The regular Session of the 95th General Assembly will please come to order. Will the Members please be at their desks? Will our guests in the galleries please rise? The invocation today will be given by Pastor Brian Damrow, First Congressional {sic} (Congregational) Church -- United Church of Christ, Springfield.
(Prayer by Pastor Brian Damrow)
Please remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance. Senator Maloney.
(Pledge of Allegiance, led by Senator Maloney)
Madam Secretary, Reading and Approval of the Journal.
Senate Journal of Friday, March 30th, 2007.
Senator Hunter.
Mr. President, I move that the Journal just read by the Secretary be approved, unless some Senators has additions or corrections to offer.
Senator Hunter moves to approve the Journal just read by the Secretary. There being no objection, so ordered. Senator Brady, what purpose do you rise? Madam Secretary, Resolutions.
Senate Resolution 131, offered by Senator Haine and all 1 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 27th Legislative Day 4/18/2007 Members. Senate Resolutions 132 and 133, offered by Senator Collins and all Members. Senate Resolution 134, offered by Senator Emil Jones and all Members. Senate Resolution 135, offered by Senator Dillard and all Members. Senate Resolution 136, offered by Senator Lauzen and all Members. And Senate Resolution 137, offered by Senator Emil Jones and all Members. They’re all death resolutions, Mr. President.
Resolution Consent Calendar. Madam Secretary, Substantive Resolutions.
Senate Resolution 138, offered by Senator Kotowski. Senate Joint Resolution 43, offered by Senator Koehler. Senate Joint Resolution 44, offered by Senator Trotter. Senate Joint Resolution 45, offered by Senator Lightford. And Senate Joint Resolution 46, offered by Senator Garrett. They’re all substantive, Mr. President.
Senator Crotty, what purpose do you rise?
Thank you, Mr. President. On a personal privilege.
State your point.
2 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 27th Legislative Day 4/18/2007 Today I’m very happy to welcome someone that I worked with prior to becoming a State legislator. Her name is Candy Greg. This is her first time here in Springfield. I was titled a job coach, but I really learnt more about my job through Candy, so… Also here is a couple of speech-language pathologists, and that’s Patricia and Marilyn. And Candy also is one of your constituents, Mr. President. So, if everyone would please welcome Candy Greg to the Senate Floor, I would appreciate it and so would she. Thank you.
Will our guests please rise and be welcomed by the Illinois Senate? Will the members of the Rules Committee kindly come forward and meet in the -- Antechambers - all the members of the Rules Committee. Senator Althoff, what purpose you rise?
Thank you, Mr. President. Point of personal privilege.
State your point.
Thank you. I have with me today Kimberly Nichols. She’s going to be a Page with me. And I would love it if everyone in the Chamber would welcome her to Springfield.
Will our guest please rise and be welcomed by the Illinois Senate? Senator Holmes, what purpose you rise?
Point of personal privilege, Mr. President.
State your point. 3 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 27th Legislative Day 4/18/2007
It is my honor to present three Pages that are here from West Aurora High School. And we have Anna Garcia, Cesar Vasquez and Emily Vargas. And I’m glad that they’re here with me. I also want to recognize up in the gallery, from West Aurora High School, Mr. Dave Zine, who is their Social Studies teacher. He’s up in the gallery. With him is supposed to be Mr. Matt Castle, who is also the Assistant Principal of West Aurora High. Can we please welcome them to Springfield?
Will our guests please rise and be welcomed by the Illinois Senate? Senator Lauzen, what purpose do you rise?
Thank you, Mr. President. Point of personal privilege.
State your point.
I would like to introduce to the State Senate Peter Orum, who is the owner of Midwest Groundcover {sic} (Groundcovers), a large well-run nursery in northern Kane County. Like the Members of the Senate to welcome him to Springfield.
Will our guest rise and be welcomed by the Illinois Senate? Senator Watson, what purpose you rise?
Yes. Thank you very much, Mr. President. I, too, would like to introduce two of my guests here today from Central High School. We had Central High School in Breese here a couple weeks ago, when they won the Girls’ State Basketball Tournament, here 4 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 27th Legislative Day 4/18/2007 in Illinois, Class A. But these two students are with their Government class teacher, Kurt Peters, who is in the Democrat side of the aisle, who teaches at Central High School, and Kassi Buehne and Kate Garrett. I hope that we’d all welcome ‘em here to the Illinois Senate.
Will our guests please rise and be welcomed by the Senate? Madam Secretary, Committee Reports.
Senator Halvorson, Chairman of the Committee on Rules, reports the following Legislative Measures have been assigned: Refer to Appropriations III Committee - Senate Bill 1132; refer to Commerce and Economic Development Committee - House Bill 407; refer to Education Committee - House Bill -- House Bills 285 and 3654; refer to Environment and Energy Committee - House Bills 10 -- 1011, 1654, and Committee Amendment No. 1 to House Bill 277; refer to Executive Committee - House Bill 426 and 735; refer to Higher Education Committee - House Bill 223 and 703; refer to Human Services Committee - House Bill 1646 and 1758; refer to Insurance Committee - House Bill 1439; refer to Judiciary-Civil Law Committee - House Bill 1146; refer to Judiciary-Criminal Law Committee - House Bill 2024; refer to Licensed Activities Committee - House Bill 1947; refer to Local Government Committee - House Bill 741, 802, and Committee Amendment No. 1 to House Bill 4; refer to Pensions and Investments Committee - House Bill 804 and 824; refer to Public Health Committee - House Bills 1239 and 1643; refer to State Government and Veterans Affairs Committee - Senate Joint Resolution 27 and House Bill 2023; and refer to Transportation Committee - House Bills 167 and 3624. 5 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 27th Legislative Day 4/18/2007 Signed, Senator Debbie Halvorson, Chairman. April 18th, 2007.
We have Senator Hultgren who’s going to introduce our special guests.
Thank you, Mr. President and fellow Members of the Senate. I’m going to ask Senator Cullerton, if he’s available, to also join us, if he would. We have a special group that’s here with us today. It’s -- really, it’s my privilege -- if I could have your attention for a moment. It’s my privilege to introduce the St. Francis Spartans. This is the volleyball team from St. Francis High School in Wheaton, Illinois. And they are the Illinois State Volleyball Champions Class AA for 2006. And I’d like you to welcome them and then I want to introduce some people. So if we could welcome St. Francis volleyball. I’m glad -- I’m glad that Senator Cullerton could join us up here. This is the -- the school that Senator Cullerton graduated from, and also has family ties, as well, to St. Francis continuing today. But St. Francis volleyball has a strong tradition. This was their eighth -- eighth State Championship, but the first time - we’ve had a reseeding, as you know - so this is the first AA championship. So they were playing against the biggest schools in Illinois and they still won the State championship and won solidly. And I’m really excited to introduce a couple special people as well. The Coach, Peg Kopec. Peg - right here - Peg has been coach at St. Francis since 1974. She had a milestone this year - she had her nine hundredth win as a volleyball coach this year, which is amazing. We also have the Athletic Director. Paul Linden is here as well. Mr. Linden - in back here. Welcome 6 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 27th Legislative Day 4/18/2007 to him as well. I want to introduce, last of all, one of the Captains, Alex Fitzpatrick, who’s going to quickly introduce the team.
(Introductions by Captain Alex Fitzpatrick)
Let’s congratulate them again, please.
Senator Jones, what purpose you rise?
Thank you, Mr. President. Point of personal privilege.
State your point.
Well, before I do that, I -- I want to say welcome -- welcome back to you and I hope you’re feeling much better. But I’d like to introduce a couple Pages for today. Actually have four here today, and Senator Watson introduced a couple of ‘em. We have Maura Billhartz, from Albers, and Cassy Becker, from Bartelso. And they’re both standing back here by Senator Frank Watson’s desk. So, if we’d give them a warm welcome, appreciate it very much.
Our guests please rise and be welcomed by the Illinois Senate. But also, thank you, Senator Jones. I feel great. It’s good to be back. It’s good to be back because we got a lot of work to do on behalf of the people of the State of Illinois and I want to be part of that. Senator Ira Silverstein.
7 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 27th Legislative Day 4/18/2007 Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you. This Sunday marked, in the Jewish calendar, the observance of Yom HaShoah, which is the observance…
Could we tone it down? Members, will we tone the conversation down on the Senate Floor, please?
This Sunday marked the Jewish observance of Yom HaShoah, which is the remembrance of the Holocaust. Services were held across the State. And today, the Jewish Federation held a service, a very moving service, in the Old State Capitol, and I personally want to thank them, the speakers, and Senator -- Schoenberg, who spoke so beautifully at that -- at that service. At that service and at the service that I attended in Skokie on Sunday, survivors spoke - survivors of the Holocaust. And their stories are very painful to hear. Unfortunately, the numbers of those survivors are declining. And we say, when we leave these services - always remember, never again. And to -- to think about the genocide that happened during the Holocaust is unbelievable and could -- and who could ever think that something like that will happen again. Unfortunately, we look at the Sudan and other parts of the countries and world that, unfortunately, genocide is still going on. And we look at anti-Semitism. This past month alone two synagogues in my district were vandalized. So we always say “never again and always remember”. And our goal is to educate. And that’s the only thing we can do. I’d just like to conclude with a quote I found from Senator Dwight D. Eisenhower when he entered the camps, quote: The visual evidence and the verbal testimony of starvation, cruelty and bestiality 8 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 27th Legislative Day 4/18/2007 were so overpowering as to leave me a bit sick. In one room, there was a pile of twenty or thirty naked men, killed by starvation. George Patton -- George Patton would not even enter. He said he would get sick if he did so. I made the trip deliberately, in order to be in a position to give first-hand evidence of these things. Ladies and Gentlemen, my prayer is that we never forget and we always remember, that there should be no more genocide in any parts of the country and the world. Thank you.
Thank you, Senator Silverstein, for reminding us that we must be forever vigilant as relate to issues of atrocity as it affect any people, anywhere around the world. Senator Koehler, what purpose you rise?
Mr. President, a point of personal privilege.
State your point.
I’d just like to introduce to you my daughter, Maggie, who is with me today. Took a day off work to be down here to do some lobbying on her own. But, Maggie Koehler.
Will our -- will our guest please rise and be welcomed by the Senate? Senator Raoul, for what purpose do you rise?
Point of -- point of personal -- privilege.
Please state your point. 9 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 27th Legislative Day 4/18/2007
Mr. President, up in the gallery are the members - my brothers - members of the number-one fraternity on the planet, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated. I ask that you welcome them to the Senate.
Will our guests in the gallery please rise and be welcomed by the Illinois Senate? Senator Raoul, do you say Alpha? Senator Raoul.
No. I said fraternity.
Senator Hendon, what purpose you rise?
A point of personal privilege, Mr. President.
State your point.
Well, I just wanted to say to my colleague, Senator Raoul, I -- I didn’t know that south-siders wore red like that. Look like a lot of west-siders up in here, but I guess south-siders wear red too. But also in the President’s Gallery in red are -- are people and students from Orr High School in my district. And they’re standing behind you, Mr. President, down here lobbying for the schools and the clinics within the schools, from Orr High School.
Will our guests from Orr -- Orr High School please rise and be welcomed by the Senate? Senator Lightford, what purpose you 10 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 27th Legislative Day 4/18/2007 rise?
Point of personal privilege.
State your point.
Thank you, Mr. President. I’d like for the Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate to have the men of Kappa Alpha Psi stand again, because we had them stand and we didn’t give them a rounding set of applause that the group so deserve. They are very active in the community, helping on many issues. I happen to be a Kappa dimer from 1986, Zeta Mu Chapter. There you go. So I want to make sure we acknowledge them.
Let’s give ‘em another thunderous round of applause. Also in the President’s Gallery is a fellow with a red jacket on, leaning over. That young man -- that young man is the Vice President of the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau. But he and I grew up together. He -- I took him to school every day. He was older than I. But that’s Bill Williams there. Senator Brady, we’re we talking about the Brady bunch, or… Senator Brady, what…
Mr. President, thank you. Coming over from the House, just being recognized, is a football team from my district that won the 6A State Championship. They should be here momentarily.
Okay. Thank you.
11 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 27th Legislative Day 4/18/2007 Thank you.
Just before we adjourn, we are -- we’re trying to accommodate our colleague. Senator Brady has a football team. They -- they say they are champions that he wanted to introduce. Senator Brady.
Thank you, Mr. President. Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate, I, along with Senator Rutherford, would like to congratulate Head Coach Hud Venerable and the Unit 5 NCHS Ironmen, who, last football season, had a 14 and 0 winning record and became the Class 6A State Champions. If you would help congratulate them with me with a round of applause.
There being no further business to come before the Senate, the Senate will adjourn to the hour of 9 a.m., Thursday, the year 2007. 9 a.m., tomorrow morning. The Senate stands adjourned. 12