PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) The regular Session of the 95th General Assembly will please come to order. Will the Members please be at their desk? Will our guests in the galleries please rise? The invocation today will be given by Pastor Chad Pickering, Hope Evangelical Free Church of Springfield, Illinois.
(Prayer by Pastor Chad Pickering)
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Please remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance. Senator Maloney.
(Pledge of Allegiance, led by Senator Maloney)
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Madam Secretary, Reading and Approval of the Journal.
Senate Journal of May 1st, 2008.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) 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.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Senator Hunter moves the -- to approve the Journal just read by the Secretary. There being no objection, so ordered. Madam Secretary, Resolutions.
Senate Resolution 687 through 694, offered by Senator Link 1 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 153rd Legislative Day 5/7/2008 and all Members. Senate Resolution 695, offered by Senator Forby and all Members. And Senate Resolution 696, offered by Senator Lightford and all Members. They’re all death resolutions, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Consent Calendar.
And Senate -- Senate Joint Resolution 98, offered by Senator Garrett. It is substantive.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Madam Secretary, Messages.
I have a Message from the House by Mr. Mahoney, Clerk. Mr. President - I am directed to inform the Senate that the House of Representatives has passed a bill of the following title, in the passage of which I am instructed to ask the concurrence of the Senate, to wit: House Bill 953. We’ve received like Messages on House Bills 4919, 4981, 5086, 5120, 5148, 5204, 5308, 5518 and 5703. All passed the House, May 1st, 2008. Mark Mahoney, Clerk of the House. I have a Message from the House by Mr. Mahoney, Clerk. Mr. President - I am directed to inform the Senate that the House of Representatives has adopted the following joint resolution, in the adoption of which I am instructed to 2 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 153rd Legislative Day 5/7/2008 ask the concurrence of the Senate, to wit: House Joint Resolution 90. Adopted by the House, April 10th, 2008. We’ve received like Messages on House Joint Resolution 92, offered by Senator Silverstein, and House Joint Resolution 107, offered by Senator Bond. Both adopted by the House, May 1st, 2008. Mark Mahoney, Clerk of the House. And they are substantive, Mr. President. And a final Message from the House by Mr. Mahoney, Clerk. Mr. President - I am directed to inform the Senate that the House of Representatives has passed a bill of the following title, in the passage of which I am instructed to ask the concurrence of the Senate, to wit: House Bill 2748. We’ve received like Messages on House Bills 4417, 4464, 4548, 4571, 4779, 5077, 5205, 5666 and 5691. All passed the House, May 6th, 2008. Mark Mahoney, Clerk of the House.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Madam Secretary, Introduction of Bills.
Senate Bill 3039, offered by Senator Jacobs. (Secretary reads title of bill) 1st Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Madam Secretary, House Bills 1st Reading.
House Bill 953, offered by Senator Jacobs. 3 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 153rd Legislative Day 5/7/2008 (Secretary reads title of bill) House Bill 2392, offered by Senator Raoul. (Secretary reads title of bill) House Bill 2748, offered by Senator Hunter. (Secretary reads title of bill) House Bill 4157, offered by Senator Althoff. (Secretary reads title of bill) House Bill 4401, offered by Senator Dillard. (Secretary reads title of bill) House Bill 4426, offered by Senator Lauzen. (Secretary reads title of bill) House Bill 4464, offered by Senator Althoff. (Secretary reads title of bill) House Bill 4571, offered by Senator Cullerton. (Secretary reads title of bill) House Bill 4771, offered by Senator Syverson. (Secretary reads title of bill) House Bill 4779, offered by Senator Steans. (Secretary reads title of bill) House Bill 4789, offered by Senator Haine. (Secretary reads title of bill) House Bill 4822, offered by Senator Koehler. (Secretary reads title of bill) House Bill 4981, offered by Senator Dillard. (Secretary reads title of bill) House Bill 5077, offered by Senator Forby. (Secretary reads title of bill) House Bill 5086, offered by Senator Jacobs. (Secretary reads title of bill) 4 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 153rd Legislative Day 5/7/2008 House Bill 5120, offered by Senator Link. (Secretary reads title of bill) House Bill 5142, offered by Senator Bivins. (Secretary reads title of bill) House Bill 5148, offered by Senator Collins. (Secretary reads title of bill) House Bill 5308, offered by Senator Forby. (Secretary reads title of bill) House Bill 5666, offered by Senator Demuzio. (Secretary reads title of bill) House Bill 5204, offered by Senator DeLeo. (Secretary reads title of bill) House Bill 5930, offered by Senator Althoff. (Secretary reads title of bill) And House Bill 5703, offered by Senator Hunter. (Secretary reads title of bill) 1st Reading -- 1st Reading of the bills.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Senator Peterson, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Thank you, Mr. President. Point of personal privilege.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Please state your point of personal privilege.
I would like the Senate to welcome my Page for the Day, Tracy {sic} (Madeline) Gastfield, from Gurnee. And I hope that you would give her a warm welcome.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Thank you. Welcome to the Senate. Senator Cronin, for 5 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 153rd Legislative Day 5/7/2008 what purpose do you seek recognition?
A point of personal privilege, Mr. President, please.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Please state your privilege.
I just want to introduce a young man here who’s a Page -- my Page for the Day, Andrew Brandt. Andrew is from Westchester, Illinois. He’s a student at Divine Infant - The Miracles - the Divine Infant Miracles. And he’s down here with his mother, Barb Brandt, and Bill Ernst and the Westchester Chamber of Commerce. Please, Senate, give these people a warm welcome.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Welcome to the Senate. Senator Frerichs, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
I rise for a point of personal privilege, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Please state your point.
Mr. President, I’d like to call on Members of the Senate to join me in welcoming some Girl Scouts from Potomac, Illinois, from my district. There’s a fine group up in the gallery on the left-hand -- well, right-hand side here. If you would join me in welcoming the Girl Scouts from Potomac, Illinois.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Please stand, and -- and welcome to the Senate. Senator Link, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
6 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 153rd Legislative Day 5/7/2008 Thank you, Mr. President. A point of personal privilege.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Please state your point.
Today I have the privilege of having my Page today, Kristine Schneider, from Gurnee, Illinois, and her mother and sister - who’s going to be a future Page for me in a couple of years - in the President’s Gallery. And I wish that we could give ‘em a warm Senate welcome.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Welcome to the Senate. Please stand. Senator Althoff, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Good afternoon, Mr. President. I actually have two points of personal privilege.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Please state them. And good afternoon to you, too.
Thank you. My first point is that I, too, have a very important legislative aide. I’m not going to call her a Page. This is Alyssa Matejka. She is a senior at Johnsburg High School, which is one of the schools in my district. She’s going to attend Winona State University and she’s going to major as a paralegal. Can we give her a nice warm welcome, please?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Please stand, and welcome to the Senate. Senator Dahl, for what purpose…
I -- I got… 7 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 153rd Legislative Day 5/7/2008
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) I’m sorry.
I got two.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Yes. I’m sorry. You may proceed, Senator Althoff.
I -- I don’t normally ask for two, but I do today. And this one is extremely important, so if -- if I might have particularly all of my Senators’ attention. Thank you. Tonight is an extremely busy evening. I know that there are a lot of guests who are here and some receptions, but I’d like to take the opportunity to remind everyone and invite you - tonight is COWL’s Cabaret. And COWL uses these opportunities -- these fundraising opportunities to support our scholarship program, as well as our young leadership program. So if everyone could make an attempt to attend, it’s at the Hilton. It begins at 5:30. Entertainment starts at 6 o’clock and we’ve got some fine acts. Thank you very much, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) You’re welcome, Senator Althoff. Senator Dahl, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker {sic}. Moment of personal privilege.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Please state your point.
I have with me today from Oglesby, Illinois, Jacqueline and 8 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 153rd Legislative Day 5/7/2008 Brian Smith, who are young people that are very interested in what happens on the Senate Floor. Glad to have ‘em with me.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Welcome to the Senate. Senator Silverstein, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Just for a -- a comment, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Please -- could we -- could we listen to Senator Silverstein? Please state your comment.
Thank you, Mr. President. Every year since I’ve been coming down here, there’s one day I dread, and that is when every year we have a -- a Holocaust Commemoration Day, which was just held at the Old State Capitol. I can’t -- it’s hard to -- ironic that the Holocaust happened over sixty years ago. This year my daughter, who just graduated high school, is spending a year in Israel, and part of her studies is she went to Poland for a week. And she came home for the Passover holiday and at our table -- she visited all the concentration camps, and she told us all the atrocities and she witnessed for herself Treblinka, Auschwitz, and traveled throughout Poland. So, it kind of brought it home to our family, the Holocaust. And it’s unfortunate we have to do this, and we say never again - and we hope never again. I’d just like to read a poem called The Butterfly. I Never Saw a {sic} Butterfly. It was written by one of the children from one of the concentration camps. Goes like this: The last, the very last, 9 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 153rd Legislative Day 5/7/2008 So richly, brightly, dazzly {sic} yellow. Perhaps it was {sic} the sun’s tears would sing against a white snow {sic}… Such, such a yellow It carries {sic} away I’m sure because it wishes {sic} to kiss the world goodbye For seven years I {sic} lived here, Penned up inside the ghetto But I have found my people here. The dandelions call to me And the white chestnut candles in the court. Only I never saw another butterfly. This -- that butterfly was the last one. Butterflies don’t live here, In the ghetto. I hope we never have to have another Holocaust commemoration. I don’t -- hope we can -- never have another Holocaust in any part of the world, but it’s something that we always should remember and never forget. Thank you, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Thank you, Senator Silverstein. Senator Wilhelmi, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Thank you, Mr. President. A point of personal privilege.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Please state your point. 10 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 153rd Legislative Day 5/7/2008
Thank you very much. Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate, it is my pleasure to introduce you to a young man who is serving as my Page today and he comes from my hometown of Joliet. His name is Jack Pierson. He’s a second grader at Troy Craughwell and he’s a very fine student. And he brought his mom and dad along with him today and they’re up in the gallery, Jeff and Lisa Pierson. And Jeff is the president of the local high school board of trustees. And I’m very happy to have them in Springfield with me today.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Thank you. And welcome to the Senate. Senator Schoenberg, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Mr. President, I rise on a point of personal privilege.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) State your point.
Thank you, Mr. President. I’d like to -- like to echo and provide some additional focus to the very poignant and relevant comments that Senator Silverstein just made a -- a few moments ago. Mr. President and Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate, the universality of evil is something that touches upon every community and every society. We would have thought that the atrocities which occurred during World War II, the regime of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis - may their names be cursed - we would have thought that the world would have learned from those lessons. We would have thought that greater knowledge and education would cure the ignorance that potentially festers in 11 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 153rd Legislative Day 5/7/2008 any society and we’ve regrettably found that that’s not the case, that subsequently those lessons which should have been learned were forgotten all too readily. We’ve seen genocide subsequently in Rwanda, in the Darfur region of the Sudan, and in Cambodia within the -- within the post-World War II era. I traveled to Cambodia a little over a year ago. I have to admit something Senator Silverstein said touched me, in particular when he spoke of his daughter’s experience having visited the concentration camps. My family suffered losses during World War II at the hands of the Nazis. A group of brothers and sisters on my maternal grandmother’s side, cousins of theirs were in Poland and sought to escape the Nazis. Some of them succeeded. Some of them did not. And those -- in memory of those who did not and in the honor of those who did, we named our son Nadav, after the name that the family had taken when they had emigrated from Poland to what was then Palestine. But when I went to Cambodia, I genuinely felt torn because I had not -- I personally have not retraced those steps, those footsteps of generations that preceded me in my family. But I did go to the killing fields where, over thirty years ago, under Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge regime, over 1.7 million people were brutally killed. I went to the S-21 Tuol Sleng torture facility, which in a perverse sense of twisted irony had formerly been a school, and that’s where I learned what waterboarding was, because I saw firsthand where the Khmer Rouge applied that tactic to coerce false confessions out of people as part of their brutal, totalitarian, murderous and amoral regime. We can never speak enough about genocide. We can never speak enough about our role as public officials to quash hatred at every turn. And so, Mr. 12 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 153rd Legislative Day 5/7/2008 President and Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate, while we reflect today on unspeakable horrors which -- nearly devastated and eliminated a whole people forty years ago, we can never overlook, as Senator Silverstein so accurately said, the relevance in our lives today to take hatred out of the moral equation. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Thank you, Senator. We’re getting ready to go to the Order of House Bills 2nd Readings, page 9. Senator Delgado, on House Bill 230. Out of the record. Senator Halvorson, on House Bill 773. Out of the record. Senator Forby, on House Bill 1054. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 1054. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) 3rd Reading. Senator Harmon, on House Bill -- I’m sorry, Senator Hendon, on House Bill 1361. Out of the record. Senator Harmon, on House Bill 1702. Out of the record. Senator Schoenberg, on House Bill 2254. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 2254. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) 13 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 153rd Legislative Day 5/7/2008 3rd Reading. Senator Maloney, on House Bill 3508. Out of the record. Senator Murphy, on House Bill 4165. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 4165. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) 3rd Reading. Senator Demuzio, on House Bill 4190. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 4190. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) 3rd Reading. Senator Collins, on House Bill 4191. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 4191. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Madam Secretary, 3rd Reading. Senator Link, on House Bill 4255. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House… 14 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 153rd Legislative Day 5/7/2008
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Out of the record. Senator Delgado, on House Bill 4456. I’m sorry… Senator Steans, I’m sorry, on House Bill 4456. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 4456. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) 3rd Reading. Senator Schoenberg, on House Bill 4527. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 4527. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) 3rd Reading. Senator Viverito, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Personal privilege, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Please state your point.
The point is that the Treasurer had told me earlier this morning that he was -- be honored if you would all come over there and have a piece of cheesecake between 1 and 3. He would deeply appreciate that. 15 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 153rd Legislative Day 5/7/2008
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Thank you, Senator Viverito.
Thank -- thank you, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) House Bill 4583. Senator Link. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 4583. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) 3rd Reading. House Bill 4705. Senator Lightford. Take it out of the record. House Bill 5017. Senator Garrett. Out of the record. House Bill 5760. Senator Jacobs. Senator Jacobs. Out of the record. With leave of the Body, we will return to House Bill 1702. Senator Harmon. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 1702. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) 3rd Reading. With -- with leave of the Body, we’re going to return to House Bill 4705. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
16 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 153rd Legislative Day 5/7/2008 House Bill 4705. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) 3rd Reading. Rules Committee will meet immediately in the President’s Gallery -- Anteroom. I’m sorry. In the Anteroom. (SENATE STANDS AT EASE/SENATE RECONVENES)
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Madam Secretary, Committee Reports.
Senator Hendon, Chairman of the Committee on Rules, reports the following Legislative Measures have been assigned: Refer to Agriculture and Conservation Committee - House Bills 1768 and 4162; refer to Education Committee - House Bills 4229, 4309 and 4522; refer to Environment and Energy Committee - House Bill 4838; refer to Executive Committee - House Bill 1809 and Committee Amendment No. 1 to House Bill 5768; refer to Higher Education Committee - House Bills 4567 and 5905; refer to Housing and Community Affairs Committee - House Bill 4683 and Committee Amendment No. 1 to House Bill 4178; refer to Insurance Committee - Committee Amendment No. 1 to House Bill 1432; refer to Judiciary-Civil Law Committee - House Bills 4196 and 4450; refer to Judiciary-Criminal Law Committee - House Bills 2757, 2862, 3416, 4207, 4402, 4879, 5101, 5230, 5243 and 5909; refer to Licensed Activities Committee - Floor Amendment No. 2 to Senate Bill 887; refer to Local Government Committee - House 17 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 153rd Legislative Day 5/7/2008 Bill -- House Bills 4182, 4646, 4675, 4766, 4956, 5196, 5278 and 5505; refer to Pensions and Investments Committee - House Bills -- House Bill 4603 and Floor Amendments 2 and 3 to House Bill 1702; refer to Revenue Committee - House Bill 1040; refer to State Government and Veterans Affairs Committee - House Bills 4723, 5312, 5368 and Committee Amendment No. 1 to House Bill 1434; and refer to Transportation Committee - House Bills 4251, 4648, 4736, 5108, Committee Amendment No. 1 to House Bill 896, Committee Amendment No. 1 to House Bill 946, Committee Amendment No. 1 to House Bill 4221 and Committee Amendment No. 1 to House Bill 4754. Senator Rickey -- Senator Rickey Hendon, Chairman. May 7th, 2008.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Senator Trotter, point of personal…
Yes. Thank you very…
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) For what purpose do you seek recognition?
A point of personal privilege.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Please state your -- your point.
I would like the -- the Senate to join me in welcoming my daughter who decided to come down today and see what -- that we do down here, instead of going to that job that she went to college for ten years for. So would the Senate please welcome my daughter, Gina, to the Illinois Senate? 18 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 153rd Legislative Day 5/7/2008
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Welcome to the Senate, Gina. Senator Delgado, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Thank you -- thank you, Mr. President. For an announcement. The Public Health Committee will meet on Wednesday at 1:30 in Room 400. The Public Health Committee, Room 400, at 1:30 or right after Session.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Senator Crotty, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
On a point of an announcement.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Please make your announcement.
Immediately after adjournment, Local Government will be meeting in Room 409. And we will be starting promptly.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Senator Harmon, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
For purposes of an announcement, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Please state your announcement.
The Senate Judiciary Committee on Civil Law will meet today at 1:30 in Room 212.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Thank you. Senator Trotter, for what purpose do you seek recognition? 19 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 153rd Legislative Day 5/7/2008
Purposes of announcement, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Please state your announcement.
I would like to announce that today at 5:30, in Room 212, Appropriations I will be meeting. We will also be meeting again tomorrow at noon in Room 212 as well. And additionally, Energy and Environment will be meeting today at 4:30 in Room 212.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Thank you. Senator Meeks, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
For -- for the purpose of three announcements.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Please state them.
All right. The first announcement is the Housing and Community Affairs Committee will meet at 3 o’clock in Room 409. That’s Housing and Community Affairs. The second announcement is the Human Services Committee will meet at 4:30 today in Room 400. That’s Human Services in 400. The third announcement is this week is the birthday of Senator Kimberly A. Lightford and there will be cake in her office today. So everybody is invited to Senator Lightford’s office for cake. That’s my three announcements.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Happy birthday, Senator Lightford. Senator Demuzio, for what purpose do you seek recognition? 20 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 153rd Legislative Day 5/7/2008
Yes, Mr. President, purpose of an announcement.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Please state your announcement.
Yes. Commerce and Economic Development will meet today -- I’m sorry, tomorrow at 10 a.m. That will be Thursday at 10 a.m. in Room 409.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Thank you. Senator Forby, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
I have announcement.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Please state your announcement.
Transportation will meet today at 3 o’clock in Room 400. Transportation, 3 o’clock, in Room 400.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Senator Haine, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
For purposes of an announcement, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) State your announcement.
I have two announcements. On behalf of Chairman Wilhelmi of the Judiciary Committee, Criminal Law, that committee will meet this afternoon at 3 o’clock in Room 212. And tomorrow morning, the Insurance Committee will meet at 9 o’clock ante 21 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 153rd Legislative Day 5/7/2008 meridiem. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Thank you. Senator Maloney, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
For the purpose of an announcement, Mr. Chairman -- Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Please state your announcement.
The Senate Higher Education Committee will meet tomorrow morning at 9 o’clock in Room 409.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Thank you. Senator Hendon, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Purpose of announcement, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) State your announcement.
Mr. President, we were scheduled to play the lobbyists a little practice softball game yesterday, but we didn’t -- we didn’t -- we weren’t here, so we may try to reschedule that practice game. But we wanted the Members to know that the game, the real game, the game that counts, is Wednesday of next week and we need all the cooperation. We’re going to need Brady. We’re going to need Sullivan. You know, we -- we’re -- we’re -- we’re going to need Republicans and Democrats alike so we can put the House in their place. You know, we are the upper 22 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 153rd Legislative Day 5/7/2008 Chamber, Mr. President. We are the House of Lords. They are the House of Commons. So let’s prove that next Wednesday night in Lincoln Park. If we are able to reschedule the practice game, I will let you know.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Thank you, Senator Hendon. Senator Schoenberg, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Thank you, Mr. President. For the purposes of an announcement.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Please state your announcement.
The Appropriations II Committee will meet tomorrow at -- I’m sorry, on Thursday at 9 a.m. in Room 212. Appropriations II, 9 a.m., 212. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Senator Hunter, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
For the purpose of an announcement, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Please state your announcement.
Thank you. The Appropriations III Committee will be meeting tomorrow, Thursday, at 10 o’clock a.m. in Room 212. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Thank you. Senator Martinez, for what purpose do you seek recognition? 23 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 153rd Legislative Day 5/7/2008
For the purpose of an announcement.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Please state your announcement.
Yes. Today the Pensions and Investments Committee will meet in Room 400 at 5:30. Today at 5:30, Pensions and Investments.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Thank you, Senator Martinez. Senator Sullivan, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Thank you, Mr. President. I actually have an announcement and a point of personal privilege. The -- the announcement is, is that the Senate Ag and Conservation Committee will meet at 4:30 this afternoon in Room 409. And my point of personal privilege, I have two guests with me here this afternoon. My son Luke is spending the afternoon with us and his friend, Charleen DeSutter. Charleen is actually from Senator Risinger’s district, over -- the Woodhull area. And I’d like the Senate to welcome them here to Springfield today.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Welcome to the Senate. Thanks for being here. Senator Meeks, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Sorry, Mr. Speaker {sic}. I think that’s a mighty nice shirt and tie that you have on today, so I was just admiring the way you look, sir.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) 24 STATE OF ILLINOIS 95th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 153rd Legislative Day 5/7/2008 Thank you -- thank you, Senator Meeks. Senator Lightford, what -- for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Thank you, Mr. President. The purpose of an announcement.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Please state your announcement.
Mr. President and Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate, if I could just have your attention for a moment. I know that Senator Meeks -- thank you, Mr. President. I know that Senator Meeks just announced that it was my birthday this week, but I wanted you all to know that it’s also Heather Steans’ birthday this week and I was hoping that we can also wish our colleague Heather a happy birthday as well.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Happy birthday, Senator Steans. There being no further business to come before the Senate, the Senate stands adjourned until the hour of 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 8th, 2008. The Senate stands adjourned. 25