PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MARTINEZ) The regular Session of the Senate will please come to order. Madam Secretary, Reading and Approval of the Journals.
Senate Journals of October 11th, 12th, 17th, 24th and 31st, 2007.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MARTINEZ) Senator Hunter.
Madam President, I move that the Journal just read by the Secretary be approved, unless some Senators has additions or corrections to offer.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MARTINEZ) Senator Hunter moves to approve the Journal just read by the Secretary. There being no objection, so ordered. CBS Chicago Channel 2 requests permission to record proceedings. Seeing no objections, so ordered. Madam Secretary, Resolutions.
Senate Resolution 398, offered by Senator Link and all Members. Senate Resolution 399, offered by Senator Clayborne and all Members. Senate Resolution 400, offered by Senator Dillard and all Members. Senate Resolution 401, offered by Senator Link and all Members. Senate Resolution 402, offered by Senator Koehler and all Members. Senate Resolutions 403 through 405, offered by Senator Forby 1 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 108th Legislative Day 11/2/2007 and all Members. Senate Resolution 406, offered by Senator Clayborne and all Members. Senate Resolution 407, offered by Senators Watson and Emil Jones and all Members. Senate Resolutions 408 and 409, offered by Senator Dillard and all Members. Senate Resolutions 410 through 412, offered by Senator Haine and all Members. Senate Resolutions 413 and 414, offered by Senator Koehler and all Members. Senate Resolution 415, offered by Senator Forby and all Members. Senate Resolutions 416 through 419, offered by Senator Hunter and all Members. Senate Resolution 420, offered by Senator Haine and all Members. Senate Resolution 421, offered by Senator Bomke and all Members. And Senate Resolution 422, offered by Senator Hunter and all Members. They’re all death resolutions, Madam President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MARTINEZ) Resolutions Consent Calendar. Senator Halvorson, for what purpose do you rise?
Yeah. Just a minute.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MARTINEZ) Ladies and Gentlemen, can I please have your attention? 2 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 108th Legislative Day 11/2/2007 Senator Righter, for what purpose do you rise?
Thank you, Madam President. I rise on a point of personal privilege, please.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MARTINEZ) Please state your point.
Thank you. Madam President, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate, I’m sure that -- that many of you are aware, and I think all the Members and the staff were notified, that late last month, in fact, on October 23rd, Ed Sauer, who was a longtime doorman here in the Senate, had a massive heart attack, car accident, and passed away. Those of you -- I mean, I’m sure everyone, and I’ve got a picture of him here on my desk if you want to come over, but I’m sure as soon as you see him, even if you didn’t recognize his name, you’d recognize the face. Sometimes I think that in all the hustle and bustle of what we know is so important here and some of the things we think are really important here, we forget about -- a little bit about the people who surround us. Ed was seventy-three years old. He’d been -- married to his wife, Nancy, for fifty-one years and was a thirty-two-year retired veteran of the Springfield Police Department. All those are wonderful things. And what I remember Ed for, and I think all of you will probably have a similar recollection, is that any time I approached the front door at the Senate -- the Senate here, whether I was coming down the stairs from the fourth floor or walking around the rail - Ed was seventy-three; he had trouble getting up and -- up out of the chair from time to time - if I got anywhere near the front door 3 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 108th Legislative Day 11/2/2007 of the Chamber, he was pulling himself out of his chair, obviously with great effort, to make sure that he could hold the door for me. And I always tried to wave him off as quickly as possible if I wasn’t going to enter the Chamber here to spare him that effort. I think that that is indicative of the respect that the doormen and the people around us have for us as individual Senators and for this Chamber. And I think in light of that it would be appropriate, Madam President, for us to have a moment of silence in memory of Ed and a thoughtful recollection on behalf of his family. (Moment of Silence Observed in Memory of Ed Sauer)
Thank you, Madam President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MARTINEZ) Senator Halvorson, for what purpose do you rise?
Thank you, Madam President. For purpose of an announcement.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MARTINEZ) Please state your announcement.
Senate Executive Committee will be meeting today at 2 p.m. in Room 212. Basically it will be on the CTA/RTA, subject matter only, as well as subject matter only on Senate Bill 783, as amended.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MARTINEZ) Senator Terry Link, for what purpose do you rise?
Thank you, Madam President. For two announcements: First, that Senator Silverstein is absent today and -- for -- with 4 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 108th Legislative Day 11/2/2007 business in his district office. Second, that there will be a Democratic Caucus in the President’s Office immediately upon adjournment.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MARTINEZ) Senator, you mean upon recess?
Yes.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MARTINEZ) Madam Secretary, Messages.
A Message from the House by Mr. Mahoney, Clerk. Mr. President - I am directed to inform the Senate that the House of Representatives has concurred with the Senate in the passage of a bill of the following title, to wit: Senate Bill 783, together with the following amendments which are attached, in the adoption of which I am instructed to ask the concurrence of the Senate, to wit: House Amendments 1 and 5. Passed the House, as amended, November 2nd, 2007. Mark Mahoney, Clerk of the House.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MARTINEZ) The Senate will stand in recess -- recess until the call of the Chair. After committees, the Senate will reconvene for further Floor action. The Senate stands in recess to the call of the Chair. (SENATE STANDS IN RECESS/SENATE RECONVENES)
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MARTINEZ) 5 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 108th Legislative Day 11/2/2007 The Senate will come to order. Madam Secretary, Resolutions.
Senate Resolution 423, offered by Senator Demuzio. It’s a death resolution, Madam President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MARTINEZ) Resolutions Consent Calendar. We will now proceed to the Order of Resolutions Consent Calendar. With leave of the Body, all those resolutions read in today will be added to the Consent Calendar. Madam Secretary, have there been any objections filed to any resolution on the Consent Calendar?
No objections filed, Madam President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MARTINEZ) Is there any discussion? If not, the question is, shall the resolutions on the Consent Calendar be adopted. All those in favor will say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the motion carries. And the resolutions are adopted. Madam Secretary, Committee Reports.
Senator Halvorson, Chairman of the Committee on Rules, reports the following Legislative Measures have been assigned: Be Approved for Consideration - a Motion to Concur with House Amendments 1 and 5 to Senate Bill 783. Senator Debbie Halvorson, Chairman. November -- November 2nd, 2007.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MARTINEZ) Would all the Members in the sound of my voice please come down -- back to the Senate Chamber? We are going to final 6 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 108th Legislative Day 11/2/2007 action. All Members please come to the Senate Floor. Senator Jacobs, for what purpose do you rise?
A point of personal privilege, Madam President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MARTINEZ) Please state your point.
I’d like to recognize Billy Halstead, Chairman of the Peoria Democrat Party, in the Rotunda {sic}. Like Billy to stand up. We’ll give him a hand. It’d be appreciated.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MARTINEZ) Will our guest please rise? Members, please. Welcome. Senator Koehler, for what purpose do you rise?
Also point of personal privilege, Madam President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MARTINEZ) Please state your point.
Thank you, Senator Jacobs. I was going to introduce Billy Halstead as well, from Peoria. But another young woman from Peoria, Jehan Gordon. If the Senate would please welcome her.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MARTINEZ) Will our guest please rise? And welcome this wonderful young lady to the Senate Floor. Ladies and Gentlemen, on your desks you will find Senate Calendar -- Supplemental Calendar No. 1. Senate Bill -- 783. On the Order of Concurrence. On Concurrence, Senate Bill in -- is Senate Bill -- 783. Senator Lightford, do you wish to proceed? Madam Secretary, please read the motion. 7 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 108th Legislative Day 11/2/2007
I move to concur with the House in the adoption of their Amendments 1 and 5 to Senate Bill 783. Filed by Senator Kimberly Lightford.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MARTINEZ) Senator Lightford, to explain your motion.
Thank you, Madam President, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate. Senate Bill 783, House Amendment No. 5 establishes the FY’08 Budget Implementation Act to make changes in our State programs that are essential to implementing the FY’08 budget that we passed almost three months ago, pertaining to human services, education and finance. Some of the things that I think are really crucial and important to acknowledge: That this will cover our increase in foundation for our students by four hundred dollars per pupil. And many superintendents across the State and principals are really struggling with the lack of funding in our school system. It would extend the transitional payments and it increases the personnel reimbursements for special education teachers. And it also establishes the severely overcrowded schools program. Lastly, it directs ISBE to do a feasibility study to determine where we can look at our Lincoln ChalleNGe Program and expand that. It does so many other things in education. But also, in human services: It allows our autism program to expand on January 1 of 2008. It creates a fund for -- called the Human Services Priority Capital Program Fund, to provide low-interest capital loans for our community-based providers that assist with persons with disabilities, mentally ill or substance abusers. It provides for a rate increase for 8 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 108th Legislative Day 11/2/2007 our nursing homes. It authorizes a 2.5 cost-of-living adjustment for our ICF and DD facilities. And it provides a rate increase for institutions with {sic} mental disease. It also provides for protection in our nursing homes. Sex offender’s background checks will be paid for with our Department of Public Health Long-Term Care Provider Fund. And it also includes various fund transfers and authorizations. I’d be happy to answer any questions.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR MARTINEZ) Is there any discussion? Seeing none, this is final action. The question is, shall Senate concur in House Amendment No. 5 -- No. 1 and 5 to Senate Bill 783. Those in favor will vote Aye. Opposed, Nay. The voting is now open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Take the record. On that question, we have 52 voting Aye, 0 voting Nay, 0 voting Present. The Senate concurs in House Amendment 1 and 5 to Senate Bill -- 783, and the bill, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. There being no further business to come before the Senate, the regular Session of the Senate stands adjourned until Wednesday, November 7th, 2007, in perfunctory Session and each Wednesday thereafter in perfunctory Session, until such time as the Senate -- assembles in regular, Veto or other Session pursuant to the schedule established and published by the Senate President. The Special Session of the Senate stands adjourned. The regular Session of the Senate stands adjourned. 9