PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) The regular Session of the 100th General Assembly will please come to order. Will the Members please be at their desks? Will our guests in the galleries please rise? The invocation today will be given by Pastor Chance Newingham of Lifegate in Africa, in Athens, Illinois.
(Prayer by Pastor Chance Newingham)
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Please remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance. Senator Cunningham, would you please lead us?
(Pledge of Allegiance, led by Senator Cunningham)
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Blueroomstream.com has requested permission to videotape the proceedings today. Seeing no objection, permission is granted. Mr. Secretary, Reading and Approval of the Journal.
Senate Journal of Monday, May 22nd, 2017.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Hunter.
Mr. President, I move to postpone the reading and approval of the Journal just read by the Secretary, pending arrival of the printed transcript.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Hunter moves to -- waive and postpone the approval of the Journal, pending arrival of the printed transcript. Seeing no objection, so ordered. Mr. Secretary, Resolutions. 1 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017
Senate Resolutions 531 and 532, offered by Senator McGuire and all Members. And Senate Resolution 533, offered by Senator Haine and all Members. They're all death resolutions, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Resolutions Consent Calendar. Mr. Secretary, Committee Reports.
Senator Van Pelt, Chairperson of the Committee on Public Health, reports Senate Amendment 1 and 2 to Senate Bill 1707 Recommend Do Adopt; House Bill 2762 Do Pass; and Senate Amendment 1 to House Bill 3157 and Senate Amendment 1 to House Bill 3741 Recommend Do Adopt. Senator Bertino-Tarrant, Chairperson of the Committee on Education, reports Senate Amendment 2 to Senate Bill 1123 Recommend Do Adopt; House Bills 243, 2950, 3369, and 3437 Do Pass; and Senate Amendment 1 to House Bill 2993 Recommend Do Adopt. Senator Hutchinson, Chairperson of the Committee on Revenue, reports Senate Amendment 3 to Senate Bill 1871 Recommend Do Adopt; and House Bill 159 Do Pass.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Mr. Secretary, do you have any Motions in Writing on Senate bills?
Yes. I have Motions to Reconsider the Vote on Senate Bills -- Senate Bill 6, by Senator Steans; Senate Bill 42, by Senator Tom Cullerton; and Senate Bill 478, by Senator Lightford. 2 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Please place those motions on the Calendar. WGN Radio requests permission to take photographs of the proceedings today. Seeing no objection, permission is granted. Senator Martinez, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
For point of personal privilege.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Please state your point, Senator.
I want to get everybody's attention to the gallery right behind me. I want all these young -- these are the Bikes N' Roses young men and women that actually -- Saturday I gave them the -- you know, I let them go, and here they are today. They actually road two hundred and eleven miles on their bikes for a budget here in Springfield. So I would like to -- for us to welcome Mark Frens and David Pohland -- Pohlad and our wonderful youth from the Albany Park neighborhood. They actually were brave enough and challenged the -- the weather and here they are today. They actually rode two hundred and eleven miles to Springfield just to give a message to the Governor, is we need a budget. Let's all welcome them.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Welcome to the Illinois Senate and thank you for your efforts. Ladies and -- Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate, Senate Supplemental Calendar No. 1 has been distributed to the Members' desks. On that Calendar is Motions in Writing to Reconsider the Vote. Senate Bill 6. Senator Steans. Mr. Secretary, please read the motion.
3 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 Pursuant to Senate Rule 7-15 (a), having voted on the prevailing side, I move to reconsider the vote by which Senate Bill 6 passed. Signed by Senator Steans.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) All those in favor will say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the motion carries. And Senate Bill 6 is returned to 3rd Reading. Senate Bill 42. Senator Cullerton. Mr. Secretary, please read the motion.
Pursuant to Senate Rule 7-15 (a), having voted on the prevailing side, I move to reconsider the vote by which Senate Bill 42 passed {sic}. Signed by Senator Tom Cullerton.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) All those in favor will say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it. The motion carries. And Senate Bill 42 is returned to 3rd Reading. Senate Bill 478. Mr. Secretary, please read the motion.
Pursuant to Senate Rule 7-15 (a), having voted on the prevailing side, I move to reconsider the vote by which Senate Bill 478 failed. Signed by Senator Lightford.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) All those in favor will say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the motion carries. And Senate Bill 478 is returned to 3rd Reading. WCIA requests permission to audiotape and videotape the proceedings. Seeing no objection, permission is 4 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 granted. Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate, if you'd turn to page 46 of your printed Calendar, we're going to proceed to the Order of House Bills 2nd Reading, beginning at the top of the Order. House Bill 123. Senator Link. House Bill 136. Senator Manar. House Bill 137. President Cullerton. Mr. Secretary, let's return to House Bill 136. Senator Manar indicates he wishes to proceed. If you could please read the bill.
House Bill 136. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. Now on the top of page 47, House Bill 137. President Cullerton. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 137. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 138. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 138. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 5 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 3rd Reading. House Bill 188. Senator Raoul. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 188. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 261. Senator Bennett. House Bill 394. Senator Connelly. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 394. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 466. Senator Barickman. House Bill 649. Senator Cunningham. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 649. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 688. Senator Cunningham. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 688. (Secretary reads title of bill) 6 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 760. Senator Silverstein. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 760. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 769. Senator Muñoz. House Bill 812. Senator McCann. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 812. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 821. Senator Althoff. House Bill 1125. President Cullerton. Mr. Secretary, read the bill.
House Bill 1125. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 1784. Senator Steans. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill. 7 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017
House Bill 1784. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 1797. Senator Trotter. Turn to the top of page 48 of your printed Calendars. House Bill 1804. Senator Hutchinson. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 1804. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 1954. Senator Holmes. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 1954. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. The Committee on Insurance adopted Amendment No. 1.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Have there been any Floor amendments approved for consideration?
No further amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 2361. Senator Steans. Mr. 8 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 2361. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 2363. Senator Connelly. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 2363. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) And have there been any Floor amendments approved for consideration?
Floor Amendment No. 1, offered by Senator Connelly.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Connelly, on your amendment.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move to adopt the amendment and will discuss it on 3rd.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Connelly moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment No. 1 to House Bill 2363. All in favor, say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it. The motion carries, and the amendment is adopted. Have there been any further Floor amendments approved for consideration? 9 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017
…further -- no further amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 2382. Senator Hutchinson. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 2382. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 2390. Senator Steans. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 2390. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 2461. Senator Bush. House Bill 2465. Senator Steans. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 2465. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 2527. Senator Stadelman. House Bill 2534. Senator Mulroe. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill. 10 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017
House Bill 2534. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 2559. Senator Muñoz. House Bill 2568. Senator Bush. House Bill 2630. Senator Martinez. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 2630. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 2647. Senator Tom Cullerton. House Bill 2664. Senator Harris. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 2664. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 2698. Senator Hutchinson. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 2698. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments 11 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 2700. Senator Steans. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 2700. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 2771. Senator Hutchinson. House Bill 2778. Senator Jones. House Bill 2895. Senator Fowler. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 2895. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 2907. Senator McGuire. House Bill 2989. Senator Raoul. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 2989. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 3014. Senator Bush. Senator Bush. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill. 12 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017
House Bill 3014. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. Senate {sic} Bill 3036. Senator Jones. House Bill 3090. Senator Manar. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 3090. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 3091. Senator Manar. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 3091. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. Turning to the top of page 50 on the printed Calendar. House Bill 3325. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 3325. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported. 13 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 3368. Senator Trotter. House Bill 3419. Senator Martinez. Senator Martinez. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 3419. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 3502. Senator Bush. House Bill -- 3507. Senator Clayborne. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 3507. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 3514. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 3514. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 3539. Senator Biss. House Bill 3601. Senator Clayborne. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.
14 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 House Bill 3601. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 3631. Senator Clayborne. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 3631. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 3656. Senator Manar. House Bill 3691. Senator Lightford. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 3691. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. The Committee on Higher Education adopted Amendment No. 1.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) And have there been any Floor amendments approved for consideration?
No further amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 3701. Senator Clayborne. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.
15 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 House Bill 3701. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 3709. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 3709. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 3718. Senator Bush. Let's turn to the top of page 51 of the printed Calendar. House Bill 3737. Senator Martinez. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 3737. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. The Committee on State Government adopted Amendments 1 and 2.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) And have there been any Floor amendments approved for consideration?
No further amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 3744. Senator Hunter. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill. 16 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017
House Bill 3744. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 3773. Senator Sandoval. House Bill 3806. President Cullerton. House Bill 3903. Senator Hutchinson. House Bill 3904. Senator Hutchinson. With leave of the Body, we'll return to House Bill 3908. House Bill 4011. Senator Silverstein. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 4011. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee {sic} or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. Senator Murphy, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Point of personal privilege, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Please, Senator, state your point.
Well, thank you, Mr. President. I would like to introduce my Page for the Day today, Brianne Hansen, to the Body. Brianne is a eighth grader at Beaubien Elementary School. She's going to be headed to Loyola Academy for her freshman year. She plays volleyball. She's on Crew team. She's with the Internal Order of 17 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 Rainbow for Girls, and this is an organization that teaches young women leadership and service skills, as such, she's volunteered for Feed My Starving Children. And she's going to make a wonderful freshman in -- at Loyola Academy. And please join me in welcoming her to the Illinois State Senate. Her grandmother and mother -- many know her grandmother, Stella Black, who's in the audience, and her mother as well up in the gallery. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Brianne, welcome to the Illinois State Senate. Congratulations on AMDG. Senator Tracy, for what purpose do you rise?
Thank you, Mr. President. I would like to introduce my Page for the Day, Jensen Ross. Jensen just recently graduated from eighth grade from Barry Junior High. She participates in dance. She's a cheerleader. She participates in acting and drama. She plans to be on the golf team, participate in the Spanish club, the art club, the speech team. She's a very busy student. That's the beauty of a small school, you get to participate in many different activities. Her favorite subject is math. And she knows everything you ever wanted to know about Harry Potter and recently visited some of the sites that Harry Potter was filmed on in London. So if you have any Harry Potter questions, Jensen's the expert. Thank you very much, Mr. President. Let's give Jensen a welcome hand.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Thank you, Senator. Jensen, welcome to the Illinois State Senate. With leave of the Body, we're going to turn back to page 51 of the printed Calendar, still on the Order of House Bills 2nd 18 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 Reading. House Bill 3806. President Cullerton. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 3806. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. Continuing on that Order, House Bill 3903. Senator Hutchinson. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 3903. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 3904. Senator Hutchinson. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 3904. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. Jumping back to page 47 on the printed Calendar, Mr. Secretary. Let's turn to House Bill 769. Please read the bill.
House Bill 769. 19 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. With leave of the Body, we're going to turn to House Bill 2559. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 2559. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. Senator McCann, thank you for your patience. For what purpose do you rise? SENATOR McCANN: Thank you, Mr. President. I appreciate the opportunity. On a point of personal privilege, please.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Please state your point, Senator. SENATOR McCANN: Thank you, Mr. President. I would like to make two introductions here today, if I could, please. First, I would like to call your attention to the young people in the President's Gallery, directly above you, Mr. President, in the green shirts. I hope the -- the Chamber will give me your attention, because these are some very special people. They're -- we have forty- three 4-H members from twenty-two different counties. So, statistically, there's a good -- good chance that you have a constituent, or two or three, up here in this group. So these 4- 20 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 H members are from all across the State. They're attending the University of Illinois Extension 4-H Legislative Connection event being held today and tomorrow at the Capitol. They're, as I said, from twenty-two counties, from the top to the bottom of the State, representing two hundred thousand 4-H participants in all one hundred and two counties. These teens are active in their clubs back in our communities, as we well know, and they're -- they're also active not only in the rural areas, but in the metropolitan areas as well. Working with the teens here this week are Patricia McGlaughlin, Deb Stocker, Erica Austin, all with the University of Illinois Extension; Carol Ann Tibbs from the Logan County 4-H; Jeanne Harland, Jerry Hicks, and a lady we all know, Pam Weber, who are members of the Extension Partners organization. So if we can recognize these folks, these 4-H'ers from all over the State of Illinois, I would like to do that. And then I would like to make another introduction, Mr. President. Can we welcome the 4- H'ers here to the Senate today?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Please -- welcome to the Illinois State Senate. SENATOR McCANN: And now, Mr. President, I'll wrap it up here with I'd like to make another very special introduction, a constituent of mine from Medora, in southern Macoupin County. This is Mrs. Andrea Moore. She is the reigning Mrs. Illinois United States. Andrea is a mother of four and a career educator of twenty-one years. She is an advocate for Internet safety and she's been traveling the State extending goodwill all over the one hundred and two counties of Illinois. And in -- on July the 8th, in Orlando, Florida, Andrea will compete for the title of Mrs. United States. And I'm sure 21 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 you'll join me in wishing her well and we hope she'll bring home the title. So, say hello to Mrs. Illinois United States, Andrea Moore.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Mrs. Illinois, welcome to the Illinois State Senate. We're glad to have you here with us today. Mr. Secretary, Resolutions.
Senate Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 16, offered by Senator Biss. It is substantive, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Mr. Secretary, House Bills 1st Reading.
House Bill 2893, offered by Senator Bivins. (Secretary reads title of bill) 1st Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Mr. Secretary, House Bills 1st Reading.
House Bill 2764, offered by Senator Manar. (Secretary reads title of bill) 1st Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate, the Senate will stand at ease for a few moments to allow the Committee on Assignments to meet. Will all members of the Committee on Assignments please assemble in the President's Anteroom? The Senate will stand at ease for a few moments to allow the Committee on Assignments to meet. Will all members of the Committee please report immediately 22 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 to the President's Anteroom? (at ease) Senator Silverstein in the Chair.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR SILVERSTEIN) Senator McCann, what purpose do you rise? SENATOR McCANN: Point -- on a point of personal privilege, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR SILVERSTEIN) Please state your point. SENATOR McCANN: Mr. President, I'd like you -- to call your attention to the Republican side of the gallery. We have a group of seventh graders from Hinsdale Middle School. And I would -- just wanted to make sure that we recognize them and welcome them to the Illinois Senate. Thank you, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR SILVERSTEIN) Please rise and welcome to the Illinois Senate. Thank you. (at ease) Senate will come to order. Mr. -- Mr. Secretary, Committee Reports.
Senator Clayborne, Chairman of the Committee on Assignments, reports the following Legislative Measures have been assigned: Re-refer from Executive Committee to Assignments Committee - Senate Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 1; Be Approved for Consideration -- Be Approved for Consideration - Senate Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 16. Signed, Senator James F. Clayborne, Chairman. Senator Clayborne, Chairman of the Committee on Assignments, reports the following Legislative Measures have been assigned: Be Approved for Consideration - Senate Joint Resolution 23 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 Constitutional Amendment 1. Signed, Senator James F. Clayborne, Chairman.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR SILVERSTEIN) We're going to go to page 51. On the Order of House Bills 2nd Reading, House Bill 3908. Senator Harmon. Senator Harmon, on Senate {sic} Bill -- gentleman wishes the bill to be read. Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 3908. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR SILVERSTEIN) 3rd Reading. Senator Righter, what purpose do you rise?
A inquiry of the Chair. Actually, a two-parter, a and b, if I might, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR SILVERSTEIN) State -- state your inquiry.
My first inquiry is, do you know if there's some secret meeting of the government or social event that's going on right now that has led to the depletion of almost all the Members on the Floor?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR SILVERSTEIN) Well, under the Open Meetings Act, I doubt that's happening.
I'm not sure the Open Meetings Act applies to the Illinois Senate, but that's a good answer. The second inquiry that I have, 24 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 Mr. President, is, can you give me some idea of what the schedule looks like for the next two or three hours? I've heard rumors of a caucus or 3rd Readings. Can you just enlighten me just a little bit? Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR SILVERSTEIN) We will -- probably doing caucuses and then we'll be doing substantive actions thereafter. So we will be doing some work. Okay. Supplemental Calendar No. 2 has been printed and distributed. On the Order of Secretary's Desk, Resolutions to amend the Constitution of the State of Illinois, Mr. Secretary, please read Senate Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment No. 1. Mr. Secretary, having not been previously read, we now proceed to the 1st Reading -- 1st Reading of the Joint -- of -- Senate Joint Resolution Constitutional Resolution -- Amendment No. 1. Mr. Secretary, please read the resolution in full for the first time.
Senate Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 1. (Secretary reads SJRCA No. 1) 1st Reading of the -- of the constitutional amendment in full.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR SILVERSTEIN) Mr. Secretary, 2nd Reading. Okay, now let's go to Senate Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment No. 16. Mr. Secretary, having not -- previously read, we now proceed with the 1st -- resolution {sic} of Senate Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment No. 16. Mr. Secretary, please read the resolution for the -- in full for the first time.
Senate Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 16. 25 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 (Secretary reads SJRCA No. 16) 1st Reading in full of this constitutional amendment.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR SILVERSTEIN) 2nd Reading. (at ease)
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Silverstein, for what purpose do you rise?
Purpose of an announcement, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Please state your point.
There will be a Democratic Caucus upon recess in the President's Office.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Anderson, for what purpose do you rise?
A point of an announcement, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Please state your point.
Senate Republicans would also like to caucus for the same duration of time.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senators Silverstein and Anderson move that the Senate recess for the purpose of caucuses. All those in favor, say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the Senate stands in recess to the call of the Chair. (SENATE STANDS IN RECESS/SENATE RECONVENES) 26 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senate will come to order. Will all Members please come to the Senate Floor? All Members, please come to the Senate Floor. We will be doing substantial business on the Floor shortly. Senator Morrison, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Thank you, Mr. President. I move to waive all notice and posting requirements so that Senate Resolution 488, Senate Resolution 489, and Senate Resolution 528 can be heard Wednesday at 4 p.m. in the Senate Human Services Committee.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Morrison moves to waive all notice and posting requirements so that Senate Resolution 488, Senate Resolution 489, Senate Resolution 528, and Senate Resolution -- can be heard Wednesday at 4 p.m. in the Senate Human Services Committee. All those in favor will say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and all notice and posting requirements have been waived. Senator Biss, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
I move to waive all notice and posting requirements so that Senate Resolution 493 can be heard Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. in the Senate Public Health Committee.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Biss moves to waive all notice and posting requirements so that Senate Resolution 493 can be heard Wednesday, 10:30, in the Senate Public Health Committee. All those in favor will say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the notice and posting requirements have been waived. Senator Bertino-Tarrant, 27 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 what purpose do you seek recognition?
Thank you, Mr. President. I move to waive all notice and posting requirements so that Senate Bill 704, House Bill 2977, and House Bill 3745 can be heard Wednesday at 10:30 in the Senate Education Committee.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) One second, Senator. Senator Bertino moves to waive all notice and posting requirements so that Senate Bill 704, House Bill 2977, House Bill 3745 can be heard Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. in the Senate Education Committee. All those in favor will say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and all notice and posting requirements have been waived. Senator Tom Cullerton, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Pardon me. Thank you, Mr. President. I move to waive all notice and posting requirements so that Senate Resolution 483 and House Joint Resolution 16 can be heard Wednesday at 3 p.m. in the Senate State Government Committee.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Tom Cullerton moves to waive all notice and posting requirements so that Senate Resolution 483 and House Joint Resolution 16 can be heard Wednesday at 10 -- at 3 p.m. in the Senate State Government Committee. All those in favor will say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and all notice and posting requirements have been waived. Senator Harmon, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Thank you, Mr. President. I have two motions. I'd first 28 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 start with moving to waive all notice and posting requirements so that House Bill 2510 and Senate Resolution 337 can be heard Wednesday at 3 p.m. in the Senate Executive Committee.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Harmon moves to waive all notice and posting requirements so that House Bill 2510 and Senate Resolution 337 can be heard Wednesday at 3 p.m. in the Senate Executive Committee. All those in favor will say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and all notice and posting requirements have been waived. Senator Harmon.
Thank you, Mr. President. I move to waive all notice and posting requirements so that Senate Resolution 492 can be heard Wednesday at 9 a.m. in the Senate Agriculture Committee.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Harmon moves to waive all notice and posting requirements so that Senate Resolution 492 can be heard Wednesday at 9 a.m. in the Senate Agricultural {sic} Committee. All those in favor will say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and notice and posting requirements have been waived. Michon Lindstrom, with WAN-TV {sic} (WAND-TV), requests permission to videotape. There being no objection, leave is granted. On page 37 of the Calendar, 3rd Reading, final action. House Bill 2685. Senator Anderson. Indicates he wishes to proceed. Mr. Secretary, read the bill.
House Bill 2685. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) 29 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 Senator Anderson.
Thank you, Mr. President, Members of the Senate. This is the exact same language of a -- of a bill that we passed unanimously, except for Senator Holmes, and sent over to the House. I know of no opposition and I ask for an Aye vote. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Is there any discussion? Any discussion? Senator Holmes, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
I believe my name was used. Senator, does this have any impact on the…
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Sponsor indicates he will yield.
…bobcat population?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Holmes.
Yes, does this have any impact whatsoever on the bobcat population?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Anderson.
I'm going to plead the Fifth on that, Senator Holmes.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Holmes.
Just -- one last question. Are you planning on doing as many 30 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 bills referencing trapping as I do referencing animals?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Anderson.
That -- that -- that is absolutely true, Senator Holmes.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) There being no further discussion, the question is, shall House Bill 2685 pass. All those in favor will vote Aye. Opposed, Nay. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Take the record. On that question, there are 52 voting Aye, 1 voting Nay, 1 voting -- 0 voting Present. House Bill 2685, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. Senator Jones, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Thank you, Mr. President. Purpose of announcement.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Please proceed.
This past Saturday was a very special day for one of our Members. Our dear colleague, Senator Toi Hutchinson, celebrated her twenty-fifth birthday. So please join me in wishing her a very, very happy, special birthday.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Happy birthday, Senator. House Bill 2699. Senator Weaver. Indicates he wishes to proceed. Mr. Secretary, read the bill.
House Bill 2699. (Secretary reads title of bill) 31 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Weaver.
Thank you, Mr. President. This is an agency initiative and what it does, it amends the Unemployment Insurance Act and provides various program improvements as were -- agreed to by business and labor. Specifically, it allows the employer to file -- requires they file claims quarterly instead of semi-annually. Also, it clarifies the Trade Adjustment Assistance program so no employee is charged -- employer is charged for U. -- unemployment insurance benefits if the employee -- employee is in a Trade Adjustment Assistance program. And, finally, it corrects some anti-SUTA provisions. It was unanimous out of committee and there's no known opposition. I request an Aye vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Is there any discussion? There being none, the question is, shall House Bill 2699 pass. All those in favor will vote Aye. Opposed, Nay. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Take the record. On that question, there are 55 voting Aye, 0 voting Nay, 0 voting Present. House Bill 2699, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. Senator Weaver, for what purpose do you seek recognition? House Bill 2702. Senator Hastings. Out of the record. House Bill 2704. Senator Tracy. Mr. Secretary, read the bill.
House Bill 2704. (Secretary reads title of bill) 32 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Tracy.
Thank you, Mr. President. House Bill 2704 is similar to a bill we passed out of the Senate this year. It allows the -- it changes the Personnel Code and provides that certain payroll certifications will be made by the agency head rather than the Director of CMS. And I know of no opposition and would ask for an Aye vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Is there any discussion? There being none, the question is, shall House Bill 2704 pass. All those in favor will vote Aye. Opposed, Nay. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Take the record. On that question, there are 57 voting Aye, 0 voting Nay, 0 voting Present. House Bill 2704, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. House Bill 2708. Senator Tracy. Indicates she wishes to proceed. Mr. Secretary, read the bill.
House Bill 2708. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Tracy.
Thank you, Mr. President, Members of the Senate. House Bill 2708 is likewise very similar to a Senate bill we've recently 33 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 passed and it authorizes certain DCFS employees to have access to the Prescription -- Monitoring Program database to assist in the investigations of child abuse and neglect and provides that the access shall be established by and -- be and by intergovernmental agreement between DCFS and DHS. And I likewise know of no opposition and I would request an Aye vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Is there any discussion? There being none, the question is, shall House Bill 2708 pass. All those in favor will vote Aye. Opposed, Nay. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Take the record. On that question, there are 57 voting Aye, 0 voting Nay, 0 voting Present. House Bill 2708, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. House Bill 2713. Senator Cunningham seeks leave of the Body to return House Bill 2713 to the Order of 2nd Reading. Leave is granted. On the Order of 2nd Reading is House Bill 2713. Mr. Secretary, are there any Floor amendments approved for consideration?
Floor Amendment No. 2, offered by Senator Cunningham.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Cunningham, on your amendment.
Thank you, Mr. President. The amendment changes an effective date. I move for its adoption.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Any discussion? All those in favor will say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. Are there any further Floor amendments approved for consideration? 34 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017
No further amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) 3rd Reading. On the Order of 3rd Reading, Mr. Secretary, read the bill.
House Bill 2713. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Cunningham.
Thank you, Mr. President. House Bill 2713 is an initiative of the Secretary of State's Office. It makes several technical changes to the LLC and Uniform Partners {sic} (Partnership) Acts. I know of no opposition. Would appreciate the Chamber's support.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Is there any discussion? There being none, the question is, shall House Bill 2713 pass. All those in favor will vote Aye. Opposed, Nay. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Take the record. On that question, there are 58 voting Aye, 0 voting Nay, 0 voting Present. House Bill 2713, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. House Bill 2719. Senator Althoff. Indicates she wishes to proceed. Mr. Secretary, read the bill.
House Bill 2719. (Secretary reads title of bill) 35 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Althoff.
Thank you very much, Mr. President. This is an initiative - - of IEMA. It amends the Radon Resistant Construction Act and it deletes all references to a Task Force on Radon-Resistant Building Codes, as that task force no longer exists.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Is there any discussion? There being none, the question is, shall House Bill 2719 pass. All those in favor will vote Aye. Opposed, Nay. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Take the record. On that question, there are 54 voting Aye, 0 voting Nay, 0 voting Present. House Bill 2719, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. House Bill 2721. Senator Tom Cullerton. Out of the record. House Bill 2725. Senator Bivins. Indicates he wishes to proceed. Mr. Secretary, read the bill.
House Bill 2725. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Bivins.
Thank you, Mr. President. HB 2725 amends the Illinois Highway Code by adding that money received by the State from the federal government under the Recreational Trails Program shall not be 36 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 considered for use in aid in the construction of highways and shall be -- not be placed in the Road Fund in the State treasury. It's an initiative of the DNR and an identical version of the legislation passed the Senate unanimously last year. I know of no opposition and I request an Aye vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Is there any discussion? There being none, the question is, shall House Bill 2725 pass. All those in favor will vote Aye. Opposed, Nay. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Take the record. On that question, there are 58 voting Aye, 0 voting Nay, 0 voting Present. House Bill 2725, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. House Bill 2732. Senator Koehler. Indicates he wishes to proceed. Mr. Secretary, read the bill.
House Bill 2732. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Koehler.
Thank you, Mr. President, Members of the Senate. This is identical to a bill we passed just a little while ago as a Senate bill. It's brought to me by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. What it does is it provides that exceptional quality biosolids shall not be subject to regulation except as provided in the Nuclear Safety Law of 2004. I appreciate an Aye vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) 37 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 Is there any discussion? There being none, the question is, shall House Bill 2732 pass. All those in favor will vote Aye. Opposed, Nay. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Take the record. On that question, there are 58 voting Aye, 0 voting Nay, 0 voting Present. House Bill 2732, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. House Bill 2733. Senator Connelly. Indicates he wishes to proceed. Mr. Secretary, read the bill.
House Bill 2733. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Connelly.
Thank you, Mr. President, Members of the Senate. House Bill 2733 is a technical cleanup to the Hazardous Materials Emergency Act. It's an initiative of IEMA. I'm not aware of any opponents. Would ask for a favorable vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Is there any discussion? There being none, the question is, shall House Bill 2733 pass. All those in favor will vote Aye. Opposed, Nay. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Take the record. On that question, there are 57 voting Aye, 0 voting Nay, 0 voting Present. House Bill 2733, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. House Bill 2740. Senator Rezin. Mr. Secretary, read the bill. 38 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017
House Bill 2740. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Rezin.
Thank you, Mr. President. House Bill 2740 is identical to a Senate bill that I passed. This bill allows the Community College Board to establish alternative methods of credentialing for the issuance of high school equivalency certification. There are four different additional alternative methods and there -- I ask for an Aye vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Is there any discussion? There being none, the question is, shall House Bill 2740 pass. All those in favor will vote Aye. Opposed, Nay. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Take the record. On that question, there are 58 voting Aye, 0 voting Nay, 0 voting Present. House Bill 2740, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. House Bill 2782. Senator Syverson. Indicates he wishes to proceed. Mr. Secretary, read the bill.
House Bill 2782. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Syverson. 39 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017
Thank you, Mr. President. This just amends the (Employment and) Economic Opportunity for Persons with Disability {sic} (Disabilities) Act and it moves a -- one program from Employment Security to Department of Human Services. Know of no opposition to that. Would ask for a favorable roll call.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Is there any discussion? There being none, the question is, shall House Bill 2782 pass. All those in favor will vote Aye. Opposed, Nay. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Take the record. On that question, there are 58 voting Aye, 0 voting Nay, 0 voting Present. House Bill 2782, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. House Bill 2783. Senator Althoff. Mr. Secretary, read the bill.
House Bill 2783. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Althoff.
Thank you, Mr. President. House Bill 2783 is the House version of my Senate Bill 909, which passed out of this Chamber unanimously. It allows collection agencies to renew and apply for a license electronically through the Nationwide Multi-State Licensing System & Registry. It's a great efficiency measure and the Department will provide NMLS the requirements of licensure for collection agencies in the State of Illinois. I'd ask for an Aye 40 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Is there any discussion? There being none, the question is, shall House Bill 2783 pass. All those in favor will vote Aye. Opposed, Nay. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Take the record. On that question, there are 58 voting Aye, 0 voting Nay, 0 voting Present. House Bill 2783, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. House Bill 2794. Senator Martinez. Mr. Secretary, read the bill.
House Bill 2794. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Martinez.
Thank -- thank you, Mr. President, Members of the Senate. House Bill 2794 requires all school districts, including CPS, to notify qualified students in grades eleven and twelve of dual enrollment and dual credit opportunities at public community colleges. And I'll be happy to answer any questions.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Is there any discussion? There being none, the question is, shall House Bill 2794 pass. All those in favor will vote Aye. Opposed, Nay. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Take the record. On that question, there are 57 voting Aye, 0 voting Nay, 0 voting Present. House Bill 2794, having received the required 41 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 constitutional majority, is declared passed. Mr. Secretary, Resolutions.
Senate -- Senate Joint Resolution 42, offered by Senator Hutchinson. It is substantive, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Will all members -- Committee on Assignments please come to the President's Anteroom immediately? Committee on Assignments please come to the President's Anteroom. Senate stands at ease. (at ease) Senate will come to order. Mr. Secretary, Committee Reports.
Senator Clayborne, Chairman of the Committee on Assignments, reports the following Legislative Measures have been assigned: Refer to Education Committee - Senate Bill 704 and Committee Amendment 1 to House Bill 3745; refer to Executive Committee - Floor Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 481; refer to Insurance Committee - House Bill 3244; refer to Telecommunications and Information Technology Committee - Floor Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 1381 and Floor Amendment 3 to Senate Bill 1451; Be Approved for Consideration - Floor Amendment 7 and 8 to Senate Bill 6, Floor Amendment 6, 7, and 8 to Senate Bill 9, Floor Amendments 2 and 3 to Senate Bill 42, Floor Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 521, Senate Joint Resolution 42, and Floor Amendment 2 to Senate Bill 1719. Pursuant to Senate Rule (3-8) (b-1), the following amendments will remain in the Committee on Assignments: Floor Amendment 5 to Senate Bill 12. Signed, Senator James F. Clayborne, Chairman. 42 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Manar, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Thank you, Mr. President. I move to waive all notice and posting requirements so that Senate Joint Resolution 32, 37, and 39, in addition to House Joint Resolution 42, can be heard today at 5 p.m. in the Senate Transportation Committee.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Manar moves to waive all notice and posting requirements so that Senate Joint Resolution 32, Senate Joint Resolution 37, 39, and House Joint Resolution 42 can be heard today at 5 p.m. in the Senate Transportation Committee. All those in favor will say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and all notice and posting requirements have been waived. We will be going to Supplemental Calendar No. 3 to Senate Joint Resolution 42. Senator Hutchinson. And be advised, to all Members, we will have the timer put on while we're doing 3rd Readings for final action. Mr. Secretary, read the resolution.
Senate Joint Resolution 42, offered by Senator Hutchinson.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Hutchinson.
Thank you, Mr. President, Members of the Body. Senate Joint Resolution 42 is our revenue estimate for fiscal year '18. It is total federal and State sources, thirty-seven billion, five hundred and ten, or 37.510. Any questions?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) There any discussion? Senator Righter, for what purpose do 43 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 you seek recognition?
Will the sponsor yield, please?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Sponsor indicates she will yield.
Thank you, Mr. President. Senator Hutchinson, can you break down what makes up that revenue estimate, the different components of it?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Hutchinson.
Sure. This is State taxes and other sources, plus transfers. Do you want me to go down each… Personal income tax, corporate income tax, sales tax, public utility, cigarette tax, liquor challenge {sic} (gallonage) taxes, vehicle use tax, inheritance tax, insurance taxes and fees, corporate franchise tax and fees, interest on State funds and investments, Cook County inter- governmental transfer, other sources. That subtotal is thirty- two billion -- thirty-two billion four hundred and two million. Transfers - lottery, riverboat transfers and receipts, other. State -- total State sources at thirty-four billion three hundred and ninety-nine million, federal sources at three billion one hundred and eleven million, to make up a total, federal and State sources, thirty-seven billion five hundred and ten million.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Righter. Is there any other discussion? A roll call vote is required. The expenditures of State funds, pursuant to the School Code, roll call will be required again. The question 44 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 is, shall Senate Joint Resolution 42 pass. All those in favor will vote Aye. Opposed, Nay. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Take the record. On that question, there are 33 voting Aye, 23 voting Nay, 0 voting Present. Senate Joint Resolution 42, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. We'll now proceed to the regular Calendar on page 5, Senate Bill 9. Senator Hutchinson seeks leave of the Body to return Senate Bill 9 to the Order of 2nd Reading. Leave is granted. On the Order of 2nd Reading is Senate Bill 9. Mr. Secretary, are there any Floor amendments approved for consideration?
Floor Amendment No. 4, offered by Senator Hutchinson.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator, you have a number of Floor amendments. Do -- would you like that one adopted, though? That will be withdrawn. Mr. Secretary, are there any other Floor amendments?
Floor Amendment No. 5, offered by Senator Hutchinson.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Withdrawn as well. Are there any other Floor amendments, Mr. Secretary?
Floor Amendment No. 6, offered by Senator Hutchinson.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Hutchinson, on your amendment.
I'd like to explain Floor Amendment 6, as that deletes all and becomes the bill, in addition to when we pick up 7 and 8. I 45 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 would like to explain those all on 3.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Is there any discussion? All those in favor will say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. Are there any further Floor amendments approved for consideration?
Floor Amendment No. 7, offered by Senator Hutchinson.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Hutchinson.
Floor Amendment 7 makes a substantive change that I can explain on 3rd.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Is there any discussion? All those in favor will say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. Are there any further Floor amendments approved for consideration?
Floor Amendment No. 8, offered by Senator Hutchinson.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Hutchinson, on your amendment.
Floor Amendment 8 also makes a substantive change that I'd like to explain on 3rd.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Any discussion? All those in favor will say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. Are there any further Floor amendments approved for consideration?
No further amendments reported. 46 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) 3rd Reading. On the Order of 3rd Reading, Mr. Secretary, read the bill.
Senate Bill 9. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Hutchinson.
Thank you, Mr. President and Members of the Senate. Senate Bill 9, the much discussed and much amended bill, is the omnibus revenue package that's estimated to provide approximately 5.4 billion dollars in new revenue during the first full fiscal year of implementation for fiscal year '18. It raises the personal income tax from 3.75 percent to 4.95 percent, retroactive to January 1; to a current -- raises the -- the corporate income tax rate from 5.25 to seven percent; taxes new services that were included in previous amendments - storage, laundry, extermination, security services, personal care services, cable, satellite and digital streaming services; increases the earned income tax credit from ten percent to fifteen percent; closes three corporate loopholes - domestic production deduction, non-combination rule, extends the continental shelf; increases the cap on the education expense credit from five hundred per family to seven fifty; reinstates the research and development tax credit, graphic arts exemption, and the manufacturing purchase exemption; creates a new tax credit of two hundred and fifty dollars for educators who use personal funds to purchase classroom supplies; extends the film 47 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 tax credit and live theater tax credit; lowers LLC fees; means tests the K-12 education expense credit, personal exemption; and property tax credit. These credits would only be available to those making less than two hundred and fifty thousand dollars a year single, and five hundred thousand dollars a year joint. Senate Bill -- or Floor Amendment 7 is a page-and-line amendment that adds the LLC fee reduction language that was inadvertently left out of Amendment 6. And Floor Amendment No. 8 is a page-and- line amendment that limits the tax on personal care services, so that now the personal care services only means tattoos and piercings. So to be clear, what's come out of this package, as we discussed this over the months, repair, servicing, alteration, fitting, cleaning, painting, coating, towing, inspection, or maintenance of tangible personal property or tangible personal property that has been affixed to real estate is now removed. Landscaping services are now removed. Personal care services now only means tattoos and piercings. It is an omnibus package. It is time for us to save the State, so I'm willing to answer any questions.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Any discussion? Senator McCarter, for what purpose do you seek recognition? SENATOR McCARTER: Everybody waits to punch in till it's me. Okay. Sorry. To the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) To the bill, Senator. SENATOR McCARTER: I -- I can always expect to be first it seems. Ladies and 48 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 Gentlemen, this is a omnibus package. I agree. But it has a lot of things in it that are not good for this State. And this is not the only thing -- this was not our last effort. This was not the only thing we could do to fix this budget. We should have started on the other end of the spectrum. Unfortunately, we did not. We did not start and exhaust all the -- all the cuts and the ways of changes of ways of doing business in this State and end up at a amount of tax increases that could have been much less. I understand and I -- I understand that without a tax increase, it was -- it would be very difficult - possible, but very difficult and very painful - and it's not possible for enough in this Body to go home and -- and -- and vote for this and go home and survive. I -- I got that. But we could have come a -- a lot closer than nearly seven billion, which is what it's going to take by the time you add the bonding to pay off vendors. And so, you know, the -- the question is, should we have made more effort or taken an easier way out and just said to the taxpayers, "You fix the mess that Legislatures of the past have created." And I think that's what we're doing here, delivering a punishing tax increase and making the wrong people pay. The citizens didn't do this. Over time, Legislatures refused to live within their means and brought us to deficits and brought us to this situation we're in today. It wasn't even a Governor that did this. I know some people want to blame the Governor for the past due bills. There's a lot of blame to go around in this, but the one person who didn't do this is the taxpayer. They paid the increase that you asked 'em to last time and what happened? Nothing. All we got was deficits. All we got was hundreds of thousands of people leaving the State 'cause they just gave up. And I predict that that will happen again. And 49 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 sadly, it will be some of your family members, it will be those neighbors, it will be those people you go to church with, it will be people that you will miss. But they will just quit and say, "I've had enough." You cannot keep putting a big government on people that they cannot afford. We could have done better. And so to say that this side of the aisle has not been involved, is - - is incompletely -- is wrong. It was stated this morning that the Republicans will not join in a budget and they are not willing to get involved. That -- that is -- that is incorrect. In fact, some on my side…
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Twenty-five seconds. SENATOR McCARTER: …some on my side got involved a little too much by agreeing a -- to a -- too much. But I hope that when this gets to the House, maybe there's a different -- different way of thinking. For now, I encourage a No vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Althoff, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Will the sponsor yield?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Sponsor indicates she will yield.
Great. Thank you. Senator Hutchinson, I -- and I apologize if I missed it - did you indicate to the Body how much revenue you anticipate raising with this bill?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Hutchinson. 50 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017
Yes, 5.4 billion.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Althoff.
Thank you. In addition, in committee there were some concerns raised about the different taxing method between cable services and satellite services. I understand that there was a one percent tax placed upon streaming, but how does that work then with satellite and cable? What's the differential there and the concerns that were raised about constitutionality?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Hutchinson.
The way this bill is drafted, there'll be a one percent tax on cable and a five percent tax on satellite. And they're separate. They are separate taxing streams.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Althoff.
In addition, you and I have had many, many meetings and we share some interest in ensuring that we have streamlined sales tax, which would be taxing services that are provided on the Internet that are not currently being taxed. Is that in this revenue bill?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Hutchinson.
No, it is not, but I also share your concern on that. 51 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Althoff.
So -- so would there be a consideration of adding that, which is really not a new tax, it's a tax that we have not been collecting? Is there a consideration to include that in this legislation, being able not to tax some of these services that we have included in this legislation?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Hutchinson.
Not in this piece of legislation, but I'm happy to continue working on that, because I -- again, I share your concern on that.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Althoff.
Also a question with regard, is there also language in this legislation that deals with no longer being able to deduct your mortgage payments from the State income tax?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Hutchinson.
The property tax would be means tested. So if you make more than five hundred thousand dollars a year, married, then you would lose that exemption.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Althoff.
And lastly, there were some concerns raised about how this 52 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 legislation deals with not only storage and parking, but how it deals with boat slip rentals, specifically how it touches the industry of barges and tugboats that obviously are extraordinarily important to southern Illinois. Can you address that for me and explain how this legislation taxes those slips?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Hutchinson.
One of the things that's contemplated for any expansion to services is in implementation stage. So we recognize that it takes about six months to get people actually online and so I believe the majority of that will be worked out under the rulemaking authority.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Althoff. You have a minute.
Thank you. And I'll close. Thank you very much for the answers to the questions, Senator Hutchinson. I might be one of those legislators that Senator McCarter was referencing about being too engaged in the negotiation of this legislation. But as this bill sits in front of us today, I have grave concerns. We really still don't understand what's in it and how it applies and how and who it is we're really taxing. The committee meeting was very brief. The legislation, even though it had been sitting out there for a while, has been changed dramatically. I would strongly urge that we give it greater consideration and we consider some of the items that I've just raised in the past few minutes that I was given. And while there are really good parts of this legislation - I mean, I love the earned income tax increase; I think that it's 53 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 really nice that we're seeing corporate taxes being reduced - I really do believe that this needs significantly more consideration and I would urge that the Body vote No.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Rezin, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Thank you, Mr. President. Question for the speaker, please.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Sponsor indicates she will yield.
Thank you, Mr. President. Senator Hutchinson, could you tell me -- we've talked a lot about, in this budget negotiation, not only the budget and potential new revenue, but reforms that we feel are important in order to bring down the cost of living in this State and bring down the cost of doing the business in this State. Could you tell us where we are with workers' comp reform?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Hutchinson.
To the bill. This is a revenue package. I don't negotiate workers' compensation.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Rezin.
Sure, I'd be happy to talk to the bill. Thank you. We are in the process of putting together a series of bills that not only look at reforms, that look at slowing the cost of growing our budget, that also, before we look at new revenue. We continue to work on workers' comp reform and I've been told that we're close. 54 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 We continue to talk about the need for property tax relief, each and every one of us. The State is ranked number one for the highest property tax in -- in the entire country. We need to continue to work on that relief, as well as we talk about mandate relief, if you've talked to any of your local school districts. Why is that important? Because before we go and are asked to vote on the largest income tax increase in the State, I think it's important that we still sit at the table and try to work out these reforms before we pass a -- a bill that will immediately impact the middle class. And I ask for a No vote. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Righter, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Will the sponsor yield, please, Mr. President?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Sponsor indicates she will yield.
Thank you. Senator Hutchinson, does the -- does the tax increase bill that you're carrying contemplate paying debt service on borrowed moneys to pay off our backlog of bills?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Hutchinson.
No, this is based on the framework that was laid out by -- in Senator Brady's introduced budget, as well as the Governor's proposed budget. So it does not contemplate that amount in this bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Righter. 55 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017
To the bill, if I might.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) To the bill, Senator.
Thank you, Mr. President. Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate, this is -- it feels like a do-over from this morning's committee and even from last week, and that is the sponsor, as well as other Members from that side of the aisle and Members on this side of the aisle, have been meeting on almost a daily basis when we've been here in Session to talk about the budget stuff. There are other legislators meeting on issues such as workers' compensation and property tax relief. The -- the -- the framework of these discussions, Mr. President, from the beginning has been that this side of the aisle is willing to put votes on a tax increase in exchange for your side of the aisle being willing to support meaningful reforms in workers' compensation and property tax relief. And that's really been it. It's a simple formula. It's been five days - five days - all of you are in such a big hurry to get this done. We gotta get something over to the House right now. It's been five days since there's been a response to our last offer on property tax relief and workers' compensation - five days, last Thursday. We haven't heard anything since then. But we're in such a hurry, so now we got to get this done. So I suspect what will happen here on the Floor today is what happened last week, and that is, you folks will get up and fill your need and express your need to say, wow, we gotta get this done and we're going to put our votes on the board, and then when you are done with that, come back, we will still be sitting at the table ready 56 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 to talk about a bipartisan solution to these things. Thank you, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Trotter, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Questions of the sponsor.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Sponsor indicates she will yield.
Thank -- thank you very much. Senator, this bill, your -- excuse me, our -- our revenue projections - you -- you've seen our -- our spending bill - do these revenues that you have talked about today, does it give us a balanced budget?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Hutchinson.
It actually does. As a matter of fact, it does one better. It leaves us with a two-hundred-and-three-million-dollar surplus.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Trotter.
And I -- I heard you mention earlier that there was -- you were using the formula from a little bit of the Brady budget, a lot of the Governor's introduced budget that we've had since February. So this has been an ongoing process and -- to -- to the bill, if I -- if I may.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) To the bill, Senator.
57 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 You talk about the next five -- the last five days, we really haven't done anything. Well, I guess, what wasn't mentioned is, since February, we've been having continual meetings. So just up to five days ago when we presented a plan, a -- a budget plan, and -- and found out that after those months of negotiations, those months of sitting in meetings, and in some cases, I have to admit, "eyes rolled up in the back of your head" meetings, 'cause we kept continuing to talk about the same things, and nothing got done. Well, we talk about the five days since last Thursday, but we only have eight days left to do something. When do we intend on doing something? We have taken into a lot of the -- the ideas that have come from that side and, for the most part, they're in this bill. What we haven't done is found out if -- we have not agreed upon anything on, not -- not the budget, but on issues have been -- that really have no direct impact on the budget and that's workers' comp. You know, we have not agreed on -- on property tax relief, even though we put forth their property tax relief - "their", being on the other side of the aisle - put forth your property tax relief plan for two years and you didn't vote on it. So this is a plan, what has been put here today by the Democrats, utilizing many ideas from that side, putting forth that's -- something that's going to move our State forward. And I ask for an Aye vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Lee Milner of the Illinois Times requests permission to do photos. There being no objection, leave is granted. Senator Raoul, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Yes, to the bill, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) 58 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 To the bill, Senator.
Mr. President, I was not going to speak to this bill, but I feel like my name was used in the debate. First of all, I commend the -- the sponsor on her hard work, negotiating in good faith, and I -- I commend many of the Members in this Chamber for their good-faith negotiation over time, and -- and particularly the two Leaders, the Senate President and the Majority {sic} Leader Radogno, for good-faith negotiations. Workers' comp has been talked about several times by several speakers in this -- with regards to this revenue bill. I've always thought it really has nothing to do with it and -- and I've been involved with workers' comp negotiations, good-faith negotiations that led to 2011 reforms. And the previous speaker said there was no agreement on workers' comp. Reality is, there's been agreement about five times except the line keeps moving. You can keep on talking about we're close because you move the line, but I've negotiated with five different people on that side of the aisle and then once we come to agreement, somebody else comes to the table and moves the line further. This "we're close" nonsense is exactly that, nonsense. The business community expects us to provide stability, for us to pay our bills, we had paid down our backlog with -- with the previous income tax increase and it expired, and -- and then we came together on a bipartisan basis to get through that fiscal year with something that was a faux pas in years past - transfers, sweeps - but we agreed to it because we realized on a bipartisan basis that there were priorities in this State that -- that we needed to provide for and that's what this is doing. We need to provide for the stability that's needed, that's called upon by the 59 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 business community as a matter of fact. And we need to stop using workers' comp and property tax freeze as a darn excuse. I -- I urge an Aye vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Steans, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
A question of the sponsor.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Sponsor indicates she will yield.
So, Senator Hutchinson, I want to just read from two different documents here and see whether you believe your revenue package here is below or above what had been suggested by a couple of highly regarded independent business organizations. First, the - - the Civic Federation long ago came out with a series of recommendations that suggested that we increase the income tax to 5.25 percent and the corporate income tax to seven percent, broadening the income tax base by eliminating the exemption on retirement income, getting rid of -- eliminating business tax expenditures. Would you say that the proposal we have before us is producing more or less revenue than what was suggested at this level?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Hutchinson.
It produces less revenue than what was suggested due to -- I would also point out that this bill, while it's been out since January, has been amended now eight times and the majority of the amendments are not amendments that were demanded by our side of 60 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 the aisle. So this has been a continual process and so I don't think that there's anyone with a straight face that can say that I've ever done anything that's absent good-faith negotiations. I've been working on this for two years - two years, and I dare anybody to dispute me on that. This is a budget that is based on a revenue number you demanded. It's based on a structure you demanded - on a bill you won't sign your name to and you won't commit to vote for. So this is what compromise looks like. We don't have all the revenue that we probably could, but because of the considerations we took into account, this is the package we have now.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Steans.
And -- and -- and to the bill. I -- I -- I also want to…
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) To the bill, Senator.
I want to point to the Civic Committee, another group of CEOs of business organizations in the Chicagoland area, not exactly known as a -- a liberal bastion there. Their recommendations from their report that they issued last week was totaling -- saying that we should come up with eight billion in revenues, increasing the income tax rate to five percent, taxing federally taxable retirement income - sounding familiar here? - expanding the sales tax to consumer services to -- based on the Iowa model, increasing the corporate income tax rate, increasing the corporate filing match -- filing fees. Again, a much larger revenue package that's been suggested here. You know, we have been -- and I -- I know 61 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 that Senator Hutchinson has been working in a very -- much of a bipartisan fashion on this revenue package for -- for literally years. I have been at that table with her for much of it. I know and really appreciate the fact that we've had many people across the aisle here, as well as from the other Chamber, attending those sessions. Push comes to -- shove here, we still don't have a budget. It is May 23rd and we all know that to really do the right thing for the State of Illinois, we have to tend to both sides of the -- ledger, both revenue increases and -- and expenditure cuts. This is the first bill. I think in an appropriate fashion, we're bringing the revenue forward here first to then appropriate it in a next bill down the road that's accomplishing both sides of the ledgers. I think it's doing it in a very responsible way. It's staying below where the income tax rate had been before for Illinoisans across the State. We're broadening the sales tax to include…
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Twenty-five seconds.
…more services, which I think is the right way of going as that's the faster growing part of the economy. I just want to commend Senator Hutchinson for all of her work on this and look forward to Aye votes.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Hutchinson, to close.
Thank you, everybody.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Oh, no. Sorry, Senator. 62 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017
Late light?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Another light just came on. Senator Lightford, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Thank you, Mr. President, and thank you for acknowledging my light. To the bill, please.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) To the bill, Senator.
One of the previous sponsors {sic} mentioned that we were ranked number one in the highest property taxes in the country, but yet we're also ranked number one in the poorest funding of our schools. We're ranked fiftieth in how we fund our schools. And there is a direct correlation to property taxes and the poorest school districts and their funding. I just think that's something we want to talk about at the appropriate time. Each day that we do nothing - I have to take a line from Senator Hutchinson - that's over eleven million dollars a day that we do nothing, which is equivalent to over eight million school children receiving a hot school breakfast - eight million kids. It's -- that's what we're equivalent to when we just continue to do nothing. When the Governor first got elected, we were about -- somewhere around three billion dollars in overpaid -- or back paid bills. We were less than sixty days. Now we're fourteen billion - fourteen billion in -- in old paid bills and our group health insurance about five hundred days. So there's no way we can debate an issue about revenue unless we acknowledge the debt that has been caused by 63 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 this administration and by the other side of the aisle furlonging -- furlonging {sic}, pushing back the line. I'm not even going to look at you, Senator, over there. You're all in -- shocked. Yeah, I'm talking about you. I think it's important to also note that it's just past the time that we continue to just try to push the Governor's Turnaround Agenda. You guys won't say the words, but I will. This is another example of trying to move the Governor's Turnaround Agenda. Started as ten items, now you've narrowed it down to two. We appreciate that, but workers' compensation and property taxes has zero to do with us getting our State back fiscally sound, making sure we're stable to move forward. Those are just two small categories that has zero to do with us funding human services, our schools, and all our other needs in this State. And I think it's time-out for us to stop not acknowledging the debt that we're putting ourself into. We're going deeper and deeper and deeper in debt while we continue to do nothing. So it's past time to address revenue. I know voting for a tax increase is always a challenge to do. When we had the vote before, I thought then that it should have been permanent and not temporary. And I think now the sponsor has done a wonderful job in identifying revenues to try to dig us out of a hole that we didn't create ourselves without the support of our colleagues on the other side of the aisle and the Governor's administration. I encourage an Aye vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator McConchie, for what purpose do you seek recognition? SENATOR McCONCHIE: To the bill, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) 64 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 To the bill, Senator. SENATOR McCONCHIE: I just wanted to correct the record on something that was just said in regards to education spending. The -- the statement was made that we fund education at the level of fiftieth out of fifty and that the high property taxes does not -- is -- is -- is a part of that, and that's at least what was insinuated. In fact, we're fifteenth out in the nation as far as how we fund education and if you calculate the property taxes into that. And my understanding from the budget bills that we have been discussing is that there is going to perhaps be a bit of money for education, but certainly not anything that will provide any sort of substantial property tax relief. So what we're talking about is increasing taxes by 5.4 billion dollars with a very minimal -- potentially very minimal amount that will actually go into education and certainly nothing that will provide the meaningful property tax relief that many of our constituents have been begging for. And as a result of us having an incomplete plan in that regard, I encourage a No vote. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Hutchinson, to close.
Ooh, where to start. First of all, I want to commend all the people who have spent, you know, hours and hours and hours working on this. These things have been so fluid. Like I said, this has been amended eight times. Sometimes it changes hourly because it's an example of, for people who don't really see how this works, how the sausage gets made. This is -- this is what compromise looks like - when you present something and you alter it based on 65 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 the conversations and the -- the needs of people who are debating this with you. This is actually what it looks like. When I think about, you know, all of the admonishments that -- and actually not even admonishments, the flippancy with which we are debating - oh, you guys say you need more time - if we were to get this to the House today, they have to read it into the record. The earliest they could actually act on this would be Friday. They're not scheduled to be in. That bring -- that -- for Saturday and Sunday. That leaves us Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. So what's becoming more and more clear as every day goes by is that you have no intention of allowing any negotiation in the House. Now that might be a Speaker Madigan thing, but there's a hundred and seventeen other people over there, many of whom are in your party who want a chance to weigh in on this. Earlier, I gave a civics lesson before, so we can -- let's revisit that. You introduce a bill, the bill goes to committee, it comes to the Floor, then it goes to the other Chamber, it has to go to committee, and then it goes to the Floor, and if there's any changes, it has to be negotiated and come back on Concurrence. So if you honestly are making an argument that we are somehow not running down the clock on purpose, that's disingenuous at best. It's not fair and, for you strict constitutionalists, it's not how the Constitution was written. We have two Chambers. So in order for us to even have a shot at getting to May 31st, even have a shot at getting to the ability of passing a fully funded, balanced budget by May 31st so that we're not making this astronomically harder when it no longer takes thirty votes in the Senate and sixty votes in the House, it takes thirty-six votes in the Senate and seventy-one votes in the House -- but, oh, let me -- let me back up again. That must mean you 66 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 don't want to give them time. You don't think they should get to weigh in. That's really interesting to me. I've heard offense at moving this package right now. I've heard offense at this. I -- I would like to say here's what offends me. Forty-seven thousand children who lost their child care offends me. All seven of our State universities downgraded in one day offends me. Now, Eastern Illinois University's not in my district, but I spent a lot of really happy summers going to theater camp there. They're a part of me too. The University of Illinois in Champaign is not in my district, but that's where I got my bachelor's degree from. Northern Illinois University is not in my district, but that's where I got my law degree from while I was sitting here on the Floor with you-all trying to figure out how I was going to go to law school and be a Senator at the same time. I am a product of the State university system. And it offends me that there isn't more urgency in dealing with this situation. If Eastern goes away, what happens to Charleston, when it's one of the largest employers there? So all of these cries for more time, please allow me to say, you have more time in the other Chamber. And then we have even more time to deal with the concurrent -- or to -- for us to concur when it comes back here. Now, there was also something said about -- I want to correct the record on your selective memory as it relates to history. January 1st, 2015, our bill backlog was 4.5 billion dollars, and if you remember when we passed what you called "the sixty-seven percent, temporary, passed in the middle of the night, job-killing Quinncome Tax", and then you said that over and over and over again and all we needed to do was broaden the base so we could lower the rates, that was actually about what being responsible was about. Now you don't want to broaden the 67 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 base. Now you want it to be temporary, which is what you railed against when we did it in 2011. Now you don't want to say five percent, you're more comfortable with saying 4.95 percent, which from fourth grade is a round up. That's about five. We said then, we -- we -- matter of fact, no, Judy Baar Topinka said then, "Don't allow this thing to roll back precipitously, the State cannot handle it. It would be the worst thing you can do." Goodness. Oh, and I -- it was, believe me, big mistake - big mistake, but you're arguing to do this temporary again. So at this time period, we're looking at a situation where if you don't want to vote for 4.95, you don't want to vote for 4.99, you definitely don't want to say five again, please explain to me what the income tax will be with twenty-four billion dollars in backlog - junk bond status, no capital bill, no roads, no infrastructure, no school repairs, no nothing. You -- please, what -- what would that income tax rate be? So if you're waiting for a better deal for the taxpayers, somebody better start telling the truth. So at this point, at this point, we've gone from 4.5 billion in backlog to 14.3 billion in backlog, while you are asking for more time. It's past time. We are actually in a moment in time right now where the time for ridiculous arguing about minute things gets in the way of the statesmanship that we need right now. We need it right now. Our citizens need it, our constituents need it, our schools need it, our children need it, our social services need it. This State cannot bear another day of us wasting time. I ask for an Aye vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) The question is, shall Senate Bill 9 pass. All those in favor, vote Aye. Opposed, Nay. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? 68 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 Take the record. On that question, there are 32 voting Aye, 26 voting Nay, 0 voting Present. Senate Bill 9, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. We'll be going back to Supplemental Calendar No. 3. Senate Bill 6. Senator Steans. Senator Steans seeks leave of the Body to return Senate Bill 6 to the Order of 2nd Reading. Leave is granted. On the Order of 2nd Reading is Senate Bill 6. Mr. Secretary, are there any Floor amendments approved for consideration?
Floor Amendment No. 7, offered by Senator Steans.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Steans, on your amendment.
Yes, this becomes the bill. I'll discuss it on 3rd.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Is there any discussion? All those in favor will say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. Are there any further Floor amendments approved for consideration?
Floor Amendment No. 8, offered by Senator Steans.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Steans, on your amendment.
Yes, this amendment makes some corrections that were pointed out in committee this morning that we needed to do. It removed the duplicative appropriations for the group health. It reduces the pension appropriations to reflect the savings associated with Senate Bill 16 that we passed last week. And it reduces the lump sum appropriation to Department of Corrections to reflect 69 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 accurately a five percent decrease when compared to the Governor's introduced level. I move for its adoption.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Is there -- is there any discussion? All those in favor will say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. Are there any further Floor amendments approved for consideration?
No further amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) 3rd Reading. On the Order of 3rd Reading, Mr. Secretary, read the bill.
Senate Bill 6. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Steans.
Yes, thank you, Mr. President, Members of the Senate. Senate Bill 6, as amended now, is -- does two primary things. It does a supplemental appropriation for the current fiscal year to -- to fully fund universities, social service agencies, and State operations for the rest of the fiscal year, as we'd only had a six months' stopgap budget in place. And then it appropriates a balanced budget for fiscal year '18, the next fiscal year. And with the revenue bill that we just passed, this will create a balanced budget plan for the State of Illinois. The spending level that this bill is, is 37.3 billion dollars, exactly the same 70 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 spending level the Governor had introduced in his proposed budget back in February. It provides additional funding of about two hundred and eighty-six million for education funding formula, but it also incorporates reductions, reductions, in many cases, that we had negotiated with the Republicans for pension reform, for five percent across-the-board cuts. There's reserves in there for other State funds and a number of reductions for statutory transfers out. I would urge an Aye vote and I'm sure there's going to be some questions on it. Look forward to doing this. I think what's important to note here is that this would fully fund our schools, fully fund social service agencies, our universities for an entire year, and really will provide the much-needed fiscal stability to the State of Illinois.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) There any discussion? Senator Harmon, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Thank you, Mr. President. Will the sponsor yield?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Sponsor indicates she will yield.
Thank you, Mr. President. Senator, you know that the Illinois Poison Control Center {sic} (Illinois Poison Center) is near and dear to my heart and something I've worked on for many years. So I have just one question for the purposes of clarification and intent. There is included in this appropriation bill a three- million-dollar payment from the Healthcare Provider Relief Fund for the operation of the Illinois Poison Control Center. Is it your understanding and intent that this appropriation be used to 71 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 support the operations of the Illinois Poison Control Center, run formerly by the Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council and now affiliated with the Illinois Health and Hospital Association?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Steans.
Yes.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Harmon. Any other discussion? Senator Steans, to close.
Great. So I -- I am pleased that we can just move forward with this. Listen, folks, we are -- May 23rd, very excited. You know, we passed this -- a similar appropriation bill last week here, but we did not -- were not able to pass the associated budget implementation bill without a -- Republican support. This bill, we hope today, while it's not exactly as it was last week. Primary differences are, we are not making cuts to Medicaid program, as we had last week, or changes to the Community Care program are not in this. It still does three billion dollars in spending reductions. It provides the additional revenue that we just voted on. Provides a balanced budget at the Governor's spending level at 37.3 billion dollars and I think is an incredibly responsible step forward as we have not had a budget in the State of Illinois for six hundred and ninety-two days and counting. I look forward to your Aye votes.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) The question is, shall Senate Bill 6 pass. All those in favor will vote Aye. Opposed, Nay. The voting is open. Have all voted 72 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Take the record. On that question, there are 33 voting Aye, 23 voting Nay, 2 voting Present. Senate Bill 6, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. Senator Rose, your light came on after I told her to do the closing. I had said twice, "Any other discussion?" Senator Harmon spoke and then that's -- so I don't want you to think I didn't want you to -- to be acknowledged to speak. That's why we put the timer on. I want to be fair to everyone if someone wants to speak to the bill. Supplemental Calendar No. 3. Senate Bill 42. Senator Manar. Senator Manar seeks leave of the Body to return Senate Bill 42 to the Order of 2nd Reading. Leave is granted. On the Order of 2nd Reading, Senate Bill 42. Mr. Secretary, are there any Floor amendments approved for consideration?
Floor Amendment No. 2, offered by Senator Manar.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Manar, on your amendment.
Thank you, Mr. President. I would move for the amendment's adoption.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Is there any discussion? All those in favor will say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. Are there any further Floor amendments approved for consideration?
Floor Amendment No. 3, offered by Senator Manar.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Manar, on your amendment. 73 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017
Thank you, Mr. President. I would move for the adoption of this amendment as well.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Is there any discussion? All those in favor will say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. Are there any further Floor amendments approved for consideration?
No further amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) 3rd Reading. On the Order of 3rd Reading, Mr. Secretary, read the bill.
Senate Bill 42. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Manar.
Thank you, Mr. President. This is the budget implementation bill for fiscal year 2018, which begins on July 1st of this year. We had a healthy debate regarding the contents of this bill in committee this morning. I appreciate the questions from my colleagues on the Republican side of the aisle. So let me just hit off of a couple of larger points in this bill, as amended, compared to the bill last week that did not pass the Senate. First of all, consistent with both bills, this legislation establishes a 37.3-billion-dollar spending cap for fiscal year 2018 for the General Revenue Fund. Number two, it allows a five percent reserve 74 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 on non-GRF funds in the State treasury. That will give the administration some flexibility and a management tool, beginning on July 1st. One thing that was removed, number three, from this bill as compared to the bill last week was a five percent across- the-board Medicaid cut with the corresponding emergency rules that were being requested by the administration. Another provision that was removed that is not reflective in this legislation were -- are cuts to the Local Government Distributive Fund. We had a debate on that last week. Those things have been removed. Those are the -- the large moving parts of this bill. Of course, there's many intricate pieces as well. I'd be happy to take any questions from the Body.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Is there any discussion? Senator Rose, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Just a quick question of the sponsor, if I may.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Sponsor indicates he will yield.
So, Senator Manar, I don't think this goes to you necessarily, but there's nothing in this BIMP bill that would go to a -- a -- a point a sponsor made a minute ago about workers' comp not being important to the State of Illinois. There's nothing in here dealing with workers' comp, is there?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Manar.
There's -- there's nothing in this bill that deals with 75 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 workers' compensation.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Rose.
So I just want to say this to the bill, Mr. President, and I want to talk a little bit about process here, because I think that's important. But, you know, yesterday I left here being told that this morning we were going to have Appropriations meeting and then go back in the room to finish working on a budget to actually get to truly balance, to truly balance. That's where I was yesterday afternoon. That was the plan into the evening. Then somewhere overnight this thing shows up. This morning, in a matter of minutes, there was over two and a half billion dollars' worth of, quote/unquote, mistakes that were found - just in a matter of minutes in committee this morning. But what really irks me a little bit when you talk about moving goalposts is the fact that you leave thinking you're coming in today to have a good-faith conversation about closing the deficit in the underlying budget that was under discussion, instead we come in this morning and we have this in front of us. That's moving the goalpost a little bit. But what really irks me is the insinuation a minute ago that somehow workers' comp has nothing to do with a budget. It has everything to do with the budget, because, first of all, taxpayers pay workers' comp rates on everything we purchase. Nursing homes - we purchase a lot of nursing home services in the State. Every nursing home pays workers' comp. Roads - we purchase a lot of roads. They pay workers' comp insurance too. Higher education was mentioned a number of times. They pay workers' comp. Prisons pay workers' comp. Okay? So it is a direct input into any budget, 76 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 is the amount of workers' comp we pay. But, moreover, if you're ever going to get to the point where you don't need to keep raising people's taxes, you have to have people working in jobs that pay well with benefits and get the economy of this State moving again, and you're never going to get that if you don't fix workers' comp rates. So I appreciate the indulgence of Mr. President for letting me say my piece here. I think a lot of people are getting a few things off their chests, but don't for a minute pretend that workers' comp rates have nothing to do with the State budget, because that is factually inaccurate in the front end and, more importantly, it avoids and ignores the entire problem of the economy, that our State is in the bottom of the barrel, not just in the Midwest, in the entire nation, because of what we're doing to businesses. So with that, I would urge a -- a -- a continued No vote from my side of the aisle on -- on all of these bills. Thank you, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Link, in the Chair.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) Senator McCarter, for what purpose do you rise? SENATOR McCARTER: Question of the sponsor, please.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) Indicates he will yield. SENATOR McCARTER: Senator Manar, this morning we -- we talked briefly and maybe not enough on the Local Government Distributive Fund. You mentioned that the -- and I know there's been numerous proposals, even myself, taking a lot of that, twenty-five percent, others ten 77 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 percent, and even yours at one time, but now going to no decrease in the Local Government Distributive Fund. Now, what has me curious is the way that you presented it. You said there will be no -- they will not get any less, but with the revenue and the increased sales taxes, that fund will be increasing. The last time we were using that was at about 1.55 billion. That's the number that we used to take per capita and distribute that to municipalities and county and local governments. When that fund increases because of the tax increase and the -- am I -- is it -- is it -- am I -- am I right that none of that increase will be going to these entities?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) Senator Manar.
I would agree, not in fiscal year 2018.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) Senator McCarter. SENATOR McCARTER: All right. I just -- I just want to make that clear, because we -- we -- we always act like we're having mercy on people, but the truth is we may -- may say we're not going to cut you, but you're not going to get any of the increase. Now, here -- here's -- here's the whole problem with this in general and I will say it's in general to the sponsor. I understand you have to apply a budget. You set the numbers and then you implement it. But we - - we are creating a government that these -- that the taxpayers cannot afford and that's the real problem here. And I'm not sure we can make it big enough for some people. We -- we have -- we've gotten to a point we've pushed people just way too far and -- and 78 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 I understand we've -- we -- you can say, well, we fixed it and we can go home, but there's a lot of people that are just not going to call this home any longer if we continue to do this. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) Senator Muñoz back in the Chair.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Righter, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Will the sponsor yield, please, Mr. President?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Sponsor indicates he will yield.
Thank you, Mr. President. Senator Manar, during the budget meetings in which both you and I took part, there was some -- there was a proposal from Republicans about the possibility of inserting language in the budget implementation bill that's related to the claimed four-hundred-and-thirty-five-million-dollar savings in the group health insurance program for State employees. Specifically, the language would have suggested that the reduced appropriation level passed by the General Assembly, which is in Amendment 7 of Senate Bill 6 that this Chamber just passed, was indicative of the General Assembly's intent that that's all they wanted to pay for group health insurance. Is any language like that in this bill?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Manar.
No, there is not and I would go a step further. I would say 79 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 that the appropriation level in the previous bill is not indicative of this Body's intent to influence the collective bargaining process that, as we all know, is -- is ongoing. So that language is not here in this bill and we did have healthy discussions in our bipartisan negotiations regarding at what level should we appropriate group health, but that is not a piece of this bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Righter.
Senator Manar, if it's not indicative of that, then what -- what would you hope that people would take from the decision to under-appropriate what we know the liability will be for group health insurance? It -- it will be at least 1.8 billion. The budget bill that your side has offered appropriates 1.4. If that's not a message to some court or someone that it's the General Assembly's intention to only fund a program that costs 1.4 billion, then what message is that? What -- what message are we sending by under-appropriating by that exact four-hundred-and-thirty-five- million-dollar amount?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Manar.
Well, I think it's -- first of all, I appreciate the fact that you're acknowledging that we have an appropriation bill. Haven't seen the appropriation bill from your side of the aisle to date. But it's not acknowledging anything other than we're budgeting for an amount that we believe we can afford in this budget scenario for group health. Keep in mind that the current level of appropriation for group health is zero. It's zero right 80 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 now. It has been for quite some time. So one way to fix this, by the way, is for the Governor to settle the contract with AFSCME and that's either going to cost what's provided for in the appropriation bill or it's going to cost more or less. One way or the other, we're going to have to acknowledge that through the appropriation process. But, again, this bill doesn't weigh in on -- on the process of collective bargaining for a reason, because that was deliberately left out.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Righter. Forty seconds left.
To the bill, if I might, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) To the bill, Senator.
Actually, Senator, we did file an appropriation bill. Senator Brady, who's right over here, filed a complete budget. And the fact that you've under-appropriated by four hundred and thirty- five million is indicative of something and that is you want to claim the savings, but you don't want to do what you need to do in order to realize the savings, which is part of the reason that we're here in the first place. I mean, we -- we hear constant concern about the backlog of bills, and yet -- and yet the tax increase bill that you offered up doesn't pay for a dime of debt service to pay it down and the budget you're carrying doesn't have any debt service in order to pay it down. So you want to pretend that you're balancing the budget, but you're not balancing the budget. That's how we got here in the first place. This isn't solving any problems, folks. You're going to send out your press 81 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 releases and pat yourselves on the back, but all you're doing here is adding to the backlog of bills and slowing the Illinois economy even more. Thank you, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Oberweis, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
To the bill, Mr. President, and to my…
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) To the bill, Senator.
…and to my colleagues on the -- the left side of the room. Since I've been here, I've gotten to be friends with many of you. I believe that you believe that you were elected to come to Springfield to try to do good things for the people in your communities, to enact programs to help people in need, very worthwhile ideas. All of us come from different backgrounds, have different experiences and different views. Certainly trying to help people in need is critical. It's very important. It's the right thing to do. Unfortunately, at some point, we have to balance what we can do without killing the State of Illinois. If you haven't noticed, Illinois has lost population and jobs for the last three years in a row, and we're the only state that has done that. Our income tax revenue is declining because we're losing people and losing jobs. If we don't do the hard things -- and nobody wants to reduce programs that help people, nobody wants to reduce spending to our universities, nobody wants to not have nice increases for our K-12 education - on the right side of the aisle or the left side of the aisle. I'm asking you to think about the long-term future of this State. I'm asking you to think about 82 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 prioritizing spending, setting the limits equal to the level of our income for those programs, and instead of taking what you think is the best short-term answer, namely increasing tax burdens on the taxpayers who remain in the State of Illinois, to make some of the difficult decisions, a five or ten percent cutback across the board, which would be very painful, but it would allow us to survive as a State or, in lieu of that, send a message to those of us in the business community who love Illinois. I've been in Illinois -- my family's been in Illinois for five generations. I don't want to leave. I don't want our businesses to leave. But I will tell you, the most profitable business we have in our family is Oberweis Asset Management by far; it is very, very easy to move that business from Illinois to Florida or to Texas or to another state that has no income tax whatsoever. It's a little harder to move a company like Oberweis Dairy, where we have a manufacturing operation, but with Oberweis Dairy, we're looking at where we're going to open our next stores, and we hope to open ten to twenty new stores over the next five years, each one of which employs fifty people. Why do we want to do it in Illinois if we can do it in Indiana, in Wisconsin, in Iowa? The answer that I give my son is because we're from Illinois, we believe in Illinois, we want to help Illinois. But it's certainly less profitable to do so. We have to send a message that we want entrepreneurs, we want jobs, and we can do that by some spending cutbacks, by property tax relief, by true significant pension reforms,…
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Twenty-five seconds.
…by term limits for State legislators, or redistricting 83 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 reform that says the future forward is different from the past. And I'm really asking you, I'm pleading with you, to work together with us on a real compromise that we can really strongly ask our Governor to sign and not veto. Thanks for listening and considering.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Biss, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
To the bill, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) To the bill, Senator.
Six hundred and ninety days. For six hundred and ninety days, Governor Rauner has refused to pass a budget and he's clinging to ideology and we're hearing it even in this debate, this relentless obsession with workers' compensation, while our State is burning and the people that all of us represent are suffering and jobs are leaving and people are leaving. We've heard of all -- all this and we know why. It's because we have a State government that doesn't function, a State government that doesn't work, and each of us knows the heart-wrenching stories from our districts incredibly well, incredibly painfully, the services gone, the service providers shuttered. And so a budget is a statement of priorities and I wanted to talk today very briefly about three priorities that I see represented in this package of bills that we're voting on today, an imperfect package with three parts that I think are absolutely crucial. First of all and foremost, it stops the burning. It stops the bleeding. The State is on fire. We have a situation where basic services that we have counted on in 84 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 Republican and Democratic administrations for decades are being dismantled brick by brick, whether it's human services or universities. This gives us the opportunity to stop that. Second of all - and I want to thank the sponsor for crucial changes he's made in this version of this bill - we preserve basic services for the most vulnerable. Medicaid is preserved; MAP grants are preserved; there are tax credits for low-wage workers. That's a fundamental and important priority that everybody in this Chamber should be able to get behind. Now I will say that I don't believe that this package that we're voting on today goes as far as it ought to when it comes to economic fairness, when it comes to asking those who can afford to pay, to pay their share. We ought to pass a bill to close the corrupt carried interest loophole, so that we can finally ask those who have not been asked to pay their share by our State, to pay their share to enable the State to move forward. But at the very least, this bill does its part to protecting the most vulnerable. And finally, this bill provides a real short-term solution to our budget challenge. It actually gets us on our feet again. But we also need a long-term solution. We also need a long-term solution that makes, to borrow a phrase, the structural reforms that our State has needed for a very long time. We need to amend the Constitution so that we can finally have a fair tax system, so we can have a tax system that asks those who can afford to pay, to pay their share, so we can be in line with the great majority of our neighbors, the neighbors about which we hear so much from the other side of the aisle. And so I rise today in support of this bill. I rise to encourage others to support this bill and the package that's before us this afternoon, not because it's perfect and certainly not because we're done, but 85 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 because after years of finger-pointing, after years of bickering, after years of pain, we have an opportunity to take a step that will relieve a lot of that pain and, man, we have the responsibility to do it. Please vote Aye.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Holmes, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Question of the sponsor.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Sponsor indicates he will yield.
Just one very simple question. We've had some conversation here about the business climate in Illinois and I was a small business owner for a number of years and I guess what I'm curious about is, do you feel the business climate is more impacted by workers' comp and property taxes or is it more impacted by the uncertainty and the lack of stability that's been experienced in this State by a record-breaking six hundred and ninety days without a budget?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Manar.
So, Senator, I would respond to you what I hear in the district that I have the privilege of representing here in this Body. First and foremost, what employers are telling me is they want stability in State government and they want the uncertainty to go away. The steps that we've taken today, I think, provide a path toward that. We've had a debate about the fact that this is the first step toward putting in certainty and stability into State 86 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 government, putting forward a budget construct where the State can pay its bills, and that we exert some discipline on spending, which has gone unfettered under the Rauner administration because of an absence of appropriation. So this bill puts a spending cap in place that is exactly the same as what the Governor proposed in February when he gave us his first shot at a budget for fiscal year '18.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Holmes.
Thank you so much, Senator. I will just conclude by asking my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to please surprise me. Quit sitting idly by and allowing this Governor to play politics and hold the people of Illinois hostage and have them suffer while this budget impasse that was created by this administration is continuing. And it is harming our social services. It's harming our people. It's harming our higher ed. It is harming every aspect of this State. Please stop the politics now and let's do what's right for the citizens who sent us here. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Nybo, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Thank you, Mr. President. To the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) To the bill, Senator.
Mr. President, I'm not going to tell any other Member of this Body that they're wrong about the position that they have on these 87 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 bills, but I will make an observation after hearing all the discussion that we've had. You know, it's been mentioned several times that we have eight days left in order to try to come to a resolution on these matters. And -- and so one unescapable conclusion is that every day matters from this point forward. But -- but then I've sat here and I've listened and I think at one point a statement was made that -- that this is compromise and that a bill that passed on an exclusively partisan roll call was -- was compromise. And I've never been in a situation where -- where compromise has ever been something that was unilaterally handed to another party or other people engaging in negotiations. So, if anybody was hoping to derail progress and take a step back, congratulations, because I think -- I think that's the only thing that today has accomplished. It's almost 5 o'clock and I think when we look back on what was accomplished today in comparison to what's been accomplished on some of the prior days over the last couple weeks, I think this will probably be the low point. I think this is the point where we could say really nothing happened today, except some -- some points were scored, some arguments were had, but -- but in terms of trying to bring resolution, which someone like me really does want, I think today does nothing. So, to the sponsor, good luck on this vote. I -- I suspect it's going to be another partisan vote that'll bring us no closer to resolution.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Manar, to close.
Thank you for the debate. To my colleagues in the Senate, let me begin here. We had a bill here on this Floor last week that incorporated suggestions from the Republican side of the aisle 88 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 specific to Medicaid, Local Government Distributive Fund, and many other things. That bill failed - that bill failed. Had, I believe, four Members on your side of the aisle voted for it, it would have passed, but it failed. It did not receive a majority vote. So, we've come back with an alternative to what we believed at the time was a good compromise. And, you know, progress toward compromise isn't just words. It's not just meetings and it's not just talking politely to each other behind closed doors. It's actually taking action. Actions speak louder than words when it comes to budget-making and solving these problems. This bill is significantly different because it restores the cuts to Medicaid that were being proposed. It holds local governments flat to their current fiscal year distributions. It gives the Governor some management tools for FY'18, which we have agreed to. It does not include language that would remove or seek to change collective bargaining and the impasse that exists today between AFSCME and the Rauner administration. That is not in this bill on purpose, because we believe that that should take place at the collective bargaining table. But the biggest piece of this bill is this, the Governor -- the Governor, in February, gave us a budget book. On page 30, there's a number - thirty-seven billion three hundred and sixteen million. That is the Governor's proposal for spending for fiscal year '18. He put a frame around that number and he said, this is what I want to spend and that's what I'm proposing to you, Legislature, that we spend. Well, guess what? That's the spending cap in this bill. We have lived within the Governor's framework that he put out for us to consider in February. The difference is, the difference is, we're balancing the budget for the Governor, because he is incapable of doing it himself. That's the difference 89 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 in this bill and the bills that we have taken up today. We have passed term limits on legislative leaders. We've passed local government consolidation. We've passed procurement reform, pension reform, school funding reform, and we have led with a budget that cuts three billion dollars in spending. That's not easy for any of us to do, let alone Democrats. We've led on the issue. This is the last piece of it. I ask for an Aye vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Question is, shall Senate Bill 42 pass. All those in favor will vote Aye. Opposed, Nay. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Take the record. On that question, there are 33 voting Aye, 23 voting Nay, 2 voting Present. Senate Bill 42, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. We'll now go back on the Calendar, page 15. Senate Bill 521. President Cullerton. President Cullerton seeks leave of the Body to return Senate Bill 521 to the Order of 2nd Reading. Leave is granted. On the Order of 2nd Reading is Senate Bill 521. Mr. Secretary, are there any Floor amendments approved for consideration?
Floor Amendment No. 1, offered by Senator Trotter.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Trotter, on your amendment.
Yes, Mr. President, Members of the Senate, I ask for the adoption of Senate Amendment No. 1 to Senate Bill 521. The amendment authorizes the addition of five hundred and seventy-five million dollars for General Obligation Bonds and the authorization is under capital facilities subcategory of the General Obligation 90 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 Bond Act "for use by the State, its departments, authorities, public corporations, commissions and agencies". Specifically, four hundred million dollars of these funds will go to CMS for information technology and a hundred and seventy-five million dollars to the Capital Development Board for State facility upgrades in association with the Rasho versus Walker case.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Is there any discussion? All those in favor will say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. Are there any further Floor amendments approved for consideration?
No further amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) 3rd Reading. On the Order of 3rd Reading, Mr. Secretary, read the bill.
Senate Bill 521. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) One second, Senator Trotter. We have to get the sponsor changed. President Cullerton yields for Senator Trotter to run the bill. Senator Trotter.
Thank you very much. I essentially explained it on the -- on the amendment. It's five hundred and seventy-five million dollars for the General Obligation Bonds - again, four hundred million dollars to CMS for information technology; another hundred and seventy-five million which will be delegated to the Department of 91 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 Corrections and pursuant to being in -- in compliance with the court orders of the federal government.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Is there any discussion? Any discussion? As -- as the debt in question is secured by the full faith and credit of the State of Illinois, it is the ruling of the Chair that this action falls within the scope of Section 9 (b) of Articles {sic} IX, the Illinois Constitution, and therefore the passage of this measure will require a three-fifths majority, thirty-six votes, Ladies and Gentlemen. Senator Trotter, to close.
I -- I just ask for an Aye vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) The question is, shall Senate Bill 521 pass. All those in favor will vote Aye. Opposed, Nay. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Take the record. On that question, there are 36 voting Aye, 22 voting Nay, 0 voting Present. Senate Bill 521, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. Senator Bennett, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Mr. President, if we have a moment, I have a point of personal privilege.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Please proceed.
In the gallery on both sides today, we have the 2017 IARFuture Leadership Initiative class. They're here advocating on issues critical to the community-based services for persons with 92 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 disability and mental illness, the very topics that these budgets we're debating here will -- will help affect. These members are from across the State of Illinois. They're from Champaign, Chicago, Sandwich, Charleston, and Aurora, as well as other communities. So if you'll please stand in the galleries if you are still with us from the -- from the 2017 class. And, Members of the Senate, would you please welcome these members?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Will our guests in the gallery please rise? Welcome to the Senate. On page 54 of the Calendar is the Order of Consideration Postponed. This is final action. As the bills on this Order have already been presented and debated on the Floor, debate on each bill will be limited to one proponent and one opponent, each speaking to the bill. Senate Bill 620. Senator Syverson. Indicates he wishes to proceed. Mr. Secretary, read the bill.
Senate Bill 620. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Syverson.
Thank you, Mr. President. We addressed this bill earlier and the last time I think there were some people off the Floor and there may be some misunderstanding on this. But this legislation deals with our -- our truck stops in Illinois that are -- that currently are the largest revenue generator for -- for video gaming, and what this legislation allows is the truck stops to have ten positions instead of five. There are some set rules as 93 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 to who can qualify for this and who can't qualify for this. So the goal is to get at interstate truck drivers who have to travel through the State, who stop at these truck stops and can't leave those truck stops. So it's an opportunity to generate additional revenue for local governments and for the State of Illinois and all paid for by out-of-state truckers. We -- we've tried to address concerns of a lot of people and I appreciate the bipartisan support of this and would hope and ask for a favorable roll call.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Is there any discussion? Senator McCarter, for what purpose do you seek recognition? SENATOR McCARTER: To the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) To the bill, Senator. SENATOR McCARTER: Again, this is a -- this is a disappointing way to try to get ourselves out of a -- a fiscal mess. And some -- sometimes I think people shouldn't be able to sponsor bills when there's heavy influence from those that the bill is benefiting. Vote No.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) The question is, shall Senate Bill 620 pass. All those in favor, vote Aye. Opposed, Nay. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Take the record. On that question, there are 24 voting Aye, 27 voting Nay, 0 voting Present. Senate Bill 620, not having received the required constitutional majority, is declared failed. On the Order of Senate Bills 3rd Reading, Senate Bill 1719. Senator Biss. Senator Biss seeks leave of the Body to return Senate Bill 1719 to 94 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 the Order of 2nd Reading. Leave is granted. On the Order of 2nd Reading is Senate Bill 1719. Mr. Secretary, are there any Floor amendments approved for consideration?
Floor Amendment No. 2, offered by Senator Biss.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Biss, on your amendment.
Floor Amendment 2 makes some technical corrections to the bill. I move for its adoption.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Is there any discussion? All those in favor will say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. Are there any further Floor amendments approved for consideration?
No further amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) 3rd Reading. On the Order of 3rd Reading, Mr. Secretary, read the bill.
Senate Bill 1719. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Biss.
Thank you, Mr. President. This bill presents us with an opportunity to make our Tax Code more fair and solve a portion of our budget problem in a way that is really felt only by a small 95 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 number of people in the most just manner imaginable. Here's -- here's the deal. The carried interest loophole is a mechanism that allows private equity and hedge fund managers to reclassify part of their income as though it were capital gains income, which it's not, to get a twenty percent tax cut from the federal government. And this is a corrupt loophole that has been decried by people across the political spectrum, but for reasons you can probably guess, there's not been a lot of progress toward repealing it in Washington. What Senate Bill 1719 does is to plug that hole, to close the carried interest loophole here on the State level and use that revenue to help solve our State's budget problem. I would certainly appreciate your support.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Is there any discussion? Any discussion? There being none, the question is, shall Senate… Senator Nybo, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker {sic}. I -- I pushed my button prematurely. I'm going to -- I'm going to speak after I believe there's another speaker to this bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) You know, here -- the only thing -- the only thing I'm going to tell -- ask the Members, please, we're trying to move at -- at a good pace. I want everybody to be fair and speak. I'll say it again. When I ask, "Is there any discussion" -- this time I'm going to let it go. Next time, I won't. Fair enough? Senator Althoff, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Will the sponsor yield? 96 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Sponsor indicates he will yield.
And thank you very much for the courtesy, Mr. President. We really didn't mean to cause consternation. Senator Biss, we actually listened to this legislation or the proposed bill in Revenue Committee and I asked a couple questions then and so, indulge me, I'm going to ask them again. Does any other state in the entire country tax…
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Biss.
…this entity? I'm…
Not yet. There's a number of states considering this. Frankly, a lot of states have heard the rhetoric from candidates for federal office on both sides of the aisle and assumed the federal government was going to solve this problem and close this corrupt loophole. I think we're wise to give up hope on that, for now at least. And so a number of states are considering legislation just as are we.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Althoff.
And while I'll concur with that analysis, I will also disagree with its intent. There have been a few, very few, number of states that have tried to consider this taxation proposal to dismal failure. They have not moved forward. One state that actually did put the legislation in place hasn't enacted it, 'cause they 97 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 just are not going to. So, my question is, we're attempting with this legislation then to correct a federal problem via the State?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Biss.
We're -- we're attempting to do a number of things. We're attempting to institute a genuinely extraordinarily just and fair tax to help solve the State's budget problem. The reason we know it's just and fair is 'cause the federal government is screwed up. And so we're not correcting a federal problem because it's a -- you know, there's a -- we're being pedantic. We're not correcting a federal problem because we are in the mood to complain about somebody else's mistakes. We're saying, hey, they have created a genuine unfairness in their Tax Code. That is a twenty percent tax cut for the people in the country who least need it for literally no substantive reason and that's an opportunity for us to both create economic fairness and help a very severe problem, namely our budget problem.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Althoff.
So you're making the assumption that we put this legislation into place and somehow we get additional revenues. I would state that, number one, it's going to be challenged for constitutionality and right away we're not going to have any additional revenues. And I would also ask you -- most of these entities that I'm aware of that provide these financial services can pick up and move and leave and go to another state, because much of what they do is via teleconferencing or via telephone, so they're not necessarily 98 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 significant brick-and-mortar entities. They're small offices that can just roll right across the border and not have to incur this tax. And so we will lose the taxes that we currently receive from them and receive no other revenue. Do you think that that argument has significant merit?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Twenty-five seconds. …Biss.
No. In fact, if you look at where the hedge fund industry is concentrated, it's concentrated primarily in much higher-taxed states than Illinois. It's concentrated in New York and New Jersey and California. And that's because these businesses are relying on a lot of things besides teleconferences and they congregate in certain kinds of population centers.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Althoff. To close -- to the bill.
I -- I'll close, sir. Thank you very much, again, for the courtesy. I, again, I disagree. I think that there are significant amount of these entities located in Chicago in the State of Illinois. And on top of that, once you start to tax entities that provide these services, we not only hurt those entities themselves, those financial service entities, but we harm entrepreneurs and start-up businesses that use that service and need that service. I would urge an Aye -- a No vote - No vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Nybo, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
To the bill, Mr. President. 99 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) To the bill, Senator.
First, let me extend my apologies to you, Mr. President. I appreciate the courtesy. I -- I -- I was taken aback because a lot of times these bills sometimes go out of order and I didn't realize this one was coming up, but there was something that I wanted to find from our analysis on this bill. And I hope everybody understands the danger of the path that we're going down with a bill like this. So, there -- there was a fiscal note that was placed on an identical bill in the House. And -- and the Department of Revenue analyzed this bill and -- and it tried to determine the impact that it would have on the State of Illinois. Now the reason we're -- we're doing this bill, according to the sponsor, is because this is going to help us generate new taxes. This will be new revenue for the State. However, the -- the Department of Revenue determined that in the long run - and I'm just going to quote the analysis - "This bill will raise no new revenue for the State. Due to the magnitude of the tax, the bill would elicit a strong behavioral response from would-be taxpayers. Taxpayers would be strongly incentivized to either reclassify fees so as not to be considered 'investment strategy' or to relocate the taxable activity so that it is beyond the reach of the State" of Illinois. I want to call attention to -- to two points of this analysis. First, behavioral response - and this goes to what we were just talking about with the prior bills - everything that we do here with respect to taxes elicits a behavioral response. Senator Biss, the behavioral response that we've already been witnessing for the last four years has been people in businesses and opportunity 100 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 leaving. There is no doubt in my mind, and there's no doubt from professionals, that -- that a tax hike of this magnitude would cause and intensify the same type of activity. So -- so the people that you're hoping to tax -- or tap into for all this new revenue, they're going to leave. There's no question that they're going to do anything that they can to avoid being subject to this "first in the nation" tax and -- and the amounts at stake here are so significant that they'd almost be foolish not to. So to cling to the hope that this is going to help our State and generate new revenue and create opportunities is -- is a falsehood, because this is going to have the exact opposite effect. It's going to contribute to declining opportunities, more economic activity leaving this State, and -- and contributing to us being in an even worse position than where we are right now. I'd urge a No vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Rezin, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Thank you, Mr. President. Question for the sponsor.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Sponsor indicates he will yield.
Thank you. One question for the sponsor. The previous bill that was talked about and passed, the revenue bill or the income tax increase, the sponsor talked about as a -- asking support of this bill as a real short-term solution for the State. And then the sponsor proceeds to talk about what the real long-term need is a progressive tax for this State. Now we're -- now the sponsor has his third bill or is talking about his third income tax increase today in this bill, which he says would create economic 101 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 fairness. My question to the sponsor is, do you have any more bills today that would increase taxes on hardworking middle-class taxpayers out of fairness to the taxpayers? Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Biss.
You know, I -- I found that question a little bit confusing, Senator, with all respect, because you refer to hardworking middle- class taxpayers. This is a bill -- and I want the Chamber to understand this and I know that your question's kind of snarky and my answer could be kind of snarky, but I want to be serious here. This is a bill that applies to a tiny number of the richest people in the State - a tiny number of the richest people in the State who are getting a twenty percent tax cut from the federal government while the hardworking middle class pays too much. So I wish I had tons of bills like that today, but I've only got this one. I hope you vote for it.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Rezin.
The -- to the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) To the bill, Senator.
Snarkiness aside, just if we look at the opponents of this bill, and I know we talked about it in the past, about businesses and what businesses are looking for in this State, I see that the long list of opponents for this bill are numerous businesses and chambers, the business associations that we listen to. I ask for 102 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 a No vote. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Senator Biss, to close.
Thank you, Mr. President and Members. I -- I just want to reiterate the point I made in my last comment, because this is really a crucial point. This is a bill that would bring in significant revenue. It is a tax on a tiny number of people, a tiny number of the richest people who live in our State, and they're getting a twenty percent tax cut from Washington, D.C., that it's very, very hard to find any economist, whether a liberal or conservative, who supports, a tax cut that Donald Trump ran for President decrying as corrupt. So it's really a -- there's some bipartisan agreement on that. We have an opportunity now to get rid of that loophole, help our State budget, make people, who are, right now, truly by any measure absolutely not paying their share, pay their share. I recommend an Aye vote. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) The question is, shall Senate Bill 1719 pass. All those in favor will vote Aye. Opposed, Nay. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Take the record. On that question, there are 32 voting Aye, 24 voting Nay, 1 voting Present. Senate Bill 1719, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. Senator Rose, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Mr. President, a -- a point of clarification. Help me understand this. Did Senator Biss just tell us he's pro-Trump? Is that what just happened here? Okay. I just -- I was just -- 103 STATE OF ILLINOIS 100th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 51st Legislative Day 5/23/2017 I was just -- was confused by that.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MUÑOZ) Ladies and Gentlemen, we have some committee assignments {sic}. Today: Government Reform will meet immediately in Room 409. That is a room change. Criminal Law will meet at 5:30 in Room 400. Transportation will meet at 5:30 in 212. Tomorrow: Local Government, Room 409 at 9:30 a.m.; Public Health, Room 400 at 10 a.m.; Education, Room 212 at 10 a.m.; Veterans Affairs, Room 409 at 10 a.m. For tomorrow as well: Telecommunications and Informations {sic} (Information) Technology in Room 400, 11 a.m.; Environment and Conservation in Room 409 at 11 a.m.; Energy and Public Utilities in Room 212, 11 a.m. There being no further business to come before the Senate, the Senate stands adjourned until the hour of noon on the 24th day of May 2017. The Senate stands adjourned. 104