Illinois Senate Floor Debate — January 11, 2017

(Pledge of Allegiance, led by Senator Cunningham)

5  STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 1st Legislative Day 1/11/2017 Governor and Members of the Senate, I rise to place in nomination for the President of the Illinois Senate for the 100th General Assembly the name of Senator John J. Cullerton. And I'm honored to do so because I consider him a trusted friend and an able leader. He has served this Body for eight years as our President. And I remember well his first task in assuming that position in January of 2009. His first order of business was to transform the Senate into a Tribunal for the purpose of bringing to trial an impeached Governor. No other Illinois Senate has ever been asked to do that. For the sake of our democracy, President Cullerton's leadership during that solemn event had to be outstanding. The details had to be right. The trial had to be fair and impartial, just as the framers of the Constitution had envisioned it, and so it was, for the eyes of the world were upon us at that moment. And because of President Cullerton's leadership, no one ever questioned the fairness or the seriousness of how we carried out our obligation. But that was an incredible way for a new Senate President to begin his tenure. But that showed us who John Cullerton was and is. He is not afraid to lead. He is not afraid to step into the unknown. There are several new Members of the Senate here today, along with many family members and friends, for whom this might be the first visit to the Capitol or their first visit to the Floor of the Senate, so I'd like to tell you a little bit about our Leader, President John Cullerton. He's been a Member of the General Assembly for more than thirty years and he's helped to shape our State. So let me share some perspective on how Illinois is doing: Chicago ranks ninth in job growth; Illinois ranks as the fifth top manufacturing state; number nine in biotech; ten in auto manufacturing; Illinois has fourteen 6  STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 1st Legislative Day 1/11/2017 of the world's largest companies; and with our seven hundred and eighty-four-billion-dollar economy, Illinois is an international center of global commerce; and Illinois is number two of all states in the U.S. in the -- in terms of electric grid modernization. So somebody must have been doing something right for all those years. And not to ignore our present-day problems, but some things still do work in Illinois. And if you want to find out more information on that, go to illinois.gov/dceo. Well, during his thirty years in the General Assembly, John Cullerton spent twelve of those years in the House of Representatives. He was then appointed to the Senate in 1991 to fill the vacant seat of Dawn Clark Netsch, who had been elected to the position of Illinois Comptroller. He's had numerous accomplishments and awards throughout his time in both the House and the Senate. He specifically developed a reputation as a champion for road safety and public health. He sponsored the State's mandatory seat belt law and the Child Passenger Safety Act, along with other legislation aimed at protecting young drivers and ensuring safer roads in Illinois. He also sponsored legislation to ban smoking in public places. And in addition to road safety and public health, John Cullerton left his mark on many laws in Illinois regarding criminal justice reform and tax modernization. At the conclusion of the 93rd and 94th General Assemblies, he was recognized as having successfully sponsored more bills than any other legislature -- legislator - and the key word there is successfully. And I would be remiss if I didn't mention his passion for education, including education funding reform. No one has more passion for education of our State's young people - actually, all people - than President Cullerton. But let me tell you what I feel is really exceptional 7  STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 1st Legislative Day 1/11/2017 about John Cullerton's leadership and why it's so important for him to continue in his role as President of the Illinois Senate. He knows how to negotiate. He knows how to reach agreement. And that's a very special and unique skill. Roger Fisher, former Dean of Harvard Law School, in his widely popular book, co-authored by William Ury, titled Getting to Yes, warns us of the pitfalls of "positional" or "traditional" bargaining versus "interest-based" or "collaborative" bargaining. An interesting footnote and the subtitle of the book, which says, "Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In". What Fisher and Ury described as a useful and productive negotiating process is to create a system where a person or each side understands that the most important question to ask is, "How can I help you achieve what you want, and how can you help me achieve what I want?" John Cullerton instinctively knows this. He is a listener. He is a relationship builder. He understands that finding common ground can result in a lasting agreement. And this is so much better than forcing capitulation where alls you get is winners and losers and, oftentimes, losers and losers. So how does this work? Well, here's a example, a little story I like to use about two kids who are fighting over an orange. And the parent comes in the room and is tired of them bickering back and forth and takes the orange and slices it in half and gives each of 'em half an orange. So does that solve the problem? Well, only partially. What if I told you that a hundred percent of the interests or the desires of each of those children could have been satisfied with that one orange? You have to ask the question, what do you want? Well, one child is hungry, wanted to eat the orange. The other child was baking a cake for Scout class and wanted the orange peel to use. So you could have 8  STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 1st Legislative Day 1/11/2017 satisfied a hundred percent of the interests of each of those children had you dared to ask the question, "What's important to you?" "Why does it matter?" The key to misunderstanding is that no one bothers to ask the questions about what is important and why does it matter. The point of all this is to focus on how can I help you get what you want and you help me get what I want. Well, John Cullerton understands this. He probes. And more than that, he empathetically listens, which means emotionally he understands where you are. He walks in your shoes. He asks, why is this important to you? He seeks to understand before jumping in with a solution. This is John Cullerton's way. He places value on people and on resolving issues in a way that uplifts everyone. He truly cares about this State and all the people who call Illinois home. And now, more than ever, we need someone with these skills, someone to get the job done, and to -- to do it in a way that we can all be proud. So, Governor, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate, I'm proud and honored to place in nomination for the President of the Illinois Senate for the 100th General Assembly the name of our friend, our Leader, and our mentor, John J. Cullerton. Thank you.

Thank you, Governor. I'd like to second the nomination of John J. Cullerton as President of the Illinois Senate, a man I have been proud to serve alongside for ten years - eight of which 9  STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 1st Legislative Day 1/11/2017 he has been the Senate President. Politics can be a rather ugly business. Every two years, we in this building engage in a rather distasteful war against our peers, people who, like ourselves, have chosen to serve the citizens of Illinois. Many will argue that the Presidential election of 2016 was one of the filthiest in our history. I'm going to digress for a moment. I'm actually going to take a page from the Senator Bill Haine book. That book is liberally seasoned with political and historical references. I'm going to submit that should we say our most recent election was the worst ever, we may have a debate on our hands. Some would argue the nastiest ever was actually in 1824. It was the battle between Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams. The Adams' campaign insinuated that Jackson's wife Rachel was not divorced when they married. He was accused of adultery and living in sin. She was accused of bigamy. Jackson's camp accused Adams of gambling and even having a pool table in the White House that he paid for with government money. Senate President, you might want to get that pool table in your office. But, anyway, ugly elections are a rather long-standing tradition. But, when the voters have had their say, it's up to those of us who have been elected to work together in the best interests of the citizens. It can be difficult, very difficult, as we've seen, to switch from campaigning to legislating. In recent years, in fact, that seems an almost insurmountable obstacle. So, what is the solution? It lies in the ability to compromise. Why has compromise become an ugly word? The most important attribute a leader can display is the ability to work with others, to negotiate, to be willing to sit down and work with people, even people that have very different opinions. I have always called John "the great negotiator". He 10  STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 1st Legislative Day 1/11/2017 understands the critical importance of working with people. He knows that if we work to craft a compromise, everyone wins. Those same skills are particularly useful when it comes to dealing with a large number of very diverse legislators. We number thirty- seven in our caucus - thirty-seven very different people; thirty- seven people with strong opinions; thirty-seven people that have no shyness in voicing those opinions. How do you manage that? How does one try to maintain some semblance of cohesion? John Cullerton manages to do that with diplomacy, respect, and a marvelous sense of humor. His door's always open to us. He encourages our input. When we discussed him seeking another term as Senate President, I did politely inquire as to why he would want that job. But, as we begin the 100th General Assembly, all of us in this Chamber understand what's important, what's important in working for the citizens of our individual districts. We understand that the top issue is a balanced budget. That is absolutely our top priority - a balanced budget. The only way to achieve that is with a leader who is willing to listen to his caucus members. That's why I second the motion to nominate John J. Cullerton as Senate President. Thank you.

Thank you, Governor and Members of this esteemed Body, on this beautiful day. Eight years ago, on January 5th, 2009, I was sworn into this Body. Rod Blagojevich was still the Governor; 11  STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 1st Legislative Day 1/11/2017 Barack Obama hadn't been sworn in yet. I was a mother of three, law student who was just about to walk into historic impeachment hearings. I remember John Cullerton's first inauguration as Senate President vividly, because it was my first Senate inauguration as well. We didn't know each other very well. And I knew I didn't owe him politically, but I knew that I owed my district everything I had to give and I owed this new Senate President my professional best. I was determined to work hard to earn this veteran lawmaker, President of the Senate, someone who had seen multiple Governors come and go, who studied this institution of the Legislature and rose to its Presidency, it didn't matter in that moment whether he liked me, I wanted to earn his respect. So I watched. I didn't speak much in caucus when I first started out because I had respect for seniority. I knew my job in the district was to lead the -- for the people who sent me here, but I had take -- I had to take the time to learn under this dome. So I watched. And in that first inauguration, we also saw a woman rise to the leadership post, in Christine Radogno, and John voted for Christine and Christine voted for John. Shortly thereafter, our first Chamber dinner was scheduled, and these two people set the tone for the rules of engagement in this Chamber. And even in the hard times, this Chamber rises to the occasion when it counts. I've seen passionate discourse on this Floor on hard issues, and you very rarely change someone's mind by the time a vote gets to the Floor, but the few times that it's happened, I've seen it here, in this Chamber, under this leadership. Then I met his wife and daughters. And we've all heard John be introduced as the President of the Senate and the first thing he does is say, "Let me introduce you to my wife and the Speaker of My House, Pam." And then Pam stands 12  STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 1st Legislative Day 1/11/2017 up, with this look on her face, like, is this still funny? Every time he says it's funny. But that family sticks together. They -- I've seen firsthand how proud John is of his family and that new grandbaby. When you call him, before you get a word in edgewise, the first thing he says is, "Do you hear that? I have a baby on my lap!" So I knew early on that John Cullerton was very comfortable knowing when to get out of the way and let a woman have her say! I was like, this is a President I can work with. You see, today, political discourse is rough. It is never-ending. The campaign cycle seems continuous. We spend so much time screaming at each other that we don't spend enough time listening to each other and this is where John Cullerton thrives. John knows that governing requires the ability to understand the other side. That's the only way you get principled opposition, which is required in a two-party system. He is uniquely qualified at building bipartisan bridges, because above everything else, he's demonstrated a love for this State. So I rise to second the nomination of John Cullerton because this time is built for a leader like John Cullerton - a leader who respects the cerebral but listens with his heart; a leader that knows that purpose trumps politics when lives are at stake. In this dark hour of acrimony and hyper-partisanship, where it is uncomfortably easy to allow fear to drive public policy, we need a leader like John Cullerton. At this inauguration, with Illinois facing the most pressing fiscal challenges she's seen in a generation, we ask for aspirational leadership. We call on you, John, to rise to the mantle of statesmanship that you already so easily possess, to speak truth to power, to embrace the difficulties of representative democracy with all of the challenges that come to bear in a system of 13  STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 1st Legislative Day 1/11/2017 governance that has stood the test of time for over two hundred and forty years and since 1818 when this State was first entered into the Union. Illinois is the fifth-largest State in the country, a State that produced three Presidents, who produced three of the six African Americans in the United States Senate since Reconstruction, but also the State where the General Assembly passed Black Codes to outright discourage free Blacks from moving here from the south. Illinois was the first state to ratify the 13th Amendment, even though it was a State that had sundown towns, places where Black people knew you best be gone by sundown. It was up until the seventies when Black legislators still had problems staying in hotels in Springfield. They stayed with local folks who opened up their homes to them so that they could serve in the Legislature. Our history is deep. Our progress is undeniable, even though we are today mired in unprecedented upheaval. Illinois is a complex one hundred and two county State with people who represent all corners of the State and we meet right here on this Floor, in this Chamber. We don't look like each other. We don't, in some cases, sound like each other. Some of our communities are as different as you could possibly imagine, but we all meet in this Chamber to try and solve the issues of our day, and history is watching. An indigenous saying tells us: We are the ancestors of those yet to come. What legacy are we leaving them? So I rise to second this nomination because I believe that John has demonstrated commitment to the ideals and principles that move us forward as a people, so eloquently stated in the very preamble we all just stood and raised our right hands and swore to uphold: "We, the People of the State of Illinois - grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberty which 14  STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 1st Legislative Day 1/11/2017 He has permitted us to enjoy and seeking His blessing upon our endeavors - in order to provide for the health, safety and welfare of the people; maintain a representative and orderly government; eliminate poverty and inequality; assure legal, social and economic justice; provide opportunity for the fullest development of the individual; insure domestic tranquility; provide for the common defense; and secure the blessings of freedom and liberty to ourselves and our posterity…" We all just rose our hands and swore to uphold that. In our system of governance, the principle of separation of powers is founded on a bedrock that each branch is separate and coequal. We are intricately tied, but our work cannot be done without clear and delineated powers imbedded in each branch. The institution of the Legislative Body is how we have governed ourselves since the beginning of this democratic experiment. This institution demands the best that we have to give it and that means the choosing of its leadership is a decision that requires weight and judgement with an eye towards a vision of what this State could be as we ask ourselves who do we want to be in five years, in ten years, in twenty years. What will this State look like for the time that each of us spent here? I know John Cullerton. I have served with John Cullerton. And it's for these reasons that I proudly second the nomination of John J. Cullerton for President of the State Senate of the 100th Illinois General Assembly.

Thank you, Governor. I move that the nominations for the Office of President of the Illinois Senate of the 100th General Assembly be closed.

I, John J. Cullerton, do solemnly swear

That I will support the Constitution of the United States

And the Constitution of the State of Illinois 24  STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 1st Legislative Day 1/11/2017

And that I will faithfully discharge the duties

Of the Office of President of the Senate

To the best of my ability.

Thank you very much. Well, thank you, and welcome to the first day of the 100th Session of the Illinois Senate. Let me first thank Illinois Supreme Court Justice Mary Jane Theis for administering our oath of office today. And I also, of course, would like to welcome from the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Lloyd Karmeier, Justice Robert Thomas, and Justice Rita Garman. It appears we have a quorum. And it's truly an honor to have you here today. Thanks also to Father Tom Hurley from Old St. Pat's Church for the invocation and Rabbi Shmuel Schuman from Hebrew Theological College for the benediction that he will perform. We have a number of other honored guests with us today. Governor Rauner, thank you very much for presiding over today's ceremony. I also want to recognize our Lieutenant Governor Evelyn Sanguinetti. It's nice to see you and welcome to the Senate. 25  STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 1st Legislative Day 1/11/2017 Congratulations also to our new Illinois Comptroller, Susana Mendoza. Welcome to the Senate, even though you're more familiar with the House. I'd like to welcome back to the Senate our own former State Senator and current State Treasurer, Mike Frerichs. I'm honored to have my predecessor in this post here with his wife, former Senate President Emil Jones, Jr., and his wife Doctor Lorrie Jones. Here representing U.S. Senator Dick Durbin is his wife, Loretta. And I'd also like to welcome to the Senate, former Congressman Bill Enyart and his wife, Judge Annette Eckert. We are also, as is the tradition, honored to have with us the Springfield Mayor, James Langfelder, who is undoubtedly thrilled to have so many visitors spending money in his city. So welcome, Mr. Mayor. I'd like to recognize Chicago Alderman Ameya Pawar for being here. Welcome to the Capitol. And also another Alderman is here, of course, Debra Silverstein, the wife of Senator Silverstein. And I'd like to recognize the former Senate -- Secretary of the Senate, Linda Hawker. It's great to see you again. And now for all of you. As Senate President, I want to officially congratulate and welcome the new Members here in the Illinois Senate on their first day: Senator Cristina Castro, Dale Fowler, Paul Schimpf, and Senator Jil Tracy. And, of course, welcome back all of the returning Senators. I'm well aware that none of us got here on our own. That was proven by the requests for tickets for the Floor. So I think it'd be appropriate to have a well-deserved round of applause for all the family and friends and the sacrifices they make on our behalf. At this point, I'd like to interject a bit of presidential privilege and recognize a few members of my family. Let me remind everyone that I'm from a family of nine children, and so is my wife. So don't worry. 26  STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 1st Legislative Day 1/11/2017 They're not all here. So we'll -- we'll try this one more time. I've been elected Senate President, but she's the Speaker of My House - see, it still works! - Pam Cullerton. We recently celebrated our thirty-seventh wedding anniversary. Someone asked my wife, "What's the secret to your successful marriage?" She replied, "The secret to our successful marriage is we're both in love with the same man." Yeah, yeah, it sounded like a compliment at first to me too. And there's also a very special guest here for his first inauguration, my first, and at the moment, only grandchild, Cormack "Mac" Hooper. He's here with his mom, our daughter, Maggie Hooper. He's been a little unruly so far today, but in his defense, he's only a year and a half old and he's really never been a room with so many Republicans. So, let's give him some slack. Oh, by the way, I -- I -- I recently became aware that my staff tracks the days I help with the babysitting. That's when they call me with the tough issues. Apparently, they prefer dealing with Grandpa Cullerton wielding a grandson than Senate President Cullerton wielding a gavel. Maybe, we -- Governor, we should start bringing him to Leaders' meetings and see what happens. We're also joined by two of our sons, Garritt and Kyle, are here, and by the way, the young man who sang the National Anthem is my nephew, Michael Lynch. You may have seen him a couple years ago on a TV show called "The Voice". So, thank you, Michael, for doing that once again. And, of course, I'd like to congratulate Senator Christine Radogno for being re-elected Republican Leader. Leader Radogno, I'm looking forward to continuing to work with you. You are an inspirational Leader for your caucus. And, on behalf of the entire Senate Democratic Caucus, I can't tell you how pleased we are to have you back as 27  STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 1st Legislative Day 1/11/2017 "Minority" Leader, and we hope you continue in that role for many years to come. As for this side of the aisle, I'd like to thank Senators Koehler, Holmes, and Hutchinson for their seconding speeches and their kind words, and I agree with everything you said about me. So, my philosophy as Senate President has been to simply try to keep the Senate on the path that Members set. I am honored to have again earned your trust and support. This ceremony and this Session are about the fifty-nine Members of the Senate coming together to make Illinois better. Today, I would encourage everyone to enjoy the ceremony and celebrate with your families. It will soon be over, and much work awaits. I think we can all agree that things have got to get better. The State needs a budget. Period. This has become nearly as ridiculous as it is frustrating. People, real people in the real world, are fed up, and they blame all of us. I'm prepared to do something about this, and so is Leader Radogno. We have made it clear -- we have made it clear that the Senate will offer solutions and leadership. Today, we are filing more than a dozen proposals containing the contents of our budget and reform plan. The intent is to quickly pass them in this new Session. It is my hope that the Illinois House and you, Mr. Governor, will join us. Believe me, I recognize that this is not an easy task, but it's time for the Senate to step up and provide leadership. We have done this before. Eight years ago today, the Illinois Senate ushered in a new era when Senator Radogno and I were first elected to lead our caucuses. As has been mentioned, but maybe some of you have forgotten, or were lucky enough to not have known about the personal political wars that had consumed this Chamber and much of State government at the time. A governor by the name of Blagojevich presided over the 28  STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 1st Legislative Day 1/11/2017 2009 inauguration ceremony. And right after we got the gavel away from him, we – the Illinois Senate – began an impeachment trial that would remove him from office. So we've seen some pretty bad times. And we've gotten through them by working together. That was the promise Leader Radogno and I made eight years ago. And together we have worked. We have made historic changes in Illinois. Now, I'd be the first to complain that we, the Senate, don't get the credit or attention that we deserve. That could be because we tend to cooperate, rather than tear each other apart. And too often, if there's no conflict, there's no coverage. But I digress. It was together that we, the Senate, passed the 2011 workers' compensation reforms that began to rein in costs, while also protecting workers. Could more be done? Yes. And we are working on that proposal. We, the Senate, also enacted workplace reforms that kept conventions and jobs coming to McCormick Place. And Governor Quinn vetoed that bill. So my first call was to Leader Radogno, and less than twenty-four hours later, the Senate had overridden that veto. And today, the convention business is again strong thanks to our efforts. The Senate led the way on marriage equality. That, too, was a bipartisan effort that was important for thousands of people across this State, and because of us, they have the same basic rights as everyone else. Those are real people with real rights that we helped. And just a few weeks ago, we, the Senate, passed sweeping energy policy changes. Most people called it the Exelon bill, but it also contained ground-breaking environmental policies that will guide Illinois and the nation for years to come. I, however, think of that bill as the Roy Durkee plan. Roy is a union welder in the Clinton nuclear power station, which is in Senator Chapin Rose's district. 29  STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 1st Legislative Day 1/11/2017 Roy's job at that power plant pays his mortgage and is how he could afford a new car for his family. There are hundreds of workers like Roy at the nuclear plants in Clinton and the Quad Cities. If those plants had closed, it would have wiped out jobs, families, and entire communities. We didn't let that happen. Now perhaps, some of you are sitting there thinking, well, none of those things affected us. And to that I would say, did you enjoy the seventy- mile-per-hour speed limit on the drive to Springfield today? That was Senator Oberweis' idea - Republican Senator Oberweis. Now, Senator Oberweis, it wasn't long ago that the political animosity was such in this Chamber that Democrats would have simply stolen your idea, filed our own version and then taken the credit. It's called bill-jacking. That's the kind of thing that Leader Radogno and I talked about ending eight years ago. And I went back and reread our 2009 speeches. I talked about the need for a sense of camaraderie in solving problems. Leader Radogno, you welcomed the opportunity to work together. You cautioned that Republicans would disagree with us from time to time. Those disagreements, however, would be principled, not petty or personal. So we need to continue to honor those commitments now as much as we did then. Unfortunately, we find ourselves seemingly mired in a new campaign season before the old is over. And we call for bipartiship {sic} (bipartisanship) and compromise, but there's political attack dogs sniping at every development. There's plenty of time and issues to campaign on - when it's campaign season. How about if we just try governing for a little bit? That's what the people sent us here to do. So, frankly, I think the -- the -- the State -- I think personally the State has been shaken up enough and now it's time to make Illinois great again. It's clear the Senate's not 30  STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 1st Legislative Day 1/11/2017 afraid to take tough votes to solve problems and move the State forward, so let's get to it. So in closing, to the Members of the Illinois Senate, I again thank you for the opportunity to lead this Chamber and promise to do the best to be fair and vigorous in doing so. Thank you very much. The next order of business is the election of the Minority Leader of the Senate. Senator Brady, for what purpose do you arise?

Leave granted? Leave is granted. Senator Christine Radogno is declared Minority Leader. Senator Radogno, congratulations. The Chair recognizes Senator Christine Radogno.

The Benediction will be offered by Rabbi Shmuel L. Schuman, CEO of the Hebrew Theological College.

The following Senators are appointed to the Committee of Escort for the Governor: Senators Aquino, Castro, Murphy, Rooney, and Weaver. Will those Senators please come forward to escort the Governor from the Chamber? Will the Senators appointed to the Committee of Escort for the members of the Judiciary - Senators Hastings, Hutchinson, Silverstein, Schimpf, and Tracy - please come forward to escort the distinguished members of the Judiciary from the Chamber? It is the intention of the Chair to begin organizing the Senate of the 100th General Assembly. Mr. Secretary, Communications.

Mr. Secretary, Resolutions.

The Senate will stand at ease to allow time for our guests to exit the Chamber. The Committee on Assignments will meet immediately in the President's Anteroom. Members are asked to remain in the Chamber. The Senate will stand at ease. (at ease) I would like to ask the Senators to please be seated. If there's any Senators who are off the Floor, please come to the Floor. We're about to take some votes. If I -- if I can ask the guests to please leave the Chamber and that even includes my own wife. Can I please ask the Senators to take their seat? The Senate will come to order. Mr. Secretary, Committee Reports.

The Senate Calendar has been printed and distributed. On the 35  STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 1st Legislative Day 1/11/2017 Calendar is Senate Resolution No. 1. Mr. Secretary, please read the resolution.

Senator Trotter, to explain the resolution.

Thank you very much, Mr. President, Members of the Senate. You know, we heard earlier today a couple of our Members talking about the discourse and acrimony that goes on in this Chamber, unfortunately, this building, and in other places in our country. Sadly, we can't characterize our democratic process as sometimes being nothing other than pretty ugly. However, to help us fulfill our democratic and our constitutional responsibility to make laws to enhance the -- the people of the State of Illinois, there are mechanisms in place. And what Senate Resolution No. 1 does, it elects the officers of the 100th General Assembly, those individuals that -- that help us keep us in an orderly fashion, and the bill {sic} specifically names Tim Anderson, Secretary of the Senate; Scott Kaiser, Assistant Secretary of the Senate; Joe Dominguez as Sergeant-at-Arms; and Dirk Eilers as the Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms, here in the Illinois Senate.

Senator Trotter has moved the adoption of Senate Resolution No. 1. Is there any discussion? If not, the question is -- oh, sorry. Senator -- Senator Righter, for what purpose do you rise?

So, the question is, shall the Senate adopt Senate Resolution No. 1. All those in favor will signify by voting Aye. Those opposed will vote Nay. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Secretary, please take the record. On that question, there are 58 voting Aye, none voting No, none voting Present. And Senate Resolution No. 1, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared adopted. On the Order of Resolutions is Senate Resolution No. 2. Mr. Secretary, please read the resolution.

Senator Clayborne, to explain the resolution.

Thank you, Mr. President, Members of the Senate. Senate Resolution No. 2 encompasses the Rules for the Senate of the 100th General Assembly. It retains the Rules of the Senate of the 99th General Assembly with the following changes: Institutes a process to handle quick-take legislation in the Senate; designates Mason's Manual of Legislative Procedures {sic} (Procedure) as the Senate's backup to the Senate's already detailed Rules; tightens up Motions to Reconsider so that if a measure passes the Senate, only a chief sponsor or a chief cosponsor may file a Motion to Reconsider; eliminates the Legislative Petitions Committee and adds four committees to handle more technical and specific jurisdiction of legislation; conforms certain Senate Rules to longstanding Senate 37  STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 1st Legislative Day 1/11/2017 practices, such as transferring the sponsorship of former Members' legislation to {sic} an Executive Appointments Committee protocol; makes a number of other technical changes.

Senator Clayborne has moved the adoption of Senate Resolution No. 2. Is there any discussion? Senator Righter.

The question is, shall the Senate adopt Senate Resolution No. 2. All those in favor will signify by voting Aye. Those opposed, by voting Nay. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Secretary, take the record. On that question, there are 58 voting Yes, none voting No, none voting Present. And Senate Resolution No. 2, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared adopted. The Senate is now operating under the Rules of the Senate of the 100th General Assembly. Mr. Secretary, Communications.

Mr. Secretary, Resolutions.

Committee on Assignments will meet immediately in the President's Anteroom. Members are asked to remain in the Chamber and the Senate will stand at ease. (at ease) The Senate will come to order. Mr. Secretary, Committee Reports.

Supplemental Calendar No. 1 has been printed and distributed. Can I have your attention, Senators? Please be in your seat. On Supplemental Calendar No. 1 is Senate Resolution No. 3. Mr. 39  STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 1st Legislative Day 1/11/2017 Secretary, please read the resolution.

Senator Morrison.

Thank you, Mr. President. Senate Resolution 3 amends the Senate Rules of the 100th General Assembly to limit any Senator to five terms as President and five terms as Minority Leader. The clock would begin today.

Senator Morrison has moved the adoption of Senate Resolution No. 3. Is there any discussion? The Chair recognizes Senator Radogno.

Senator Morrison has moved the adoption of Senate Resolution No. 3. The question is, shall the Senate adopt Senate Resolution No. 3. All those in favor will signify by voting Aye. Those 40  STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 1st Legislative Day 1/11/2017 opposed, by voting Nay. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Secretary, take the record. On that question, there are 58 voting Yes, none voting Nay, none voting Present. Senate Resolution No. 3, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared adopted. On the Order of Resolutions is Senate Resolution No. 4. Mr. Secretary, please read the resolution.

Senator Link, to explain the resolution.

Thank you, Mr. President. Senate Resolution 4 notifies the House of Representatives that the Senate has organized by the election of officers and is now ready to proceed with the business of Session.

Senator Link has moved the adoption of Senate Resolution No. 4. Is there any discussion? If not, the question is, shall the Senate adopt Senate Resolution No. 4. All those in favor will signify by voting Aye. Those opposed will vote Nay. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Secretary, please take the record. On that question, there are 58 voting Aye, none voting No, none voting Present. And Senate Resolution No. 4, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared adopted. On the Order of Resolutions is Senate Resolution No. 5. Mr. Secretary, please read the resolution.

Senator Hunter, to explain the resolution.

Thank you, Mr. President. Senate Resolution 5 directs the Secretary of State -- the Secretary of the Senate to prepare the State {sic} (Senate) Journal and to furnish it to the Legislative Printing Unit to -- to print copies.

Senator Hunter has moved the adoption of Senate Resolution No. 5. Is there any discussion? If not, the question is, shall the Senate adopt Senate Resolution No. 5. All those in favor will signify by voting Aye. All those opposed, by voting Nay. The voting's open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Secretary, please take the record. On that question, there are 58 voting Aye, none voting No, none voting Present. And Senate Resolution No. 5, having received the required constitutional majority, is hereby declared adopted. …Resolution is Senate Resolution No. 6. Mr. Secretary, please read the resolution.

Senator Collins, to explain the resolution.

Thank you, Mr. President. Senate Resolution 6 appoints the Standing Committee of Correspondents to advise the Senate on all press matters, consisting of Doug Finke of The State Journal- Register; Monique Garcia of the Chicago Tribune; Jordan Abudayyeh 42  STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 1st Legislative Day 1/11/2017 of WICS-TV; and Brian Mackey of WUIS radio.

Senator Collins has moved the adoption of Senate Resolution No. 6. Is there any discussion? If not, the question is, shall the Senate adopt Senate Resolution No. 6. All those in favor will signify by voting Aye. All those opposed, by voting No. The voting's open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Mr. Secretary, please take the record. On that question, there are 58 voting Aye, none voting No, none voting Present. And Senate Resolution, having received the required -- Senate Resolution No. 6, having received the required constitutional majority, is hereby declared adopted. Mr. Secretary, Communications.

…Gentlemen of the Senate, at this time, I'd like to ask for your attention, because I am proud to announce my Senate Democratic Leadership team. The Majority Leader, Senator James Clayborne; the Assistant Majority Leader, Senator Donne Trotter; the Assistant Majority Leader, Senator Terry Link; Assistant Majority Leader, Senator Kimberly Lightford; Assistant Majority Leader, Senator Antonio Muñoz; Assistant Majority Leader, Senator William Haine; Majority Caucus Chair, Senator Ira Silverstein; President Pro Tem, Senator Don Harmon; Majority Caucus Whip, Senator Mattie 43  STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 1st Legislative Day 1/11/2017 Hunter; Majority Caucus Whip, Senator Iris Martinez. Mr. Secretary, Introduction of Bills.

48  STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 1st Legislative Day 1/11/2017 Mr. Secretary, Resolutions.

There being no further business to come before the Senate, the Senate stands adjourned until the hour of 9 a.m. on Thursday, January 12th. The Senate stands adjourned. 49