The Senate will please come tc orde/. If the Members will please be in their seats -- will please rise, and if our friends i in the gallery please riser for the prayer. The prayer today will ' j be by Senator Adeline J. Geo-Raris of Zicny Ill.inois. Senator Geo-Karis. SENATOR GEO-KARIS: ; (Prayer by Senator Geo-Karis)
Thank you, Senator Geo-Karis. Reading of the Journal. Senator Butler.
Mr. Presidenty I nove that reading and approval of the Journal of Thursday, September 2nd, in the year 1993, be poskponed, pending arrival of the printed Journal.
Senator Butler moves that the reading and the approval of the Journal be postponed, in accordance with Speclal Session Resolution No. 3. So ordered. Nowr the following media have requested permission to videotape today: WAND, WMAQ: WCIA, Chicagoland-Tv, WFLD, WCTU, WLS, WGN, Illinois Infcrmation Service, WICS; and the Chicago Sun-Times requests permission to photograph. Is leave granted? Leave is granted. Senator Mahar, for what purpose to you rise? I i SENATOR MAHAR: ! Thank you, Mr. Presidenk. I would seek leave; if the kime is appropriate, to have my name removed as the chief sponsor of House Bill 242, and have Senator Raica shown as the chief sponsor. PRESIDENT PHILIP: ! q Is leave granted? No objections. Leave ls granted. All right. Rules Report . Senator Weaver . Excuse me . Colnmittee Reports . 1 STATE OF ILLINOIS 88TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY FIRST SPECIAL SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 2nd Legislative Day Septenber 3: 1993
Senator Weaver, Chair cf the Cofnmittee on Rules, reports that the followinî Legislative Measures have been assigned to com ittees: referred to the Education Committee - Senate M endment No. 2 to House Bill 242; and Be Approved for Conslderation - House Bill 525.
Senator Watson, for what purpose do you rise? Are you there? Make your announcement .
Yes. Thank you, Mr. President. I'd like to announce that there '11 be an Education hearing in Roocl 400 in the State Capitol, immediately .
A1l right. The Senate will stand in recess till the hour of 1:30. Xeah. Education Committee is at 400, im ediately. (SENATE STANDS IN RECESS) (SENATE RECONVENES)
The Senate will please come to order. Conmtittee Repcrts. SECRETARY HARR?: Senator Watson , Chair of the Committee on Education , reports that M endment No. 2 to Senate <sicl (House) 3i11 242 Be Adopted.
Yeah. I would Just like to make a little announeement. As you know, we're going to be going to House Bill 242. It's going to be final passage . I hope, if everybcdy that 's in their offices 2 STATE OF ILLINOIS 88TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY FIRST SPECIAL SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 2nd Leglslative Day September 3, 1993 would please get up here to the Floor of the Senate. I might also -- yeah, I apologize. Evidentlyr there's a problem With our P.A. system in Senators' offices, thak evidently -- lf you'll noticer the ceiling tiles that are in the back hall here are -- are down and -- and evidently the re's a -- a problem with the Wiring. So, if -- if -- if -- if some of the Pages would go down to those I offices and notify them verbally: we certainly Would appreciate it. And I might suggest thts: This is a Labor Day weekend; everybody wants to get out of here. If we could hold dcwn the rhetoric and -- and do what Wedve been sent down here to do, we ' j certainly would appreciate that. Thank you.
Mr. President, for the record, the Commlttee on Edueaticn reports that Amendment No. 2 to House Bill 242 Be Adopted.
Senator Raica, do you Wish to return House Bill 242 to 2nd Reading for the purpose of an amendnent?
Yes, Mr. President. I'd like to table Committee Amendment No. 1, if I could . PRESIDENT PHILIP: : Okay. Senator Raica seeks leave of the Body to return House Bill 242 to the Order of 2nd Reading for the purpose of tabling an i ( amendment. Is there any objection? If not, leave is granted, and the anendment is tabled. Okay. Senator Raica moves the Amendment No. l Eo House Bill 242 be tabled. Any discussion? If not, Senator Raica moves to table Amendment No . l to Senate <sic> (House) Bil1 242. A11 those in favor, signify by saying Aye. Those opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it. The motion -- the amendment is tabled. Now, Mr. Secretary, are there any other Floor amendments approved for consideration? ;
3 STATE OF ILLINOIS 88TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY FIRST SPECIAL SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 2nd Legislative Day September 3, 1993 Amendment No. 2, offered by Senator Watson.
Senator Watson, to explain the amendment.
Yes. Thank you, Mr. President, Members. I understand that this amendment has been distributed. It is now on your desk. This is Amendnent No. 2 to House Bill 242. 1'11 briefly give you a synopsis of what this amendment does. It strikes everything after the enacting clause, so ncW this amendment becomes -- becomes the law. It establishes a period by which there'll be interim operations for the Chicago Board of Education and the schools , hopefully from September lst to September 12th . It establishes a means by which the schools could open Without a balanced budget , and i.t takes that provision away from the School Finance Authority that Would require them to ratify a balanced budget until the 12th of the September. It creates -- number (2) creates a hiring freeze. Position number (3) exempts the Board from belng charged with unfair labor practices as a result of the hiring freeze imposed in number (2). And Section number (4) requires the Board to adopt interim appropriations for the expenditures of funds...
Could we have a ltttle order , please? Thank you .
Section number (4) requires the Board to adopt interim appropriations for *he expenditures of funds for khak period from September lst through September 12th . Be glad to answer any questions, Mr . President .
Any discussion? Any discussion? If not, all those in -- all those in favor, signify by sayin: Aye. Those opposed, Nay. Ayes have it . The amendment is adopted . Any further Floor amendments 4 STATE OF ILLINOIS 88TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY FIRST SPECIAL SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 2nd Legislative Day September 3, 1993 : approved for consideration? ! SECRETARY HARRY: 1 No further amendments reported, Mr. President. PRESIDENT PHILIP: 3rd Reading. Senator Raica, on House Bill 242, on the Order of 3rd Reading. Mr. Secretary, read the bill. SECRETARY HARRY: House Bill 242. (Secretary reads title of bill) ' 3rd Readlng of the bill. PRESIDENT PHILIP: Senator Ralca. SENATOR RAICA: Thank you: Mr. President and Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate. What We have before us is House Bill 242, Amendment No. 2: which, it's ny understanding, was an agreement between the four ! Leaders and the Governory in a hope to put in a grace period in Which the schoolchildren within the City of Chicago can return to ! i schools. It basically has about four points, Mr. President, and with your permission, I'd like to explaln what they are. The first one exenpts the Chicago schools from the provision in Section 34A-406 that prohibit the Board from naking any I expenditures unless they have a budget approved by the School Pinance Authority. Number two, it imposes a hirlng freeze, by prohibiting the Board, the general superintendent, Board employees ! and the local school councils from hiring any person as an employee or officer of the Board in any position. The third that it does is it exempts the Board from being charged with unfair ; labor practices as a result of the hiring freeze, if it's imposed . ; And the fourth thing that it does is it requires the Board tc adopt interim appropriations for the expenditure of funds for the period from September 1st. to September 12th . And the interim 5 i STATE OF ILLINOIS 88TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY FIRST SPECIAL SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 2nd Legislative Day September 3r l993 appropriations would -- would meet the intent of Section 34-49 . Baslcally , what we 've done , Mr . Presldent and Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate , is allow the -- the Board to go in without a balanced budget being approved for the period of up to September 12th and allow the schoolchildren to return to school in hopes that the Board and the Teachers ' Union can reach some type of an agreement before the General Assembly comes back to Springfield next week .
Any further discussion? Senator Berman .
Thank you , Mr. President . Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate r I would like to share with those of you who were nct present in the Educatian Committee just a little bit of the testimony that was presented . A nunber of us have some serious problens with the language in here dealing with the hiring freeze. M ong the Witnesses tbat just testlfied a few minutes ago in the Education Com ittee was the counsel to the Governor, who was present during the deliberations between the four Legislative Leaders and the Governor, and in effect, in response to my questlons and other questions in the cofnmittee, indicated that this is the languaqe that was agreed tc by the Governor and the four Leaders , and this is the language that must pass r if any bill is going to pass . So we are confronted with a situation which is not unique here: We have to vote Aye or Nay and weigh the pluses and minuses of a bill that is before us. Again, I don't like the hiring freeze, because it appears that there's a possibility that if the Board and the Chicago Teachers' Union reach an agreement before Wednesday, and school is opened on Wednesday, there could be as many as eighteen hundred classrooms that might not have a teacher in front of that classroom. But the alternative is to not pass this billr and then we have classes in full-year classrooms that aren 't going to be 6 STATE OF ILLINOIS 88TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY FIRST SPECIAL SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 2nd Leglslative Day September 3, 1993 staffed; there are special ed programs that are not going to be staffed. There is a lot of other children that would suffer if we didn't pass this bill. So I'm going to vote Aye on this, and I merely suggest to the Board of Education of the Chicago public sehools, to the Teachers' Dnion of the Chicago public schools, to the adminlstrators of the Chicago public schools: Please do your best to reach an agreement, please do your best to open the sehools on Wednesday, please do your best to staff with the greatest flexibility, so that our children have a teachery even though thelr title may be different than teacher. Have someone in front of that elassroom so our children Will be in a position of education next Wednesdayr Thursday and Friday, sc that we can come back here next week and hopefully get a more permanent solution to the problems of the Chicago public schools. I urge an Aye vote.
Further discussion? Senator Geo-Karis.
Mr. President, Ladles and Gentlemen of the Senate, I speak in ! favor of this bill, but I want everyone to know that We who are here today are very mindful of the needs of the children of . I Chicago. I would like to suggest that the Chicago Teachers' Union cooperate to its fullest extent with its Board and with the Governor and wlth the Mayor of Chicago, so that We ean reach some possible solution: because we are not dolng ourselves any good, come here back and forth, without getting a solution. I 7 understand this solution Will be good until the 12th of September. By that time, I hope a solu*ion is reached ; otherwisey there are going to be problems.
Further discussion? Senator Raica, to close. Senator Raica.
Thank youz Mr. President and Ladies and Gentlemen of the 7 STATE OF ILLINOIS 88TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY FIRST SPECIAL SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 2nd Legislative Day September 3, 1993 Senate. Senator Berman has worked on the issues of educaticn 1 reforms in the City of Chicaqo, along with Senator Watson, and before Senator Watson, Senator Kustra . I think what's very important -- and -- and Senator Berman did touch on it - and I vanted to speak right after he spoke - .but vhen the Governor's people Were speakin: before the Education Committee -- and -- and they were asked about the word ''appointmenty'' Where it comes -- or came to schoolchildren possibly going back to school and not having teachers in front of themy we Were afraid that they Would get into a situation where khey were being asked a legal opinion: and it could hanper any type of contract negotiations or collective bargaining that the Teachers' Union, the City of Chlcago, and the Board Would get into. They were not trying to avoid the question of appointments whatsoever. It has been Senator Watson's feelings, my feelings, and the feelings of the Governor, that when we used the Word f'appointment'f or a teacher being appointed, it was in a temporary basis where the child would not go unsupervlsed in a classrcom setting. This -- when the Governor called the General Assembly back to Session this week and for Special Sesslon: the -- or the Governor felt very strongly that the General Assembly do something in order to allow the schools this grace period, in which they can go back and at least get the children into school and start the process golng. We as the General Assembly, myself as the sponsor, Senator Philip and the four Leaders, encouraged the Teachers' Uniony the Mayar of the City of Chicago and the Board -- the Teachers' Union and the Board to continue ongoing negotiations and have a contract settled before the General Assembly get into Session next Week. It's imperative that they do so, at least for the benefits of the children. Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate, this is a11 we have before us today. If this is not passed, I -- I -- I dare say we should hang our heads in shame that nothin: was done 8 STATE 0F ILLINOIS 88TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY FIRST SPECIAL SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 2nd Legislative Day September 3, 1993 for the ehildren of the City of Chicago, enabling them to go back to school. Therefore, would just solicik an Aye vote, Mr. President.
I might remember -- remind the Membershipy it. takes thirty-six affirmative votes. A11 right. The question shall House Bill 242 pass. Those in favor will signify by vcting Aye. Those opposed, Nay. The voting ls cpen. Have you all voted who wish? Have you a1l voted Who wish? Have you a11 voted Who Wish? Take the record. On the question, there are 46 Ayesr 7 Nays, 1 voting Present, 5 nct voting. House Bill 242, havlng received the required three-fifths majority, is declared passed. Resolutions.
Senate Joint Resolution No. offered by Senator Weaver. (Secretary reads SJR No. 1)
Senator Cronlny for what purpose do you rise?
Mr. Presldent, just a point of personal privilege.
State your point.
like to the record to reflect that I traveled back twelve hundred miles to cast a vote on that matter, and when pushed my button on my box here, it didn't workr and the key had not been turned onr and ny desk is lacked. And so, I -- Would have loved Eo vote for that Wonderful piece of legislation, had I been able to. Thank you.
The record will so indicate, Senator Cronin. Senator Weaver, for what purpose do you rise?
9 STATE OF ILLINOIS 88TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY FIRST SPECIAL SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 2nd Legislative Day September 3, 1993 move for the suspension of the rules for the immediate consideration and adoption of Senate Joint Resolution No. 1.
Senator Weaver moves to suspend the rules for the purpose of the immediate consideration and adoption of Senate Joint Resoluticn No. A11 those in favor, signify by saying Aye. Those opposed, Nay. The rules are suspended . Senator Weaver now moves to -- the adoption of Senate Joint Resolution 1. All those in favor, signify by saying Aye. Thcse opposed, Nay. Ayes have The resolutlon is adopted.
PRESIDING OFPICER: (SENATOR WEAVER) With leave cf the Body, We will go to Supplemental Calendar No . 1. On that Calendar is House Bill 525. Senator Watson, do you wish ... Mr. Secretary, read the bill.
House Bill 525. (Secretary reads tltle of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee amendments.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR WEAVER) Have there been any Floor amendments approved for consideration?
No further amendments reported, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OPFICER: (SENATOR WEAVER) 3rd Reading. Is there any further business to bring before the Senate? Por what purpose does Senator Stern arise?
Mr. President and Members of the Senatey my light has been on since Senator Crcnin made his polnt. just would like to add that as one who traveled about ten thousand miles to come back to this eminent Body, I am honored that my key was on and I was able tc vote for that legislation and send four hundred and eleven STATE 0F ILLINOIS 88TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY FIRST SPECIAL SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 2nd Legislative Day September 3: 1993 thousand children back to schocl.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR WEAVER) Well, it's nice to have both of you back. Resolutions.
Senate Joint Resolution 2, Constitutional Amendment: offered by Senator Berman.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR WEAVER) Executive. Is there any further business to brlng before the Senate? If not, Senator Watson moves that the Senate stand adjourned till Thursday noon, September the 9th. 11 ! REPORT: TIFLDâY STàTE OF ILLINOIS 94/11/29 PAOE: 001 88TH GENERZL ZSSEMBLY 1k:02:51 SENATE DAILY TRZVSCRIPTION OF DEBATE IKDEX SPECIAL SESSION # 1 SEPTEHBER 03, 1993 HB-02R2 HECZLLED PAGE 3 HB-02V2 THIRD REZDING PAGE 5 HB-02R2 OTHER PAGE 1 H8-0525 SECOND READING PZGE 10 SJR-0001 ZDOPTED PAGE 10 SJR-0001 RESOLUTION OFFERED P2GE 9 SJR-0002 RESOLUTION OFFERED PAGE 11 SUBJECT HZTTER SENATE T0 ORDER-PRESIDENT PHILIP PZGE 1 PRAYER-SEMATOR GEO-KARIS PAGE 1 JODHNAL-POSTPONED PAGE 1 COMMITTEE REPORTS PZGE 1 RECESS PâGZ 2 SENATE RECONVENES PAGE 2 COMMITTEE REPORT PZGE 2 ADJOURNHENT PAGE 11