you rise?"
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let the record reflect that Representative Tryon, Durkin, and Watson are excused on the Republican side of the aisle today." 09500235.doc 2 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 235th Legislative Day 3/5/2008
"The record will so reflect. There are 107 Members present and a quorum is present and we will proceed with business. Mr. Clerk, Committee Reports."
Clerk Bolin: "Committee Reports. Representative Smith, Chairperson from the Committee on Elementary & Secondary Education, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on March 05, 2008, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass Short Debate' for House Bill 5717; 'do pass as amended Short Debate' for House Bills 4705, 5240, 5338, 5367, and 5611. Representative D'Amico, Chairperson from the Committee on Drivers Education & Safety, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on March 05, 2008, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass Short Debate' for House Bill 5049; 'do pass as amended Short Debate' for House Bill 4387. Representative Jakobsson, Chairperson from the Committee on Human Services, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on March 05, 2008, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass Short Debate' for House Bills 1612, 5953, and 5983; 'do pass as amended Short Debate' for House Bills 4456, 4745, 5150, 5242, 5251, 5259, 5297, 5318, 5359, 5579, 5650, and 5950. Representative Smith, Chairperson from the Committee on Elementary & Secondary Education, to which the following… referred action taken on March 05, 2008, reported… were reported back with the following recommendation/s as a corrected Committee Report: 'do pass Short Debate' for House Bill 5717; 'do pass as 09500235.doc 3 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 235th Legislative Day 3/5/2008 amended Short Debate' for House Bills 4232, 4705, 5240, 5338, 5367, and 5611. Representative Fritchey, Chairperson from the Committee on Judiciary I-Civil Law, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on March 05, 2008, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass as amended Short Debate' for House Bill 5691; 'do pass Short Debate' for House Bills 4616, 4888, 4999, 5076, 5373, 5518, 5572, and 5672. Representative Scully, Chairperson from the Committee on Electric Utility Oversight, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on March 05, 2008, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass as amended Short Debate' House Bill 5932; 'do pass Short Debate' House Bill 5257. Representative Burke, Chairperson from the Committee on Executive, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on March 05, 2008, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'recommends be adopted' House Joint Resolution 111; 'do pass Short Debate' for House Bills 4375, 5187, and 5768. Representative Flowers, Chairperson from the Committee on Health Care Availability & Access, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on March 04, 2008, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass as amended Short Debate' for House Bills 4485, 4777, 5066, 5071, 5969; 'do pass Short Debate' for House Bill 5285; and 'recommends be adopted' House Joint Resolution 1001. Representative Nekritz, Chairperson from the Committee on Elections & Campaign Reform, to which the following 09500235.doc 4 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 235th Legislative Day 3/5/2008 measure/s was/were referred, action taken on March 04, 2008, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass as amended Standard Debate' for House Bill 4403. Representative Colvin, Chairperson from the Committee on Consumer Protection, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on March 04, 2008, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass Short Debate' for House Bill 4178, and House Bill 5363; 'do pass as amended Short Debate' for House Bill 5789. Representative Moffitt, Chairperson from the Committee on Fire Protection, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on March 04, 2008, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass Short Debate' for House Bill 4674, and House Bill 4683; 'do pass as amended Short Debate' for House Bill 4131. Representative Soto, Chairperson from the Committee on Approp-Elementary & Secondary Education, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on March 04, 2008, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass Short Debate' for House Bills 4443, 5013, and 5956. Representative May, Chairperson from the Committee on Environmental Health, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on March 04, 2008, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass as amended Short Debate' for House Bills 5369, and 5868. Representative Mautino, Chairperson from the Committee on Insurance, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on March 04, 2008, reported the same 09500235.doc 5 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 235th Legislative Day 3/5/2008 back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass Short Debate' for House Bills 5731, and 5954; 'do pass as amended Short Debate' for House Bill 5648. Representative Reitz, Chairperson from the Committee on Agriculture & Conservation, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on March 04, 2008, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass as amended Short Debate' for House Bills 4843, and House Bill 5776; 'do pass Short Debate' for House Bill 5506. Representative Feigenholtz, Chairperson from the Committee on Appropriations-Human Services, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on March 04, 2008, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass Short Debate' for Senate Bill 1863. Representative Collins, Chairperson from the Committee on Public Utilities, to which the following measure/s was/were referred, action taken on March 04, 2008, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'do pass as amended Short Debate' for House Bill 5212. Representative Currie, Chairperson from the Committee on Rules, to which the following measures were referred, action taken on March 05, 2008, reported the same back with the following recommendation/s: 'direct floor consideration' for House Bill 3679, which is referred to the Order of Third Reading. Introduction of Resolutions. House Resolution 1053, offered by Representative Osmond. House Resolution 1057, offered by Representative Miller. And House Joint Resolution 113, 09500235.doc 6 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 235th Legislative Day 3/5/2008 offered by Speaker Madigan. These Resolutions are referred to the House Rules Committee."
"The Lady from DuPage, Representative Bellock, for what reason do you rise?"
"Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker and I'd like to ask everybody in the General Assembly today to welcome… We have women from all over the State of Illinois as members of the Illinois Lincoln Series, the Class of 2008, and they're here to observe government and learn to be women leaders. So, they're up in the balcony. I'd like everybody to recognize them and give them a round of applause. Thank you."
"Welcome to Springfield. We'd like for Members to take their seats and for staff to move to the rear of the chamber. We have a guest speaker in the House today. If staff would re… move to the end of the chamber and Members in their seats. We have the honor of being blessed today to hear from Mr. Thomas Cheng, who is the Director General for Taipei, and he is going to address our august Body. If I could ask the Members to retire to your seats and ask Mr. Thomas Cheng to come and speak before our Body."
"Honorable Turner, Honorable Representatives. It is always a pleasure for me to come to Springfield, a city filled with historic significance. A calm with a sense of awe and gratitude. I've also bring you the warmest greetings and best wishes of the people in Taiwan, a sister city to Illinois since 1992. The world is changing and we all take note of a rising China and it's… it's economic 09500235.doc 7 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 235th Legislative Day 3/5/2008 power. It is almost impossible for people not to talk about China and upcoming Olympic Games in Beijing. Likewise, it is lik… it is nearly impossible to avoid buying products that are made in China regardless of their quality. But untold story is that Taiwan has in the last two (2) decades become the third largest investor in China, behind Japan and the United States. From 1991 to 19… to 2007 Taiwan's cumulative investment in China, approved by our Ministry of Economic Affairs, reached $64.8 billion ($64,800,000,000). Private analysts believe the actual figure is even higher, in the range of one hundred billion dollars ($100,000,000,000) and more than 70 percent of China's high-tech industry is built with assistance of Chinese enterprises. Ironically and sadly, despite Taiwan's measure contributions to China's economic growth the Beijing regime has deployed more than thousand missiles targeting Taiwan, simply because the government and people of Taiwan have resolutely pursued democracy and freedom, which is repressible… reprehensible to the dictators in Beijing. We recognize that in a world of power politics, size does matter. Taiwan compared to China is small in size, population, and natural resources, but our people are happy and proud for our market economy is robust and strong. Taiwan is the world's nineteenth (19) largest economy and they're the ninth largest trading partner with the United States. We enjoy a steady economic growth fueled by high-tech innovation and a sustainable manufacturing. Taiwan is a top producer in the world of no less than forty-seven (47) information communication 09500235.doc 8 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 235th Legislative Day 3/5/2008 technology products, including laptop computers, LCD monitors, IC wafers , PDAs, cable modems, and wireless land equipment and so on and so forth. We in Taiwan are happy and free. We embrace democracy. We just completed our legislative election in January. The Democratic Progressive Party suffered a great defeat. Taiwan citizens made their voices heard by handing the ruling party a clear message at the polls and we will hold our fourth direct presidential election on March 22, of this year. I assure you that in Taiwan all commitment to democracy is ironclad and always shall be. We are happy and grateful for we enjoy strong support from the government and people of the United States. We are particularly heartened by the action of our friends here in the Prairie State, who passed Resolutions in the past supporting Taiwan's participation in the United Nations and World Health Organizations and the negotiation of U.S.-Taiwan Free Trade Agreement. Today's visit reminds me of a… the signing of a letter of intent last June in the Old Statehouse… State Capitol, between Taiwan buyers and the Illinois growers for the purchase of Illinois agricultural products. And I'm happy to report that exports from Illinois to Taiwan have continued to grow. According to Department of Commerce between 2005 and 2006 the value of Illinois exports to Taiwan increased from five hundred forty-four million dollars ($544,000,000) to seven hundred one million dollars ($701,000,000) for an increase of 28.7 percent. And through the third quarter of 2007, Illinois exports to Taiwan reached eight hundred seventy-one million dollars 09500235.doc 9 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 235th Legislative Day 3/5/2008 ($871,000,000). Honorable Representatives, there are so many things to say about Taiwan but I dare not to take too much of your time. Therefore, I'd like to invite you to make a trip to Taiwan to see for yourself what we have to offer to our friends in this great Land of Lincoln. I believe that once you are there you will impress… you will be impressed wholeheartedly by our cheerful and hospitable people and you will be impressed with the fast-paced economic activity and a quintessential Chinese and unique Taiwanese culture that exist side-by-side. Not to mention the mouth-watering Chinese and the local cuisine and the breathtaking beauty and charm of the emerald island of Taiwan. My colleague and I will help to arrange your trip to be a most memorable and rewarding one. I thank you and God bless you all. Thank you. And before I step down I have the great honor to present a plaque to the Honorable Speaker Michael Madigan, to show our appreciation of your support and warm friendship. I would like to ask the Honorable Currie to receive this."
"Thank you very much, Mr. Cheng. And I know that the Speaker will be very happy to have it. It's a beautiful plaque and he was sorry he was not able to be with you this afternoon, but I'll see that we put this in his very own hands. Thank you very much."
"Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you."
"Mr. Thomas Cheng, another round of applause. We're going to move to the Order of House Bills-Third Reading. And on page 7 we have House Bill 4643, Representative Lyons. Read the Bill, Mr. Clerk." 09500235.doc 10 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 235th Legislative Day 3/5/2008
"House Bill 4643, a Bill for an Act concerning criminal law. Third Reading of this House Bill."
Speaker Turner: "The Gentleman from Cook, Representative Lyons."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Ladies and Gentlemen of the House. House Bill 4643 is an initiative from my home district and basically what it does, it provides for the purpose of determining the penalty for criminal defacement of property that the aggregate value of the properties defaced shall be added together when the offenses were committed as part of a single course of conduct. This came from my community, we of course have a CAPS program and community groups that like to support the police when there is an issue going on. We had a misguided young man deface about a dozen garages on one block. So, the police officer caught this individual; we tried to put the charge as a felony count. This in not his first arrest. And so we had about twenty (20) court advocates go with me to the police… to the court case back in September, October and when we got there the state's attorney explained to us that because there wasn't three hundred dollars ($300) worth of damage to a single entity that we had to use the misdemeanor count and take it to a lesser charge. So, of course, that spawned an idea to let's be able to when the police officer arrives on the scene and it's obvious that an individual has done an aggregate dollar amount of damage to a situation, that this is something that deserves the stricter the… the higher count, a felony count instead of a misdemeanor. So, I threw this out there in February and I 09500235.doc 11 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 235th Legislative Day 3/5/2008 did not hear from too many of the law enforcement agencies. Since then, I know that Dennis Reboletti, from DuPage County, has an issue and a concern on this as does the state's attorney from Cook County. They may have language that we may have to adjust if there is something in here that they don't think is specific enough as far as a timing mechanism, but it's a good piece of legislation. It came from the community. I'd be happy to answer any questions and of course, I'm looking for your support."
Speaker Turner: "The Gentleman from DuPage, Representative Reboletti, for what reason do you rise?"
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Sponsor yield?"
"Indicates he will."
"Representative, we talked about this Bill, I know, at great length and that… I had shared some concerns with you and I know Cook County had some concerns regarding the aggregation of these offenses and that… you told me that we could work on that over in the Senate. And when I met with Cook County last week they advised me that they were going to try to fal… follow the retail theft in the theft statutes as far as aggregation is concerned, so that we can put these different offenses together to get to your three hundred dollar ($300) amount. But I know they also shared concerns with you, as I did, that we have to have it as a single transaction or occurrence so that if somebody spray painting they don't get caught for a month that if they're on two (2) days and off three (3) days, that there may be an issue with that. But I know Cook said they're willing 09500235.doc 12 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 235th Legislative Day 3/5/2008 to work with you and I'm willing to work with you on that also."
"Well, thank you, Representative. We did have that conversation and as again Cook County has chimed in on this and the agreement will certainly be… this'll be adjustable when we turn it over to the Senate. I think Senator DeLeo is most likely going to pick it up. It came from our neck of the woods and we certainly want to have a tool that the state's attorneys know will be effective in court. So, I'll be happy to make that promise and commitment. We'll bring it back here on a concurrence."
"Thank you."
"No further questions. The question is, 'Shall the House pass House Bill 4643?' 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? Have all voted who wish? The Clerk shall take the record. On this question, there are 106 voting 'aye', 0 'noes', and 1 voting 'present'. This Bill, having received the Constitutional Majority, is hereby declared passed. The Lady from Champaign, Representative Jakobsson, for what reason do you rise?"
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Please let the record reflect that for House Bill 4643 I intended to vote 'yes'."
"The record will so reflect. The Gentleman from Jackson, Representative Bost, for what reason do you rise?"
"Inquiry of the Chair, please."
"State your inquiry." 09500235.doc 13 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 235th Legislative Day 3/5/2008
"A couple weeks ago I was down and had the opportunity to speak at SIU and at that time I spoke to an SIU law class. And at that time I was introduced to a young man that's in the SIU law school and he looks a lot like you and actually he has the same last name, and I… I just want to let you know. Now, this weekend, you know, the dogs will be participating in the Arch Madness. Now, are you an honorary dog? Is that the way that works and you'll be…"
"Woof. Woof."
"There you go. I just wanted to make sure of that."
"Mr. Clerk… House Resolution 1054. Could you read that Resolution."
"House Resolution 1054, offered by Representative Cross. WHEREAS, J. Dennis Hastert was born in Aurora, Illinois, on January 2, 1942, but is a true son of Kendall County, Illinois, having grown up in Oswego, which was a farm town in the time of his youth; the "Denny" who became a familiar figure to television audiences around the world started out as a carrier of 100-pound feed bags for the agricultural supply business that his family owned and operated; and WHEREAS, The Honorable J. Dennis Hastert is both a teacher and a maker of history, having served as both an instructor of history at Kendall County's Yorkville High School and as the longest-serving Republican Speaker in the annals of the United States House of Representatives; and WHEREAS, Dennis Hastert's service to Yorkville High as both a teacher and a coach culminated when he successfully mentored the "Foxes" to their wrestling State championship 09500235.doc 14 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 235th Legislative Day 3/5/2008 in 1975-1976, and was named the Illinois Wrestling Coach of the Year; and WHEREAS, Dennis Hastert has since been elevated to the Illinois Wrestling Coaches' Hall of Fame; and WHEREAS, As a community leader, Dennis Hastert was a natural choice by his Aurora-based district to be one of their three State representatives in November of 1980; and WHEREAS, In his three terms in the Illinois House of Representatives, Dennis Hastert served alongside legislators such as Michael J. Madigan, Barbara Flynn Currie, Tim Johnson, and Ron Stephens, rising to the position of minority spokesperson on the Appropriations II Committee; and WHEREAS, While on course to what would have been his unopposed election to a fourth term in the Illinois House in 1986, Dennis Hastert was selected by his fellow local Republican Party leaders as a substitute candidate to replace the Honorable John E. Grotberg, congressman from Illinois's Fourteenth District, after tragic health concerns forced Grotberg to relinquish his nomination for re-election to Congress; and WHEREAS, In November of 1986, the Honorable J. Dennis Hastert was elected by the people of northern Illinois to represent them in the 100th Congress, and Coach Hastert was himself coached as a freshman representative by his predecessor, John Grotberg, and Grotberg's staff, by his Illinois Republican colleague and mentor, Robert Michel of Peoria, by his Illinois Republican colleague, Ed Madigan of 09500235.doc 15 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 235th Legislative Day 3/5/2008 Lincoln, and by many other Congressmen and women from both political parties; and WHEREAS, When Dennis Hastert entered Congress, the United States House of Representatives had been controlled for more than thirty years by a Democratic majority, but in November of 1994, the American people selected Republican candidates to serve in the majority and organize the House of Representatives in the 104th Congress; and WHEREAS, As a member of both the minority and the majority parties in Congress, Dennis Hastert served on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and specialized in the issues of job creation and economic growth; and WHEREAS, Dennis Hastert worked with members of both political parties on concerns of the Chicago metropolitan area, including the health of Chicago's financial futures and derivatives markets, long-term growth plans for Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, and the cleanup of the thorium dumpsite in West Chicago, which was, at one time, the second largest radioactive waste site in the United States; and WHEREAS, Dennis Hastert worked on many issues of national and international importance, including the development of alternative energy sources and bio-fuels, the War on Drugs, and American health care; and WHEREAS, Congressman Hastert served as Chairman of the Congressional Anti-Drug Task Force; and WHEREAS, Dennis Hastert headed the legislative effort that mediated between disparate interests and developed and passed the federal Patients' Bill of Rights; and 09500235.doc 16 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 235th Legislative Day 3/5/2008 WHEREAS, Coach Hastert impressed his Republican colleagues with his grasp of national policy issues, his friendliness, and his emotional connection with the concerns of the American heartland; in December of 1998, his colleagues chose the Honorable J. Dennis Hastert to lead their caucus as their Speaker of the United States House of Representatives in the 106th Congress; and WHEREAS, It fell upon Speaker Dennis Hastert to lead America's House of Representatives on September 11, 2001; and WHEREAS, During the traumatic days immediately after 9/11, Dennis Hastert presided over a House of Representatives in which partisan concerns were temporarily submerged into a common desire to respond to the crisis as a united nation and a unified body of lawmakers, with many key items of ground-breaking legislation passed that reflected this national perspective; and WHEREAS, During and after those unforgettable days, Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert was a familiar figure on television screens across the world in his role as the presiding officer of the House when it is addressed by national leaders and heads of state, including the President of the United States when delivering the annual State of the Union Address and special addresses to Congress; and WHEREAS, America's Speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert, presided over the federal House of Representatives through four biennial congressional terms, covering the 106th, 107th, 108th, and 109th Congresses, a longer period of 09500235.doc 17 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 235th Legislative Day 3/5/2008 service than any other Speaker from the Republican Party; and WHEREAS, Dennis Hastert has announced his desire to resume his career as an educator by leading the creation of the J. Dennis Hastert Center for Economics, Government and Public Policy at Wheaton College, the college from which he graduated in 1964; and WHEREAS, "Denny" Hastert, during his momentous time of national leadership, has been sustained by his connections to the people of northern Illinois, and above all by his personal faith; therefore, be it RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we acknowledge the contributions of the Honorable J. Dennis Hastert as an esteemed former member of the Illinois House of Representatives, as a Congressman, and as the four-time elected Speaker of the United States House of Representatives; and be it further RESOLVED, That we thank Jean Kahl Hastert, the wife of the Honorable J. Dennis Hastert, and Speaker Hastert's two sons, Joshua Hastert and Ethan Hastert, for their support of "Denny" Hastert during the traumatic times that surrounded his period of national responsibility; and be it further RESOLVED, That we never forget that a native son of Illinois was on hand to help guide our nation through these years of grave crisis; and be it further 09500235.doc 18 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 235th Legislative Day 3/5/2008 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this Preamble and Resolution be presented to the Honorable J. Dennis Hastert in remembrance of his years of State and national service."
"The Gentleman from Vermilion, Representative Black, for what reason do you rise?"
"Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Before I make remarks to Speaker Hastert, permission if you'd allow me to amend the Resolution on its face. I was left out as one of those who also had the privilege and pleasure of serving with Speaker Hastert. I see I made a lasting impression on him back in '85 and '86. Let me just thank Speaker Hastert for his service to the United States and for his service to the people of Illinois when he was a Member of this Body and it was a privilege, and I mean that sincerely, to have served with him and to have learned from him. I recall that one of the more contentious issues that Speaker Hastert then… then Member of the House Hastert worked on during '86 was the utility, the public utility rewrite. And as we know, from past experience a few years ago how difficult that can be, and it was no less so when Mr. Hastert was in charge of that and as I recall, Mr. Speaker, your work on that was praised by both sides of the aisle, but in your campaign for Congress, as I recall, there was a radio commercial used against you, for your work on that. I can still hear that little refrain, ching, ching, thank you, Denny. Terrible ad, I tried to get it off the air, but had no success. When you were inaugurated as Speaker, well actually, Mr. Speaker, in… in 1986 there were three (3) or four (4) on the Republican side of the aisle who 09500235.doc 19 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 235th Legislative Day 3/5/2008 went out to an ALEC conference in Washington and we ran into you and your lovely wife, Jean and you were out house hunting, as I recall, and we asked you how things were going and you said, 'I can tell you this rents are not as reasonable here in the Washington area as they were back in Springfield.' But I was glad to see that you were able to work that out. I know it was my privilege to help drive the mobile home out there that we parked somewhere behind the mall as I recall. But you… I sent you a note when you were inaugurated because I am from Danville, the home of former Speaker of the House Joseph G. Cannon, who was one of the longest serving Members of the United States House of Representatives and also had the great pleasure of serving as the Speaker of the House, I think, for possibly four (4) terms. We all know this in politics and if you've read any biographies of Joseph G. Cannon, affectionately known as Uncle Joe in Danville, he was a rascal, in many respects. But we're proud to say he was our rascal in Danville. He's buried there. I have the plot next to him, hoping some of it will rub off in occasion. But Denny, I want to just thank you for your service. You certainly went through some trying times in Washington, but you were a steady hand in Congress. You helped guide policy in a evenhanded manner. Your leadership after 9/11 is certainly noted by people, whatever Party they're from, and one of the great joys of my life will always be saying that I was privileged to serve with a… a young man who went on to become Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and I thank your staff for taking me 09500235.doc 20 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 235th Legislative Day 3/5/2008 through your office about two (2) summers ago, very, very nice I might add. I didn't think I'd ever see an office as nice as the one I had in the Stratton Building. All eight (8) foot by seven (7) foot of it, but… but I think your office was a little better than that and I certainly appreciate the kindness of your staff for the tour of the Capitol and certainly the getting to see the Speaker's office. And I think I'd be remiss if I didn't say hello to your dep… former deputy chief of staff, Mike Stokey, one of the truly nice guys that I've ever met in this business, a gentleman in every sense of the word, a former chief of staff to the House Republicans, and it's always good to see Mike Stokey and have him back with us in the Illinois House. So, Mr. Speaker, thank you, you've had a remarkable career, a career of service, a career of trying to put people first and issues first and you were a great mentor to all of us that had the privilege of serving with you in years past. Wish you and Jean the very best and before you leave if you would give me the secret, you're not quite the figure I recall when you left the Illinois House of Representatives, obviously a few pounds ago. So, I certainly will… I came here in 1985-86 at 155 pounds and after my last physical two (2) months ago a trim slim 219. So, obviously, I need to talk with you. But thank you very much for everything you've done, for the people you've mentored for the way you helped the State of Illinois whenever we needed it. We'll certainly miss you in that regard. I wish you the very, very best and one of the great highlights of my life was to say that I, in fact, did 09500235.doc 21 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 235th Legislative Day 3/5/2008 serve in the House with Denny Hastert who went on to a very, very illustrious career in the United States Congress and as Speaker of the House. It's good to have you back here, Mr. Speaker."
"The Lady from Cook, Representative Currie, for what reason do you rise?"
"Thank you, Speaker. I, too, join in welcoming the Speaker of the United States House back to visit us here. It was my distinct pleasure to serve with Denny for the six (6) years he was a Member of this very House. And he was a person of his word, a person who was fun, a person who took the job seriously, but who was honest and sincere and respectful to all the other Members of the chamber and to all who came before the Legislature seeking redress of grievance or seeking a better way of life. In his six (6) years, Denny not only served as the Minority spokesman on the Appropriations Committee, which is pretty good for someone who hadn't been there very long, but he did, as Representative Black said, serve as the chief negotiator for his caucus on the public utilities rewrite. Pretty impressive for someone who wasn't here for very many years. He did a great job on that rewrite committee. It was very, very tough duty, but as Representative Black said, he got plaudits from all sides… both sides of the aisle and from all the combatants who were part of that discussion. So, we really appreciated his service in that respect. Bill didn't mention one of the perhaps most controversial activities of Denny's few short years with us, and that was that Governor Thompson proposed a junk food tax, in order 09500235.doc 22 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 235th Legislative Day 3/5/2008 to pay for improvements at McCormick Place. The problem, of course, is how do you define 'junk food'. One person's Frito, junk food, is another person's important source of corn. We concluded that we must find a junk food czar, somebody who could make the subtle determination between whether a Frito was indeed junk food or a worthwhile piece of corn. And so we established a junk food task force and the mission of the junk food task force was to select the junk food czar for the State of Illinois. There were two (2) obvious contenders for the post. One, a shadow of his former self, stands before you, the other was then Representative and now Judge Alan Greiman, both were men of heft, both were men of substance, both were men who shunned their vegetables. We have proposed that the children… the school children of Illinois would elect the junk food czar and then to our dismay Denny Hastert was called away to Washington. The task force ended without coming to a final decision and the junk food tax has never yet hit Illinois. But my choice from the beginning, Denny, was you and we were… we were all very proud of you when you were elected to Congress and we were thrilled when you became the Speaker of the House. We felt good that we knew you when. We felt grateful for the work you had done with us, and I think all of us took pride in the important services you gave the people of this country as the Speaker as the United States House. You served with distinction. We're proud of you and we're happy to know you. Welcome back."
Speaker Turner: "The Gentleman from Will, Representative Hassert, for what reason do you rise?" 09500235.doc 23 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 235th Legislative Day 3/5/2008
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I look up on that board and I see Hassert and Hastert and when Denny was first elected as State Representative I was his friend. When he became Congressman I became his cousin. When he became Speaker I became his brother and just recently, three (3) weeks ago, in the Sun-Times I was referred to as State Representative Brent Hastert. So, it still goes on to this day, but I grew up next to the White Fence Farm Restaurant which Denny's family owned. Spent many of time at the Clock Tower Restaurant which his dad owned. I knew his dad before I knew Denny. But Denny's been a longtime friend and a mentor and a role model. I think if you want to have a role model down here in Springfield, sometimes it's hard to look, but there's no better role model than Denny Hastert because of what Barb… what everybody… what's nice about having the honor of being Speaker of the United States of America is people still refer to Denny as Denny. He never forgot his roots. He never forgot where he came from. As he said, 'he was brought up on the Fox not the Potomac and that was a very important role model to have and if anybody has been around Denny, you know he's a humble man. You can go out in D.C., and we spent a few… Tom and I spent a few times out there with Denny and the respect and admiration from everybody back in the state. And he… he was a huge benefit to the State of Illinois and I don't think we'll realize what a benefit he was for the State of Illinois until, obviously, he's gone now and we'll miss that benefit that he made for the state and he made the State of Illinois much better and you can thank Denny a 09500235.doc 24 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 235th Legislative Day 3/5/2008 little bit for those who drive from Chicago to Springfield, getting that third lane by Weber Road. It's going to be a great asset here in a couple of years and this is all because of his leadership and getting us more money for transportation, many things that helped and he was a regional type person he… he worked with the caucus out in D.C. and he made sure things got done for Illinois, but he was great for the country and nobody served under a time of… Tom and I were like a couple little kids one day. We would visit Denny at his home not shortly after 9/11 and Denny explained that day in D.C. and you could have… you could have… we were like a couple of little children listening to a parent tell a story, and it was so amazing and none of us have… can experience what this gentleman done… did and has done for us. So Denny, thank you for being a role model for me. Thank you for what you've done, for not only your Congressional district, for the state, but for the United States. Thank you."
Speaker Turner: "The Gentleman from Bond, Representative Stephens, for what reason do you rise?"
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it's good to see you here. I will… I wanted to tell you that it's nice that you brought Mike Stokey along. I got to tell you I never liked Mike Stokey. You… Denny, you had a tremendous influence on my career. As I came here in 1984, as a young Legislator, one of the biggest issues we faced in the beginning of my career was the utility rewrite and you were very intently involved in that to the point that we used to do committee or Floor Amendments here on the House Floor. 09500235.doc 25 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 235th Legislative Day 3/5/2008 And the huge, huge focal point of that Bill was the very boring and convoluted issue of the cap on excess capacity and an overwhelming political focus came on that… that Amendment. And all of the… the populace and the Citizens Utility Board and all the others and AARP and seemed like everyone came down in favor of voting 'no' on the Amendment, on the cap on excess capacity. We had a caucus… we had a very serious caucus and we… there was much consternation. And there were two (2) of us, as I recall, Carl Hawkinson and I who said that we were going to vote 'no' and there was a lot of pressure and I was really nervous and I came out of there and… Denny, I don't know if you recall this, but you took me aside in a brotherly, fatherly kind of way and you were very kind and you explained to me the issue and… and you said look, I… and you… and you showed much insight at that point that I should have… I should have seen the greatness in you then, because you advised me to vote 'yes' and… and I did. And I sat… I stood right back here and I voted 'yes' and oh, I got boos from the auditorium and from the gallery and you said not to worry, not to worry, you're going to be just fine. You showed then the kind of insight that led you to your glorious career. I don't know… you never followed up, but I lost the next election. But… but I'm glad to see that one of us succeeded. I'm proud that my name is in your Resolution. You have… you have made your parents proud, your family, your state and your country. We will never forget you here and we are all so very, very proud of you. Thank you." 09500235.doc 26 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 235th Legislative Day 3/5/2008
Speaker Turner: "The Gentleman from Kendall, Representative Cross."
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And Denny, thanks for being here today. I… most of the people on this side of the aisle know this, maybe those of you on the other side don't know. I ended up at Yorkville High School in 1972 as a freshman, moved there from the south side of Chicago, West Pullman. My dad's a Methodist minister, most of you may know that. And I had a teacher at Yorkville High School by the name of Denny Hastert. Little did I know where I would end up and little did I know, at that time, where he would end up. My brother wrestled for him and is part of one… is part of several great wrestling teams and I happen to have a senior year 1976 was the year they won the state championship. They sent nine (9) guys out of twelve (12) guys, eligible to go downstate. It was pretty remarkable story to be a small town from Yorkville, Illinois and end up state champions as wrestling. And it is a remarkable story as you think about the fact that this man from Will County, Kendall County, Illinois hauling seed and milk from grade school or not grade school, as he got to be a teenager, then in college they talk about in the Resolution that he had this incredible work ethic as a young man and into college and then he continues it on to become a teacher and a coach and a mentor. And while it's, you know, he moves to… moves on to Springfield and he moves on to Washington, D.C. And what's remarkable about it and it's a good lesson for all of us in this institution of public service, there's several things that are remarkable 09500235.doc 27 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 235th Legislative Day 3/5/2008 about his rise and how he handled himself and it's a good lesson for all of us and Brent alluded to this. Denny Hastert never ever, as Brent said, forgot who sent him to Springfield or who sent him to Washington, D.C. A lot of us tend to get into the world of politics, wherever we end up, whether it's Springfield or Washington and forget about our homes and forget about the people that vote for us and elect us and make sure that we continue to do the jobs most of us like and that's public service, if we're in this… in this business. He remained approachable. Here's a guy that maybe on a Thursday afternoon is meeting with the President of the United States of America and the next morning he's driving around Kendall County, Illinois in a pick-up truck with a Labrador Retriever or two (2) on his side, going to the cleaners, going to the coffee shop, going to the grocery store. He did that when he was in the House here. He did that when he was in the House in Washington. He did it as Speaker. He never forgot. And I think Brent… Brent mentioned this in his comments and the day he was sworn in as Speaker he talked about the Fox River that flows right through the Fox Valley in northern Illinois and he talked about that versus the Potomac. And he really sent a strong message that day and he never wavered from this, that I'm going to remember my values, they're strong, they're Midwestern, they're caring, they're principled, someone said faith-based, and I'm going to stick with those values and you can… we have to come to Washington to do our job, but what's really important is back at home. And that's a lesson for all of us. The 09500235.doc 28 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 235th Legislative Day 3/5/2008 second thing, Denny, that you taught all of us and you taught me and I think we should all remember is that we're here to get things done. I look at our institution right now and our state where a lot of people want to get personal and a lot of people want to take shots and they don't remember that we're here to serve people and that there's a goal and an end result that we ought to be striving for. Denny was very conservative, much more so than me, much more so than many of us or some of us are maybe more conservative, but that doesn't matter. The point was he found a way to work with both sides of the aisle to get resolution on an issue. He was very policy oriented. I can remember many, many times talking to him and the depth of his understanding of an issue always amazed me and of course, his ability to explain it was because he was a teacher. But the end result was and the bottom line is he knew that he was there to get things done, not just to pontificate, not to just be a populist, not to just try to get votes, but to actually get things done. And the list is long of the accomplishments and you heard them in the Resolution today and I want to just as an aside, Denny, I don't know if you know this, it's a great world. Frank Straus, who Denny just saw, a few minutes ago back in my office, works on our staff and was on staff when Denny was in the House. Frank wrote that Resolution and he took a lot of pride in doing that Resolution and Frank Straus, you were right on. You covered it about as well as you could. The third thing that I think is noteworthy for this Body and for this state and for this country is… I 09500235.doc 29 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 235th Legislative Day 3/5/2008 don't know that anybody has any appreciation, and I'm not suggesting that I do, to serve as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives during a wartime. I can't imagine that. And I don't know that any of us can, but his calm, his steady, his strong style of leadership with an ability to work with others with differing views and differing styles, helped him as he worked through the impeachment of the President, 'cause he came into the Speaker's Office soon after that and he provided that same style of strength and leadership after 9/11. It can't be easy. It's got to be difficult and the pressure on an individual to handle that and to succeed and handle it as well as he did is remarkable. So Denny, thank you for your incredible, incredible service to this state and to this country and you helped up whether we were from Yorkville or from Chicago or southern Illinois or western Illinois or wherever the case may be. You're a remarkable human being. You've been an incredible public servant and you've made all of us in Illinois proud. Thank you very, very much."
Speaker Turner: "And now the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Denny Hastert."
"Thank you. Thank you very much. Art, or Mr. Speaker, thank you for sharing this podium with me. It's a great honor. You know, for everybody that has the chance to come back home again, I guess for me, this is a chance to come back home again and Barbara and Bill and Ron and all others that had a kind word to say, I appreciate it. Bill Black's amazing that he has a plot of land ready to go, right next to former Speaker Joe Cannon. It just 09500235.doc 30 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 235th Legislative Day 3/5/2008 amazes me. I wonder what Joe Cannon thinks about that. But anyway. Ron, I'm sorry for serious… for your loss, but that was… you did the right thing. And Barbara and I actually served in… we spent a lot of time together. Now, we never agreed very much on things, but, you know, we found a way to work together. We did together write that public utility Act. It wasn’t only a public utility Act, but fourteen (14) nuclear plants were being built or seven (7) built and seven (7) coming on line in Illinois and… right after Three Mile Island, a situation and AT&T was breaking up and the whole telephone situation. It was… it was an intriguing time. But those types of challenges, I guess, are things that you live with and learn. I had an incredible opportunity. You know, I never dreamed that I would be as a wrestling coach in 1978 and '79, that I would be elected to the House of Representatives in 1980. I just never thought it was my future that I could do something like that or have the opportunity to do something like that, but it happened. And it was an incredible time for me, that six (6) years that I spent here, in this place and, you know, I probably spent as much time on this side of the aisle than I did on that side of the aisle, because when you worked on those types of tasks and two (2) of those years we were in the Majority. I remember back then, it was a House of 177 Members. And the seats went back under the balcony and, you know, if you were really just a freshman, you were sitting under the balcony with a lot of other people who were just kind of freshmen and you… you watched and you learned how things worked and worked with 09500235.doc 31 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 235th Legislative Day 3/5/2008 people like Mike Madigan, who is now Speaker of the House, and there was Majority Leader Jim McPike, who… would became Majority Leader… I could go on and on. Jim Keane on the other side of the aisle who served as Leader for awhile and… then I saw an awful lot of the good folks that I learned with and I learned from on this side of the aisle, Tom Ewing and just on and on. And that was a great time and a great place. Then I had the opportunity, it just kind of happened, my little state rep district was part of four (4) other Congressional districts and, you know, a Congressional district was almost between five and six hundred thousand (500,000 – 600,000) people, state Repre… district was about a hundred thousand (100,000), so… and I was split up six (6) ways, I didn't have very much of anything. And two (2) people stepped down within three (3) days of each other that… were… had worked as Congressmen, it was… I had part of their district and my State Rep. George O'Brien from Joliet, who subsequently died… had cancer and died before the end of his term and John Grotberg, who had a terminal illness. And I thought if I was ever going to run for Congress, I didn't know if I was ready or not, but I decided to grab that brass ring and I did. And it was an incredible ride and in 1994 I had the opportunity to become Chief Deputy Whip. And Ron, I just have to tell you I kind of learned my trade working on you and a few other people, but anyway to be Chief Deputy Whip meant that you had to line up the votes that took… If you're going to move legislation, you were responsible for that. I never dreamed that I was ever going to be Speaker. 09500235.doc 32 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 235th Legislative Day 3/5/2008 That's something that happened and it happened at some of the tough… toughest times in our country. People turned around at me and said you're going to be the next Speaker of the House. I thought why me, Lord, but anyway it happened. And then, you know, during that period of time I went from a peacetime Speaker to a wartime Speaker. A peacetime Speaker you can work on education and transportation and energy and all these really great things that make this country good and better and prepare for our future. But when you become a wartime Speaker, your job is to keep this country safe and make sure it doesn't happen again. And that was my job. And it was a tough time, not an easy time. And that time has passed and I've figured it was time to step down as Speaker and certainly time to step down from Congress and come back home. And home has always been here. We never moved our home from Illinois to Washington and raised our children here and Jean taught for thirty-four (34) years here in Illinois and it's been a great time, but for me, today, to come back home is special because this is where I learned how to deal with people. This is where I learned the art of compromise. This is where I learned on working on the other side of the aisle. And this is where I learned that you can't do anything in this place, whether you're a local elected representative, whether you're the county board member, or you're a Member of the Illinois House of Representatives, or you're a Member of the U.S. Congress without working up and down the line together and across the aisle to get things done. For this honor, I thank you. There was a movie out several 09500235.doc 33 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 235th Legislative Day 3/5/2008 years ago and it was called, the movie was an Irish movie and it was called Waking Ned Devine. There's a line in that movie that basically said, 'Oh that a person could sit in the front row at his own wake and hear everybody say'. Well, today when I hear this Resolution I'm thinking they ought to be pushing the casket down the aisle, but… So, for me it was a great honor to be here and it was a great honor to be back among old friends. I want to say thank you and God bless you. Thank you very much."
"Representative Cross now moves that we add all Members of the House to this Resolution and he further moves that we adopt House Resolution 1004. All those in favor should say 'aye'; all those opposed say 'no'. Opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the Resolution is adopted. There is a… informal reception in Room 316 where you can meet with Speaker Hastert, in Representative Cross's office, behind the Speaker's podium. Mr. Clerk, Supplemental Calendar #1. Read the… House… Senate Bill 1863. Read the Bill."
Clerk Bolin: "Senate Bill 1863, a Bill for an Act making appropriations. Second Reading of this Senate Bill. No Committee Amendments. No Floor Amendments. No Motions filed."
Speaker Turner: "Third Reading. Mr. Clerk, Agreed Resolutions."
Clerk Bolin: "Agreed Resolutions. House Resolution 1051, offered by Representative Black. House Resolution 1052, offered by Representative Currie. House Resolution 1055, offered by Representative Watson. House Resolution 1056, 09500235.doc 34 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 235th Legislative Day 3/5/2008 offered by Representative Jakobsson. House Resolution 1058, offered by Representative Froehlich."
"Representative Currie moves for the adoption of Agreed Resolutions. All those in favor say 'aye'; all those opposed say 'no'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the Agreed Resolutions are adopted. The Lady from Lake, Representative May, for what reason do you rise?"
"Yes. I'd like a very special announcement. A little bird flew over to this side of the aisle to tell me that the handsome Gentleman in the front row, Representative Jim Sacia, has a very special birthday. I won't give the number, it's sort of the opposite of this pin I'm wearing here, but if he want's to tell you the number that's okay. And he lost a Bill in committee. So, let's wish him happy birthday, Jim."
"Happy birthday, Jim."
"Jim Sacia…"
"That birdie have an ID? Mr. Clerk, committee cancellations."
"The Tollway Committee that was to meet today at 2 p.m. has been canceled. The Tollway Oversight Committee that was to meet at 2 p.m. today has been canceled."
"Tollway Committee has been canceled due to weather. The Gentleman from McLean, Representative Brady, for what reason do you rise?"
"Point of personal privilege, Mr. Speaker."
"State your point." 09500235.doc 35 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 235th Legislative Day 3/5/2008
"Ladies and Gentlemen of the House, I'd like you to join me in giving a warm Springfield welcome from the Illinois House of Representatives. Seated up in the gallery, to my right, is the General Federation of the Women's Club (sic- Clubs) of Illinois, who is here today from across the State of Illinois on their lobby day. So how about a nice warm welcome to Springfield to the ladies up here to my right. Thank you."
"Welcome to Springfield, ladies. The Lady from Lake, Representative May, are you finished? And now, seeing no further issues to come before this Body, Representative Currie moves that the House stands adjourned 'til Thursday, March 6, at the hour of 12 noon. The House now stands adjourned 'til Thursday, March 6, at the hour of 12 noon. All those in favor say 'aye'; those opposed say 'no'. And that allowing perfunctory time for the Clerk, the House does stand adjourned 'til Thursday, March 6, at the hour of 12 noon." 09500235.doc 36