PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) The hour of 11 o’clock having arrived, the Senate will come to order. Our Members will be at their desks. Our guests in the gallery will please rise. Our prayer today will be by the Monsignor Mark Williams, Holy Trinity Church of Bloomington, Illinois. Monsignor Williams.
(Prayer by Monsignor Mark Williams)
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Pledge of Allegiance. Senator Link.
(Pledge of Allegiance, led by Senator Link)
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Reading and Approval of the Journal. Senator Woolard.
Mr. President, I move that the reading and approval of the Journal of Thursday, May 22nd, in the year 2003, be postponed, pending arrival of the printed Journal.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) All right. Senator Woolard has moved to postpone the reading and approval of the Journal, pending arrival of the printed transcripts. There being no objection, so ordered. Illinois Information Service requests leave to videotape. Is leave granted? Leave is granted. Message from the House.
A Message from the House by Mr. Rossi, Clerk. Mr. President - I am directed to inform the Senate that the House of Representatives has passed a House Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment of the following title, in the passage of which I am instructed to ask the concurrence of the Senate, to wit: House Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 1.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Message from the Governor.
A Message for the Governor by Joseph B. Handley, Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislative Affairs. May 23rd, 2003. 1 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003 Mr. President - The Governor directs me to lay before the Senate the following Message: To the Honorable Members of the Senate, 93rd General Assembly - I have nominated and appointed the following named persons to the offices enumerated below and respectfully ask concurrence in and confirmation of these appointments of your Honorable Body. Rod Blagojevich, Governor.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Ladies and Gentlemen, could I have your attention? To fulfill our -- we are going to go to the Order of Executive Appointments, and to fulfill our responsibilities under Article V, Section 9 of the Constitution, we’ll now proceed to the order of advice and consent. Senator Hendon.
Thank -- thank you, Mr. President. I move that the Senate resolve itself into Executive Session for the purpose of acting on the Governor’s appointments set forth in the Message of February 19th, 2003; April 16th, 2003; April 23rd, 2003; May 1st, 2003; May 9th, 2003; and May 16th, 2003.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) All right. All in favor of those -- all in favor, indicate by saying Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it. Motion carries. The Senate is now in Executive Session. Madam Secretary, Committee Reports.
Senators Hendon and Geo-Karis, Co-Chairmen of the Committee on Executive Appointments, to which was referred the Governor’s Message of April 23rd, 2003, reported the same back with the recommendations that the Senate advise and consent to the following appointments.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Senator Hendon.
Mr. President, with respect to the Message of April 23rd, 2003, I will read the salaried appointments of which the Senate Committee on Executive Appointments recommends that the Senate do advise and consent. 2 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003 To be a Commissioner of the Illinois Commerce Commission for a term commencing April 22nd, 2003, and ending January 21st, 2008: Erin O’Connell-Diaz. Mr. Secretary -- Mr. President, having read the salaried appointments from the Governor’s Message of April 23rd, 2003, I now seek leave to consider the appointments of April 23rd, 2003, on a roll call. Mr. President, will you put the question as required by our rules?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) All right. Is leave granted? Leave is granted. The question is -- is there any discussion? If not, the question is, shall the Senate advise and consent to the salaried appointments just read from the Message of April 23rd. Senator Roskam, for what purpose do you rise?
Just an inquiry, Mr. President. I don’t think these names have been distributed to the Members.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) …Hendon, it seems to me that it is -- it is in order that we instruct the staff -- let’s -- let’s instruct the staff to please -- Senator Roskam, does your staff have -- you have the names, I assume? Senator Roskam.
No, Mr. President. I don’t think we do. Maybe just if we could pull this out of the record just for a couple minutes and maybe it’s just a housekeeping thing and we can resolve it promptly.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Why don’t we just stay at ease for a moment and get some copies over on the other side so we can move with some dispatch. So we’ll just leave everything as we are at the moment. Senator -- Senator Roskam, it’s my understanding that momentarily we’ll have copies for your side of the aisle. I think in the future, however, we need to have a conversation as to how we proceed with Executive Appointments so that we don’t get into this situation again. I think the fact is, is that -- no, I don’t want to get into it. Senator -- Senator Roskam, has your staff passed out your scripts yet? I believe we have sent someone to make copies. We really need to have a future discussion about 3 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003 future procedure of this. All right. Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s my -- I can see that they are now being passed out. Senator Geo-Karis, I would instruct your staff, since you are the senior Member, that you should get yours first. Can we get one down here to Senator Geo-Karis, please? …see, don’t let that happen again. You make sure that she gets -- Senator Geo- Karis gets hers first. All right. Does everyone have a copy now? Question is, does the Senate advise and consent to the salaried appointment just read by the Message of April 23rd. All in favor will vote Aye. Those 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, the Ayes are 57, the Nays are none, none voting Present. A majority of Senators elected concurring by record vote, the Senate does advise and consent to the appointments just read. Senator Althoff, for what purpose do you rise?
To the appointments. Might the record show that the individual, Eric W. Althoff of Effingham, who was just appointed to the Prison -- Prisoner Review Board is not a relative, and he’s a Democrat. We’ll just note that. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Senator Hendon.
Thank you, Mr. President. With respect to the Message of May 1st, 2003, I will read the salaried appointments of which the Senate Committee on Executive Appointments recommends that the Senate do advise and consent. To be Director of the Department of Agriculture for a term commencing April 28th, 2003, and ending January 17th, 2005: Charles Hartke. To be a member of the Human Rights Commission for a term commencing April 17th, 2003, and ending January 15th, 2007: Leslie Fox. To be Assistant Director of the Department of Insurance for a term commencing May 12th, 2003, and ending January 17th, 2005: Deirdre Manna. 4 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003 To be Director of Department of Children and Family Services for a term commencing April 28th, 2003, and ending January 17th, 2005: Bryan Samuels. To be Assistant Secretary of the Department of Human Services for a term commencing May 1st, 2003, and ending January 17th, 2005: Francisco Du’Prey. Mr. President, having read the salaried appointments from the Governor’s Message of May 1st, 2003, I now seek leave to consider the appointments of May 1st, 2003, on a roll call. Mr. President, will you put the question as required by our rules?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Is there discussion? If not, the question is, does the Senate advise and consent to the salaried appointments just read from the Message of May 1st. All those in favor will vote Aye. Those opposed will vote Nay. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Take the record. On that question, the Ayes are 58, the Nays are none, none voting Present. A majority of Senators elected concurring by record vote, the Senate does advise and consent to the appointments just -- just read. Senator Hendon.
Mr. President, with respect to the Message of May 9th, 2003, I will read the salaried appointments of which the Senate Committee on Executive Appointments recommends that the Senate do advise and consent. To be Commissioner of the Office of Banks and Real Estate for a term commencing May 5th, 2003, and ending January 31st, 2004: Dorance Lorenzo Padron. To be Director of Department of Corrections for a term commencing January 1st, 2003 -- I mean, June 1st, 2003, and ending January 17th, 2005: Roger G. {sic} (E.) Walker. To be a Member of the Industrial Commission for a term commencing May 5th, 2003, and ending January 15th, 2007: James C. Serkland. To be a Member of the Prisoner Review Board for a term commencing May 12th, 2003, and ending January 19th, 2009: Eric Althoff. 5 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003 To be a Member of the Prisoner Review Board for a term commencing May 5th, 2003, and ending January 19th, 2009: Barbara Hubbard. To be a Director of the Illinois Toll Highway Authority for a term commencing May 2nd, 2003, and ending May 1st, 2007: David Andalcio. To be a -- to be a Director of the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority for a term commencing May 2nd, 2003, and ending May 1st, 2007: John Mitola. To be a Director of the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority for a term commencing May 2nd, 2003, and ending May 1st, 2007: Arthur Pradel. Mr. President, having read the salaried appointments from the Governor’s Message of May 9th, 2003, I now seek leave to consider the appointments of May the 9th, 2003, on a roll call. Mr. President, will you put the question as required by our rules?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) All right. Ladies and -- Ladies and Gentlemen, Senator Hendon has moved -- I neglected to ask the Secretary to read in the Message. With leave of the Body, let’s read the Message in, Madam Secretary.
Senators Hendon and Geo-Karis, Co-Chairpersons of the Committee on Executive Appointments, to which was referred the Governor’s Message of May 9, 2003, reported the same back with the recommendation that the Senate advise and consent to the following appointments, salaried.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) All right. Is there discussion? Senator Watson.
Yes, thank you. In committee our Members voted Present, I believe, on the Toll Road appointments and let me just give an - - an explanation and the concern that we have for that. We’ve been negotiating - I’m sure your caucus has also - on the O’Hare modernization project and we have considerable sympathy for that and would like to see something done within reason, and one of the -- of the issues we’ve put on the table is the resolution that was passed in 1995 by both the House and the Senate. Asked 6 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003 the Toll Authority -- Toll Road Authority to do what we would call, I guess, the O’Hare bypass, connecting the western extension -- the western extension. And we’ve asked the Mayor. We’ve asked the Governor. I’ve talked to the -- Jack Hartman, the Executive Director of the Toll Authority, that we would like a commitment from the Toll Road that -- Toll Authority that this project would go forth. I don’t know that -- why it’s -- it’s such a problem, but there’s some who’ve got some significant resistance to this. So as a result, we voted Present on the, I believe, two members that were before the committee that would be appointed to the Toll Authority. So, we’re just hoping we can get that worked out. We think that’s important for the people that live on -- in the western side of the -- the airport and around -- around the airport, for that matter, and -- and we understand the economic importance of O’Hare. It is a strong economic engine for this State and it’s not a regional thing at all for us. We -- we feel that we have an obligation to -- to help the State as a whole and we want to do that. But we'd -- certainly like to have some consideration in regard to the western access bypass around O’Hare. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Further discussion? Senator Schoenberg.
Thank you. I would like to perhaps elaborate on the question that was raised by Minority Leader Watson. It is -- my understanding of this issue right now is that the prospect of federal funding is an option that’s being actively pursued for a considerable amount, perhaps not its entirety, but for a considerable amount of this. As you know, this would also represent a precedent setter of being able to access -- access federal dollars for the Authority’s work. This is something that, as I understand it, the Speaker in Washington is very intimately involved with, as well as Congressman Lipinski, who is the State’s key player on the transportation reauthorization. I believe the Governor is also on record as saying that he, in fact, will match the federal funds. So, I believe an answer is on the way and this is -- and I think we’re well positioned to get it. Finally, I just want to point out parenthetically that those appointees who are before us today for the Toll Highway 7 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003 Authority have publicly indicated, and have done so in writing as well, that they are going to voluntarily not take their compensation for service on the Tollway Board. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) All right. Further discussion? Three additional speakers. It’s quarter -- ten till 12 here. You want to stay here all day, it’s okay. Senator Sullivan.
Thank you, Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate. As you probably know, my district is on the north side of O’Hare Airport. This tollway issue is very important to us, and all we are looking for and the reason we want to put this on the record is we really need IDOT and, in this particular case, the Tollway to tell us very specifically that this ring road, this expansion, the western expansion, the roads will go on current O’Hare property, because if it goes to the west of where O’Hare is going to be, then it will wipe out hundreds of businesses and thousands of jobs. We need a commitment from the Tollway Authority to do this for us so that we don’t hurt the economic viability of my district. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Further discussion? Senator Wojcik.
Thank you, Mr. President. I, too, rise with the same subject matter and I was glad to hear the Senator make the statement that he’s made. In my former position, I did Co-chair the Aviation Committee and we did have an agreement to the western access. And it’s very imperative that in order for this O’Hare modernization to succeed, knowing that area being so highly congested with truck traffic and all the other business traffic that you have there, we need to extend the Elgin-O’Hare Expressway. We need to have the tollways as planned, as the resolution so stated. And I would like to go on record and have that stated so that the new Tollway members can pay much attention to this issue because it is very serious.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Further discussion? Senator Wendell Jones.
8 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003 Thank you -- thank you, Mr. President. Just one more commercial for the west side of O’Hare. I'd like to reiterate what Senator Sullivan, Senator Watson and Senator Wojcik had said. I think the federal money, if I’m not mistaken, is for the Elgin-O’Hare Expressway, which goes neither to Elgin nor to O’Hare. It’s interesting that they would call it the Elgin- O’Hare Expressway when it doesn’t go to either place. So, it would be nice to have some federal money, but I’m confident that President Bush will take care of us in that regard. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) All right. Further discussion? Senator Cronin’s the last speaker. Senator Cronin.
I’m sorry. Very briefly. I just want to make sure everyone understands there’s two issues that have been discussed here. One is western bypass and the other one is the western access. There are two different issues. The western bypass is an issue that we’ve talked about here and the Tollway Authority has spent considerable amount of money studying. They’ve done engineering studies. It’s a western bypass. For all of you who travel on 294, anyone from the region understands that there’s a real transportation problem in and around O’Hare. It’s not a Republican issue, not a Democrat issue, not a suburban issue, not a city issue. This is a regional issue. And if you’re interested in it, in solving it, and you’re -- and you know that we’ve been discussing and debating and we’ve spent considerable amount of money, they’re talking about and there are plans for 294, as you proceed north, right when it turns there to the east around Franklin Park, over those railroad tracks, there’s supposed to be a -- a left, a fork in the road that goes to the left, and it goes around the western perimeter of O’Hare. Was always an issue because, of course, you’re not going to put a roadway there where you might want to put runways. Right? So it’s kind of a tricky issue. I just urge that the Tollway sit down with the City. When the plans are finalized for the modernization, that this western bypass really comes to be. Now western access is easy - everybody’s in favor of that; that’s part of the O’Hare modernization. But I’m talking about western bypass and I hope everyone’s clear and I hope our friends at the 9 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003 Tollway listen to our -- our advice, our consent and our recommendation here today. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) All right. Senator -- Senator Hendon. The question is, does the Senate advise and consent to the salaried appointments just read by -- from the Message of May the 9th. All in favor will vote Aye. Those 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, the Ayes are 58, the Nays are none. A majority of Senators elected concurring by record vote, the Senate does advise and consent to the appointments just made. Madam Secretary.
Senators Hendon and Geo-Karis, Co-Chairpersons of the Committee on Executive Appointments, to which was referred the Governor’s Message of May 16, 2003, reported the same back with the recommendation the Senate advise and consent to the following appointments, salaried and non-salaried.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Senator Hendon.
Thank you, Mr. President. With respect to the Message of May 16th, 2003, I will read the salaried appointments of which the Senate Committee on Executive Appointments recommends that the city -- the Senate do advise and consent. To be a Member of the Department of Employment Security Review Board for a term commencing May 12th, 2003, and ending January 12th, 2005: J. Hunt Bonan. To be a Member of the Human Rights Commission for a term commencing May 12th, 2003, and ending January 15th, 2007: Marti Baricevic. To be a Member of the Human Rights Commission for a term commencing May 12th, 2003, and ending January 15th, 2005 {sic}(2007): David Chang. To be Assistant Secretary of Department of Human Services for a term commencing January 1st, 2003, and ending -- I mean, June 1st, 2003, and ending January 17th, 2005: Grace Hou. Mr. President, having read the salaried appointments from the Governor’s Message of May 16th, 2003, I now seek leave to 10 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003 consider the appointments of May 16th, 2003, on a roll call. Mr. President, will you put the question as required by our rules?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) All right. Is leave granted? Leave is granted. The question is -- is there any discussion? If not, the question is, does the Senate advise and consent to the salaried appointments just read from the Message of May 16th. The vote - - all those -- those -- all those in favor will vote Aye. Those opposed will vote 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, the Ayes are 58, the Nays are none, none voting Present. Majority of Senators elected by -- concurring by a record vote, the Senate does advise and consent to the appointments just read. Madam Secretary.
Senators Hendon and Geo-Karis, Co-Chairmen of the Committee on Executive Appointments, to which was referred the Governor’s Message of February 19, 2003, reported the same back with the recommendations that the Senate advise and consent to the following appointments, non-salaried.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Senator Hendon.
Thank you, Mr. President. With respect to the Message of February 19th, 2003, I will read the non-salaried appointments of which the Senate Committee on Executive Appointments recommends that the Senate do advise and consent. To be a member of the University of Illinois Board of Trustees for a term commencing February 11th, 2003, and ending January 12th, 2009: Robert J.{sic}(Y.) Sperling. Mr. President, having read the non-salaried appointments from the Governor’s Message of February 19th, 2003, I now seek leave to consider the appointments of February 19th, 2003, on a roll call. Mr. President, will you put the question as required by our rules?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) All right. Is leave granted? Leave is granted. The -- is there discussion? If not, the question is, does the Senate 11 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003 advise and consent to the non-salaried appointment just read from the Message of February 19th. All in favor will vote Aye. Those 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, the Ayes are 56, the Nays are 1, none voting Present. A majority of Senators elected concurring by record vote, the Senate does advise and consent to the appointment just read. Madam Secretary.
Senators Hendon and Geo-Karis, Co-Chairmen of the Committee of Executive Appointments, to which was referred the Governor’s Message of April 16, 2003, reported the same back with the recommendation that the Senate advise and consent to the following appointments, non-salaried.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Senator Hendon.
Thank you, Mr. President. With respect to the Message of April 16th, 2003, I will read the non-salaried appointments of which the Senate Committee on Executive Appointments recommends that the Senate do advise and consent. To be Chair of the Illinois Racing Board for a term commencing April 14th, 2003, and ending July 1st, 2004: Lorna Propes. Mr. President, having reading the non-salaried appointments from the Governor’s Message of April 16th, 2003, I now seek leave to consider the appointments of April 16th, 2003, on a roll call. Mr. President, will you put the question as required by our rules?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Is there discussion? If not, the question does -- is, does the Senate advise and consent to the non-salaried appointment just read from the Message of April 16th. All in favor will vote Aye. Those 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, the Ayes are 58, the Nays are none, none voting Present. A majority of Senators elected concurring by record vote, the Senate does 12 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003 advise and consent to the appointment just made -- just read. Madam Secretary.
Senators Hendon and Geo-Karis, Co-Chairmen of the Committee on Executive Appointments, to which was referred the Governor’s Message of May 1, 2003, reported the same back with the recommendation that the Senate advise and consent to the following appointment, non-salaried.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Senator Hendon.
Thank you, Mr. President. With respect to the Message of May 1st, 2003, I will read the non-salaried appointments of which the Senate Committee on Executive Appointments recommends that the Senate do advise and consent. To be Chair of the State Board of Education for a term commencing April 17th, 2003, and ending January 12th, 2005: Janet Steiner. Mr. President, having read the non-salaried appointments from the Governor’s Message of May 1st, 2003, I now seek leave to consider the appointments of May 1st, 2003, on a roll call. Mr. President, will you put the question as required by our rules?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Is there discussion? If not, the question is, does the Senate advise and consent to the non-salaried appointment just read from the Message of May 1st. All in favor will vote Aye. Those opposed will vote 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, the Ayes are 58, the Nays are none, none voting Present. The -- a majority of the Senators elected concurring by record vote, the Senate does advise and consent to the appointment just read. Madam Secretary.
Senators Hendon and Geo-Karis, Co-Chairmen of the Committee on Executive Appointments, to which was referred the Governor’s Message of May 9, 2003, reported the same back with 13 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003 recommendation that the Senate advise and consent to the following appointments, non-salaried.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Senator Hendon.
Thank you, Mr. President. With respect to the Message of May the 9th, 2003, I will read the non-salaried appointments of which the Senate Committee on Executive Appointments recommends that the Senate do advise and consent. To be a Member of the Illinois and Missouri Bi-State Development Agency for a term commencing May 2nd, 2003, and ending January 21st, 2008: Thomas Hennessey, III. To be a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Historic Preservation Agency for a term commencing May 6th, 2003, and ending January 17th, 2005: J. Douglas Donenfeld. To be a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Historic Preservation Agency for a term commencing May 6th, 2003, and ending January 17th, 2005: Laurie Ann Hoffman. To be a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Historic Preservation Agency for a term commencing May 6th, 2003, and ending January 17th, 2005: Elizabeth Smith. To be a Member of the Southwestern Illinois Development Authority for a term commencing May 5th, 2003, and ending January 15th, 2007: Bruce Cook. To be a Member of the Southwestern Illinois Development Authority for a term commencing May 5th, 2003, and ending January 15th, 2007: Robert Halsey. Mr. President, having read the non-salaried appointments for the -- from the Governor’s Message of May 9th, 2003, I now seek leave to consider the appointments of May 9th, 2003, on a roll call. Mr. President, will you put the question as required by our rules?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) All right. Is leave granted? Leave is granted. Is there discussion? If not, the question is, does the Senate advise and consent to the non-salaried appointments just read from the Message of May 9th. All in favor will vote Aye. Those 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 14 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003 that question, the Ayes are 58, the Nays are none, none voting Present. A majority of Senators elected concurring by record vote, the Senate does advise and consent to the appointments just made. Madam Secretary.
Senators Hendon and Geo-Karis, Co-Chairmen of the Committee on Executive Appointments, to which was referred the Governor’s Message of May 16th, 2003, reported the same back with the recommendation that the Senate advise and consent to the following appointments, non-salaried.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Senator Hendon.
Thank you, Mr. President. With respect to the Message of May 16th, 2003, I will read the non-salaried appointments of which the Senate Committee on Executive Appointments recommends that the Senate do advise and consent. To be a Member of the Illinois and Missouri Bi-State Development Agency for a term commencing May 12th, 2003, and ending January 21st, 2008: Jeffrey Watson. To be a Member of the Board of Higher Education for a term commencing May 16th, 2003, and ending January 31st, 2009: Thomas Lamont. To be a Member of the University of Illinois Board of Trustees for a term commencing May 5th, 2003, and ending January 10th, 2005: Frances G. Carroll. Mr. President, having read the non-salaried appointments from the Governor’s Message of May 16th, 2003, I now seek leave to consider the appointments of May 16th, 2003, on a roll call. Mr. President, will you put the question as required by our rules?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) All right. Is there discussion? If not, the question is, does the Senate advise and consent to the salaried {sic} appointments just read from the Message of May 16th. All in favor will vote Aye. Those opposed will vote 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, the Ayes are 58, the Nays are none, none voting Present. A 15 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003 majority of Senators elected concurring by record vote, the Senate does advise and consent to the appointments just read. Madam Secretary. Senator Hendon.
Thank -- thank you, Mr. President. I'd also like to thank Co-Chair Geo-Karis for doing a great job this week. I move that the Senate arise from Executive Session.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) All right. Senator Hendon moves that the Senate arise from Executive Session. All those in favor, indicate by saying Aye. Those opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it. Motion carries. Senate has arisen from Executive Session. Committee Reports.
Committee Report correction. The following correction was made on the report from the Senate Rules Committee, which on May 22, 2003, referred Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 to House Bill 2345 to the Committee on Executive, which should have referred Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 to House Bill 2345 to the Committee on Executive. Senator del Valle, Chairperson of the Committee on Education, reports Senate Amendment No. 2 and Senate Amendment No. 3 to House Bill 495, and Motions to Concur with House Amendment No. 1 to Senate Bill 566 and House Amendment No. 1 to Senate Bill 903, all Be Adopted. Senator Clayborne, Chairperson of the Committee on Executive {sic} and Energy, reports the Motion to Concur on House Amendment No. 1 to Senate Bill 1098 Be Adopted. Senator Walsh, Chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture and Conservation, reported the Motion to Concur with House Amendment No. 1 to Senate Bill 257 Be Adopted. Senator Obama, Chairperson of the Committee on Health and Human Services, reported Senate Amendment No. 1 to House Bill 687, Senate Amendment No. 1 to House Bill 1038 and Motions -- Motions to Concur with House Amendment No. 1 to Senate Bill 59, House Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 199, House Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 263 and House Amendments 1 and 2 to Senate Bill 319, all Be Adopted. Senator Haine, Chairperson of the Committee on Local Government, reports Senate Amendment No. 1 to House Bill 841 and 16 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003 Senate Amendment 2 to House Bill 3402 and the Motion to Concur with House Amendment No. 1 to Senate Bill 886, all Be Adopted. Senator Silverstein, Chairperson of the Committee on Executive, reports Senate Amendment No. 1 to House Bill 920, Senate Amendment No. 1 to House Bill 1023, Senate Amendment No. 1 to House Bill 1043, Senate Amendment No. 2 to House Bill -- 2345 and Senate Amendment No. 1 to House Bill 3640, all Be Adopted. Senator Ronen, Chairperson of the Committee on Labor and Commerce, reports the Motion to Concur with House Amendment No. 1 to Senate Bill 228 Be Adopted. Senator Link, Chairperson of the Committee on Revenue, reports Senate Amendment No. 1 to House Bill 861 and the Motions to Concur with House Amendment No. 1 to Senate Bill 154, House Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 170 and House Amendments 1 and 2 to Senate Bill 881, all Be Adopted. Senator Munoz, Chairperson of the Committee on Licensed Activities, reports Senate Amendments 2 and 3 to House Bill 1482 and the Motions to Concur with House Amendments -- 1 to Senate Bill 105, House Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 190, House Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 332, House Amendments 1 and 2 to Senate Bill 385, House Amendments 1 and 3 to Senate Bill 386 and House Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 698, all Be Adopted. Senator Woolard, Chairperson of the Committee on State Government, reports Senate Amendment No. 1 to House Bill 940, and the Motions to Concur with House Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 280, House Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 680, House Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 689 and House Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 844, all Be Adopted.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Resolutions. Ladies and Gentlemen, let me indicate what are -- where I think we are at this moment. It’s my understanding we are about to have our Memorial Day service, and then I think immediately after that we are going to have a short Rules Committee meeting. I’m trying -- and then we have some appropriation bills on the Calendar that we’re going to finish before we vacate and maybe one concurrence, and then we’re going to keep the Session open this afternoon to read any paperwork or business that we might have. So, with no further ado, I would 17 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003 introduce Senator Adeline Geo-Karis, for our Memorial Day service. Senator Geo-Karis.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATRO GEO-KARIS) Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate and friends who are visiting here today, today we’re going to have a short service in memory of our veterans, past, present and future, and I appreciate the opportunity that the President of the Senate has given me. I would like to call on the President of the Senate for a few remarks.
Thank you very much. This is a day of full meaning to many families in Illinois. Within our own Senate family, we have ten of our Members who are veterans. I also want to ask for a moment of silence for those in our immediate and extended families that have someone overseas right now, and say a prayer of thanks for those who have returned safely to us.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR GEO-KARIS) A moment of prayer. In memory of our departed. At this time, as the President said, we have ten veterans here. Five Democrats, five Republicans. I would like to call upon the Republican Leader of the Senate for a few remarks. I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Mr. President. Go ahead.
Madam President -- Madam President, I’m not complete yet. I mean, I know you…
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR GEO-KARIS) I apologize.
…you wanted to get there. Each time that we send men and women off to war, we know there will be a high price for the freedom that they defend. Many have paid that price. I would like to read the names and home county -- county of the brave young Illinoisans who have given their lives for our freedom. John Stein, McDonough County; Jacob Frazier, Kane County; Ryan Beaupre, McLean County; Evan T. James, Hancock County; Jonathan Gifford, Macon County; Brandon Rowe, Winnebago County; Edward Smith, Cook County; Lincoln Hollinsaid, Bureau County; Jakub Kowalik, Cook County; Nicholas B. Kleiboeker, Washington County; Tim Ryan, Kane County. Thank you and God bless America. 18 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR GEO-KARIS) Thank you, Mr. President. I appreciate you getting all those names listed. At this time, I would like to call on our Republican Leader of the Senate for a few remarks.
Yes. Thank you very much, Madam President. I appreciate your work in regard to -- to our efforts to remember those who have given the supreme sacrifice so that we could actually even be here today in a free assembly and worship as we wish, and certainly live in a free society. And thanks to those ten Members who are -- who are part of that freedom-giving legacy that we want to make sure we maintain. And I don’t know about you but, you know, Memorial Days aren’t the same. I remember as a kid going to -- out to the park, and parade and a major program going on and it just -- it’s -- it’s not the same. And same way with Veterans’ Day. You know, I -- I’m really concerned about that. I think we -- we, as elected officials, have an obligation to -- to make sure that everyone - everyone - remembers those who’ve given us this opportunity that we so cherish in this country. And you -- and I don’t like to be negative about it, but even things like American Legions and VFWs and the AMVETS and -- we’re seeing facilities close and membership that’s -- that’s unfortunately dying off in many cases. Those are -- a lot of those people were the World War II veterans and -- that seemed as though they were the mainstays of those organizations. And, unfortunately, when they -- when they leave and when they’re gone, you know, I’m not sure who carries that banner forward. And we certainly have an obligation to do so, and I think it’s so important that we don’t take lightly what you’ve just offered us here today, Senator Geo-Karis, is the opportunity to remember, and remember the men and women who -- who have given this country the freedom that we -- we so cherish. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR GEO-KARIS) Thank you, Senator Watson. I have put everyone in alphabetical order in order to be fair. The first veteran to speak will be Senator John Cullerton.
19 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003 Thank you, Madam President. I performed basic training in Fort Ord, California, and then served at Fort Bliss on advanced individual training, and then I became a full-time member of the Illinois National Guard. And at the time, in the early seventies, you may recall, the National Guard was not very popular. There had been -- they had been called up when we had riots. It was in the aftermath of the Vietnam War and there was an attitude about the National Guard that was very, very unpopular. I find it almost ironic that I -- you know, that I’m even mentioning this because at the time I thought that, you know, I wouldn’t want to brag about being in the National Guard, but things, I think and I think it’s worth noting, have changed. Under the able direction of one of our former colleagues, Adjutant General David Harris, the National Guard I think has regained newfound respect and as evidenced by the fact that it’s not just, you know, a weekend warrior, like it used to be called. Now, when you join the National Guard and you serve in the National Guard, you can literally be called into combat and -- and -- to protect our nation. So in -- in some respects, it’s really a good thing that we now have newfound respect for the members of our National Guard who serve our State. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR GEO-KARIS) Thank you, Senator Cullerton. Senator William Haine.
Thank you, Madam President and Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate. I served in the United States Army, 1st Cavalry Division, Airmobile, in Vietnam, the Republic of Vietnam, in 1968 to ‘69, serving in -- in the central highlands, Hong Gai, north of Da Nang and then later at the Tay Ninh Province near the Cambodian border. I was an enlisted soldier. Like the hundreds of thousands of Americans of that era, we believed in the ideals of the United States. We believed that this war was to bring liberty to a nation in danger of great tyranny. Fifty thousand of my comrades and thousands more -- fifty thousand died in that effort, suffering tragic and violent death. Thousands more suffered shattered bodies and minds. But they all served with distinction. Despite an irresolute, feckless 20 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003 and incompetent civilian leadership, these young Americans performed with faithful service. Thank you, Madam President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR GEO-KARIS) Thank you, Senator Haine. Senator John O. Jones.
Thank you, Madam President. Well, I had the great honor of serving my country in the United States Air Force for four years, 1959 to 1963. I was very fortunate at the time that I served in the Air Force that it was during peacetime. Just before I was discharged, though, in 1963, is when the Cuban Crisis occurred, and as I told Senator Rauschenberger awhile ago, I thought sure they was going to extend my stay in the United States Air Force. I'd been marking a calendar for over a year of the date I was going to get out. But if they had extended me, I would have been more than happy to serve this country. So many people have sacrificed for this great country that we live in. I was just sitting here remembering back, my stepfather who I really grew up with - I was very fortunate I had two fathers, a stepfather and a father - but my stepfather served in the United States Navy during World War II and my father served in the United States Army during World War II. My father had the distinction of being the driver and the cook of General Patton. So as I reflect today on our many, many service people throughout this great country and those that are overseas right now serving for us, I’m reminded that, just a couple of weeks ago, a young man in my district lost his life in Baghdad. It was a tragic accident of moving some mortar around and it exploded and killed him, along with another young man. My heart goes out to that family. I pray that some day there will be no more wars, but I don’t think that’s in the very near future. I want us to reflect on what Senator Watson said about our veterans are dying off. I served in the Illinois House for eight years, and for six of those eight I was on the Veterans Committee. We barely had enough Members in the Illinois House to make up the Committee of Veterans, and there’s only ten of you in -- in this Body. Many of you, for some reason or another, was not drafted because the draft was taken away and other things in life prevented you from -- from serving. But you served some other way, and the thing I want to ask you to do 21 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003 is never, never forget those that gave their lives and are still giving their lives for this great country that we live in. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR GEO-KARIS) Thank you, Senator Jones. Senator Antonio Munoz.
Thank you, Madam President. I served in the United States Army as a United States Paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division stationed at Fort Bragg. I rise to honor our veterans from the past that we have freedom here that we enjoy today and to our veterans now that are serving for our country, especially to the ones that had no choice. I know there was controversy whether we should have gone to Iraq or not. Nonetheless, our men and women there, they performed, did their duty honorably to keep our country safe. I'd just like to keep all the members, women and men, keep them -- have God keep them safe and bring ‘em home as soon as they can.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR GEO-KARIS) Thank you, Senator Munoz. Senator William Peterson.
Thank you, Madam President. I served in the U.S. Army and -- total of six years, two in the active, two in the active reserve and two in standby reserve, and I did my basic training at wonderful Fort Leonard Wood. So, as a young man, I would drive by Springfield and see the dome, never thinking I would come to this institution. And it was quite a drive around Springfield because all you had was Dirksen and Stevenson Drive, which was one lane in each direction. So it was Old 66 all the way down through Illinois, through St. Louis to -- to Fort Leonard Wood. I did serve overseas. When I went overseas, they were still sending troops to Korea, but for whatever reason I was shipped to Okinawa. And one of the things I remember, I was in the Quartermaster Corps that -- the Quartermaster Corps unfortunately handles the mortuary, and many times I was in the mortuary to -- you would see the -- the bodies of those individuals who were killed in some particular form and it made a lasting impression on me. And I always think of that, and I always pray that whenever our troops are overseas, or even here in the states, that they have a safe return to their families, 22 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003 because many of the casualties we had at the time, because Korea was just over, were accidents, either in maneuvers or some other event. So it was -- it was pretty tough. But it was an adventure. I think it gave me a broader outlook, certainly of the State of Illinois, but by going overseas and seeing other cultures, it -- it gave me a much better opportunity to understand the world. And I still think of those folks and -- and I’m glad that the -- the Iraq conflict is over. I know we still have a lot of work to do, but I -- I still think of the troops over there and I wish them a safe return. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR GEO-KARIS) Thank you, Senator Peterson. Senator Todd Sieben.
Thank you very much, Madam President, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate. I graduated from Western Illinois University in June of 1967, the height of the Vietnam War, and within thirty days, got my draft notice. So I had a choice to make, a decision: Was I going to go to Fort Leonard Wood and do two years, or was I going to enlist and have an opportunity to serve in a branch of my choice? So when I left Western and got that draft notice, I said, I’m going to enlist in the Navy. So I made an application to go to Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island, and in January of 1968 went to Newport, Rhode Island, and found out what the Navy was all about. And from a land lover in central Illinois, I'd never been around the ocean, never been on a ship. It was colder than hell when I got to Newport. I didn’t take my long underwear off for six weeks. It’s a freezing place. If you ever want to realize cold, go to Newport, Rhode Island, in January and February, and march around the base out there. But spent four months there and then went to Athens, Georgia, to the Navy Supply Corps School. Met a beautiful southern belle there named Kay who'd come back to the University of Georgia to get her Master’s Degree in Education. We were married November of that year and reported to the ship a month later in January and left for Vietnam on a ship for ten months. So part of me, when I see the deployments that our service men and women are just coming back for, I can remember going out of San Diego Harbor and seeing the -- the wives and the spouses and the children standing on the bluffs of that 23 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003 harbor waving goodbye to the ship, and, you know, not knowing what was going to happen or what the experiences would -- would be at that time. We didn’t have much in the way of communications. We didn’t have cell phones. We didn’t have e- mail and those kind of things. We had little cassette recorders and we would record our greetings to our family and our spouse and we'd send it back via little cassettes through the -- through the ship’s mail. But left San Diego in January of 1968 and headed for Vietnam on a troop transport, the USS Paul Revere LPA 248. Got to see a lot of different places. Went by Pearl Harbor and then the Subic Bay in the Philippines and up to Kaohsiung and Hong Kong and Yokosuka, Japan, and then on stationed off the coast of Vietnam. In and out of Da Nang Harbor, we carried Marines up and down the coast. We'd be at sea for forty-seven days at a time or fifty-one days at a time. Didn’t have any women on the ship at that time; it was all men. You can imagine being at sea with a group of young men on a ship like that for forty-seven to fifty-seven days at a time, and we'd watch the same movies over and over again. Quite an experience. A learning experience. And I think what I value most about those days at sea were two individuals. As a Supply Corps Officer on the ship, I did the ship’s payroll, ran the post office, the ship’s laundry. We had a cobbler shop on -- on board. We had clothing and small stores. Everything to take care of and support that crew. But I had two outstanding enlisted men that really made my job easier and if -- when I give tributes to the people I served with and my colleagues in the Navy an the veterans that I really respect, one was a black man from Louisiana named Raymond Roberts. He was a Chief Petty Officer. He had about a sixth- or seventh-grade education, but he made the Navy his life, and Chief Roberts was so dedicated and he was so supportive of the things that I had to do. And not knowing much at all - I was pretty green as an Ensign on that ship - I always want to respect Chief Roberts. And then keeping the payroll records, Chief Santos from the Philippines was the gentleman that kept very accurate records. We never -- we paid every two weeks on the ship and it all had to balance and we did it all manually and Chief Santos was an amazing individual, dedicated career Navy man. So I always want to 24 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003 honor those people. Great experience, and I guess at this point I think, you know, I just want to pay my tribute to every man and woman who puts on the uniform of this country and sacrifices the separation from their family, spends months and months away from their loved ones, comes back and serves, and I hope we always pay them the tribute that they deserve. We salute them in whatever way we can. We attend the Memorial Day services. We put flags on the graves. We stand -- we rise to attention when a military unit goes by in a parade, but it is quite a sacrifice. I served, like Bill, in -- sort of an unpopular -- unpopular war and, you know, I don’t think we’ve ever really done a good job of saying thank you to the men and women that spent a good portion of their life serving in -- in Vietnam. That’s certainly not an easy thing to talk about, but let’s -- going forward, let’s remember the men and women who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice of their life and certainly let’s remember those who continue to serve, mostly voluntarily, in our armed forces today. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR GEO-KARIS) Thank you. This time I’m going to call on the past National Commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Senator Ray Soden.
Thank you, Madam President and Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate. I was born and raised in Chicago, joined the Navy in 1942, left high school and immediately went to Great Lakes for my training, left Great Lakes and went down to Texas to pick up my ship that I was assigned to, the USS Claxton, a destroyer squadron of eight ships who became famous later on in the war known as “The Little Beaver” squadron. I served in the North Atlantic for the Invasion of North Africa. From there we left the icy Atlantic and went over to the Pacific to the Panama Canal. From there we made every invasion back, starting with the Philippines, with Corregidor, going back to Leyte Gulf, Bougain, went out to Saipan and just continued on to Okinawa. I spent four years aboard ship. Some of the sad things, talk about guns and mortar and everything else, but weather. I cried like a baby one night because I was on duty on radar and we were in a typhoon. And one of our sister ships was off of our 25 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003 starboard bow and because of the waves and everything else that were between sixty- and seventy-foot high, the ship capsized, water went down it’s funnels and all hands went down. Three hundred and some men at one time. And it was a very depressing time to lose all of those wonderful shipmates and comrades. But we continued on. We were hit by a shore battery in Bougain and our ship went back to dry dock to -- in the Marianas Islands. We were in there and on the radio at night we would hear Tokyo Rose naming the ships that were in dry dock. And -- but thank God nothing happened. We went back out to sea and we were hit by a kamikaze plane in our fantail, and it killed ten of my comrades aboard ship who were in the after gun mount. To give you an example of the force when you have a human being guiding a plane with a five-hundred-pound bomb and all of our guns are firing and somehow they get through. God knows how they do, but they do get through all of the flack, shrapnel and everything else. He hit the sea just the back of our fantail, exploded, blew inside the ship, and I slept in that compartment, but thank God, I was at General Quarters. In the morning when we pumped everything out and got the compartment shored up, on my bunk - we had springs that lashed up - on there was where the pilot was blown through. His skin was still on the spring of my mattress, along with his kamikaze bandana. It was quite a sight to see. And we continued on and the Navy took it’s largest beating of lives and everything else in Okinawa when the Japanese made their final attempt to stop us for the invasion. We'd go out on picket duty and I watched ships get hit by kamikaze planes and the entire top structure would be taken off. So the night that we heard that the Japanese had surrendered, every ship in that harbor started firing their twenty millimeters and forty millimeter guns, and unfortunately, we shot down two of our night fighters. But everybody was so happy and so hysterical because millions of lives were saved because of what President Truman did. No matter what you feel about it or whatever. We were all poised and waiting to go ashore into Japan. My generation - men from World War II and women; we had outstanding nurses, men who served their nation - was considered the greatest generation of its time, and I agree with that, not because of egotism, because of pride. And as Commander-in- 26 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003 Chief, I want to let you know something, of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. I had the opportunity to go overseas. I visited England, France, Italy, Germany, and if you could see the amount of white crosses that are overseas for the young men and women who never had the opportunity to come back to the United States of America. God love ‘em. God bless ‘em. Thank you for what they’ve done, and I want to sincerely thank the young men and women who are serving our nation today. They deserve all our adulation, all our support that we can possibly give ‘em. And when you get back home, don’t forget Poppy Day. Buy a poppy because those funds that are collected go to our hospitalized veterans. Those are the veterans that are being forgotten today, unfortunately. Our federal government is not spending the amount of money they should for medical care and hospitalization. Thank you very, very much.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR GEO-KARIS) Thank you, Senator Soden. Senator Louis Viverito.
Thank you, President, Members of the Senate. It was 1951 of November. I just got married and three months later I got my draft notice. I didn’t volunteer. From there I went to Camp Chaffee, Arkansas, and trained in artillery, 105 Howitzers. Went to Seattle, Washington, was on a troop ship and I was all the way at the bottom of the ship. I’ll never forget the bunk beds, how tight we were. Sixteen days I was on the ship and, you know, I got on the ship, I think I was about a hundred and seventy; I think I got off about a hundred and fifty-five. We landed in Incheon, went to -- Incheon, Chuncheon, Kwangju, Seoul. The only place that had a paved road in Korea was in Seoul. No street lights. No -- I didn’t see any hotels, no telephones. We would only get our mail when it would come to us. And I was up at a place called Sochri-Ri, which is just above the 38th parallel and I had the opportunity to see the exchange of prisoners when I was there. And frankly, I can only think of the almost fifty-five thousand men that died in Korea. Those are the ones that I can remember best and when I think of the sacrifice and the respect that those men fought for freedom in another country, and today Korea still is not really a safe place to be. And I know I received a letter from the -- as all 27 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003 the Korean veterans did, that we could go back there and visit it. It was fifty years and they would even pay for us to fly back. I chose not to go. But I’m proud that we were there. I’m proud that we helped those people, because they were good people and their country was split right in half. And a lot of their relatives where in North Korea and some of them were in South Korea, and believe me, they were good people. And believe me, they were poor people at that time. But it made a better man out of Lou Viverito and I’m proud that I was able to serve my country, and I’m proud that I’m an American. God bless America.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR GEO-KARIS) Thank you, Senator Viverito. Senator Larry Woolard.
Thank you, Madam President. I think that everyone recognizes that there are many people who have paid sacrifices and been involved in very trying situations. I don’t know anybody that I served with in the service that joined to die. I don’t know of anyone who I served with in the service who joined to be maimed. But I never saw a soul that stood beside me or worked with me that was afraid to pay the price, because they loved their country. You know, it’s amazing to me that we still have kids, and most of them are kids that serve our country in Iraq or Afghanistan or wherever it might be in this great world, to stand up for us, to offer themselves as sacrifices so that we can continue to have the freedom to participate in a process such as this. I was in the U.S. Army and was very proud to be there. Was very fortunate. The Vietnam Conflict was just beginning to become engaged. Most of our troops were carrying side arms and were not actively fighting but were there in a very precarious position. I got my orders to go to Fort Schofield Barracks in the great State of Hawaii and, you know, most of us at that point would have given anything to go to Hawaii. But the reason that you gathered there was to be prepared and sent on to the conflict that was taking place in southeastern Asia at that time. And as I am sitting with a Colonel in Saint Louis, Missouri, and he’s going through the records and he says, “Married?” Yes. “One child?” No, two. “Married?” Yes. “One child?” No, two. “Your records don’t 28 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003 reflect that you have two children.” Now I have four, but at that time I had two and that was one more than allowed me to go to be engaged in that conflict. I graduated from a school in Energy, Illinois. There were eight of us in the eighth-grade class. There were five of them young ladies and today we know that the young ladies participate right beside the men, as we saw very vividly over the last few months. But at that time three out of eight were men: Donald “Bean Pole” Baker, Larry “Toad” Horn and Larry Dale Woolard. ”Bean Pole” and “Toad” are both on the Wall. They went and they didn’t come home, but thank God that we have men and women who believe that this country is great enough to pay the ultimate sacrifice.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR GEO-KARIS) Thank you, Senator Woolard. Guess it’s my turn now. Well, I got my license to practice law and I -- and I -- I volunteered for the United States Navy. When I -- I told my mother and -- we had -- dinner at home. My mother’s best friend was Mrs. Saunders, whose son, Guy Saunders, had volunteered in the First World War at the age of fifteen. And I said, “Mother, I’m going to go and apply for a government job tomorrow.” I didn’t tell her that I was going in the service because coming from a Greek family, they don’t quite understand that. The women don’t go in the service so fast. So the next day I came back, I was interviewed and I was accepted in the Navy and told my mother, and my mother’s good friend was there and I made sure she was there and my mother said, “What?” And my mother’s good friend said, “Listen, Theofani. That’s wonderful. My son went in. So what? That’s good that she’s doing her duty.” That subsided my mother’s feelings and I went in, and I was trained at Massachusetts as an apprentice seaman and I did some duty there and then I was commissioned. They decided -- they started me as apprentice seaman. They changed their minds, sent me to officer’s training and I ended up as a young Ensign. And I taught Naval law at Smith College, believe it or not. Then I got called back to Illinois at Great Lakes and I served in the legal office there, and I was very proud of my service because I believe in this country. You know, when you’re an immigrant, like I was from Greece, and I’m a naturalized citizen, this country means an awful lot to me. All that I am today, I owe to 29 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003 God’s many blessings and the opportunities this wonderful country of USA has given me. And I ended up with top secret clearance, believe it or not, as a Lieutenant Commander and -- and as a Legal Specialist. I’m grateful to this country for its opportunities. I’m grateful to God for making them all possible. And I’m grateful to all the veterans who served before me, during -- during and after, and those who’ve lost their lives and their limbs, as you all have said. Because we wouldn’t be able to be here today if we didn’t have others who fought our battles before us and we should memorialize all our veterans. Both men and women, they’ve been fighting together, with -- with each other, to help this country and I’m very grateful. I’m grateful to the President of the Senate for making this time available. I’m grateful to Senator Watson, our Republican Leader. Both of you have made wonderful remarks and all of you who spoke really have touched on Memorial Day. That’s Monday the 26th of May and we honor our veterans and we should always honor our veterans and we should always support our various Legion Posts and AMVETS and VFW because they mean something. I’m very grateful to God, for all of you here, grateful for everything you’ve done for us, dear Lord, and I pray that you give all of us the wisdom to go on and carry on to the benefit of the people of Illinois. If there’s anyone who has any remarks to make at this time before I close. Is there anyone? Hearing none, I thank you again for listening and thank you for participating in the Memorial Day services. God bless all of you and God bless America, and I would like all of you to stand up and sing “God Bless America”. (“God Bless America”, led by Senator Geo-Karis) Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Ladies and Gentlemen, that’s probably the best program we’ve had here for a number of years. Let’s say thanks to Adeline Geo-Karis. Senator Geo-Karis, you look so good up here we’re willing to make you Assistant President or something if you’d come over to our side. But you’ll have to take -- you’ll have to ponder that through the weekend. Ladies and Gentlemen…my understanding where we’re at, we need to read some resolutions in, we need to have Rules Committee, we need to do 30 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003 the rest of the appropriations and I think a concurrence and then we’re about ready to -- to vacate if that’s -- gives you some quickness as to how fast it could go. Resolutions.
Senate Resolution 171, offered by Senator Schoenberg. Senate Resolution 172, offered by Senator Rutherford. Senate Resolution 173, offered by Senators Lightford, Harmon and Hendon. And Senate Joint Resolution 36. And they are all substantive.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Ladies and Gentlemen, let’s get to the regular Calendar, your regular Calendar for today. On page 66. Page 66, Ladies and Gentlemen. With leave of the Body, we’ll go to that Order. Is House Bill 2289, Madam Secretary. Bottom of page 66, House Bills 3rd Reading, is House Bill 2289.
House Bill 2289. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Senator Trotter.
Thank you very much, Mr. President and Members of the Senate. House Bill 2289 is the first of eight bills which incorporates ten different agencies that we have passed out of Appropriations I Committee. It is part of the continuation of us trying to catch up with the time that we have in putting together our final budget. 2289 specifically incorporates three departments at the Appellate Prosecutor’s Office, which was -- the budget was introduced as twelve million seven hundred and forty-four. That has been changed by two million seven hundred, making the final number fifteen million four hundred and forty- four. Those dollars were for the State’s Attorney’s Office, which would be a pass-through. We also have the Appellate Defender, which is twenty-one million -- introduced at twenty- one million eight hundred twenty-four. It has been raised by six hundred and fifty-seven thousand. Final number is twenty- two million four hundred and eighty-one. The Judiciary {sic} 31 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003 Inquiry Board, which was at the Governor’s introductory level of six hundred and seventy thousand dollars and it remains at that, and I will answer any questions if needed.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) All right. Discussion? Senator Syverson.
Thank you, Mr. President. Questions for the sponsor.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Indicates he will yield. Senator Syverson.
Senator, does this legislation add dollars that are over and above what the Governor’s introduced level was? And if so, where are those dollars going to?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Senator Trotter.
Yes, sir. There has been added dollars, of two million seven hundred thousand. It would go to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office for expenses incurred from filing appeals in the County of Cook.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Senator Syverson.
Thank you. Just, again, the -- the concern as was raised before: We’re adding to the Governor’s budget without having any discussion of revenues and I just want to make sure our Members were aware that this is another increase. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) All right. Further discussion? Senator Risinger.
Yes, Senator -- will the Senator yield for a question?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Indicates he will yield, Senator Risinger.
Yeah, Senator, I -- I’ve gotten several calls from State’s attorneys that says that salaries for the State’s attorneys, monies has been removed from the budget. Can you confirm or -- or tell me about that?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) 32 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003 Senator Trotter.
Yes. And that was discussed last evening. I have heard that.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Senator -- Senator Trotter.
It was discussed last night, but as you know, we put that appropriation so those State’s attorneys could be made whole in the other counties as well. So those dollars have been added to the budget implementations that we did last night.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Further discussion? Senator Trotter may close.
Just ask for a favorable roll call.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Question is, shall House Bill 2289 pass. Those in favor will vote Aye. Those opposed, Nay. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Take the record. On that question, the Ayes are 37, the Nays are 19, none voting Present. House Bill 2289, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. Leave of the Body, turn to page 76. Ladies and Gentlemen, page 76. House Bill 3749. Madam Secretary, read the bill.
House Bill 3749. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Senator Trotter.
House Bill 49 {sic} is the appropriation for the Industrial Commission. It has -- it -- in this bill, it retains the Governor’s level of thirteen million seven hundred and forty- five thousand dollars.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Discussion? Senator Syverson.
33 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003 Thank you, Mr. President. Let me just get that. Okay. Thank you. Concern with this one is -- I guess questions for the sponsor. First of all, is the -- is the intent of handling the -- the operations of this agency to be handled through fee increases?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Senator Trotter.
That is correct, Senator.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Senator -- Senator Syverson.
Is it also, it’s -- I guess there seems to be conflicting stories. The department is talking about that they’re going to be raising fees to cover the cost of running the agency. The Governor’s talking about raising the cost to not only cover the agency but also to bring in additional dollars for the General Revenue. Do we know which is the current strategy?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Senator Trotter.
At this point in time, it’s a combination of all of that. We are in the middle of budget negotiations and that issue is on the table, and we will have some resolution to that when we discuss our revenue package next week.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Senator Syverson.
Again, we raise the concern that this are -- these are fee increases that are -- you’ve passed on to all the employees in Illinois, and then in addition to the fee increases, it looks like there will be tax increases for those that are over and above that, and again the concern that this will be challenged in court that the fees are going to be exceeding the cost of running the agency. So we raise that -- those concerns here on this -- on this side of the aisle. Thank you, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) All right. Further discussion? If not, Senator Trotter may close. 34 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003
Just all those issues as presented by Senator Syverson are being discussed but those are not the issues with this piece of legislation. This just addresses the Industrial Commission’s budget of thirteen million seven hundred and forty-five thousand dollars, and I ask for a favorable roll call.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) All right. The question is, shall House Bill 3749 pass. Those in favor will vote Aye. Those 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, the Ayes are 31, the Nays are 26, none voting Present. House Bill 3749, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. House Bills 3rd Reading is House Bill 3750, Madam Secretary.
House Bill 3750. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Senator Trotter.
Thank you very much, Mr. President, Members of the Senate. House Bill 3750 is the Illinois Emergency Management Agency’s budget. In this bill, it is still at the Governor’s level of two hundred and thirty-four million dollars nine hundred and thirty-seven thousand dollars.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Discussion? Senator Syverson.
Thank you, Mr. President. Just to the -- to the bill. This is at the Governor’s introduced and I -- I would say that there are a number of important initiatives in this one, including terrorism dollars. And so for our side of the aisle, there’s certainly a -- a need to know that there’s no real opposition to this -- this bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Senator -- further discussion? If not, Senator Trotter may close. 35 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003
Just ask for affirmative roll call.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Question is, shall House Bill 3750 pass. Those in favor will vote Aye. Those 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, the Ayes are 56, the Nays are none, none voting Present. House Bill 3750, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. House Bills 3rd Reading is House Bill 3758, Madam Secretary.
House Bill 3758. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Senator Trotter.
House Bill 3758 has the budget of the Southwestern Illinois Development Authority which comes in at the introduced level by the Governor, six hundred and ninety-seven thousand dollars. The Farm Development Authority, which was introduced by the Governor at two hundred thousand. It was raised by an additional fifty thousand, now two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. The Upper Illinois River Valley Development Authority, which is at the Governor’s introduced level of three hundred and fifty-five thousand dollars, and the Rural Bank Authority, which was zeroed out by the Governor, and we have put in there two hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Is there discussion? Senator Lauzen.
Thank you, Mr. President. To the bill. Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate, I would just like you to take a hard look at especially one of the pieces in this legislation that we’re asking to approve. You and I are being asked to pay our hard-earned dollars, and our constituents, for a -- some debt service that SWIDA, I believe it’s, Southwestern Industrial {sic} Development Association, something like that. We’re 36 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003 asking to have our constituents pay two hundred and thirty-two thousand dollars in bond payments for a company called Spectrulite and then four hundred and sixty-five thousand dollars for a company that used to be called Consolidated Waste. On the one hand, Spectrulite has gone through bankruptcy and that’s always a very tragic process of liquidating debt -- assets, lost jobs, exercising corporate and personal guarantees before the State is asked to perform its backup duty. However, it’s my understanding, from the testimony given in Appropriations Committee, that Consolidated Waste had fallen behind in its payments, just changed its name to New Heights something and now has gone on doing business but now wants you and me and all of our constituents to pay its debt. I know that if I propose something like this to honest, hardworking people back home in a coffee shop in my district, they would literally think that I was either joking or they would turn furious with a broken trust. This company and the recommendation that’s being made by this agency is wrong and I -- I advise -- I request a No vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) All right. Further discussion? Senator Trotter may close.
Ask for a favorable roll call.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Question is, shall House Bill 3758 pass. Those in favor will vote Aye. Those 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, the Ayes are 32, the Nays are 24, 1 voting Present. House Bill 3758, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. House Bills 3rd Reading is House Bill 3763, Madam Secretary.
House Bill 3763. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Senator Trotter.
37 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003 Thank you. House Bill 3763 is the Violence Prevention Authority’s budget. It retains the Governor’s level of five million two hundred and eighty thousand dollars, and I ask for a favorable roll call.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Discussion? If not, the question is, shall House Bill 3778 -- I’m sorry -- 3763 pass. Those in favor will vote Aye. Those opposed, Nay. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Take the record. On that question, the Ayes are 46, the Nays are 11. House Bill 3763, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared -- passed. 3778. Madam Secretary, read the bill.
House Bill 3778. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Senator Trotter.
Thank you very much, Mr. President, Members of the Senate. House Bill 3738 has the Capital Development Board’s operation dollars, which is thirteen million seven hundred twenty-nine thousand, and that is being presented at the Governor’s level.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Is there discussion? Senator Syverson.
Thank you, Mr. President. I rise with strong concerns over this piece of legislation. This is really breaking new ground where we are, I think for the first time, bonding money for operations, taking out bonds to pay operations of an agency. This is something that we need to take a strong look at. It is not something that I believe that -- that we have done in our -- our history before and have some real concerns. And maybe, Senator, you can -- you can respond to what the reasoning is, why we determined to -- to change what has been an historical pattern having operations paid for out of the GRF versus going to this new -- this new way of funding this agency.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) 38 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003 Senator Trotter.
Mr. President, if I could. Someone who is more familiar with the issue would speak on it. If I could defer to Senator Welch.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Senator Welch.
Thank you, Mr. President. The -- that question about bonding the costs other than the capital cost of a project actually is a truth-in-bonding provision that we have never used before. When a school or facility receives bond money, they take that money that has been bonded and they spend for their secretarials for the construction company, their accountants, their individuals who don’t put -- pour the concrete or build the building. That’s part of their cost. The idea here is to make sure that when we put in our cost, our State government expenditures for salary, for travel, for equipment to handle the bond itself, it’s included in the total bond cost so by bonding that particular item you have a more truthful accounting as to how much that project costs. And that’s why that provision is in there for the first time.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Further discussion? Senator Syverson.
Unfortunately, under -- under that philosophy, then we should be bonding the whole Department of Transportation. Those are also programs that are under bonding and yet we don’t do that. This is a situation where we’re taking those -- those bonding programs that are going to those school districts and we’re using those dollars to pay for CDB’s salaries, for their equipment, for their staff. And, again, it’s something that I - - we’re -- we’re heading down a slippery slope when we’re going to start using bonding dollars to be -- to be paying for operations. And so I certainly rise with great concerns that this is a -- a precedent that we’re setting, which is going to head not only us but our children and our grandchildren into a significant amount of debt, paying for operations that have occurred this year. 39 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Further discussion? Senator Wendell Jones.
Thank you, Mr. President, Members of the Senate. This is in the six reasons last night that I read of things you shouldn’t do when you’re in a recession, and certainly we wouldn’t bond the cost of a secretary because it’s not capital expenditure. You have to bond something that lasts twenty or thirty or forty years. You don’t bond accountants. You don’t bond secretaries. You don’t bond the cost of State government. You bond the capital. It’s a bad idea. Thank you very much.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Further discussion? Senator -- if not, Senator Trotter may close.
Just ask for a favorable roll call.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Question is, shall House Bill 3778 pass. Those in favor will vote Aye. Those opposed, Nay. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Take the record. On that question, the Ayes are 31, the Nays are 26, none voting Present. House Bill 3778, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. House Bills 3rd Reading. Senator Watson, for what purpose do you rise?
Yes, thank you. Would -- verification, please.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) All right. Senator Watson has requested a verification. Will all Members be in their seats? The Secretary -- Madam Secretary, will you read the Members who voted in the affirmative, please?
The following Members voted in the affirmative: Clayborne, Collins, Crotty, Cullerton, DeLeo, del Valle, Demuzio, Haine, Halvorson, Harmon, Hendon, Hunter, Jacobs, Lightford, Link, Maloney, Martinez, Meeks, Munoz, Obama, Ronen, Sandoval, Schoenberg, Shadid, John Sullivan, Trotter, Viverito, Walsh, Welch, Woolard, and Mr. President. 40 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Senator Watson, do you question the presence of any Member who voted in the affirmative?
John Sullivan.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) John Sullivan is at the back of the Chamber, by the door.
Senator Harmon.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Senator Harmon is back by Senator Obama and Senator Walsh.
DeLeo.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Senator DeLeo on the Floor? Senator DeLeo? It’s -- that’s the new look. Senator -- strike his name.
Is there anybody else that’s not here?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) All right.
You know, one thing that we always did as a courtesy, we…
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Senator Watson, are you finished?
No, not quite, sir. We always did as a courtesy when you verified us over the last ten years, is we’d just kind of wave when our name was called. I know we have a lot of new Members. It’d be just good if they would do that.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Well…
We thank -- we would appreciate it. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) All right. On a verified roll call, the Ayes are -- all right. On that question, the Ayes are 30, the Nays are 26, none voting Present. On a verified roll call, House Bill 3778, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. 3779. Madam Secretary, please. 41 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003
House Bill 3779. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill,
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Senator Trotter.
Yes. House Bill 3779 is the Criminal Justice Information Authority’s budget. It has one hundred thirty-four million nine hundred and eighty thousand dollars. It is consistent with the Governor’s level.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Discussion? If not, question is, shall House Bill -- Senator Righter.
Thank you, Mr. President. I’m sorry. Will the sponsor yield, please?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Sponsor indicates he will yield. Senator Righter.
Senator, according to our analysis, the budget would eliminate the sexual assault nurse examiner pilot program. Can you tell me if that’s the case, and if it is, why that’s occurring?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Senator Trotter.
That was an initiative that I understand has been in the budget for the past couple years. Because of the budget shortfall, the dollars were not reappropriated. However, talking to people from that -- that organization, they feel that they can still continue with the work that they have been doing, that they have made some great in runs and inroads into making some trainings. They will continue to do the trainings through their various institutions and will, of course, if -- when funding becomes available, they would like to see it come back into the program.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Senator Righter. 42 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003
What organization are you referring to?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Senator Trotter.
I believe it was somebody from the Nurses Association or -- or someone who actually was in charge of that program. I can’t think of their names. They came to visit me in my office.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Senator Righter.
Thank you, Senator. I appreciate the clarification.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Senator Trotter may close.
I’d just ask for a favorable roll call.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Question is, shall House Bill 3779 pass. Those in favor will vote Aye. Those opposed, Nay. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Take the record. On that question, the Ayes are 39, the Nays are 16, none voting Present. House Bill 3779, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. House Bill 3790. Madam Secretary, read the bill.
House Bill 3790. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Senator Trotter. Senator Trotter.
Thank you very much, Mr. President. 3790 is the Department of Military Affairs’ budget. It was introduced at thirty-nine million nine hundred and twenty-three thousand dollars. We’ve added two million eighty-two thousand dollars. Their total now is forty-two million five thousand dollars. The additional funds goes to the Illinois Military Family Relief Fund, which will provide dollars, a new initiative which provides grants to 43 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003 the families of Illinois National Guard members or Illinois residents who are members of the U.S. armed forces reserves and who have been called to active duty.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Is there discussion? Senator Syverson.
Thank you, Mr. President. I would also add to what Senator Trotter had mentioned. This legislation does include money -- just for our side, I ask that they understand it does include money for the armed forces members killed in the line of duty during the Operation Enduring Freedom. And there is money in here for the Illinois Family Relief -- Military Family Relief funds, as well. So, just for our side of the aisle, there’s some good things in this -- in this line item. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Further discussion? If not, the question is, shall House Bill 3790 pass. Those in favor will vote Aye. Those 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, the Ayes are 55, the Nays are none, none voting Present. House Bill 3790, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. All right. Ladies and Gentlemen, turn your attention to the concurrence Calendar. Senator Hendon, for what purpose do you rise?
Point of personal privilege, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) State your point.
For the benefit of the Members of the Senate, the State Comptroller’s Office and CMS are behind the Senate Chambers to receive any changes that you have on your personal benefits in health, life insurance, dental, or beneficiary information. You have until May 31st to make all those changes. They’re right being the Chamber waiting for you if you’d like to make changes or check up on your benefits. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Thank you. Ladies and Gentlemen, Supplemental Calendar No. 1, I hope, is on everyone’s desk. You have a very efficient 44 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003 staff. All right. Supplemental Calendar No. 1. Ladies and Gentlemen, with leave of the Body, we’ll go to that order of business. On the -- on the Order of Secretary’s Desk, Concurrence is Senate Bill 844, Madam Secretary.
I move to concur with the House in the adoption of their Amendment No. 1 to Senate Bill 844. Motion filed by Senator Larry Woolard.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Senator Woolard.
Thank you, Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate. Maybe most of you haven’t heard as much about this controversial issue as I, but I -- I want to kind of lay a little bit of groundwork to what this does. This is an audit of the Rend Lake Conservancy District, which lies within my district. There was an audit request submitted and sent over here by the House a few weeks ago. I voted in opposition of this in our committee, and it failed. It was the right vote for me at that time. I believe that there was justification for us to allow them to proceed with the process until such time as we deemed it necessary for us to continue with an audit by the Auditor General. The time is right. There is no question. There has been such a fray that has been displayed throughout the press across this State, not just in my area, but in other parts of the State as well. I think that it is certainly the right approach. The Rend Lake Conservancy District in this bill, the amendment that we’re concurring with, would be responsible for payment, so it will not cost the State of Illinois. And I would certainly hope that you could concur with me in this amendment that the House placed on this bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Senator Risinger. Is there discussion? Senator Risinger.
Thank you, Mr. President. We did pass this bill out of committee unanimously, and I leave it up to this side of the aisle how they want to vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Further discussion? Senator Roskam. 45 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003
Thank you, Mr. President. Will the sponsor yield?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Indicates he will yield. Senator Roskam.
Senator, for those of us north of I-80, you -- you know, we haven’t been tracking this as much. We’ve seen some of the press recently. Is it -- is it just the press attention that changed your mind? I mean, I remember reading some of the press clips. You seemed pretty solid that this was not a good idea a few weeks ago. What -- what is it that changed your mind?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Senator Woolard.
In all honesty, you know, I think that most of us operate with the theory that many times we make decisions with the information that’s presented to us. Many times we allow our heart to be a part of that decision. I certainly can convey to you and to others in this Chamber that my heart was in the right place. I believe that this was the right decision for me at that time when I chose to give the Conservancy District Board the opportunity to continue to proceed. At this time, with the discussions that have taken place within the media, I believe it’s the right thing for them, for the region in which I live, for the State of Illinois and for the guarantee that there has not been or is going to be corrective action if things have been done wrong. And that’s the reason for my change.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Senator Roskam.
So did the Conservancy Board really squander the opportunity that you gave ‘em last time to come clean, and that’s why we need to come down and -- and correct that bad decision that they made?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Senator Woolard.
Senator, I don’t believe that that’s correct. You know, I don’t think that they’ve squandered anything, but there hasn’t 46 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003 been probably enough time for them to conclusively come to some direction on all of the issues of -- of concern by those people who are involved. If, in fact, there is things that need to be done, it’s going to take time for them to correct it. But I just believe that, at this point, it’s the right thing for us to be doing to proceed with the third-party audit of this entity.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Further discussion? Senator Woolard may close.
Would appreciate your consideration.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) All right. Senator Woolard moves to concur with House Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 844. Those in favor will vote Nay. Those 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, the Ayes are 55, the Nays are none. Senate does concur with House Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 844. The bill, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. The Senate will stand -- the Senate will stand at ease for a moment - Senator Roskam, Senator Petka - while we have a Rules Committee meeting. Senator -- Senator Walsh, for what purpose do you rise?
Thank you, Mr. President. For a -- an announcement.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) Yes, sir. Go ahead.
Mr. President and Members of the -- of the Senate, as Chairman of the -- or, Senate Ag Committee, I’ve talked to many of my Ag Members about a proposed joint Senate and House Committee meeting next Tuesday. It’s my understanding we are going to return at approximately noon, and the House is going in at 1 next Tuesday. So we are proposing this meeting at 10 a.m. in Room 400 for the Senate and House Agricultural Committees to discuss the proposed IEPA permit fees and livestock feeding facilities. So, 10 -- 10 a.m., 10 a.m., on Tuesday, the 27th, Room 400. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) 47 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003 All right. The Senate will stand at recess for just a minute. Don’t go away. Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s my understanding that this, in effect, concludes our business for the day. The Rules Committee is going to meet. We will come back into Session. We will recess at the -- at the call of the Chair for just -- for -- for -- to take care of business. And we have the adjournment resolution that we are waiting for, and that it will -- that will conclude our business for the day. And I haven’t got the resolution on the adjournment, but it calls for us, I think, to come back next Tuesday at noon. So we’ll stand in recess for a moment, and those of you who want to go, you’re welcome to go. (SENATE STANDS IN RECESS/SENATE RECONVENES)
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) All right. Madam Secretary, will -- Senate will reconvene. Have there been any objections filed to the Resolutions Consent Calendar?
I’ve had no objections filed, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) All right. Senator Meeks moves the adoption of the Resolutions Consent Calendar. All in favor, indicate by saying Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it. Resolutions Consent Calendar is -- is adopted. Committee Reports.
Senator Demuzio, Chairman of the Committee on Rules, reports the following Legislative Measures have been assigned: Refer to Executive Committee - Senate Joint Resolution 36, House Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 1, and Floor Amendment No. 2 to House Bill 1023.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) All right. Ladies and Gentlemen, what we’re waiting for is the House to send us the joint adjournment resolution. That will conclude our business for the day when we receive that. It calls, again, for us to come back at Tuesday at the hour of noon. Next Tuesday at the hour of noon. So the Senate will 48 STATE OF ILLINOIS 93rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 52nd Legislative Day 5/23/2003 stand in recess to the call of the Chair for the purpose of housekeeping. (SENATE STANDS IN RECESS/SENATE RECONVENES)
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) …will come to order. Resolutions. Message from the House.
A Message from the House by Mr. Rossi, Clerk. Mr. President - I am directed to inform the Senate that the House of Representatives has adopted the following House Joint Resolution, in the adoption of which I’m instructed to ask the concurrence of the Senate, to wit: House Joint Resolution 38 (Secretary reads HJR No. 38) Adopted by the House, May 23rd, 2003.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR DEMUZIO) All right. Senator del Valle moves that the -- to suspend the rules for the immediate -- for the purpose of the immediate consideration and adoption of House Joint Resolution 38. Those in favor, indicate by saying -- saying Aye. Those opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it. Senator del Valle now moves the adoption of the adjournment resolution, which is House Joint Resolution 38, which asks and commands us to come back next Tuesday at the hour of noon. Those in favor, indicate by saying Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it. Adjournment resolution is adopted. Further business to come before the Senate? All right. There being no further business, the Senate will stand adjourned till next Tuesday, May 27th, the hour of noon. Senate stands adjourned. 49