PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) The regular Session of the 97th 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 Scott Poling from Harvest Baptist Church in Oswego, Illinois. Pastor.
(Prayer by Pastor Scott Poling)
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Thank you, Pastor. Please remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance. Senator Jacobs, would you lead us?
(Pledge of Allegiance, led by Senator Jacobs)
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Madam Secretary, Reading and Approval of the Journals.
Senate Journal of Thursday, May 12th, 2011.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Hunter.
Mr. President, I move to postpone the reading and approval of the Journal just read by the Secretary, pending arrival of the printed transcript.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Hunter moves to postpone the reading and approval of the printed Journal, pending arrival of the printed transcripts. There being no objection, so ordered. Madam Secretary, Resolutions.
1 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Senate Resolution 232, offered by Senator Crotty and all Members. Senate Resolution 233, offered by Senator Righter and all Members. Senate Resolution 234, offered by Senator Righter and all Members. They are death resolutions, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Resolutions Consent Calendar. Madam Secretary, Messages from the House.
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 bills of the following titles, in the passage of which I am instructed to ask the concurrence of the Senate, to wit: House Bill 123. We have received a like Message on House Bill 2168. They passed the House, May 13th, 2011. Mark Mahoney, Clerk of the House.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate, we are going to turn to substantive final action in the Senate shortly. I’d ask all Members of the Senate within the sound of my voice to be at their desks. Would all Members of the Senate within the sound of my voice please be at your desk? Madam Secretary, House Bills 1st Reading.
House Bill 1299, offered by Senator Noland. 2 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 (Secretary reads title of bill) 1st Reading of this House bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Madam Secretary, Committee Reports.
Senator Delgado, Chairperson of the Committee on Public Health, reports House Bill 1571 Do Pass, as Amended; House Joint Resolution 13 Be Adopted; and Senate Amendment 2 to House Bill 279 recommended Do Adopt. Senator Hunter, Chairperson of the Committee on Human Services, reports Senate Amendment 1 to House Bill 1707, Senate Amendment 1 to House Bill 2084 recommended Do Adopt. Senator Maloney, Chairperson of the Committee on Higher Education, reports House Bill 466 Do Pass. Senator Wilhelmi, Chairperson of the Committee on Judiciary, reports House Bill 3335 Do Pass, as Amended; Senate Amendment 3 to Senate Bill 400, Senate Amendment 1 to House Bill 3041 recommended Do Adopt. Senator Sandoval, Chairperson of the Committee on Transportation, reports House Joint Resolution 25, 28 Be Adopted; House Joint Resolution 27 Be Adopted, as Amended. Senator Meeks, Chairperson of the Committee on Education, reports House Bill 3223 Do Pass; Senate Resolution 214 Be Adopted; House Joint Resolution 7 Be Adopted; Senate Amendment 2 to House Bill 1466 and Senate Amendment 2 to House Bill 3022 recommended Do Adopt. Senator Koehler, Chairperson of the Committee on Local Government, reports House Bills 156, 242, 1311, 1320, 1324, 1339, 1526, 1700, 2550, 2554, 2555, 2974, 3372 Do Pass; and 3 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 House Bills 248, 1218, 1576 and 3425 Do Pass, as Amended. Senator Noland, Chairperson of the Committee on Committee on Criminal Law, reports House Bills 1928 and 2581 Do Pass. Senator Silverstein, Chairperson of the Committee on Environment, reports Senate Amendment 1 to House Bill 2902 recommended Do Adopt. Senator Forby, Chairperson of the Committee on Labor, reports Senate Amendment 3 to Senate Bill 1735 recommended Do Adopt.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Bomke, are you seeking recognition?
Thank you, Mr. President. Point of personal privilege.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Please state your point, Senator.
I want to announce that Senator Lauzen will be gone today. Graduation of two of his children and one of his son {sic} today is being commissioned as a Naval officer.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) The record will reflect his absence and we’ll send our congratulations to the Lauzen family. Senator Koehler, for what purpose do you rise?
Thank you, Mr. President. Point of personal privilege.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) State your point, Senator.
I’m -- I’m sorry that we’re not going to be in Session 4 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 tomorrow, because if we were, we could then sing Happy Birthday to A. J. Wilhelmi, who has a birthday Saturday, May 14th. So we’ll have to do that today. Happy birthday.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Happy birthday, Senator Wilhelmi. Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate, let me reiterate, we are going to turn shortly to final action. I’d ask all Members within the sound of my voice to be at their desks. While we wait for the full membership to be present, we will turn to the Order of House Bills 2nd Reading. Encourage you to move your bills from 2nd Reading to 3rd Reading if they are ready to go. On page 73 of your printed Calendar, at the top of the Order of House Bills 2nd Reading is House Bill 79. Senator Syverson. House Bill 147. Senator Hutchinson. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill -- 147. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 180. Senator Wilhelmi. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 180. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 186. Senator Radogno. House Bill 5 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 190. Senator Righter. House Bill 200. Senator Raoul. House Bill 204. Senator Radogno. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Senator Raoul, you wished your bill read? Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 200. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. The Committee on Education adopted Amendment No. 1.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Have there been any further Floor amendments approved for consideration?
No -- no further amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 204. Senator Radogno. House Bill 212. Senator Hutchinson. Oh! Madam Secretary, please go back to House Bill 204. Senator Radogno would like the bill read. Please read the bill.
House Bill 204. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. Senate -- House Bill 212. Senator Hutchinson. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 212. 6 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 220. Senator Dillard. At the top of page 74 of your printed Calendars. House Bill 230. Senator Koehler. House Bill 263. Senator Millner. House Bill 268. Senator Raoul. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 268. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 275. Senator Wilhelmi. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill -- House Bill 275. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 297. Senator Raoul. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 297. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. The Committee on Labor adopted Amendment No. 1. 7 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Have there been any further Floor amendments approved for consideration?
No further amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 298. Senator Lightford. House Bill 332. Senator Muñoz. House Bill 464. Senator Hutchinson. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 464. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 711. Senator Muñoz. House Bill 1079. Senator Christine Johnson. House Bill 1110. Senator Jacqueline Collins. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 1110. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 1163. Senator Jacobs. House Bill -- 1197. Senator Emil Jones. Senate {sic} Bill 1215. Senator Crotty. The top of page 75 of your printed Calendar. House Bill 1241. Senator Martinez. Senate {sic} Bill 1253. Senator Martinez. Senate Bill 1256. Senator -- House Bill 1256. 8 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Senator Hutchinson. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 1256. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 1293. Senator Schoenberg. House Bill 1297. Senator Clayborne. House Bill 1317. Senator Noland. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 1317. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 1353. Senator Dillard. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 1353. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 1368. Senator Jacobs. House Bill 1373. Senator John Jones. Senator John Jones. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 1373. 9 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 1377. Senator Raoul. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 1377. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 1398. Senator LaHood. House Bill 1415. Senator Meeks. House Bill 1445. Senator Muñoz. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 1445. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 1466. Senator Kotowski. Madam… Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 1466. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee amendments.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Have there been any Floor amendments approved for 10 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 consideration?
Floor Amendment 2, offered by Senator Kotowski.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski, do you wish to proceed on your amendment? Senator Kotowski, to explain your amendment.
The -- the amendment becomes the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment No. 2 to House Bill 1466. All in favor, say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. Have there been any further Floor amendments approved for consideration?
No further amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 1470. Senator Clayborne. We’re at the top of page 76 of your printed Calendars. House Bill 1537. Senator Holmes. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 1537. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 1552. Senator Raoul. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 1552. 11 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 1558. Senator Schoenberg. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 1558. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. The Committee on Energy adopted Amendment No. 1.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Have there been any Floor amendments approved for consideration?
No further amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 1574. Senator Jacqueline Collins. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 1574. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. The Committee on Judiciary adopted Amendment No. 1.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Have there been any Floor amendments approved for consideration?
No further amendments reported. 12 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 1591. Senator Dillard. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 1591. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 1600. Senator Trotter. Senator Trotter. House Bill 1656. Senator Hunter. House Bill 1663. Senator Dillard. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 1663. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. Senate Bill 1670. Senate Bill 1689. Senator Hutchinson. We are on the Order of House Bills. I’ll get the hang of this soon, Madam Secretary. House Bill 1689. Senator Hutchinson. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 1689. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. The Committee on Criminal Law adopted Amendment No. 1.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Have there been any Floor amendments approved for 13 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 consideration?
No further amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 1703. Senator Clayborne. Senator Clayborne. House Bill 1707. Senator Hunter. Madam -- Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 1707. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee amendments.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Have there been any Floor amendments approved for consideration?
Floor Amendment 1, offered by Senator Hunter.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) …Hunter, do you wish to explain your amendment? Senator Hunter.
Basically the amendment addresses an issue that some of the committee members had.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Hunter moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment No. 1 to House Bill 1707. All in favor, say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. Have there been any further Floor amendments approved for consideration?
No further amendments reported. 14 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 1719. Senator Raoul. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 1719. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 1883. Senator Hutchinson. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 1883. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. At the top of page 77 of your printed Calendar, still on the Order of House Bills 2nd Reading, is House Bill 1929. Senator Wilhelmi. House Bill 2089. Senator McCann. House Bill 2259. Senator Crotty. House Bill 2590. Senator Raoul. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 2590. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. I’m -- Madam Secretary, I’m sorry. In our -- 15 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 in our pace here, I skipped over House Bill 2267. Senator LaHood, did you wish to have that -- out of the record. House Bill 2595. Senator Jacqueline Collins. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 2595. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 2935. Senator Hutchinson. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 2935. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 2938. Senator Sandoval. House Bill 2955. Senator Hutchinson. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 2955. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 3025. Senator Maloney. House Bill 3042. Senator Jacqueline Collins. Madam Secretary, please 16 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 read the bill.
House Bill 3042. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. The Committee on Criminal Law adopted Amendment No. 1.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Have there been any Floor amendments approved for consideration?
No further amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 3131. Senator Pankau. House Bill 3134. Senator Raoul. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 3134. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 3186. Senator Hunter. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 3186. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 3238. Senator Raoul. Madam 17 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 3238. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. Ladies and Gentlemen, on the top of page 78 of your printed Calendars, the last page of House Bills 2nd Reading, House Bill 3256. Senator LaHood. House -- House Bill 3257. Senator Lightford. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 3257. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 3275. Senator Jacqueline Collins. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 3275. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 3285. Senator Jacqueline Collins. House Bill 3331. Senator Hutchinson. Senator Hutchinson. Madam -- Madam Secretary, please read the bill. 18 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011
House Bill 3331. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 3334. Senator Raoul. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 3334. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 3342. Senator Hutchinson. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 3342. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 3376. Senator Raoul. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 3376. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported. 19 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. Senate {sic} Bill 3406. Senator Hutchinson. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 3406. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 3440. Senator Emil Jones. House Bill 3597. Senator Raoul. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
House Bill 3597. (Secretary reads title of bill) 2nd Reading of the bill. No committee or Floor amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. House Bill 3636. Senator Mulroe. Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate, Senate Supplemental Calendar No. 1, dated Friday, May 13th, 2011, has been distributed to the Members’ desks. We’re going to turn to the Order of Supplemental Calendar No. 1. Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate, the Associated Press seeks leave to take videotape and still photos of the proceeding. Is there any objection? Seeing no objection, leave is granted. Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate, you have before you Supplemental Calendar No. 1. On the Order is Specific Recommendations for Change to Senate Bills, Motions in Writing, Senate Bill 1. President Cullerton. 20 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011
Yes, thank you, Mr. President, Members of the Senate. You may recall we passed Senate Bill 1.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Mr. President, I’m sorry. Madam Secretary, would you please read the motion?
I move that Senate Bill 1 do pass, notwithstanding the specific recommendations of the Governor. Filed by Senator Cullerton.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) President Cullerton.
Thank you. Thank you, Madam -- Mr. President, Members of the Senate. We -- we passed Senate Bill 1. The Governor amendatorily vetoed it. I’m asking the Senate to override the Governor’s veto and to repass this bill. This applies to appointees who are nominated by the Governor and who are subject to Senate confirmation who are either holding over in office after the expiration of their term or who are temporary or acting appointees. Senate Bill 1 limits the ability of future appointees to hold over after the expiration of their terms to thirty days unless they are reappointed. Be happy to answer any questions and ask for an Aye vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Is there any discussion? Any discussion? Seeing none, the question is, shall Senate Bill 1 pass, notwithstanding the specific recommendations of the Governor. All those in favor will vote Aye. Opposed, Nay. The voting is open. Have all 21 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Take the record. On that question, there are 55 voting Aye, none voting No, none voting Present. Senate Bill 1, having received the required three-fifths constitutional majority, is declared passed, notwithstanding the specific recommendations of the Governor. Senator Murphy, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Purpose of announcement, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Please state your announcement, Senator.
Thank you. Please let the record reflect Senator Millner is home due to a family illness today and just ask that the record so reflect and that his absence be deemed excused.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Record will reflect his absence. Thank you, Senator Murphy. Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate, with leave, we will turn to page 8 of your printed Calendars. On the Order of Senate Bills 3rd Reading is Senate Bill 270. Senator Cullerton seeks leave of the Body to return Senate Bill 270 to the Order of 2nd Reading. Leave is granted. Now on the Order of 2nd Reading is Senate Bill 270. Madam Secretary, are there any Floor amendments approved for consideration?
Floor Amendment 2, offered by President Cullerton.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) President Cullerton, to explain the amendment.
22 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Thank you, Mr. President, Members of the Senate. Floor Amendment No. 1 deletes everything, becomes the bill, which restores the Illinois State Lottery to its status as an independent department. Currently, it’s a division of the Department of Revenue. I believe we actually passed this bill earlier in the -- earlier…
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Mr. President, Amendment No. 1 has been adopted. We have Amendment No. 2 before the Senate. We want to make sure that you’re -- you’re…
All right. Thank you. Amendment No. 2 then is a cleanup amendment that retains the original bill and provides for a continuing appropriation to pay the Lottery’s prizes to its winners and corrects two references to the Superintendent and adds an effective date of July 1st, 2011. Move for its adoption.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Is there any discussion of the amendment? Seeing none, Senator Cullerton moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment No. 2. All in favor, say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. Have there been any further Floor amendments approved for consideration?
No further amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. Now on the Order of 3rd Reading is Senate Bill 270. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
23 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Senate Bill 270. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) President Cullerton.
Yes, thank you, Mr. President, Members of the Senate. This bill restores the Department of Lottery to its pre-2003 status as an independent State agency. The goal would be to better facilitate the interaction of the Lottery with the Lottery private manager; to provide for greater accountability for the Superintendent of the Lottery, because that Superintendent would be subject to Senate confirmation. And we also require the Chief Procurement Officer to approve future private manager contracts entered into by the Superintendent of the Lottery. And I had a conversation in committee with Senator Brady concerning this issue earlier. And it’s my intention, when we do our budget, to make sure that we do not in any way increase the overall amount of money that is being spent on the operation of the Lottery. If anything, we can -- we can cut it. But -- now, we may need to have a salary level for the new Superintendent. But, overall, I can see a savings in the operation of the Lottery, given -- given the fact that we have this private manager. But we still need to have a Superintendent of the Lottery and it ought to be somebody that we have more accountability to, and that’s why we’re asking for the separation. Be happy to answer any questions.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Is there any discussion? Senator Annazette Collins, for 24 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 what purpose do you seek recognition?
Thank you, Mr. President. I would like to be recorded as Aye on Senate Bill 1.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) The record will reflect your intention. Is there anyone seeking recognition on this bill? Senator Righter, for what purpose do you rise?
Will the sponsor yield, please, Mr. President?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Sponsor indicates that he will yield.
Thank you. Mr. President, I was not in Executive Committee when this passed out. You earlier referenced legislation that this Body addressed on this issue last year. But it’s my recollection, we did not vote on the Floor on this change. Is that accurate?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Cullerton.
Senator, one of the bills we passed dealing with capital reauthorization contained this language where we separated the Lottery. I don’t think it was called in the House. That’s my reference to the earlier bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President, why do we need to 25 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 do this? I -- I heard you reference earlier savings, but the origin of those savings would be the private management of the Lottery, which can be done regardless of whether we create a whole new department in State government. So, beyond -- what’s the reason to do this, assuming that that can be done even within the Department of Revenue?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Cullerton.
Well, our previous Governor instituted this reorganization. And my view on the Lottery is that we can do much better than we’ve been doing in the past. The Lottery’s been basically flat for a good number of years - twenty -- twenty years or so. And when -- when we passed our capital bill, we hoped to -- and we are counting on the Lottery to bring in an extra couple hundred million dollars to help sustain the amount of money we hope to - - to sell in bonds for the capital bill. And that, in part, was because of two provisions that were in the bill: one, to call for a -- selling the Lottery tickets on the Internet; and, secondly, having the private management. So the private management contract has been let. I think it starts July 1st. And once that happens, they can -- hopefully go to selling the Lottery tickets on the Internet. But with the Superintendent of the Lottery being part of the Department of Revenue, I don’t think we have the -- the accountability that we would have by having a separate agency director, subject to Senate confirmation, obviously coming before our -- our committee, where both Republicans and Democrats can -- can question their - - their qualifications. And as far as -- as an aside, if you’re 26 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 concerned about additional cost to the State, I have every intention, when we do our budget for this new agency, the Lottery, to make sure that whatever money we’re spending for that division now in the Department of Revenue, that we spend less, that we actually have savings. And it’s very possible, of course, for the Department of Revenue and the new Department of Lottery to have shared expenses on certain items if that’s -- it saves money. But -- so it’s not my intention to spend more money on this. It’s -- it’s just the opposite, to try to save money, but effectuate these major changes, which we’re hoping to implement to help our capital bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
Thank you, Mr. President. Senator Cullerton, I listened carefully to your answer and -- and mostly what I heard was about Lottery underperformance and doing things better, all of which can be remedied under the current structure, every single one of those, except for one. And that is that you have a new department that has its own director that’s subject to Senate confirmation. Now, I think many would argue that the Director of the Department of Revenue is accountable now, because that Superintendent falls under his auspices. So, I mean, you believe that there’s an inability somehow for you or for the Governor or Members of the General Assembly to sufficiently hold the Director of the Department of Revenue accountable, so we need to separate the Superintendent out and have a whole new department? I mean, is that -- is that -- I mean, putting aside all the management issues, because those can already be done, 27 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 other than that, I mean, is that the driving force of this bill?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Cullerton.
I’m very tempted to say yes.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter, do you have another question?
To the bill, if I might, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) To the bill, Senator.
Thank you. Thank you, Senate President, for answering my questions. I rise in opposition to the bill. I understand what the sponsor’s trying to do here, but if you vote for this, you’re creating another department in State government at a time when everyone’s complaining about not getting money to schools, not getting money to human service providers and all these other issues. The story back home is going to be that you voted to create another department in State government with new business cards, new letterhead and new director and all those kinds of things. And I think that, perhaps, while there’s a -- a chance that we could get savings out of this, I mean, in the end, we’re going to see a budget package. It’s going to be up to the budget package that’s in writing that becomes law whether or not we actually see savings from creating a new department in State government. And even if that comes -- comes true, I think that -- that’ll be a very hard sell back home. The bottom line is, is that we can do the things that we want to do with the Lottery 28 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 to make it, quite frankly, more aggressive, to have it take in more revenue, as the Senate President’s talked about, without creating a new department in State government, and I think that’s the course that we should adopt. Therefore, I urge opposition to Senate Bill 270. Thank you, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Thank you, Senator. Senator Luechtefeld, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Thank you, Mr. President, Members of the Senate. A question of the sponsor.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Sponsor indicates that he’ll yield. Senator Luechtefeld.
Senator, if you’ll remember in committee - and -- and I -- and I really think what you’re trying to do, you mean well with it, all that sort of stuff - but I -- this new director, I remember asking you, what will his job be? Because if we -- if we hire a -- if we hire a -- someone else to run the Lottery, which we are doing, hopefully -- hopefully making more money, those people that we hire, that -- that group will run the Lottery. They will actually do the work of the Lottery. What will the director’s job be? Oversight? Or how big will that department be? That sort of thing.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Cullerton.
Senator, the -- the contract that we have with this private manager doesn’t turn over all of the decisions to that private 29 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 manager. There still has to be -- in fact, according to federal law, there’s a Wire Act that -- that -- that applies here. We have to have an agency oversee the implementation of this contract. It -- it -- the idea behind the contract, quite frankly, was just to bring in some private sector people who would do a better job, as you’d imagine the private sector would, at selling stuff. ‘Cause we’re not that good at that. And so it’s kind of unique in that -- in that respect. But we still have to have a Superintendent and it’s still a very important position to make sure that the private manager is acting in that capacity. And so, that’s why I -- I think it’s essential. And this is -- believe me, I -- I am -- I -- I feel strongly about this because it’s a critical part of our capital bill. It’s two hundred million dollars that we -- that we need out of a total of 1.2 billion. So it’s a big part of our capital bill. We haven’t received any money from this so far. And it’s very important that we have a strong Lottery director who’s accountable to the Senate, who you get to vote on, as to whether or not they should be appointed. You can ask them that question in committee, or have -- if you’re not on the committee, someone else could. And so that’s why I think it’s important to have Senate confirmation for this person as well.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Luechtefeld.
Senator, would you envision how many people it would take to be under this director to -- to get this job done, or would he be the only person there? What’s the size of this new department? 30 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Cullerton.
Senator, I have seen a list of people that work in the Division of the Lottery under the Department of Revenue. I don’t remember if there’s forty people or whatever. I -- I -- I would think that we, in the General Assembly, when we do that budget, can go through that and question them and see how many would be needed in the new administration. I would suggest we probably have to have a salary, you know, for the Superintendent to attract somebody. Maybe do a nationwide search and find somebody from another state, to attract that person to come in. But the rest of the budget can -- can be -- we have the power to control that. And my intention is, I’ll state it clearly here, is to spend less money than we are right now in the Department of Revenue on that Division.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Seeing no further discussion, President Cullerton, do you wish to close?
Yes. For -- if there’s anybody back home that cares about this bill, I would tell you that we had -- our previous Governor did some stunts that was designed to make it look like we were saving money by consolidating agencies, and this undoes one of those stunts. And from our point of view, from here in the Senate, this empowers us to have someone who’s appointed by the Governor come before us and seek our approval, and that accountability is important for us as an institution. And this is a very important part of State government, because it’s going 31 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 to provide money not only for General Revenue, but also for our capital bill. So, for those reasons -- and I can guarantee you, we can control, and it’s my intention to save money on the actual operation of this agency once it’s separate. So, I would ask for an Aye vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) The question is, shall Senate Bill 270 pass. All those in favor will vote Aye. 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, there are 43 voting Aye, 12 voting No, none voting Present. And Senate Bill 270, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate, we’re going to stand at ease for just a moment to allow our paperwork to catch up with our progress. The Senate will stand at ease. (at ease) Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate, the Senate will come to order. The Senate will stand at ease for a few moments to allow the Committee on Assignments to meet. If all members of the Committee on Assignments would please report to the President’s Anteroom, the Committee on Assignments will meet for a few moments. And the Senate will stand at ease. (at ease) The Senate will come to order. Madam Secretary, Committee Reports.
Senator Clayborne, Chairman of the Committee on Assignments, reports the following Legislative Measures have been assigned: Refer to the Executive Committee - House Bill 3039; re-refer from the Appropriations I Committee to the Assignments Committee - Floor Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 2416, 32 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Floor Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 2437 and Floor Amendment 2 to Senate Bill 2437; re-refer from the Appropriations II Committee to the Assignments Committee - Floor Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 2419, Floor Amendment 2 to Senate Bill 2419, Floor Amendment 5 to Senate Bill 2419, Floor Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 2473 and Floor Amendment 2 to Senate Bill 2473. Signed by Senator James F. Clayborne, Chairman. Senator Clayborne, Chairman of the Committee on Assignments, reports the following Legislative Measures have been assigned: Be Approved for Consideration - Floor Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 2315, Floor Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 2332, Floor Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 2348, Floor Amendment 3 to Senate Bill 2394, Floor Amendment 2 to Senate Bill 2403, Floor Amendment 3 to Senate Bill 2407, Floor -- Floor Amendment 4 to Senate Bill 2408, Floor Amendment 3 to Senate Bill 2413, Floor Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 2416, Floor Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 2419, Floor Amendment 2 to Senate Bill 2419, Floor Amendment 5 to Senate Bill 2419, Floor Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 2428, Floor Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 2437, Floor Amendment 2 to Senate Bill 2437, Floor Amendment 3 to Senate Bill 2443, Floor Amendment 4 to Senate Bill 2450, Floor Amendment 4 to Senate Bill 2454, Floor Amendment 6 to Senate Bill 2458, Floor Amendment 3 to Senate Bill 2467, Floor Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 2473, Floor Amendment 2 to Senate Bill 2473. Signed by Senator James F. Clayborne, Chairman.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Thank you, Madam Secretary. WICS-Television seeks leave to videotape the proceeding. Is there any objection? Seeing no 33 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 objection, leave is granted. Senator Cultra, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Thank you, Mr. President. I’d just like the record to reflect, on Senate Bill 270, that I intended to vote No.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) The record will so reflect your intention, Senator. Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate, we are merely waiting for the amendments that have been reported by the Committee on Assignments to arrive on the Floor. We’re standing at ease just for a moment while the paperwork catches up with our -- our schedule. (at ease) Senate will please come to order. Senator John Jones, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Thank you, Mr. President. A point of personal privilege.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Please state your point, Senator.
You know, a lot of people have birthdays here in the Chamber and -- and -- and most of the time we’re gone whenever we have a birthday. But I would be remiss today if I didn’t announce that Senator Bill Brady, on Sunday, will be the big 5- 0. So we want to wish Bill Brady a happy birthday.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Happy birthday, Senator Brady. Senator Jones, do you have another point?
And always before, Mr. President, he has brought the world famous BEER NUTS, little bags of those. So we will all be 34 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 expecting those on Monday.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Brady, your weekend homework assignment is clear. Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate, with the leave of the Body, we’re going to turn to the printed Calendars on the Order of Senate Bills 3rd Reading on page 55. This commences the order of appropriation bills that we have on 3rd Reading. We will proceed numerically through the Calendar, but with leave of the Body, we will turn -- we will pass over those bills that are not going to be called. We are starting at -- with the first appropriation bill, Senate Bill 2315. Senator Kotowski. Are you ready to proceed? Senator Kotowski seeks leave of the Body to return Senate Bill 2315 to the Order of 2nd Reading. Leave is granted. Now on the Order of 2nd Reading is Senate Bill 2315. Madam Secretary, are there any Floor amendments approved for consideration?
Floor Amendment 1, offered by Senator Kotowski.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski, on the amendment.
I’d like to explain the -- the amendment on 3rd Reading, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment No. 1 to Senate Bill 2315. All in favor, say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. Have there been any further Floor amendments approved for consideration? 35 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011
No further amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. Now on the Order of 3rd Reading is Senate Bill 2315. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
Senate Bill 2315. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
Thank you, Mr. President and Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate. Before we begin full explanation of the bill, would just like to drive home a couple of points. This budget, again, is a -- a new budget process that we’re doing this year. It is a revenue-driven budget. It’s not cost driven. Just like people do at home and at work, we’re going to live within our means. This year, budget includes additional costs that weren’t included last year. Includes certified pension expense, a total group health care liability, and the loss of federal funds. Last year’s did not. So we are using the introduced budget this year, which is 35.978 billion. And that budget number includes all those cost pressures that were not included last year. So, using that number, we’re coming up with -- we’re deducting the real revenue number we have for this year, the 34.28, and we’re going to be coming up with in excess of a billion worth of cuts. So, just wanted to lay the groundwork there. And this -- this amendment that is -- we heard what our -- our Members of the 36 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 other caucus were saying and we made sure we did a couple things that we -- we reduced the Senate Democrat and the Senate Republican GRF operating budgets by five percent, which totals 653.7 thousand. Three hundred and seventy-four thousand for the Senate Dems and two hundred and seventy-nine for the Senate GOP. It also reduces GRF appropriations to the following legislative commissions: COGFA, Legislative Audit Commission, Legislative Reference Bureau, Legislative Research Bureau {sic} (Unit) and the Legislative Printing Unit. So reductions to these commissions’ appropriations totals 4.6 million GRF. The bill reducing spending below Fiscal -- Fiscal Year ‘11 by a total of 5.2 million GRF. And just like to note that -- and compliment all the agencies that went back to the table to figure out a way to save more money for taxpayers.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Thank you, Senator. Is there any discussion? Senator Righter, for what purpose do you rise?
Thank you, Mr. President. Will the sponsor yield, please?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Sponsor indicates that he will yield. Senator Righter.
Thank you. Senator Kotowski, when I heard you give your opening about this is part of our new budget process, did you mean by that, this is part of the new process of openness and sunshine, where we’ll have appropriate time for both sides to study and it’ll go through the committee and will be deliberative? Is that what you meant?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 37 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Senator Kotowski.
Yes.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
You’re aware, of course, Senator Kotowski, that the amendment that you’re carrying now just came out of the Assignments Committee. You’re -- you’re aware of that? That this -- that the content of this amendment has not been heard in the Appropriations Committee - you’re aware of that, right?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
We had all of these -- all of these items within the State budget were heard and they were -- testimony was offered within committee and opportunity was presented to offer amendments on your side.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
Senator Kotowski, that’s not the -- the -- that’s not the issue I raised at all. The issue I raised was whether or not the content of this amendment - the amendment that you are sponsoring - has been heard in the Appropriations Committee. Has it been?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
38 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 No.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
Then what is new about this process, Senator Kotowski? Tell me what is new about the process whereby you file it and you bring it right out here to the Floor so most people - nobody over here and, I’ll guarantee you, most people on your side - don’t have the faintest clue what’s in this. What’s new about that process, Senator?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
I think the amendment’s pretty clear about the spending reductions that we have when it comes to the operating budgets for the General Assembly and also for the legislative agencies. So, I think it’s pretty straightforward. We’re making cuts and we’re saving money.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
Senator Kotowski, I asked you what was new about the process - the process that I’ve heard you complain about. I heard you complain about it in 2006. I heard you complain about it regularly since then. The process of things getting filed and rammed through the General Assembly, where people don’t have an opportunity for input; where people don’t have an opportunity to say, “Gee whiz, why are we spending more or spending less here?” I’m talking about the process, Senator Kotowski, the one 39 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 that you’ve railed against for I don’t know how long. This is the embodiment of that process. You’re now the vehicle. You’re the vehicle to continue the “business as usual” budget process. And I’m asking you, why are you doing that? You’ve -- you’ve worked hard to build a lot of credibility on both sides of the aisle, to be an agent of change, and here you are, you’re a principal in carrying out the same exact business as doing -- usual process as we’ve had here for years. Why are you doing that?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter, Senator Kotowski did in his opening remarks refer to the process. I’m going to ask Members to confine their remarks to the bill and not to invoke personalities. Senator Kotowski, to respond.
Just want to know what kind of vehicle am I? Am I -- am I a G6? ‘Cause that’s -- that’s what I have. That’s the Pontiac. So, it’s -- the -- I think it’s very clear what I think is exciting about the process that we’ve gone through here is to -- and the outcome is to make significant reductions from the introduced budget and also from last year. We’re saving taxpayers money and we are moving forward and we’re continuing to -- to cut so we can get to the point so we can have a balanced budget.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter, you have another question?
…do. I do. Thank you, Mr. President. Senator Kotowski, since no one’s had a chance to look at this in any meaningful 40 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 fashion whatsoever, I’d like you to take this time and go through page by page, all twelve pages of this amendment, and tell me what the spending lines are, how much they are, and whether that’s an increase or decrease from what we spent in General Revenue Fund money on that line from last year.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter, is that a question or a direction?
I’m requesting -- that’s a -- that’s a question. I’m asking for a response to do those things. Thank you, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
Sure. The -- the General Assembly reduction is -- the change from this year is -- and last year is six hundred and fifty-three thousand. The COGFA change is 4.1 million dollars. The Legislative Reference Unit {sic} change is a hundred and forty-six thousand dollars. The -- the Legislative Printing Unit is a hundred and eight thousand. So this is -- right. And these are all reductions across the board. So, if you go through them and -- the total that we have is -- it looks like it’s a change of 5.225 from Fiscal Year ‘11 and also from the intro.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Jacobs, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Mr. Chairman {sic}, I’ve heard a lot of speeches that change my mind, but few that have changed my vote. I move the 41 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 previous question.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Thank you, Senator Jacobs. There are two Members seeking recognition. Senator Murphy, for what purpose do you rise?
Question, Mr. President, of the sponsor.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Sponsor indicates that he’ll yield. Senator Murphy.
Senator, I heard you say that the goals were to have a better process and to save taxpayers money and cut spending. And, you know, overall on this budget, especially with what’s going on right now and much of what Senator Righter touched on, I’m disappointed to have to report that you’re pretty clearly 0 for 2. To the bill -- to your -- to question to you: This has the cuts to the General Assembly in it, correct?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
Yes.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
And it’s my understanding that, per our request, you have now included a comparable cut to the Senate Republicans and the House Democrats from what we requested when we were here last talking about this, but that there is no corresponding cut for the House Republicans. Was that an error on your part? Was that your intention? 42 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
Thank you for your question, Senator Murphy. The -- the cut in the General Assembly budget just includes us and you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
Doesn’t the -- doesn’t the budget have to pass both houses, though? I mean, why wouldn’t we just put the same cut for everybody on one bill?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
Yeah, thank you for your -- your question, Senator Murphy. This is a -- a Senate bill. And, you know, working within the caucuses here, within the -- the Senate Democrats and the -- the Senate Republicans, and we’ve made the -- those reductions based on feedback from them. The House has every opportunity to do the same.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
To the bill: You know, I -- I appreciate the fact that we’ve at least been included in this. I think it’s -- I think it’s really disappointing that we’re sitting here with forty- five-minutes notice after this process has been touted as being so different; that we’re -- we’re -- we’re basically -- it’s “meet the new boss, same as the old boss”, from where I’m 43 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 looking at this, which is an incredibly disappointing turn of events. I think it’s cute that we’re going to start with cutting our own budget. I think, for the Members on our side of the aisle, it’s important to understand that this is a cut to the Senate Republican budget, as well as the Senate Democrat budget. When we’re asking for fiscal discipline from everyone else, we need to ask for it and exhibit it from ourselves. Given that fact, I urge an Aye vote on this. But there will be a lot more to be said about a budget plan that is a failure both in process and in product.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Radogno is the final speaker seeking recognition. Senator Radogno, for what purpose do you rise?
Thank you, Mr. President. Question of the sponsor.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Sponsor indicates that he’ll yield. Senator Radogno.
Senator, what does this do to the SIU budget?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
From what I -- I hear, Leader Radogno, that was a shell bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Radogno.
Again to the issue of transparency, if you look up at the board, anybody would think we’re talking about the SIU budget 44 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 and yet this has absolutely nothing to do with it. How is the average person able to follow this or make any sense out of this process whatsoever when something as fundamental as what’s being put out there publicly we’re just -- that we’re supposedly discussing has absolutely nothing to do with what’s before us and we have no analysis and we just saw this within forty-five minutes?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
Thank you, Leader Radogno, for your -- your point. This is an Act concerning appropriations. And we made decisions according to that. So, we’ve -- we’ve presented what the bill is and -- and what the reductions are. I think it’s pretty straightforward.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Radogno.
So, just -- what happens in this Body now, if there were to be some sort of campaign mailer, of course you all would say we voted No on the SIU budget, right? If people voted No. In fact, they’re cuts to the General Assembly, which are a good thing to do. We need to do that. But I think this is confusing to the public and not fair to be discussing in this manner. We should cut the General Assembly and the legislative agencies. I’m for that. We will support those cuts. But, again, this process isn’t fair to the Members and it’s certainly not fair to the public. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 45 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Senator Kotowski, do you wish to close?
To simply restate that this is - very clearly, for those listening at home - this is a cut to the General Assembly budget and is a cut to legislative agency {sic} and it is a savings, a cost savings of about 5.2 million dollars. That’s what we’re cutting. Just so everyone paying attention at home -- and this is just about addressing the budget. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Thank you. The question is, shall Senate Bill 2315 pass. All those in favor will vote Aye. 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, there are 51 voting Aye, 6 voting No, none voting Present. And Senate Bill 2315, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. Senator McCann, for what purpose do you seek recognition? SENATOR McCANN: Thank you, Mr. President. To the previous bill, I wanted to rise before you called that vote to say how disappointed I am in the…
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator -- Senator… SENATOR McCANN: …the whole thing.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) …I’m -- I’m afraid we’ve already called that bill. Thank you very much. Moving forward on our Calendar is Senate Bill 2332. Senator Kotowski. Senator Kotowski seeks leave of the 46 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Body to return Senate Bill 2332 to the Order of 2nd Reading. Leave is granted. Now on the Order of 2nd Reading is Senate Bill 2332. Madam Secretary, are there any Floor amendments approved for consideration?
Floor Amendment 1, offered by Senator Kotowski.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski, on the amendment.
Like to address the bill on 3rd Reading.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment No. 1. All in favor, say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it. The amendment is adopted. Madam Secretary, have there been any further Floor amendments approved for consideration?
No further amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. Now on the Order of 3rd Reading is Senate Bill 2332. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
Senate Bill 2332. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
Thank you, Mr. President and Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate. This is Department of Natural Resources bill. This is 47 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 for the Department of Natural Resources and it makes Fiscal Year ‘12 appropriations for Department of Natural Resources. As amended, includes a five percent cut from the Governor’s Fiscal Year ‘12 introduced amount for GRF personal services, which is 2.1 million reduction; a five percent cut to GRF operations, which is a reduction of 272.9 thousand; and a seven percent cut to GRF contractual service, which is 456.3 thousand. The amendment reduces the personal services line by an additional five hundred thousand to eliminate a request for additional head count. The amendment also eliminates all appropriations to the Partners for Conservation Fund. The bill increases spending above ‘11 slightly, by a total of two hundred and eighty-one thousand. And so the reduction, though based on the -- the introduced amount, is a total reduction of, looks like the GRF, 3.3 million dollars. More than happy to answer any questions.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Is there any discussion? Senator Murphy, you’re the lead- off hitter this inning. For what purpose do you rise?
Question of the sponsor, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Sponsor indicates he’ll yield. Senator Murphy.
Senator, we passed -- or, you passed Senate Bill 2409 previously, which was a DNR budget. How does this hot-off-the- presses amendment change what you passed previously?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
48 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Just to give you the -- the -- the detailed summary of this, Senator Murphy. It deletes everything after the enacting clause and becomes the bill. It appropriates 51.8 million from the General Revenue Fund, 167.2 million from other State funds and 32.4 million from federal funds, for a total of 251.3 million. This includes a -- I included the five percent cut in my opening remarks. The amendment reduces the overall personal services lines by five hundred thousand for the requested five additional head count and the amendment eliminates all appropriations to the Partners of {sic} (for) Conservation Fund. So, I think -- listed below are the lines we -- affected by the reduction: the Partners of Conservation Fund. So, essentially, what we did was, this amendment, we reduced the Partners of Conservation Fund from 1.8 to 0 under Real Estate. Under Resource, Partners of Conservation Program, reduced it from 1.5 million to 0. And also Partners for Conservation Program, eco- based management, we reduced that from 1.966 million to 0. That’s the difference, Senator Murphy.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
Senator, we -- you know, as you recall, we put out a plan with a goal of making the tax increase temporary, paying our bills without more borrowing, and creating jobs. We have a comprehensive plan that gets all of that done. We have a spending cap in place in Senate Bill 1405, on file, that gets that done. This is part of the overall comprehensive plan of yours, I take it - this particular bill. But I guess my first question would be, does your spending plan in total - this -- 49 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 this piece of legislation included as part of that - put us on a path to make the tax increase temporary? Or will you admit that you intend for it to be permanent?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy, is that a question on the bill? Senator Kotowski, if you can find a question on the bill, please go ahead and answer it. Senator…
I just -- I think I was really clear in my opening remarks that this is -- that we’re making cuts based on a revenue-driven budget. And, you know, we’re focusing right now on Department of Natural Resources. And we’re going to go budget by budget for departments and agencies and some are going to reflect a -- a change of significant reductions and some you’re going to see the same. But our overall plan is to have a -- a balanced budget and is to not spend more than the revenue we have.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
Okay. This is an increase in spending. It’s part of an overall package that’s an increase in spending and the direct question is - and I thought, given the fact that we had forty- five minutes to review the bills, we could maybe have our debate out here, but apparently we don’t really want to have a conversation about the -- the broader budget - do you intend with this budget -- do you have any numbers that you can run out that show that the tax increase, that you told everybody when it passed would be temporary, can, in fact, go away as scheduled, based on the budget you’re putting out in total today, including 50 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 this piece of it, which increases spending?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
I believe this budget’s going to take us on the path towards fiscal health and balance the budget. And to make sure that we do what we promised we would do.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
Have you run out any numbers and -- and -- and projections that would actually back up that extremely vague and utterly useless response?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
I think what we have offered here is specifics and specific cuts. So, while I appreciate -- I appreciate the passion of your remarks, I -- I -- I disagree with what you’re saying. The fact is, we have specific cuts that we’re presenting here today and specific budgets. And we are going to continue to present them, item after item. And ultimately, at the end of the day, you’re going to see significant reductions and cost savings so that we have a balanced budget.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
…the bill, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 51 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 To the bill, Senator.
I beg to differ. But what you have -- what you’ve offered in this particular bill is an increase in spending. What you offer in totality is an increase in spending. What you offer in your whole package is actually an increase in spending and deficit spending above your own revenue estimate. The Senate Democrat plan is an exercise -- it’s a journey with no destination. It continues the shortsighted practice of spending more than we take in, not planning long term. It makes permanent the tax increase. It guarantees - it guarantees - that we will borrow, yet again, to pay our bills, because there’s nothing in this plan that takes care of the backlog of bills, unless, of course, you fall back to Senate Bill 3. In contrast, the Senate Republican plan, with all its specificity, is a five-year comprehensive plan that calls for the tough medicine up front, that balances our budget now, pays our bills in cash without borrowing, and puts us on a path to being the job-creation State we ought to be. The contrast could not be clearer. I strongly urge a No vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Thank you, Senator Murphy. Senator Righter, for what purpose do you rise?
Sponsor yield, please, Mr. President?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Sponsor indicates that he will yield.
Senator Kotowski, was the specific subject of this 52 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 amendment subject to an Appropriations Committee hearing?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
No.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
Senator Kotowski, what’s the total spending under this amendment?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
The -- the total spend of all funds under this amendment is two hundred and fifty-one million three hundred and fifty-eight thousand and seven hundred dollars.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
Senator Kotowski, do you not think it’s important for us to have a committee hearing on a bill that spends two hundred and fifty million dollars?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
I’m glad you raised that, Senator. Thank you for your comment. We actually had a -- committee hearings. We’ve had several, where we’ve taken extensive testimony and when we presented our -- our first rounds of -- of the bills, we gave an 53 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 opportunity to introduce amendments and have you introduce amendments to it and make suggestions and recommendations. So, yeah, we -- I think it’s important. We took testimony and we gave an opportunity to -- for you to present amendments on your side. We are still waiting for those.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
Thank you, Mr. President. Before I ask my next question, I would note that the -- in the -- part of the comments there from the sponsor are about something that’s not in the bill. Senator Kotowski, I’ll ask again. Don’t you think it’s important -- and you’ve -- you’ve told me that there was not a committee hearing on the content of this bill. So I’ll ask you again. Don’t you think it’s important to have a committee hearing on the specific content of a bill that spends over two hundred and fifty million dollars? You either think it’s important or not. That’s all I’m asking.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
I -- I believe I’ve already answered that question, Senator. I’m going to try and make sure that you hear what I said. We had an Appropriations hearing and we took testimony for the last several months on a wide range of agencies. We introduced our budget. We presented at the Appropriations hearing. There was an opportunity for testimony to be provided and people provided testimony. We’ve since made slight adjustments to it and here’s the bill that we’re presenting 54 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 today. So…
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
Mr. President, I hesitate to do this again, but I’m -- I’m going to and I appreciate your indulgence. Senator Kotowski, there’s not been a committee hearing on this bill, which spends two hundred and fifty million dollars - more than that - of the public’s money. So I’ll ask you again. Do you not think it’s important to have a committee hearing on the specific content of a bill, such as this amendment, that spends two hundred and fifty million dollars in committee? I mean, do you not think that’s important?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter, I believe he’s answered that in his words. I’ll give him one more chance to answer it again in his own choice of words. Senator Kotowski.
Yes, and that’s why we held the hearings.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
Senator Kotowski, if you think it was -- if you think it’s important to have a committee hearing on the specific content of a bill that spends over two hundred and fifty million dollars of the public’s money, then why are you sponsoring an amendment for which there’s been no committee hearing? Did you object? Did you say, “Wait a second. We’ve not had a committee hearing on it”? If you think it’s important, and you told me earlier we 55 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 haven’t, then why are you doing this?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
Thank you, Senator Righter. I -- I believe I’ve answered your question several times.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
Thank you, Mr. President. No, you haven’t, Senator Kotowski. You’ve talked about things that are not before the Illinois Senate and you’ve talked about some hearings you had, where some of the agencies involved came and testified about something they hadn’t seen yet. You’ve talked about all that. But what you’ve not answered for me is, if you think it’s important to have committee hearings on specific pieces of legislation that spend two hundred and fifty million dollars, and then some, of the public’s money, and you’ve not had one here, like you told me, then why are you -- why are you doing it? I mean, why the rush? Why -- why do this inside of an hour. Why not have a committee hearing, Senator?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
The -- this budget that we’ve presented here is nearly identical to what we introduced and what we spoke about in the Appropriations hearing, and we’ve -- I agree with you the importance of having hearings. We’ve had hearings for the past several months. We took testimony on -- on legislation -- on 56 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 spending legislation. So, I -- I agree with you. Process has been very open. We’ve received a great deal of feedback. And so we’re -- we’re proceeding.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter, do you have a new line of questioning perhaps?
I don’t think so, Mr. President. I think the point’s been made. Thank you very much.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) I agree. Thank you. Senator Trotter, for what purpose do you rise?
Excuse me. Thank you. To the bill, if -- if I may.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) To the bill, Senator.
You know, first let me begin by thanking our staff and certainly Chairman Kotowski and Chairman Steans for having those long meetings throughout the year to discuss these issues that are very, very important to us. I’ve heard the answers. I guess I was in the meeting and I was probably in the meeting listening when the questions were asked. So it’s unfortunate that some people missed that part of the meetings. But I do agree with some of the comments that were made on the other side, is that we are spending more money this year, ‘cause we’re fully spending dollars on our pensions; we’re fully trying to replace those dollars that we will not get from the feds, because the dollars have expired. Those days of assuming that 57 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 the feds are going to take care of our problems are no longer there. So, with those dollars, those new dollars that we’re spending, we’re ensuring that the individuals in this State, your constituents, my constituents, can still maintain a semblance of a good quality of life as they, too, with us, suffer through some of these necessary reductions that were made. But this is a good budget, one that’s been discussed again and again. We’ve asked your side not to just give us a comprehensive plan, but to give us a detailed plan of how you want to make things work. And we haven’t gotten that. Because the real deal is in the details. This is what people are now discussing today, the details of how we’re going to move our State forward so we can utilize those new dollars that we’re getting in from taxes and sunset that income tax in four years. So, thank you all.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Thank you, Senator. Senator Kotowski, to close.
Simply ask for an Aye vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Question is, shall Senate Bill 2332 pass. All those in favor will vote Aye. 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, there are 34 voting Aye, 22 voting No, none voting Present. Senate Bill 2332, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate, moving forward on page 55 of your printed Calendar is -- Senate Bill 2348. Senator Steans. Senator Steans seeks leave of the Body 58 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 to return Senate Bill 2348 to the Order of 2nd Reading. Leave is granted. Now on the Order of 2nd Reading is Senate Bill 2348. Madam Secretary, have there been any Floor amendments approved for consideration?
Floor Amendment 1, offered by Senator Steans.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans, to present the amendment.
Yes, thank you very much. I’ll explain the amendment on 3rd Reading.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment No. 1 to Senate Bill 2348. All in favor, say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. Have there been any further Floor amendments approved for consideration?
No further amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. Now on the Order of 3rd Reading is Senate Bill 2348. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
Senate Bill 2348. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
59 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Thank you very much. We are continuing to pass our budgets today, as you all know. I’m going to start here with a budget {sic} from our former esteemed President George W. Bush, who once said, “It’s clearly a budget, there’s a lot of numbers in it.” And while this is accurate, budgets go a lot further than this. They reflect our priorities and our values. On the budget that we’re continuing to pass today, focus on two fundamental principles: We must stop the gimmicks that have gotten us into this financial mess; at the same time, protect core services that safeguard our citizens and enable us to compete in a global society. The budget we’re continuing to pass today are balanced, with total spending dropping from 65.8 million dollars, if you include what we borrowed to pay for our pensions in Fiscal Year ‘11, down to 59.9 million dollars in Fiscal Year ‘12, as we are proposing it. We accomplish this with absolutely no gimmicks. We have no borrowing. We ensure we do not appropriate dollars that we do not have to spend, while also making full appropriations for costs that we’ll know we’ll have, meaning our vendors will actually get paid. We do not rely on outrageous lapse spending that’s been done in past. We play no games on Medicaid payment cycle that just moves spending to future years. We make full payments for corporate refunds. Anyone who’s close to the budget knows that these are the games that have been played in the past to balance our budget. This must stop and does stop with the budget we’re introducing. This key to financial management alone though, without educating our children and maintaining a healthy citizenry, will not move the State forward, but backwards. While fiscally sound, this balanced budget also ensures we 60 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 invest in a strong workforce and preventing problems rather than treating them at a higher cost later. It is inevitable that a Chamber and State that’s as diverse as ours will debate the particulars. And as we engage in this debate, we must remember it’s not simply numbers, but, in fact, reflects our values and priorities. With that, I’m going to turn to the specifics of 2394 -- or, excuse me, Senate Bill -- yeah -- 2348, which deals with our judicial agencies. The total spending in this budget that we’re presenting in these for all funds is three hundred and ninety-two million eight hundred and thirty-nine dollars. This is a decrease of seven percent from Fiscal Year ‘11. And GRF, alone, is a decrease of 4.3 percent. I’m happy to answer any -- any particular questions on any of these judicial agency budgets if anyone has questions on them.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Thank you, Senator. Is there any discussion? Senator Murphy, for what purpose do you rise?
Question of the sponsor, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Sponsor indicates that she’ll yield. Senator Murphy.
Senator, do you think it’s appropriate that we’re seeing this just forty-five minutes after it’s filed?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
We’ve been engaged in budget discussions for several months now. The Appropriation Committees that you and I serve on have 61 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 been meeting regularly. We’ve heard testimony from all of these agencies. We’ve heard specifics and talked about amendments very similar to these. I think we’ve had ample time and opportunity to be discussing the -- the budgets that we’re presenting. And I do feel that we’ve given this full due consideration.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
But if you didn’t think these amendments made meaningful changes to what was done before, I presume you wouldn’t have gone to the trouble of amending them. So if meaningful changes are being made, shouldn’t people have the opportunity to fully understand what those meaningful changes are before we fly right out to the Floor for 3rd Reading? I mean, our -- you know, our staff, we are sitting here. We have no idea what’s in this. We have to take your word on all of this, essentially, because we’ve had no opportunity whatsoever to evaluate it. Do you really think that’s fair? Do you think that is a process that you’re proud of?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
As you know, we have been engaged in this and we have had meetings on this for many months. Your staff has been involved and they’ve seen these budgets for a long time. You have had opportunities to submit your own amendments to any of these budgets and have chosen not to participate. You know, I think you could be learning something from the colleagues across the - 62 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 - the other side of the Rotunda here and actually roll up your sleeves and participate in the budget process here. You’ve chosen not to do that. We have these amendments and we are looking forward to getting votes on them today.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
Actually, we -- in the Approp hearing, the Governor’s introduced bills are what were discussed, not this. Your interpretation of our involvement, I guess I would take issue with. We have a more comprehensive plan out there than anybody else does. It actually is substantive, is long term, and does something that hasn’t been done in this place in a long, long time, which is, actually, put forth a plan for how we get to fiscal sanity, rather than careening from one crisis to another, which yours clearly does. And I’ll ask you what I asked your counterpart. Do you have numbers that you can show that if we spend at the level you’re proposing this year, how we will be able to allow the tax increase to go off as planned? Do you have a rack-up of numbers that -- that -- that illustrate that?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
Senator Murphy, you talk about a plan that you have put in place. I would say that this is a plan that you’ve been arguing in the Blue Room, not at the Legislative Reference Bureau. We have yet to see any specific suggestions on what you would like to be cutting in the budget, while ample opportunity has been given for that. I’d agree with your -- something Leader Radogno 63 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 had once said, if you’re going to be genuine about fixing the problem, you’ve got to be specific. I -- we are presenting specific legislation that puts us on the path, gets rid of all gimmicks, and really puts us on the -- on the path of restoring fiscal integrity to this State.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
I can assure you the opponents of the specific cuts we’ve put in our plan who have contacted us had every bit of specificity they needed to understand precisely what we were talking about. The fact that our outreach to the other side has resulted not in an effort to, on your part, to cut spending, but to actually increase it, was a disappointment and really ended the conversation, such as it was, before it even began. So, I - - I guess if -- if you’re suggestion is that you can get to the point where the tax increase can go away, as you promised, by increasing spending, I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree. I urge a No vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Will the sponsor yield, please, Mr. President?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Sponsor indicates that she’ll yield. Senator Righter.
You know, Senator, I didn’t have my speak light on until I heard you suggest that maybe we could learn something from our colleagues across the hall. My recollection from seeing the 64 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 process over there is that they’re having Appropriations hearings on the specific bills that are then coming out on the House Floor. You’ve not had one on this bill. Why not?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
Well, we have had hearings on an amendment that was very similar to this specific bill, Senator Righter. And there has been a great deal of opportunity for discussions on these financial matters before us. I -- I would say that if you suggest that the public - in -- in a previous statement here, it was made - that the public’s had ample -- opportunities to respond. Clearly there was enough specifics in that comprehensive plan you presented to get feedback on it. I would suggest that the specific amendments that we’ve had in the committee before has certainly been providing ample opportunity for people to get specific feedback to us.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
Okay, Senator, to be clear, I’m talking about the bill that you’re sponsoring, the bill that I think you’ve said spends almost four hundred million dollars of the public’s money. And so, the simple question I have for you is, how -- how do you justify being the sponsor of a bill that spends almost four hundred million dollars without one hearing on the specific content of the bill?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans. 65 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011
We have had hearings on these very specific agency budgets time and again, Senator Righter. And I would, again, suggest to you that across the Rotunda, folks have rolled up their sleeves and participated in the process on both sides of the aisle, which has just not been the situation in -- in -- in this Chamber.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter, do you have another question?
I do, Mr.… We’ve not had hearings on these specific -- specific agency budgets, Senator. You’ve had hearings on other specific proposals, but not these proposals. I’m just asking “Why?” I mean, is there a rush? Is there a deadline? Is there a plane leaving soon? I’m asking -- I’m sincerely asking why is it can we not -- that we don’t have a hearing on this amendment that you’re presenting in the Appropriations Committee, not just for the Members on our side of the aisle, because it’s not mostly our money. I’m talking about the public’s money so they can know what your plan is. Why don’t you have a hearing, Senator?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
Senator Righter, as you know, we are passing a budget here in the Senate. The House is also passing a different budget in the House. We’re going to have to sit down and have reconciliation. There’ll be -- ample opportunities to rectify this process, if you would so like to sit down as we move 66 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 forward in doing so.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
Thank you, Mr. President. To the bill: What I just heard Senator Steans said was, well, this is kind the opening round, so it’s really not that important. I know that this bill spends somewhere around four hundred million dollars of the public’s money, but since it’s kind of really the opening salvo, it’s really the start of the game that’s always played here, we really don’t need to have a hearing. I appreciate that, Mr. President. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans, do you wish to close?
This bill, as I said, represents a seven percent decrease from Fiscal Year ‘11 spending. I urge an Aye vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) The question is, shall Senate Bill 2348 pass. All those in favor will vote Aye. 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, there are 34 voting Aye, 23 voting No, none voting Present. And Senate Bill 2348, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. Turning to page 56 of your printed Calendar, we have Senate Bill 2394. We’ll start there. I -- a word to the Members - we -- given the magnitude of this issue and the context, I’ve attempted to allow debate on both process and the broader context. I’m going to again ask Members to confine 67 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 their remarks on future appropriation bills to the subject matter of those bills. I think we’ve covered the process and the broader context. Is there an amendment? Senator Kotowski seeks leave of the Body to return Senate Bill 2394 to the Order of 2nd Reading. Seeing no objection, leave is granted. Now on the Order of 2nd Reading is Senate Bill 2394. Madam Secretary, have there been any Floor amendments approved for consideration?
Floor Amendment 2, offered by Senator Kotowski.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski, on Floor Amendment No. 2.
Thank you very much, Mr. President and Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate. Like to address the -- the amendment -- the amendment on 3rd Reading.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment No. 2 to Senate Bill 2394. All in favor, say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. Madam Secretary, have there been any further Floor amendments approved for consideration?
Floor Amendment 3, offered by Senator Kotowski.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski, on the amendment.
Thank you very much, Mr. President. Senate Bill 2394, as amended…
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 68 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Senator -- Senator, we have -- this is Amendment No. 3. Do you move for its adoption?
Yes.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment No. 3 to Senate Bill 2394. All in favor, say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. Have there been any further Floor amendments approved for consideration?
No further amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. Now on the Order of 3rd Reading is Senate Bill 2394. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
Senate Bill 2394. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
Thank you very much. I was just getting the… Senate Bill 2394, as amended, appropriates funding for Fiscal Year ‘12 for the following agencies, which primarily rely on other State and federal funds for their operational expenses: Department of Employment Security, Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, the State Gaming Board, Department of Insurance, the Law Enforcement Training Standards Board, Metropolitan Pier and 69 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Exposition Board {sic} (Authority), the Illinois Racing Board, the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, the Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission, the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission, the Capital Development Board, the Illinois Commerce Commission, the Drycleaners {sic} (Drycleaner) Environmental Response Trust Fund Council, the Illinois Power Authority, the Property Tax Appeal Board, and the Office of the State Fire Marshal. The total General Fund savings, when compared to the Governor’s introduced budget, realized by these reductions is a million dollars.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Thank you, Senator. Is there any discussion? Senator Murphy, for what purpose do you rise?
Question of the sponsor, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Sponsor indicates that he’ll yield. Senator Murphy.
One of the previous speakers had referenced that these budgets are a reflection of our priorities. And specifically referring to the Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission, which we, in our plan, very -- in a very detailed fashion, proposed eliminating, you still have it in here. It has 3.6 million dollars of the original GRF fund in there. They have four employees with an average salary of ninety-five thousand dollars and a director who has a salary higher than the Lieutenant Governor. What do you see of value in the Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission to allow them to stay in our budget and not recapture our 3.6 million dollars? 70 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
Thank you very much, Senator Murphy. The -- I just wanted to clarify something. I think you had brought up something. I don’t know if you intentionally stated that, but I just want to go over the numbers enacted for the Supreme Court Historic Preservation. Enacted was ten million last year and the introduced was ten million this year. And we have it appropriated for this bill here at eight hundred and twenty-four thousand dollars.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
And I can appreciate that and -- and maybe this would be a call for a separate piece of legislation before we could do this. But I recall at one of those Appropriations hearings that I went to and listened to intently, that there is 3.6 million still sitting in a fund controlled by this particular Commission that we would have the right to take back if we eliminated the Commission, as the Senate Republican plan with exquisite detail proposed to do. So I’m just wondering why we are going to leave 3.6 million of GRF sitting in a fund that we felt warranted elimination, but you apparently do not. And I’m trying to figure out why you feel that this Commission warrants continued existence.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Very artful question, Senator Murphy. Senator Kotowski.
71 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 I -- so, I believe that I addressed that, the previous question. Again, I want to restate, there was ten million that was allocated in Fiscal Year ‘11, the Governor introduced it at ten million, and we’ve appropriated eight hundred and twenty- four thousand, which, in fact, is a reduction of about nine million one hundred and seventy-six thousand dollars. So, that’s a very significant reduction and I think that’s something that, as we’ve talked about before, very supportive of reductions of that nature. I don’t know any agency that’s really taken a ninety percent cut in the State budget. But, I think I’ve answered.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy, do you have a follow-up question?
To the bill, Mr. President. I think that might have been one of those Approp hearings that maybe one of us paid a little closer attention than the other. The -- of course, the ten million in there is an appropriation. They spend nowhere near that. The money has been in their fund since this Commission was created several years ago. Again, after spending hundreds of thousands of dollars a year on -- on salaries and having really little to show for it, they do still have 3.6 million left. This was a failed exercise. Given your inclusion of this in there to the detriment of other spending cuts or other more important programs, I encourage a No vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Thank you, Senator Murphy. Senator Righter, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
72 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Will the sponsor yield, please, Mr. President?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Sponsor indicates that he will yield. Senator Righter.
Thank you, Mr. President. Senator Kotowski, can you tell me how the specific appropriation that you have in this bill for the Supreme Court Historic Preservation Fund fits within the parameters of the Budgeting for Results that you’ve been quite proud of?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
Believe it fits quite well. We -- we assessed the spending. As you recall, Senator Righter, this is a budget- driven -- this is a revenue-driven process, plus performance. And we’re looking at assessing the data that’s generated by every agency and commission and department. And I think for the first year, I think it fits as well as it can be. And…
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
Senator Kotowski, what does the agency do?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
The -- well, I make the -- I think it’s pretty self- explanatory, the Supreme Court preservation. There’s funds in order to preserve the status of -- of the Supreme Court and educate people about what the Supreme Court does, and make sure 73 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 the public’s aware of that.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
Okay, I think that’s a -- that’s a fair guess. What -- what about the mission of this agency is critical to the people that you serve or that I serve who pay for you and I and this State government? In other words, within the priorities that we’ve heard a lot of talk about, tell me how this agency gets eight hundred thousand dollars, while keeping in a fund 3.6 million. Detail that for me, please.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
Yeah, thank you very much, Senator Righter. I -- I think, you know, we’ve looked at and we’ve made decisions in the State budget based on priorities. We’ve looked at items all across the board and -- and we simply made the decision to reduce significantly the appropriation, as I mentioned earlier. And right now, I think, indicated by what we’ve put out, we’ve indicated that it’s still somewhat of a -- a priority. And, you know, I’m more than happy to, if you have any kind of suggestions or future amendments to the bill, if you think it’s less of a priority than what we’ve allocated, more than happy to work on that with you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
Thank you, Mr. President. Senator Kotowski, in the 74 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 amendment that you’re carrying, Senator Murphy asked a question about the salary of the director, which is actually higher than the salary of the Lieutenant Governor in the State of Illinois. Is that still true under the amendment that you’re carrying?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
Thank you for your -- I just wanted to -- to verify it. We are holding the salaries flat from last year. That was a -- was a request that was made of the gentleman who presented before us and essentially that -- what we did in the budget process is to make sure that salary was held flat.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
And compare for me, Senator, the importance in your mind of the -- the duties of that -- the director of that agency and what they do to effect positive change for your constituents and mine relative to what the Lieutenant Governor does, who makes less.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
Thank you for your question, Senator Righter. Well, I think there’s -- they are just two different capacity. One is a constitutional officer and one we essentially didn’t have for a couple of years. The Supreme Court Preservation Fund has been in existence, still been operating and -- and living up to its mission for the most part. So, I mean, that’s -- that’s a very 75 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 difficult comparison to make. So, we hope that -- and -- and I expect that the new Lieutenant Governor is going to do a terrific job with the -- the funds that she gets. But I think that’s a -- a comparison that’s not -- really capable of doing right now.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter, do you have another question to the bill?
I do. Thank you, Mr. President. Well, let me put it a different way and maybe one that’s a little more poignant, because -- because I agree that sometimes we’ve all kind of scratched our heads a little bit at what maybe the Lieutenant Governor does. But let me ask you one that’s a lot better. In your mindset of setting priorities in budgeting for results, compare for me the importance of the Director of the Supreme Court Historic Preservation Agency {sic} (Commission) as opposed to the Director of the State Police, who makes less than the Director of the agency that you’re -- you’re carrying here and the salary that you’re supporting. Do you think that job is more important than the Director of the State Police? Because the budget that you’re carrying makes that statement.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
No.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
Given that, then why aren’t you reducing the salary of the 76 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 director of this agency? If you think it’s less important what he or she does as opposed to the State Police, then why aren’t you not keeping those salaries constant? When people around us are losing their jobs and getting pay cuts, your bill keeps their salaries constant. Why aren’t you reducing that?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
That’s an excellent question I think that we should look at. As we’ve looked at every single line item -- as you know, that we’re going to have challenges within the State budget. There are -- there are obviously points that need to be addressed. I think this is something that we need to address. And right now this budget does not reflect that. We do hold the salary constant from the -- from one year to the next. But I’d be more than happy to work with you on an amendment to this to particularly address the salary of that person.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter, for a final question.
Actually, to the bill, if I might, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) To -- to the bill, Senator.
Well, Ladies and Gentlemen, we’ve heard a lot of talk about budgeting for results and setting priorities. And -- and what this budget bill sets forth is that it’s -- it’s more important to the people of the State of Illinois that we have a director of the Supreme Court’s Historical Preservation Agency {sic}, 77 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 which almost no one in here knows what he does, than it is to have a well-paid director of the Illinois State Police. If that’s the kind of results that we’re budgeting for, I don’t want any part of ‘em. Thank you, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Jacobs, for what purpose do you rise?
Question of the sponsor.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Sponsor indicates that he’ll yield. Senator Jacobs.
I’ve just noticed that with the sagging economy and the smoking ban and our revenues in gaming being the lowest in ten years, but I’m seeing an increase between F’11 and F’12 of twenty-three million dollars. Could you just explain to me what -- what they’re -- what the Gaming Board’s doing with this additional twenty-three million dollars?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
Thank you, Senator Jacobs. It’s associated with video gaming and the support that the State Police might need to help implement with the addition of people who are operating more video gaming.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski, do you wish to close?
No. I -- I -- I would just simply ask for an Aye vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 78 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Question is, shall Senate Bill 2394 pass. All those in favor will vote Aye. 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, there are 34 voting Aye, 22 voting No, 1 voting Present. Senate Bill 2394, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. Continuing on the Order of Senate Bills 3rd Reading is Senate Bill 2403. Senator Steans seeks leave of the Body to return Senate Bill 2403 to the Order of 2nd Reading. Leave is granted. Now on the Order of 2nd Reading is Senate Bill 2403. Madam Secretary, have there been any Floor amendments approved for consideration?
Floor Amendment 2, offered by Senator Steans.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans, to present the amendment.
I’ll explain it on 3rd.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment No. 2 to Senate Bill 2403. All in favor, say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. Have there been any further Floor amendments approved for consideration?
No further amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. Now on the Order of 3rd Reading is Senate Bill 2403. Madam Secretary, please read the bill. 79 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011
Senate Bill 2403. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
Thank you, Mr. President, Members of the Senate. Senate Bill 2403, as amended, appropriates funding for the Department of Corrections. Total funds that we are appropriating are one billion two hundred and fifty-three million three hundred and sixty-six thousand dollars. And this represents a 5.2 percent reduction from Fiscal Year ‘11 spending for the Department of Corrections. I would ask for an Aye vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Thank you, Senator. Is there any discussion? Senator Murphy, for what purpose do you rise?
Question of the sponsor, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Sponsor indicates that she’ll yield. Senator Murphy.
Senator, where do you get the FY’11 number?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
From the Governor’s enacted budget.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy. 80 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011
Is that a reasonable basis for comparison in putting a budget together for FY’12?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
Yes, and it reflects estimated actual expenditures for Fiscal Year ‘11 that we have from the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
How does this amendment to Senate Bill 2403 compare to the one that was previously filed, Amendment 1?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
This one makes deeper reductions to the personal services line. We had originally reduced it about five percent. This is now reducing it eight percent.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
How much more is that in a dollar reduction in the GRF of this proposal?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
About -- about twenty-five million dollars. 81 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
Will this -- how will the Governor manage the personnel {sic} lines with this additional personnel {sic} services reduction? Will it require either layoffs or a reduction or an opening of the contract to -- to reduce salary?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
I -- I believe the Governor’s Office is working on an early release program, been meeting with representatives from each of the caucuses. I believe that will be part of, certainly, what enables them to live within this appropriation lines. And we appropriate -- it is the Executive Branch who ends up managing how they live within the spending that we appropriate.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
Have -- have you had any conversation with the Governor about how he feels about this or how he anticipates handling this in light of the fact that he has given assurances to AFSCME that he would not lay anybody off or force a reopening of the contract?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
I have not had a specific conversation with the Governor about that, no. 82 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
Has anybody else among your caucus or leadership had such a conversation? Do we have any knowledge whatsoever of what the Governor will do with this?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
I -- I am not privileged to the conversations that all my Leaders have. I do not know.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
Okay. Has anybody indicated to you that they’ve had such a conversation with the Governor?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
No one has made indication one way or another.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
To the bill, Mr. President. Again…
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) To the bill.
This is a situation where -- as the process has been laid out, this is -- this is really not an appropriate -- not an 83 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 appropriate way to -- to prepare a budget. In addition, while this is an -- an extension of cuts, this still doesn’t cut to the level necessary for us to put ourselves on a path to making the tax increase temporary. The more we see of this budget, the more we realize that the claim that that tax increase would be temporary was never seriously taken. I urge a No vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Thank you, Senator. Further discussion? Senator Righter, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Thank you, Mr. President. Will the sponsor yield, please?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Sponsor indicates that she’ll yield. Senator Righter.
Senator Steans, did -- did I hear you -- correctly say that you are not familiar with the details of any early release program the Governor may put together to help accommodate the changes and reductions in the personal services line? Is that accurate?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
There are discussions going on with Members of each of the caucuses, is my understanding. I am not one of those Members.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
So without being part of the -- of those conversations or, say, having an Appropriations Committee hearing on this, then 84 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 how do we know that the program will be something that would be acceptable to you and I and the rest of the Members, who you’ll be asking for, here in a few minutes, to vote for this? I mean, if you -- if that program doesn’t fit your budget numbers, what are we going to do?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
First, that kind of a program would have other opportunities to get heard by Members of the General Assembly, as they have all been getting involved -- Representatives have been getting involved in that process. Appropriation changes, first this will -- we continue to have negotiations when we go with the House on -- on our budget and there’s always opportunities for changes to our budget through supplementals and other changes.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Is there any further discussion? Seeing none, Senator Steans, you wish to close?
Thank you, Mr. President. Just indicating that this is a 5.2 percent reduction from current budget and would urge an Aye vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Question is, shall Senate Bill 2403 pass. All those in favor will vote Aye. 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, there are 33 voting Aye, 24 voting No, none voting Present. And Senate Bill 85 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 2403, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. Continuing on the Order of Senate Bills 3rd Reading, we’re at Senate Bill 2407. Senator Steans seeks leave of the Body to return Senate Bill 2407 to the Order of 2nd Reading. Seeing no objection, leave is granted. Now on the Order of 2nd Reading is Senate Bill 2407. Madam Secretary, have there been any amendments approved for consideration?
Floor Amendment 3, offered by Senator Steans.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment No. 3 to Senate Bill 2407. All in favor, say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. Have there been any further Floor amendments approved for consideration?
No further amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. Now on the Order of 3rd Reading is Senate Bill 2407. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
Senate Bill 2407. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
Thank you -- very much, Mr. President, Members of the Senate. Senate Bill 2407 amends the Fiscal Year ‘12 budget for 86 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 the Department on Aging. It appropriates total -- in total funds, seven hundred and eighty-four million nine hundred and forty-two thousand dollars for the Department of {sic} Aging. This includes five percent cuts in contractual services, and personal services, another seven -- excuse me, five percent cuts in personal services and operations, seven percent cut in contractual services and makes a number of reductions in some other line items from what the Governor had introduced in his budget. I urge an Aye vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Is there any discussion? Senator Murphy, for what purpose do you rise?
Question of the sponsor, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Sponsor indicates that she’ll yield. Senator Murphy.
How much above the FY’11 figure does this -- your Department of {sic} Aging budget spend?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
This is a situation where we do -- while overall spending’s going down in Fiscal Year ‘11 to Fiscal Year ‘12, in the Department of {sic} Aging we do have an increase of 9.3 percent in all funds. This is because the community care programs is receiving an increase. That’s what’s driving this. There’s decreases elsewhere. This is a program that keeps our seniors in their homes and community-based settings, rather than 87 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 institutions. So, more money going into this program has longer term reductions by keeping people out of nursing homes where there are much higher costs.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
To the bill, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) …bill.
I urge a No vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) There being no further discussion, the question is, shall Senate Bill 2407 pass. All those in favor will vote Aye. 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, there are 33 voting Aye, 22 voting No, none voting Present. Senate Bill 2407, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. Continuing on the Order of Senate Bills 3rd Reading, Senate Bill 2408. Senator Kotowski seeks leave of the Body to return Senate Bill 2408 to the Order of 2nd Reading. Leave is granted. Now on the Order of 2nd Reading is Senate Bill 2408. Madam Secretary, have there been any Floor amendments approved for consideration?
Floor Amendment 4, offered by Senator Kotowski.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment 88 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 No. 4 to Senate Bill 2408. All in favor, say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. Have there been any further Floor amendments approved for consideration?
No further amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. Now on the Order of 3rd Reading is Senate Bill 2408. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
Senate Bill 2408. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
Thank you. Like to explain the amendment on 3rd. It’s already taken care of. Thank you very much. Senate Amendment No. Floor -- No. 4 reduces the -- it’s -- this is for -- the appropriation for the Department of Agriculture. The amendment deletes all and becomes the bill. It reduces the Department’s GRF personal services by eight hundred and thirty-two -- twenty- three thousand; by -- operations by 64.5 thousand; and reduces contractual services by seven percent, which is two hundred and forty thousand from the introduced budget. So, essentially -- it also shifts a number of program lines from the eliminated other State funds to General Revenue, totaling 22.3 million. One of the reasons we did that is so we can have greater accountability in the process. It also makes a reduction to GRF 89 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 lines for the DuQuoin State Fair and the Illinois State Fair - awards to livestock breeders and awards for the Grand Circuit House {sic} (Horse) Racing at the State Fair. So, I think -- just to be clear, so everyone’s following this, it does increase spending above ‘11, Fiscal Year ‘11, by a total of twenty-one million GRF due to the shift from other State funds to GRF. So we shifted a significant amount from other State funds to GRF, because, as you know, money that’s taken out from General Rev and other State funds, there isn’t as much review and accountability as there should be. So the savings to GRF was by reducing the GRF transfers into the other State funds. So if you look at the overall reduction in this State budget, in the - - I should say, in the agriculture budget, it’s by about eight million dollars, the overall. It will show an increase in General Revenue. The reason why it’s showing an increase is because of the shift from -- you know, transfers out other State funds onto -- onto the General Revenue line item.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Thank you, Senator. Any discussion? Senator Murphy, for what purpose do you rise?
Question of the sponsor, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Sponsor indicates that he’ll yield. Senator Murphy.
So, when we add the much ballyhooed cuts to the statutory transfers out, they weren’t really cut to the same extent as everyone was led to believe, because some of that money was being moved into here. Is that correct? 90 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
No, actually -- no, that -- those cuts still existed, but what we did in addition to that, as you may recall, Senator Murphy, is we moved some of those line items. That hundred and sixty is a real number. But we moved some of those items onto the -- transfers out into other State funds. I’m sorry, into the General Revenue Fund, so we could have more accountability.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
So the answer to my previous question was yes?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
No. The answer was no.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
What you spent statutory transfer money on last year is not going to be from statutory transfers; it’s going to be from GRF now, but you’re still spending it. So, to the extent you were claiming all of the cuts of statutory transfers, you backfilled it in GRF, which I think you just admitted. Correct?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
Sorry. There’s a lot of people speaking to me right now, 91 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Senator Murphy. Rather, the -- that -- the hundred and sixty- three was a net, a net savings that we had. And, as I said it before, one of the reasons why the number comes up in GRF is because a lot of those items had not been reviewed and evaluated in the General Revenue Fund, and this allows us to do that and gives us a greater capacity to do that. So it’s not automatically, you know, transferred in.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
How much above the Governor’s introduced budget for Department of Agriculture does your plan spend?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
Thank you for your question, Senator Murphy. The increase is twenty-one million, but the overall decrease, because of what we did, was nine million two hundred and seventy-six thousand dollars.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
But how many times are you going to take credit for the other cuts? I mean, you took credit for ‘em when you did the statutory transfers bill and now you’re taking credit for it again. The -- the Ag budget goes up. I mean, you get credit on -- where -- you know, and actually some of us voted for the statutory transfers bill. But the Ag bill goes up and it goes up by more than even the Governor proposed. Isn’t that correct? 92 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
I -- Senator Murphy, I -- I believe I answered your question. I’m not here to take credit. I think I was pretty straightforward in what you asked and the budget has increased. I explained why it increased on the GRF side. Overall reduction is there and, you know, so this isn’t about the other -- I’m just explaining to you why this budget went up. I’m being, you know, very straightforward with you on that.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy, do you have another question?
I -- I do. You know, with a -- with a -- with an amendment that came out, you know, forty-five minutes before we started this process, I guess I just want to be real clear and get a concise answer, since you’ve seen this and we really haven’t. How much more - just the Department of Ag budget - how much more is your Department of Ag budget spending than the Governor’s introduced Department of Ag budget? How much -- how much more is it? I mean, you -- you acknowledge - and I appreciate - that it spends twenty-one million more than -- than FY’11. How much more it is above the Fiscal Year -- the -- the Governor’s introduced?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
May -- maybe I wasn’t completely clear. It’s a twenty-one- million-dollar increase over the Governor’s intro. Okay? It is 93 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 a twenty million increase over Fiscal Year ‘11. So, that -- the increase is there and I indicated why the increase is in GRF. I don’t think I need to go over this anymore. But, you know, I’m just being straightforward with you on that.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy, did you have a question?
To the bill…(microphone cutoff)… And thank you for the clarification.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) To the bill.
Again, though, we’re seeing yet another piece of the Senate Democrats cementing of the tax increase in place with increased spending over last year, making the promise that the tax increase was temporary more and more hollow with the passage of each bill. I urge a No vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Dillard, for what purpose do you rise?
Thank you, Mr. President. If the sponsor would yield for a question.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) The sponsor indicates that he will yield. Senator Dillard.
Senator Kotowski, is there any money in the Department of Agriculture’s budget for agriculture research like C-FAR?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski. 94 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011
Do you -- you mean like CeaseFire, the violence prevention program?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Dillard, do you wish to restate your question?
No. No, there’s not.
Thank you…
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Dillard.
To the bill, then, Mr. President. You know, when Senator Brady and I were running around the State campaigning for Governor, one of the things, aside from workers’ comp that we heard as complaints out there -- and it came from the largest single industry we have in Illinois and that’s agriculture. One in four jobs in this State is agriculture-related. And, as Bill and I went statewide, we’d run into a lot of food producers, but a lot of farmers who said, “We don’t understand why there’s cutbacks in agriculture research in Illinois.” In fact, we used to have a multi-multi-million-dollar program. It got whacked under Governor Blagojevich and now it’s zeroed out under Pat Quinn. Now every other state - and you guys on that side of the aisle love to talk about budgeting for results - every other state in the Midwest is increasing - increasing - its agriculture research money. It’s one in four jobs in the State of Illinois. You know, and budgeting is nothing more than just setting priorities. And if you’re going to budget for results, 95 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 I think agriculture research, since it affects one in four employed people in the State, is a place where you ought to put some money in. And Republicans aren’t always No on all spending. We think you got to cover your basic services and then you put money in the budget that will actually grow your employment in the private sector in the State. A minute ago we just voted for enough money to fund the C-FAR program, but we gave it to the Historic Preservation Commission of the Illinois Supreme Court. And I would submit to the other side, if you’re going to put your priorities right, we ought to fund agriculture research, which is -- employs one in four people in the State, rather than making nice improvements to a building across the street. And let’s get our priorities right here. Every other state’s increasing its funding for agriculture research and we’re zeroed out. I mean, our priorities are just really misplaced around this place. And for even you downstate Democrats, if you want to send a message that agriculture’s important in this State, you ought to vote No on this agriculture bill or agriculture budget and start over again.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Thank you, Senator Dillard. Senator Sullivan, for what purpose do you rise?
To the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) To the bill, Senator.
Thank you, Mr. President, Members of the Senate. To the -- to the bill and also to some of the previous comments of the 96 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 previous speaker with regard to C-FAR: C-FAR with the -- with the -- by bring -- Farm Bureau and a lot of the Ag groups over the last couple years have done a complete reevaluation of C- FAR. It had kind of strayed from what it originally intended to do, and so all the Ag commodity groups came together and said, “We need to go a different direction with C-FAR.” The program was not funded last year. And so this was by a joint cooperation of all the Ag commodity groups, with Farm Bureau leading that discussion. And once this reorganization, this restructuring of C-FAR takes place, we will then put the funding -- we will work towards putting funding back into that program. So, the previous speaker’s comments as far as C-FAR, this is not something the General Assembly has made this decision on; this is something that all the Ag commodity groups, working with the universities, have been working on to come up with a different plan.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Thank you, Senator. Senator Steans, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
To the bill. Just want…
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) To the -- to the bill, Senator.
Thank you. I just want to -- to note that, in fact, you know, the idea of looking at the statutory transfers out, which is what we’re seeing reflected in here, first came to me from somebody in the Taxpayers’ Federation. These are dollars -- we had 2.3 billion dollars in the Governor’s Fiscal Year ‘12 97 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 appropriation -- his budget going to statutory transfers out. These dollars never get scrutinized. Taxpayer {sic} Federation brought it to my attention and we made sure that we have, in fact, now been scouring through those lines to make reductions. We made significant reductions in them, a hundred and sixty- three million, which is entirely net. We knew that some of those things we were going to be putting back into our agency appropriations, but reducing them. And now we ensure that every year, through our appropriation process, they’ll actually get scrutinized. This is a much better public policy direction and a -- we are not double counting. We knew and took into account when we gave that a hundred-and-sixty-three-million-dollar reduction amount for statutory transfers out that we were putting that money back in. That was a net number. We reduced more than that in total from the statutory transfers out. I would urge an Aye vote on this bill. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) There being no further discussion, the question is, shall Senate Bill 2408 pass. All those in favor will vote Aye. 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, there are 33 voting Aye, 24 voting No, none voting Present. Senate Bill 2408, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. Continuing on the Order of Senate Bills 3rd Reading is Senate Bill 2413. Senator Kotowski seeks leave of the Body to return Senate Bill 2413 to the Order of 2nd Reading. Leave is granted. Now on the Order of 2nd Reading is Senate Bill 2413. Madam Secretary, have there been any Floor amendments approved for 98 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 consideration?
Floor Amendment 3, offered by Senator Kotowski.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment No. 3 to Senate Bill 2413. All in favor, say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. Have there been any further Floor amendments approved for consideration?
No further amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. Now on the Order of 3rd Reading is Senate Bill 2413. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
Senate Bill 2413. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
Thank you very much, Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate. Senate Bill 2413, as amended, provides appropriations to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. It includes a five percent reduction to the General -- GRF personal services and operations and a seven percent reduction to contractual service when compared to Fiscal Year ‘12 introduction. It also eliminates funding for the Tourism Promotion Fund and transfers those operational costs to 99 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 GRF at a fifty percent reduction when compared to the Fiscal Year ‘12 introduced level. It eliminates the proposed increase for training programs and the full introduced funding for -- community programs. It also includes 40.7 million for GRF, 1.4 billion other State funds, and five hundred and twelve million federal funds, for a total of 1.9 billion all funds. This represents a decrease of 17.5 million GRF when compared to the introduced budget; represents an overall decrease in DCEO funding from Fiscal Year ‘11 of 463.9 million. More than happy to answer any questions.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Is there any discussion? Senator Murphy, for what purpose do you rise?
Question of the sponsor, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Sponsor indicates that he’ll yield. Senator Murphy.
Senator, I’m looking at page 24 of the bill, Section 90, and it says: The sum of 1.8 million dollars, or so much thereof as may be needed, is appropriated from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for costs associated with transportation services. Is this a new program that’s being created, and if so, what -- what is the intention of the program?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
This is a -- this is a -- a transportation program that we 100 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 have within the -- within the State -- within a community to make sure that we’re -- you know, be able to -- to move students, make sure they have the support that they need in order to do that.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
Why would that be in the DCEO budget then, rather than in the Transportation budget? And where in the bill does it say that it pertains to moving students?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
Thank you for your question, Senator Murphy. This is a -- a transfer from -- from the Board of Education budget. And it’s -- it doesn’t indicate that; just indicates that as a transportation line item. It’s not specifically stated, but it is what I indicated on the Floor.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
Why -- why was that necessary?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
That was, you know, through the course of our -- our budget negotiations. As you know, we put out a budget; got feedback from people and feedback within our own caucus. And, you know, attempted to get feedback from as many people as possible. This 101 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 was a particular line item that -- that was -- that was an important item, so we have that in the budget to reflect that priority.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
I certainly appreciate that staunch commitment to feedback. What I don’t understand, though, is why this couldn’t have been put back in, after receiving that feedback, into the Education budget as opposed to into DCEO, and why it couldn’t have specified that it was to transfer kids by bus, rather than this really nebulous language in Section 90 that we have right now.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
Was that a -- was that a question, Senator?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy, could -- could you restate your question, please?
Could I restate it?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Would you -- would you repeat your question for Senator Kotowski.
That wasn’t clear? That wasn’t clear?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Apparently -- apparently not. We’d like to start over. Could you start with that question one more time, Senator 102 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Murphy?
Let’s go ahead and try it again. Yeah. I understand that you were taking feedback and this was a priority. That’s why it’s in the budget. The question is, if it pertains to kids on buses, what was the rationale for not reinserting it into the Education budget as a line item that specifically referenced kids on buses, rather than into the DCEO budget that makes zero reference to kids on buses?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
Thank you, Senator Murphy. This is just a -- a particular item and it reflected a -- a priority within the -- the caucus, and that item was put in there.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
To the bill: I -- this -- this doesn’t explain for anybody whose tax dollars this is what this is really for. It has the appearances of a new program that is extremely ill-defined that can be used for just about anything from a transportation services standpoint. Maybe it’s a -- a medium-speed rail bill. I don’t know. It’s in DCEO. The -- the -- the likelihood that this has anything to do with kids on buses, based on the appropriation language that gives rise to it, strikes me as rather -- rather unlikely and I strongly urge a No vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Thank you, Senator Murphy. Senator Righter, for what 103 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 purpose do you rise?
Will the sponsor yield, please, Mr. President?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) He indicates he will yield.
Based on the language that’s in Section 90 that Senator Murphy asked you about, Senator Kotowski, other than the fact that it -- they can’t spend any more than 1.8 million dollars and it has to be associated with transportation services, are there any limits at all what this money could be spent on?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
It’s -- the limitation within the budget, Senator Righter, is the amount of money that’s been allocated for it.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
Do you have an anticipation of where this money will be spent, Senator Kotowski? Where…
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter, did I interrupt you? I’m sorry.
No. Let me clarify. Where in the State this 1.8 million dollars would be spent, Senator Kotowski?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
104 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 It’s a State of Illinois program. At this point, I -- I don’t have a particular location for you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
What’s the name of the program, Senator?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
Thank you very much, Senator Righter. It’s transportation.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
We have a program, a specific program that we assign money to, just called “transportation”? Really?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
It was part of the -- the bill that we had introduced before, transportation services. That line item was in there. It’s been in there for a while. And so we’re just -- that’s the line item that we have within the budget.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
Okay. We’re not talking about line items now. You said a program, like a specific program, like Grow Your Own Teachers or whatever it might be. That’s what you said, Senator Kotowski. And then you said that there was a specific program like that 105 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 called “transportation”, which I’m not familiar with. What -- how long has that program been around and what are the criteria to get money from it?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
Thank you very much, Senator Righter. The -- the -- I just want to be clear on this. It’s transportation services. And as I indicated before to the previous questioner, this is about transporting young people to and from a school within that line item and it’s -- it’s been there for a week, and it’s a -- it’s a service-related initiative in the budget.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter, do you have another question?
I do, Mr. President. Thank you for your indulgence. I’m sure these would have been questions that would have been asked by our Appropriations Committee hearing members had there been one. Senator Kotowski, so do you have a specific program in mind for which this 1.8 million dollars will be used? Can you give me a name of a program? Not a line item, like transportation services, and not a policy area, like transportation, a specific grant program that this money will go into. Do you know that?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
No.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 106 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Senator Righter.
Thank you, Mr. President. Briefly to Senate Bill 2413, if I might. This is pork. For all you who have railed against pork spending back home, on both sides of the aisle, and said that’s wrong, that’s a wasteful use of taxpayer money, this is it. This budget has it in there. If you’re not for this pork barrel spending that the public gets so outraged about, you shouldn’t be voting for this bill. Thank you, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Seeing no further discussion, the question is, shall Senate Bill 2413 pass. All those in favor will vote Aye. 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, there are 31 voting Aye, 26 voting No, none voting Present. Senate Bill 2413, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. Continuing on the Order of Senate Bills 3rd Reading on page 56 of your Calendar is Senate Bill 2416. Senator Steans seeks leave of the Body to return Senate Bill 2416 to the Order of 2nd Reading. Leave is granted. Now on the Order of 2nd Reading is Senate Bill 2416. Madam Secretary, have there been any Floor amendments approved for consideration?
Floor Amendment 1, offered by Senator Steans.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment No. 1 to Senate Bill 2416. All in favor, say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. Have 107 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 there been any further Floor amendments approved for consideration?
No further amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. Now on the Order of 3rd Reading is Senate Bill 2416. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
Senate Bill 2416. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans, to present the bill.
Thank you, Mr. President, Members of the Senate. As you may recall when we passed the pension payment bills that we knew that we were likely to be able to move some of the pension payment from -- for the State Universities Retirement System, or SURS, from General Revenue Fund to the State Pension Fund. The Treasurer Office has expected that there’ll be ninety-four million available in the State Pension Fund. So we are, in fact, making that switch in -- in order to make our certified pension contributions.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Is there any discussion? Senator Murphy, for what purpose do you rise?
A question of the sponsor, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 108 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Sponsor indicates that she’ll yield. Senator Murphy.
Thank you. So, Senator, so this takes ninety-five million -- it reduces the -- the approp level by ninety-five million from what was previously passed; increases the transfer from unclaimed property, based on the information we have from the Treasurer, which was one of the ideas we had talked about when the pension payment was passed before. Is that correct? Does the bill do anything other than that?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
No. This bill only makes -- reduces the money for SURS payment from GRF by ninety-four million, increases it in the State Pensions Fund by ninety-four million due to the Unclaimed Property Trust Fund expectation from the Treasurer’s Office of having ninety-four million there available for this transfer.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
…bill -- to the bill, Mr. President. I appreciate you working with us on this. This was something that our -- I thank our staff for catching and pushing. I encourage an Aye vote for all of us on this. We now, with this legislation, will have the accurate number for the pension payment and I urge an Aye vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Seeing no further discussion, the question is, shall Senate Bill 2416 pass. All those in favor will vote Aye. Opposed, Nay. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all 109 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? Take the record. On that question, there are 54 voting Aye, 3 voting No, none voting Present. Senate Bill 2416, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. Continuing on the Order of Senate Bills 3rd Reading, Senate Bill 2419. Senator Kotowski seeks leave of the Body to return Senate Bill 2419 to the Order of 2nd Reading. Leave is granted. Now on the Order of 2nd Reading is Senate Bill 2419. Madam Secretary, have there been any Floor amendments approved for consideration?
Floor Amendment 1, offered by Senator Kotowski.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment No. 1 to Senate Bill 2419. All in favor, say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. Have there been any further Floor amendments approved for consideration?
Floor Amendment 2, offered by Senator Kotowski.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment No. 2 to Senate Bill 2419. All in favor, say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. Have there been any further Floor amendments approved for consideration?
Floor Amendment 5, offered by Senator Sullivan.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Sullivan moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment 110 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 No. 5 to Senate Bill 2419. All in favor will say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. Have there been any further Floor amendments approved for consideration?
No further amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. Now on the Order of 3rd Reading is Senate Bill 2419. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
Senate Bill 2419. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
Thank you very much, Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate. Senate Bill 2419, as amended, dedicates a -- 2.8 billion all funds to the Department of Transportation for its Fiscal Year ‘12 personal services, operations and programmatic expenses. Of this amount, 11.5 million is represented in GRF. This represents level funding when compared to the FY’12 introduced request. However, it represents a decrease of 67.6 million when compared to the Fiscal Year ‘11 enacted appropriation. The large decrease is primarily due to a shift from GRF to Road Fund for operating assistance programs.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Is there any discussion? Senator Althoff, for what purpose do you rise? 111 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011
Thank you, Mr. President. Will the sponsor yield?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) The sponsor indicates he’ll yield.
Hey, Senator Kotowski. I finally -- I bet you didn’t think I was going to ask you anything. Might I ask -- this is transportation and you know how devoted I am for McHenry County to transportation. I think I recall two years ago that, when we passed a capital bill, we promised there would be no further diversions from the Road Fund. Didn’t I hear you say that there were significant diversions?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
Yes. Yes, you did. The -- and we talked to the -- the Secretary of Transportation about this and indicated that he doesn’t want this to be a -- a longstanding practice, but he -- you know, he supported our doing it for this year in order to, you know, to reduce the burden on GRF and… Yes.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Althoff.
Is -- is that kind of like the promise that we wouldn’t divert road funds two years ago when we did it with the capital plan?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
112 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Thank you. The -- would you -- somebody was kind of talking in my ear, Senator Althoff.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Althoff, to -- if you could repeat your question.
Thank you, Mr. President. I -- I think it was rhetorical, but I asked if that promise was similar to the promise that we made when we passed the capital bill. Is there any date in this legislation that basically states that we’re not going to do diversions as of this time?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
Thank you for your question, Senator Althoff. I don’t believe there’s a date, but I believe that what we’re going to focus on is just for this just to happen for this year and then in the next year - I’m stating it out on the Floor right now, publicly - that we will be using those dollars again in the way in which they were -- everyone here would like them to be used.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Althoff.
Senator Kotowski, what about downstate operating assistance? Has that been reduced?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
Just wanted to get back to previous questions you asked real quick, Senator Althoff. The appropriation authority that 113 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 we have for that -- for reducing the amount in GRF due to the Road Fund is only for this year, because that we have in the budget bill. Now, when you asked the question about the downstate money, the -- that it -- does it -- does it reduce the amount of funding for downstate? The -- one of the things in the amendment, Senate Amendment No. 5, adds back four million in downstate transit operations grant to the downstate transit districts. And also -- and it fixes a -- a drafting error related to that.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Althoff.
Thank you. My analysis here shows that from the Governor’s introduced budget, we’re reducing the downstate operating fund by about seventeen million dollars. And -- and also - can you check and see if my information is also correct? - that there’s absolutely no reduction to the RTA?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
Okay. If we want to look at a -- a comparison right now with the -- the ‘12 introduced budget, if you want to look at comparison, that -- that we have eleven million - right? - in GRF. The other State funds is -- is two hundred -- two -- two - - I’m sorry, two billion seven hundred and thirty-seven thousand and then it’s four million eight hundred and seventy-two from the feds. So, if you compare the intro that we have from all funds, which is two hundred and -- I’m sorry, two billion seven hundred and seventy-one million, and this, what we’ve introduced 114 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 here, is a budget of two billion seven hundred and fifty-three million. So the -- the decrease is -- is -- is slight over that overall, but, you know, the change is about seventeen million dollars from last -- from -- from the intro to this amended budget.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Althoff, do you have another question?
Just one last closing remark. And thank you for -- for getting to the point that, yes, there is a seventeen-million- dollar reduction to the downstate operating assistance. And, again, no reduction to the RTA?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator…
In -- in fact, I’m -- I’m looking -- there’s an increase?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Althoff had a question, Senator Kotowski.
Yeah. I’m sorry. Yes.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Althoff, did you still have a closing comment?
…an answer to my question, please.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski, did you answer her question? I thought that you had.
I’m sorry. If you didn’t hear me, I said, yes. Yeah. 115 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Althoff.
Yes, there was -- there was an increase to the RTA of six million?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
The -- yes. The RTA, the -- the net change is -- is six. It’s actually 5.930, just to be exact.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Althoff. Thank you. …Kotowski, do you wish to close? Senator Jacobs, I’m sorry. For what purpose do you seek recognition?
Question of the sponsor.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Sponsor indicates that he will yield. Senator Jacobs.
Senator, after this bill fails, I might suggest that we take the twenty-three million dollars that we’re giving to the Gaming Board that stopped producing any revenue and put it back into the seventeen million you’re taking from downstate, and maybe take the other six million dollars from the Gaming Board and move it to the RTA.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski, did you wish to close?
I will definitely take that into consideration. The -- 116 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 just to be clear, and I want to get back to Senator Althoff’s question, ‘cause I think it was an important one, the operating assistance for downstate transit, the FY’11 approp was 172.1 million. And this year, the approp, we’re -- is a hundred and seventy-six. So it’s a four-million-dollar increase from last year to this year. I’d ask for an Aye vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) The question is, shall Senate Bill 2419 pass. All those in favor will vote Aye. 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, there are 30 voting Aye, 26 voting No, none voting Present. Senate Bill 2419, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. At the top of page 57 of your printed Calendar, still on the Order of Senate Bills 3rd Reading, Senate Bill 2428. Senator Steans seeks leave of the Body to return Senate Bill 2428 to the Order of 2nd Reading. Leave is granted. Now on the Order of 2nd Reading is Senate Bill 2428. Madam Secretary, have there been any Floor amendments approved for consideration?
Floor Amendment 1, offered by Senator Steans.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment No. 1 to Senate Bill 2428. All in favor, say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. Have there been any further Floor amendments approved for consideration?
117 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 No further amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. Now on the Order of 3rd Reading is Senate Bill 2428. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
Senate Bill 2428. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
Thank you. Yes, Senate Bill 2428 appropriates a total of 872.3 million all funds, a hundred and three million General Revenue funds to the Arts Council, Criminal Justice Information Authority, Educational Labor Relations Board, the IEMA, Labor Relations Board, Department of Military Affairs, the PRB, the State Police Merit Board, State University Retirement System, State Employee Retirement System, Board of Elections, Civil Service Commission, Historic Preservation Agency and SIDA and Upper Illinois River (Valley) Development Authority and the Violence Prevention Authority. I’ll note that this is a reduction from Fiscal Year ‘11 spending of sixteen percent in General Revenue Fund dollars. We are eliminating the East St. Louis Financial Advisory Authority amongst other things. Happy to answer any questions.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Is there any discussion? Senator Murphy, you’re back at your post? For what purpose do you rise?
118 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Question of the sponsor, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Sponsor indicates that she will yield. Senator Murphy.
Senator, is funding for the Violence Prevention Authority in this bill?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
Yes.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
And -- and it was in a previous bill that we voted on as well, wasn’t it?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
Yes.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
And that previous -- bill was voted down. What was the number for the Neighborhood Recovery Initiative that was appropriated in the bill that went down? And what is the amount for the Neighborhood Recovery Initiative in the current bill we’re discussing now?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans. 119 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011
It was 30.5 million in the original bill and it’s 33.5 billion {sic} right now. It’s at the full appropriation level in this bill, as it was in the Fiscal Year ‘11.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
So, you have added an additional three million dollars for the Neighborhood Recovery Initiative, based -- why did you do that?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
Because it was of -- yeah, we -- we listened to feedback that we got from -- from Members and folks who are participating in this program, the summer employment opportunities that it’s providing our youth, and determined that we should keep it at its current funding level.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy, you have another question?
I do. Senator, when Illinois Violence Prevention Authority came before us at one of those Approp hearings that I was listening intently at, they gave -- attempted explanations on how Neighborhood Recover Initiative money was spent from August of 2010 through October of 2010. They -- they relied on various different rationale, primarily, if I recall correctly, the most violent neighborhoods based on Chicago Police Department statistics, but the money didn’t necessarily go to the most 120 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 violent neighborhoods based on the Chicago Police Department statistics. And I didn’t come away from that hearing feeling like they had a very good metric or system in place for determining where these tens of millions of taxpayer dollars were being spent. And, I guess, my direct question would be, do you feel like the money in Fiscal Year -- or, from August of ‘10 through October of ‘10 was responsibly spent on the Neighborhood Recovery Initiative program and can you explain for me the rationale under which it was divided up?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
The -- this program is geared towards providing - in neighborhoods where violence is an issue - towards creating much safer environments, providing after-school opportunities, summer employment opportunities, and other ways of keeping youth healthily engaged, as opposed to having time on the streets that’s unproductive. We did -- we have asked for and will continue to seek to get data from them on the actual outcomes from this. And we’ve been assured that they are carefully evaluating that and will have that data for us as the program gets implemented. I look forward to sharing that information with you, and as we get that, we’ll have better information down the road about this program.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
But did you feel the answers we got in committee of how they spent the money we gave ‘em during that period of time, did 121 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 you feel comfortable with their answers that they -- that that taxpayer money was spent wisely?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
I absolutely feel like they’re addressing critical problems in our neighborhoods, feel like they are making very good decisions around focusing on problem areas and problems that are critical to our youth, and that they are carefully evaluating how those dollars are getting spent with great oversight and that we’ll be -- able to get all the data that we want on how this money’s getting -- getting spent down the road. Absolutely.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
Why -- I -- I assume we can agree without having to go back and forth that there are violence issues in other areas of the State besides the City of Chicago, and yet all of the money was spent in the City of Chicago. Can you explain why, given the fact that there are violence issues every -- you know, in other parts of our State, none of the money for this program was spent anywhere but Chicago?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
My understanding is that there’s neighborhoods outside of Chicago that are also included in this program. It’s not just Chicago. 122 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy, you have another question?
Which ones?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
I was just asking for the list and we don’t have it with us. I will get it to you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
Because my understanding is it’s a couple of suburbs that abut Chicago, which is a slight distinction. For those who represent, say Rockford or downstate, areas in Central Illinois, this money isn’t there for you and it wasn’t there for you, and we have no assurance that it’s going to be there for you. We tried to get an audit this week - just this week - we tried to get an audit of how this money was spent. How you go from having basically nothing in place in August of 2010 - not coincidentally when the Governor’s down thirteen points in the polls - to having thirty million on the streets in selected areas of Chicago just six to eight weeks later, when this State government couldn’t function that quickly in any other way, is mind-blowing to me. And the fact that then you can’t even audit how the money went where it went after the director has no ability, whatsoever, to explain how it was spent or why it was spent in the manner that it was spent, and yet here we are today with an amendment not only restoring their funding, but giving 123 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 them more money than we previously tried to give them. This is a reward for the worst behavior possible. Senator Righter referenced pork before. This is even worse than that. This is electioneering with State money. And for everybody who goes on about a cut that hurts somebody, you take a long look in the mirror after you vote for this bill, ‘cause this is the worst of waste in taxpayer money and misappropriating it when we’re all talking about cutting things that really matter. This is absolutely disgraceful. I urge a No vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Trotter, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
To the bill, if I may, Mr. President, Members of the Senate. I was one of the proponents and advocates for these dollars to be put back into the budget, and for good reason. One, they’re not just dollars to go in the worst communities; there’s also dollars in there for prevention - for prevention of violence in our community. These dollars are to be spent on our youth to help in their summer job program. So not only will they be making money, but they won’t be standing on the corner trying to steal money. These dollars - one hundred percent of these dollars - are going to come back to the State through some kind of sales tax, through some kind of small business. These are not saving accounts dollars. These jobs prevent violence. It also puts these young children on a path of responsibility, teaching them the merits of having a job and also being self- sufficient on their own. So there’s thirty-three million dollars. There should be more dollars and we can go -- make it a statewide program. But it is in some of the worst 124 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 neighborhoods and some of those potentially bad neighborhoods. So, I certainly ask everyone here to vote for these dollars to encourage our youth to do the right thing, to stay on the right track as we go forward. And just to address one little other issue about where did these groups come from, these were existing groups that were -- it was a compilation of groups throughout the City that already existed, already had a track record of -- of working with troubled teens. So they didn’t just come out of nowhere. This wasn’t just pork. The dollars, because we did lump sum ‘em to the Governor last year, did not get out until August, but they should have been out in June, which, this year, they will be out there and those -- these children that are at risk will have access to ‘em and, again, become good responsible citizens here in the State of Illinois.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Thank you, Senator Trotter. Senator Hunter, are you seeking recognition?
Yes, Mr. President. To the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) To the bill, Senator.
I’d like to go on record by saying that I have been working with the Governor’s Office for the past eighteen months advocating for dollars to go into some of these high-risk, most vulnerable populations. Now, my district that I represent is Englewood and Grand Boulevard, which has some of the highest rates in this State. Now I don’t know what kind of police reports you -- you have access to, Senator; however, I don’t 125 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 know about you, I am tired of seeing young people kill themselves and shoot themselves and commit crime and violence on each other. You think that this amount of dollars is not enough -- is too much money. I think it’s not enough. It’s not enough. We need to work with our young people. We need to work with their families. We do not tell you what to do with dollars in your community. You have certain needs and I have certain needs. And for the record, there were other communities outside of Chicago that did receive these funds. In the south suburbs, whether you realize it or not, there’s crime that’s going on amongst youth in the south suburban areas as well, so it’s not only Chicago. Some of the other areas is West and East Garfield, Englewood, as I mentioned earlier, -- Roseland, south suburban, Humboldt Park. And as Senator Trotter indicated earlier, we expect that this program can be replicated throughout the State. Because, as you know, as all of us sit around and -- and watch television, watch the news or listen to the radio, our kids are practically out of control. I don’t care if they live on the south side or the west side or downstate, these children need help. And if we do not implement and take the time to make the appropriate investments today, we will be paying triple, if not tenfold, tomorrow with the Department of Corrections. So I ask everyone to vote Yes on this bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Thank you, Senator. Senator Luechtefeld, are you seeking recognition on this bill?
Yes, I am, Mr. President. A question of the sponsor. 126 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Sponsor indicates that she’ll yield. Senator Luechtefeld.
Senator, I -- I was -- I’m aware of the program, but was not aware of the fact that -- you know, we have problems in -- in my area and also in the metro area and downstate. And I guess I wasn’t aware that this program was strictly for the Chicago area and the surrounding areas. Is that a fact?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
I believe it’s gone in other areas and would be certainly happy to entertain an amendment to increase it and take a look at adding other communities to the program, if that’s something that you are interested in.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Luechtefeld.
Well, it’s just something that I -- I was not aware of, that it was strictly for the -- for that particular area, ‘cause there are people, you know, young people in our area that need jobs in the summertime and have some of the same problems that - - that the Senator was talking about. Whether or not it really has the results that we might think it does, that -- that’s -- that’s a whole nother question. But it does seem a little bit unfair if -- if that money’s going to go strictly to the Chicago and -- and the surrounding area. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Thank you. Senator Steans, do you need to close? Senator 127 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Steans.
Just quickly, want to just urge that -- and remind folks that we are reducing GRF funding sixteen percent in these -- budget, very -- eliminating the East St. Louis Financial Advisory Authority, and making many kinds of reductions here, but maintaining what, in fact, we believe are our priorities and maintaining a safe environment for our young folks. Very much urge an Aye vote. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) The question is, shall Senate Bill 2428 pass. All those in favor will vote Aye. 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, there are 32 voting Aye, 24 voting No, none voting Present. Senate Bill 2428, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. Senate Bill 2437. Senator Steans seeks leave of the Body to return Senate Bill 2437 to the -- to the Order of 2nd Reading. Leave is granted. Now on the Order of 2nd Reading is Senate Bill 2437. Madam Secretary, have there been any Floor amendments approved for consideration.
Floor Amendment 1, offered by Senator Steans.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment No. 1 to Senate Bill 2437. All in favor, say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. Have there been any further Floor amendments approved for consideration? 128 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011
Floor Amendment 2, offered by Senator Steans.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment No. 2 to Senate Bill 2437. All in favor, say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it. The amendment is adopted. Have there been any further Floor amendments approved for consideration?
No further amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. Now on the Order of 3rd Reading is Senate Bill 2437. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
Senate Bill 2437. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
Yes, thank you, Mr. President, Members of the Senate. Senate Bill 2437 appropriates dollars for the Department of Public Health, totaling five hundred and two million a hundred and seventy-seven thousand. I will note that we are reducing the General Revenue Fund spending from Fiscal Year ‘11 by 4.3 percent in this budget. Urge an Aye vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Seeing no discussion, the question is, shall Senate Bill 2437 pass. All those in favor will vote Aye. Opposed, Nay. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted 129 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 who wish? Have all voted who wish? Take the record. On that question, there are 34 voting Aye, 22 voting No, none voting Present. Senate Bill 2437, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. Continuing on the Order of Senate Bills 3rd Reading, Senate Bill 2443. Senator Kotowski seeks leave of the Body to return Senate Bill 2443 to the Order of 2nd Reading. Leave is granted. Now on the Order of 2nd Reading, Senate Bill 2443. Madam Secretary, have there been any Floor amendments approved for consideration?
Floor Amendment 3, offered by Senator Kotowski.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment No. 3 to Senate Bill 2443. All in favor, say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. Have there been any further Floor amendments approved for consideration?
No further amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. Now on the Order of 3rd Reading is Senate Bill 2443. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
Senate Bill 2443. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
130 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Thank you very much, Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate. Senate Bill -- the -- Senate Bill 2443, as amended, appropriates 2.5 billion all funds and two billion GRF to agencies and institutions of higher education. The amendment achieves savings of 84.7 million when compared to the Governor’s introduced budget and 59.7 million when compared to the Fiscal Year ‘11 budget. Reduces higher education institutions GRF operating budgets by five percent and that would include both the universities and the community colleges. And the -- the MAP grant, as introduced by the -- the introduced budget, provides for an increase of twenty-five million over Fiscal Year ‘11. And the equalization and base operating grants to community colleges were reduced by five percent. More than happy to answer any questions. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Thank you, Senator. Is there any discussion? Senator Murphy, for what purpose do you rise?
To the bill, Mr. President. I urge a No vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) God bless you for your brevity, Senator Murphy. There being no further discussion, the question is, shall Senate Bill 2443 pass. All those in favor will vote Aye. 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, there are 31 voting Aye, 26 voting No, none voting Present. Senate Bill 2443, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. Now on the top of page 58 of your printed Calendar, Senate Bill 2450. Senator 131 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Steans seeks leave of the Body to return Senate Bill 2450 to the Order of 2nd Reading. Leave is granted. Now on the Order of 2nd Reading is Senate Bill 2450. Madam Secretary, have there been any Floor amendments approved for consideration?
Floor Amendment 4, offered by Senator Steans.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment No. 4 to Senate Bill 2450. All in favor, say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. Have there been any further Floor amendments approved for consideration?
No further amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. Now on the Order of 3rd Reading is Senate Bill 2450. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
Senate Bill 2450. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
Okay, Senate Bill 2450 appropriates 5.6 billion dollars to the Department of Human Services for the Fiscal Year ‘12 budget. Includes 3.4 billion General Revenue Fund, .5 for other State funds and 1.7 billion in federal funds. This is a reduction from the Fiscal Year GRF of 11.6 percent. And it is -- while 132 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 it’s an increase from what the Governor’s introduced budget was at 3.3 percent, it’s also a reduction of over eleven -- eleven percent in total funds. Happy to answer any questions.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Thank you, Senator. Is there any discussion? Senator Murphy, for what purpose do you rise?
Question of the sponsor, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Sponsor indicates she’ll yield. Senator Murphy.
Senator -- Senator, what was the -- the actual FY’11 dollar amount and then your bill’s FY’12 dollar amount that gives rise to the eleven percent reduction?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
The Fiscal Year ‘11 estimated expenditures from -- from the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget is three billion 877.9 million dollars. Our introduced budget here is three billion four hundred and twenty-seven million.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy, do you have a follow-up question?
I urge a No vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Any further discussion? Senator Righter. No? Thank you very much, Senator. There being no further discussion, the question is, shall Senate Bill 2450 pass. All those in favor 133 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 will vote Aye. 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, there are 32 voting Aye, 24 voting No, none voting Present. And Senate Bill 2450, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. We inadvertently skipped over Senate Bill 2449. I’d like to return to that, with leave of the Body. Senator Noland, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Thank you, Mr. -- Mr. President. To correct the record. I intended to vote Aye on that last bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) The record will reflect your intention to have voted Aye on Senate Bill 2450. We’re stepping back to Senate Bill 2449, with leave of the Body. Senator Steans seeks leave of the Body to recall Senate Bill 2449 to the Order of 2nd Reading. Is there any objection? Seeing no objection, leave is granted. Now on the Order of 2nd Reading, Senate Bill 2449. Madam Secretary, have there been any amendments approved for consideration?
Floor Amendment 1, offered by Senator Steans.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment No. 1 to Senate Bill 2449. All in favor, say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it. The amendment is adopted. Have there been any further Floor amendments approved for consideration?
Floor Amendment 2, offered by Senator Steans.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 134 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Senator Steans moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment No. 2 to Senate Bill 2449. All in favor, vote Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. Have there been any further Floor amendments approved for consideration?
Floor Amendment 3, offered by Senator Steans.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment No. 3 to Senate Bill 2449. All in favor, say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it. The amendment is adopted. Have there been any further Floor amendments approved for consideration?
No further amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. Now on the Order of 3rd Reading is Senate Bill 2449. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
Senate Bill 2449. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
Thank you very much, Mr. President, Members of the Senate. Senate Bill 2449 appropriates a hundred and forty-one million three hundred and thirty thousand dollars in all funds to the Department of Juvenile Justice. I will note that overall we are reducing from our Fiscal Year ‘11 expenditures 15.7 percent. 135 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 It’s a 9.4 percent reduction in just General Revenue Fund dollars. While making these reductions, we’re maintaining our sense of care for the kids in these systems by including the Aftercare and -- and School Services division increases as recommended by the Governor.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Thank you, Senator. Is there any discussion? Senator Althoff, for what purpose do you rise?
Thank you, Mr. President. To the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) To the bill, Senator.
I would just like to note for the Body that this reduction is consistent with the targeted savings that the Senate Republican plan showed. So this might actually be a piece of legislation people might want to vote Yes for. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Is there further discussion? Senator Righter, for what purpose do you rise?
Thank you, Mr. President. Will the sponsor yield, please?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) The sponsor indicates that she’ll yield. Senator Righter.
Thank you. Senator Steans, can you detail for me the lines from which the savings that you’ve talked about are drawn? Because you -- you’ve talked about maintaining certain things and I’m assuming, and correct me if I’m wrong, that when you say 136 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 maintaining, you’re saying maintaining funding. So, what lines are we drawing from in order to get the savings you’ve talked about?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
We’re making reductions in personal services, contractual services, and operations, as well as to repairs, maintenance and capital improvement lines.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
How are the different facilities being treated, Senator -- Senator Steans? In other words, for the amounts to be appropriated for different facilities, are you just cutting across the board from what the Governor wanted to spend or are you looking at the one in Kewanee, as opposed to the one in Joliet, and saying, well, this one’s got a special need here, this one’s got a little extra money here? I mean, have you walked through it in that methodical a process or are we just going across the board?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
There’s some overall across the board, but then there’s an additional reduction for the Murphysboro juvenile facility of 4.5 million dollars when compared to the Governor’s introduced budget.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 137 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Senator Righter.
You say there are some across the board. What are those, Senator?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
Generally speaking, we are making five percent reductions to personal services, as we have been in all the agency budgets.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
Are there any exceptions to that, Senator Steans, within the individual entities?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
I noted in my previous answer to you that there was a fifty percent reduction to the Murphysboro.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
Thank you, Mr. President. What is -- what’s the current status as far as how many kids are being served by the Department this year, as opposed -- as opposed to what we expect next year? ‘Cause I’m assuming that’s the basis of some of your budget numbers.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans. 138 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011
That is, but I do not have those numbers with me.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Further discussion? Senator Luechtefeld, for what purpose do you rise?
For purposes of a question.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) The sponsor indicates that she’ll yield. Senator Luechtefeld.
Thank you, Mr. President. On the -- in -- the Murphysboro facility is in my district. It’s a relatively new facility. I see that it’s a fifty percent cut in -- in the Murphysboro facility. Where did you get that number? Did you get that from the Department? Did they recommend that? Or where’d that come from?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
There have been conversations overall about directions for it that -- I’m not sure that that exact number came from the Department head, but this did come in conversations we’ve had with the Department. And we are -- believe that that’s an area where we can be making an adjustment.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Luechtefeld.
Senator, I talked to the Department, in fact, yesterday or 139 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 the day before, asking them what they intended to do with a facility where they were going to cut fifty percent; whether they were going to close it down; whether they’re going to -- you know, could cut the number of people who -- clients who are there. They -- they said to me they didn’t really have a clue what was -- why that was the case. So where -- and I guess my - - my question is, where -- where did that number come from? They -- they said they didn’t know of any cut in the Murphysboro facility.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
Well, I’m not sure who you’re talking to. I know that we have had conversations with the Department in looking at future plans, and that this is consistent with the direction that we think is a wise direction in which to be going.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Luechtefeld.
Do you have any knowledge of what their future plans are for that particular facility?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
I -- I think will -- that will get determined as we continue on through this budget process.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Further discussion? Seeing none, the question is, shall Senate Bill 2449 pass. All those in favor will vote Aye. 140 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 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, there are 37 voting Aye, 19 voting No, none voting Present. Senate Bill 2449, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. Continuing on our Calendar, Senate Bill 2454. Senator Steans seeks leave of the Body to return Senate Bill 2454 to the Order of 2nd Reading. Leave is granted. Now on the Order of 2nd Reading is Senate Bill 2454. Madam Secretary, have there been any Floor amendments approved for consideration?
Floor Amendment 4, offered by Senator Steans.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment No. 4. All in favor, say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it. The amendment is adopted. Have there been any further Floor amendments approved for consideration?
No further amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. Now on the Order of 3rd Reading is Senate Bill 2454. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
Senate Bill 2454. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
141 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Thank you, Mr. President, Members of the Senate. This Senate Bill 2454 appropriates a total of 15.2 billion dollars to the Department of Healthcare and Family Services. This is a reduction of 2.5 percent overall to this budget from Fiscal Year ‘11. It’s an increase in General Revenue Fund, because, as we have noted before, we are losing federal stimulus dollars, so we’re having to replace those with General Revenue Fund dollars, but it’s an overall reduction in spending for the Department.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Is there any discussion? Senator Murphy, for what purpose do you rise?
Question of the sponsor, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Sponsor indicates that she’ll yield.
Senator, I think if -- if we’re going to get to a position where, you know, our Medicaid and DHFS budgets are sustainable, I think most people recognize we’re going to have to address our Medicaid eligibility. And, I’m wondering, is anywhere in your plan a change or a reduction in Medicaid eligibility from where it is now?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
Senator Murphy, as you may recall, in January we passed Medicaid reform bill. That was unanimously passed from this Body. And in that bill, we did address eligibility issues for Medicaid, as well as making other fundamental changes to move 142 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 fifty percent of the Medicaid population into coordinated care.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy, you have a follow up?
Did you change eligibility in January for anything other than ALL KIDS?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
I -- I’m sorry. I missed the question. Were you asking about the eligibility for ALL KIDS?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy, could you repeat your question for Senator Steans?
Certainly. Did you -- did you change, in the previous bill that you referenced, the eligibility for anything other than in the ALL KIDS program?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
No. We just changed the eligibility for ALL KIDS in that program -- in that bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
To the bill, Mr. President. I -- I -- I appreciate your work in general, Senator, on -- on Medicaid. Unfortunately, if we -- there -- there are no real fundamental changes to the 143 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Medicaid program, which was expanded to the breaking point over the last decade. That keeps us on the path of spending we can’t afford. This budget does nothing to take us off that course and, again, is another brick in the wall of making that tax increase permanent. I have to urge a No vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Thank you, Senator Murphy. Senator Annazette Collins, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Thank you, Mr. President. To the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) To the bill, Senator.
I know that we’ve reduced from the House spending the total six percent reduction, but ours went down to three percent. But just to go on record to let you know that this will still affect hospitals in poor communities that receive all Medicaid dollars, and those dollars will affect -- all of the hospitals in a lot of the poor communities will not get those dollars. So, I hope as we go forward that we would continue to look at those hospitals and the Medicaid dollars.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Thank you, Senator. Senator Righter, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Will the sponsor yield, please, Mr. President?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Sponsor indicates that she’ll yield.
144 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Senator Steans, what I’ve heard that your plan was with regards to this bill was to restore half of what the Governor introduced insofar as the six percent rate cut. Is that what you intend this -- this bill to do?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
This bill does two -- two primary things in that regard. It does reduce in half Medicaid rate cuts from six percent to three percent. It also adds a fifteen-day payment cycle. So we’d go from our current twenty-four days to thirty-nine days. And -- but there’s nothing here -- I think there’s still some flexibility, to the previous questioners point, on how the -- we may manage that. But that is what this bill is doing.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
I think we’re on the same page, Senator, here. So, the numbers I’ve been given are that restoring half of the rate cut, which I think is what you said, the cost of that is about two hundred and seventy million dollars or so, but in this bill you’re only adding back through GRF thirty-three million dollars or so, which means that two hundred and forty some million of that will get pushed off into the next fiscal year by virtue of extending the payment cycle. Is that about where we’re at with regards to this -- to this bill?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
145 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 The current payment cycle is about twenty-four days. This does say moving it to thirty-nine. What I would say is historically our payment cycle in Medicaid has been sixty, ninety, a hundred days. So we are envisioning maintaining a very reasonable payment cycle of thirty-nine days. And as you and I both know and worked on in the Medicaid reform bill, this is one of those areas that we have very much come to an agreement that we want to make sure we are not, in fact, not just moving and doing gimmicks of not actually paying for our Medicaid liability. So we are maintaining what I think is a very reasonable -- reasonable payment cycle.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter, do you have a follow-up?
…do -- I do, Mr. President. And maybe another day we can talk about whether or not pushing off bills is a gimmick or not. But the -- my understanding is, is that a day’s worth of the statewide Medicaid bills is about twenty million dollars. So if you are -- I’m sorry, twenty-eight or twenty-nine million dollars. So if you are pushing off by fifteen days, you’re way above the two hundred and seventy-six million we’re talking about. You’re closer -- you’re between four and five hundred million dollars. So, can you help me? Maybe -- maybe my numbers are wrong or your math is different. Can you help me with that, Senator, please?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
It is closer to about 15.8 million in savings at a three 146 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 percent rate reduction on what it costs for a day. We’ve worked with the Department on the -- in fact, the -- the analysis being that this would be what it is for moving out fifteen days. So we have been getting that data and working with the Department in getting those numbers accurate.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Seeing no further discussion, the question is, shall Senate Bill 2454 pass. All those in favor will vote Aye. 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, there are 31 voting Aye, 26 voting No, none voting Present. Senate Bill 2454, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. Continuing on the on the Order of Senate Bills 3rd Reading, Senate Bill 2458. Senator Kotowski seeks leave of the Body to return Senate Bill 2458 to the Order of 2nd Reading. Leave is granted. Now on the Order of 2nd Reading is Senate Bill 2458. Madam Secretary, have there been any Floor amendments approved for consideration?
Floor Amendment 6, offered by Senator Kotowski.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment No. 6 to Senate Bill 2458. All in favor, say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. Have there been any further Floor amendments approved for consideration?
No further amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 147 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 3rd Reading. Now on the Order of 3rd Reading is Senate Bill 2458. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
Senate Bill 2458. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
Thank you very much, Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate. Senate Amendment No. 6 of Senate Bill 2458 appropriates 10.5 billion to the State Board of Education for their Fiscal Year ‘12 expenses. Of this amount, seven billion is represented in GRF. This represents a decrease from Fiscal Year ‘11 of 137.7 million and a decrease from the Fiscal Year ‘12 introduced of three hundred and seventy-one million. The amendment maintains funding levels for all personal service and operations and reduces grant lines by a hundred and ten million when compared to Fiscal Year ‘11 and three hundred and thirty- five million when compared to Fiscal Year ‘12. It holds general State aid funding level with Fiscal Year ‘11 and reduces mandated categoricals by ten percent from the Fiscal Year ‘12 introduced budget.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Is there any discussion? Senator Althoff, for what purpose do you rise?
Thank you, Mr. President. Will the sponsor yield?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 148 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Sponsor indicates that he will yield. Senator Althoff.
Senator Kotowski, I think you know my background is special education. The mandated categoricals, that reduction, that will be for special education programs as well?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
Yes.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Althoff.
…you. Do I also note that there are also three new programs included in this budget?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
Yes.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Althoff.
Senator, can you tell me what those three programs are? Can you tell me how much they’re going to cost and you -- can you explain to me who decided the value of those new programs were substantially more than making sure we fund our mandated categoricals to a hundred percent?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
149 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Like you, Senator Althoff, I share that concern about special education and I -- you know, I believe -- and these are very, very, very difficult and challenging decisions to make in order to reduce the size of the budget. You know, it’s my commitment to try and put as much support as possible into those line items. The ones that -- additional ones that you talked about had to do with classroom reduction and also focused on IHOPE. But I share that concern that you have.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Althoff.
Thank you. Senator, I understand you do. I guess the point I’m trying to make is, can you explain to me why we felt - - at a time when we swore we weren’t going to put any expanded spending or new programs in a budget where we -- where we were reducing expenditures, why we chose to put three new programs in and reduce funding to our mandated categoricals?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
Yeah, I -- I believe the -- the comparison of those numbers for those programs were about fifteen million versus the hundred and ten million reduction that we’re talking about. We looked and focused on the budget as much as we can to make reductions that were reasonable and where we’d have shared sacrifice across the board. As you know, we held the general State aid steady and we made -- we made other decisions to make reductions across the board.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 150 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Senator Althoff.
In closing, I think it shows a very poor decision-making approach when we are trying to share or equally distribute the pain in our reductions and yet we still find money for new programs, regardless of what the value of those new programs are. I think it sends a very poor message to those people that we all serve. And I would urge a No vote on this legislation.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Thank you, Senator. Senator Lightford, for what purpose do you rise?
Thank you, Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate. While we’re talking about the State Board of Education budget, I wanted to rise just to acknowledge that I wholeheartedly disagree with the previous speaker. These aren’t new programs. It’s time that we acknowledge where the need is around here for the State of Illinois and what our children need. Mandated categoricals is not a need. That was created out of a want. It was something that you had to have. But we absolutely need to find a way to address all of our high school dropout students. We have to find a way to reduce classroom size. We have to find a way to support children who are the lowest-performing students who cannot pass the standardized testing. If you don’t have any suggestions, then just stop whining. Stop talking about a process that you could have very well participated in that you chose not to. I rise in support of this budget. It doesn’t go far enough to help children who are underperforming. It doesn’t go far enough to help children 151 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 who, we all acknowledge, are low-performing in math, reading and science. So in lieu of that, I still urge an Aye vote, but I think we should do a better job for kids across the State of Illinois.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Thank you, Senator Lightford. Senator Righter, for what purpose do you rise?
Will the sponsor yield, please, Mr. President?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Sponsor indicates that he will yield.
Senator Kotowski, I want to center in a little bit, follow- up on some of Senator Althoff’s questions, about the creation of the new programs and the twelve million dollars specifically for reducing class sizes. We used to have a grant program - it’s my recollection - just a few years ago, to reduce class sizes and no one took advantage of it because they didn’t have other classrooms in which to put the kids in order to make the -- the average class size smaller. What’s changed between then and now?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
Why, I think that would just -- part of the thing that’s changed is now with the -- the capital bill that we passed, we have significant dollars for school construction to help address that issue and I think some of the other policy decisions that we’ve made. 152 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
Well, but, Senator, this is for Fiscal Year ‘12. The capital bill -- I mean, they’re not -- they’ve -- they’re not going to have these classrooms built by the time this year’s operating budget is ready to go. So what are we going to do with the twelve million dollars?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
Again, another point there, this is a -- this is a three- year pilot program that we put in place. We’re working to make sure that we have the funds. To one of the points that was previously raised, one of the biggest challenges that -- that parents talk about all the time, and teachers, is the size of classrooms and the number of students that are in -- in the classes, and making sure that the resources are available so that students get the education that they need. So, this is a - - an important program. It’s a valuable one and addresses a priority that we’ve identified in the budget.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
Okay, let’s move on to a -- the -- the second of these three new programs, and that is the 3.2-million-dollar appropriation in your legislation for a program to be known as the Illinois Hope and Opportunity Pathways Through Education Program. What exactly will that program do, Senator? 153 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
Thank you very much. This -- the IHOPE Program is a -- it’s a very important program, because it’s a -- a competitive - - competitive grant program for dropouts to make sure that they get the service they need so they can go back into the school and get their education, and so they’re not a burden on our -- burden on taxpayers by going into prison and not working and unfortunately ending up homeless. So this is a very, very important program.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
Thank you -- thank you, Mr. President. What will be the -- can you tell me anything about the criteria under which grants from this program will be awarded and whether or not there’s going to be a regional focus to this, Senator?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
Thank you very much. This is a -- it’s a -- it’s a statewide program, be awarded on a competitive basis. This is a -- it’s modeled, I think, believe, on the alternative schools program. So, this is what we -- there’s historical data and information about the importance of this program and -- and the need to keep funding it.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter. 154 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011
Thank you, Mr. President. Senator Kotowski, it’s just been told to me by a member of my staff and it’s something I’m sure we would have been able to develop further had we had a committee hearing, that in this bill, as well, you’re moving a program for dropouts from the State Board of Education to the ICCB. And now you’re replacing it with a new one here. Why?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
Thank you very much, Senator Righter. Because of need. Because of need. And, you know, that was -- wanted to address the need and wanted to make sure that that service that was provided by the Alternative Schools Network was continuing to be provided. But -- there’s greater need in order to dress out -- address the number of students who are dropping out. So, this is a competitive grant program that we’re identifying here to make sure that we address this priority, but also maintaining the support and funding for the Alterative Schools Network.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
Thank you, Mr. President. And, Senator Kotowski, I -- you keep saying, “addressing the need”, and I get that and, I mean, those are good talking points, but budgets are a lot about process and why you’re putting numbers in certain places. Why did you move the program in this bill from the State Board over to the Illinois Community College Board? Why?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 155 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Senator Kotowski.
That’s -- that’s an excellent question, Senator. I think one of the -- one of the reasons why that was happening, wanted to make sure that that program, which had been successful -- it, every year, was being at risk, greater risk, of being reduced and -- and subject to politics. We wanted to make sure that it was put in a -- a place where that -- we talked to the Community College Board and we talked to placing it there, and they were perfectly okay with having it there.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
Senator Kotowski, I’m confused, because in that one answer you just said that the program was highly successful, yet it was in danger of being zeroed out - which is kind of funny, because you’re the one writing the budget bills - it was in danger of being zeroed out so you moved it to another department and then you substituted in yet another program. Why didn’t you just add money to a program which, you just said yourself, was working great in the State Board of Education?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
Thank you for your question. Number one, it was zeroed out in the Governor’s budget and one of the things we wanted to do - - as -- as you talked about, in -- in budgeting for results, there are some agencies that do a better job of managing it. And this was an area that we focused on and we looked at it and 156 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 making sure that we do an effective job of managing this program, which has been successful. But we wanted to make sure that it wasn’t going to be completely subject to politics. So, we have this line item. We’re continuing to fund the competitive grant item to make sure that we address the number of students who are dropping out, to keep that from happening in our State.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
Senator Kotowski, when you talk about programs that would be better managed somewhere, I’m not sure where you’re talking about. Because you’ve taken one program you said was successful and moved it from the State Board of Education to the Community College Board, which with all due respect, you’ve not given me an answer of why you’re making that specific change. And if the reason is, is because the Community College Board will manage the program better, then why are you putting three million dollars new into what is basically the same program into the State Board of Education? Which is it? Who’s the better manager here and why isn’t the money there?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
Thank you very much, Senator Righter. This was a request of the Alternative Schools Network to put it under the -- the Community College Board. We respected the request. We thought it was a great suggestion. And the other one, the difference between that program and this program, is this is going to be 157 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 more of a -- a competitive grant program that we’re going to put out. It’s going to be statewide.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
To the bill, if I might, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) To the bill, Senator.
You know, if there -- and I would suggest this is not just true for people on this side of the aisle, but many on the other side of the aisle. If there’s one message that the voters have sent, it’s that at a time when State government can’t pay the school districts on time, can’t pay the community colleges on time, can’t pay the four universities, or Medicaid providers, or human service providers, and I could go on and on and on, it’s when you’ve got that kind of problems, do you really want to create new programs? Do you really want to tell the taxpayers, “I know that right now you can’t pay for” - because of us - “what it is that we’ve asked you to pay for, but we want you to pay for a little more”? I mean, if -- if you think that message is wrong and you want to tell your constituents, “Hey, you know what, we know State government’s bursting at the seams; we know we’ve been wildly irresponsible in a number of areas, nevertheless, we’re going to start some new programs”, this bill’s the bill for you. Thank you, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Thank you, Senator. Further discussion? Senator Murphy.
158 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Question of the sponsor, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Sponsor indicates he’ll yield.
Senator, does your education budget, this 2458, reflect in any way the 1.8 million you put in the DCEO budget for transportation?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
No, sir.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
Well, if it was in that budget for transportation for buses, shouldn’t that somehow be reflected in the school -- the -- the -- the education budget?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
It was placed on -- we’ve already addressed this in the DCEO budget. I think what’s important here is we’ve addressed the amount of cuts that are happening to this budget. It’s over three hundred million dollars based on the introduced. It’s in excess of a hundred million from last year. I think generally what we’re looking for is to make very necessary, but difficult choices to reduce spending. And we’re doing that and that’s what this budget does.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 159 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Senator Murphy.
To the bill, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) To the bill.
Except for the fact that it doesn’t. This budget spends more money than we spent last year. You’re going to spend, in fact, probably at least a couple hundred million above your own revenue estimate, which means this is a deficit spending budget in addition to a budget that -- that -- that does nothing to put us on the path towards getting rid of the tax increase. One of the previous speakers made a point that I think was a very important point, that this bill doesn’t do enough for children. Well, this whole budget, frankly, doesn’t do enough for children - and the ones I’m referring to in particular are the ones who hope at some point to get out of college and try and get a job in this State - because this cements a tax increase in place and makes it permanent. It continues the fiscal insanity of debt and borrowing that has put us at one of the worst job growth records in the country. So the children we need to be worried about are the children who want to work someday in Illinois, ‘cause you’re right, this budget won’t help them at all. I urge a No vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) There being no further discussion, the -- Senator Kotowski, do you wish to close?
Just a -- a point of clarification. The previous spoke -- 160 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 speaker spoke about the budget and their -- their proposal reduced education by seven hundred and fifty million. I think we did the responsible thing and we made reductions which are, I think, important and necessary. And I think -- to be quite honest, I had to say something, because what he’s talking about -- his statements are just factually inaccurate. We are decreasing spending significantly. And that’s very important to know. We had -- this is a revenue-driven budget. It’s 34.2 billion dollars. And if you include all the expenses last year, which we’re including this year, it is a massive - massive - reduction in State spending. And just the last point to make, there’s a difference between a talking point and an amendment or a piece of legislation. Let’s make that distinction clear. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) The question is, shall Senate Bill 2458 pass. All those in favor will vote Aye. 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, there are 31 voting Aye, 25 voting No, none voting Present. And Senate Bill 2458, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. Near the bottom of page 58 of your printed Calendars is Senate Bill 2467. Senator Steans seeks leave of the Body to return Senate Bill 2467 to the Order of 2nd Reading. Leave is granted. Now on the Order of 2nd Reading is Senate Bill 2467. Madam Secretary, have there been any Floor amendments approved for consideration?
Floor Amendment 1, offered by Senator Steans. 161 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans moves to -- for the adoption of Floor Amendment No. 1 to Senate Bill 2467. All in favor, say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it. The amendment is adopted. Have there been any further Floor amendments approved for consideration?
Floor Amendment 2, offered by Senator Steans.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment No. 2 to Senate Bill 2467. All in favor, say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it. The amendment is adopted. Have there been any further Floor amendments approved for consideration?
Floor Amendment 3, offered by Senator Kotowski.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment No. 3 to Senate Bill 2467. All in favor, say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. Have there been any further Floor amendments approved for consideration?
No further amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. Now on the Order of 3rd Reading is Senate Bill 2467. Senator Steans. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
Senate Bill 2467. 162 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
Thank you, Mr. President, Members of the Senate. Senate Bill 2467 appropriates dollars for our State constitutional offices. In total, the spending in these budgets is reduced by sixty-six percent. It -- the total spending that is in these budgets is one billion eight hundred -- eighty-seven - excuse me - million dollars. Down from 3.2 billion in the current -- in Fiscal Year ‘11. I would urge an Aye vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Is there any discussion? Senator Kotowski, for what purpose do you rise?
Just to rise in strong support and also to compliment the different agencies and constitutional officers who participated in this effort to reduce spending. This cuts spending by 75.8 million dollars from Fiscal Year ‘11 last year. I think it’s historical that these agencies took the necessary steps in order to reduce costs and spending and save taxpayers money in Illinois. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Thank you, Senator. Further discussion? Senator Murphy, for what purpose do you rise?
Question of the sponsor, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 163 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Sponsor indicates she’ll yield.
Senator, it’s my understanding there is an increase in funding for committee chairmen and spokespersons of 4.8 percent in the Senate. Is that correct?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
Yes.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
Now, is -- is that on the stipend itself, or is that on the totality of the pay?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
Totality of pay.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
So how many Members in the Senate will see their pay go down when you add that back in off of the pay cut that’s in?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
A net reduction of 1.2 million dollars.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy. 164 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011
What does it do for the average Senator’s pay overall? I mean, am I -- am I voting here to cut my pay or increase my pay, and not only mine, but that of the -- the majority of this Chamber?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
An average reduction of three thousand dollars.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
Is that based on the difference between 5.6 and the 4.8?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
That’s the -- based on the difference between the base pay from Fiscal Year ‘11 to Fiscal Year ‘12.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
I’m -- I’m not trying to be difficult and I -- I don’t want to belabor this, I just want to understand exactly what it is we’re doing. It’s my understanding we have a 5.6 percent cut in pay, but then 4.8 percent comes back in for committee chairs and minority spokesmen. Is that your understanding of what this -- and the 4.8 that comes back in is on the total pay not just the stipend? Is that your understanding of what this does?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 165 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Senator Steans.
Yeah. That’s more or less correct, and it ends up netting out about three-thousand-dollar reduction per Member.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy, do you have another question?
How -- let’s just assume that the 5.6 reduction overall is offset by 4.8. That leaves about a .8 percent reduction. How can that be three thousand dollars?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
You know, we can walk through some examples after this. I will ask to get some examples written up and I will be happy to share that for you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
I guess I -- I just want to be crystal clear, and I think everybody in the Chamber would, on whether we’re voting to cut or -- or increase our pay. I think I understand your intent is to cut the pay and I appreciate that, but I want to make crystal clear, and I think everyone wants to know exactly what they’re voting on. And I guess my request would be to pull this one out of the record so we can sit down and have an understanding of exactly what this bill does, whether it’s a cut or an increase, ‘cause I -- I can’t really tell.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 166 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Senator Steans.
You know, we’re -- this is an appropriation. This is not going into individual salary levels. We’re just doing an appropriation level here, and we can get into any other details you want on particular salaries outside of the -- this Chamber. But this is just appropriating the dollars.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy, do you have another question?
I -- does this have a seventy percent appropriation level increase for the House?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
No.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
For House chair and spokespersons, my understanding is the FY’11 approp was one million one hundred fifteen thousand three hundred, and that you have one million six hundred and forty thousand in your plan. If I’m incorrect on that, please let me know.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
I -- we only have a total appropriation here. I do not know to which you have divisioned this up. That’s not what we 167 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 have. We have a total appropriation amount here.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
Our staff is indicating that’s the way it’s broken down, and I guess given that, I presume it is not your intent to vote for a seventy-percent increase in the appropriation for House chairs and spokespersons. And so, again, I would ask if we could just pull this out of the record and make sure we all know exactly what it is we’re voting for.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
There’s a possibility that you’re -- you may have a mistake in information. We’re just doing an overall appropriation amount.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
But there’s a possibility that we don’t. And -- and given that there’s really no rush, why can’t we -- why can’t we just pull this out and make sure everybody understands exactly what it is we’re voting on?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
We’ll be happy to do a trailer bill if we need to, to make any corrections, Senator Murphy.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 168 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Senator Murphy.
So, you’re really not going to pull this out of the record? Everybody here is left to wonder whether they’re voting to increase pay for us or the House?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
I just want to remind everyone this is a total -- a decrease in the appropriation to which we’re referring of 1.2 million, which is on average three thousand per Member. This is an overall decrease.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
I -- I understand that, but that includes agency heads, constitutionals, everybody. We’re a little sensitive in this Chamber - I’d like to think - to -- to how we’re voting on our own pay. So, I mean, I -- I -- I’m a little dumbfounded as to the fact that we can’t pull this out so we can have a conversation and make sure everyone in the Chamber is clear on what it is we’re doing with our own pay.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
This bill’s only appropriation -- appropriating dollars to the overall line. It’s not making any changes to anyone’s pay. This is just -- we’re decreasing overall the appropriation that’s available. 169 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy, I’m sorry if I cut you off in the middle of your question. Do you have another question?
Then -- then -- then why is there reference specifically to chair and minority spokesmen pay and putting something back in? I mean -- if it’s a simple…
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
They’re overall reductions to those.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
What -- what are the -- what are the reductions as you understand them for Senate pay and Senate stipends, House pay and House stipends compared to last year?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
I’m sorry. Repeat -- can you repeat the question, Senator Murphy?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
What are the reductions for Senate pay and Senate stipends for this FY’12 that you’re proposing compared to FY’11, and then also for the House?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 170 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Senator Steans.
For -- for Senate pay, it’s a reduction of -- it’s from 4.1 million to 3.9 million. For the Representatives, it’s 8.1 million to 7.8 million.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
But that’s -- that’s the total pay. Is that correct?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
Yes, it’s total appropriation amount.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
Is there a separate appropriation for stipends anywhere in -- any of these bills? Or…
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
No, there is not.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
So there’s no reference at all in the line item for chairmen and minority spokesmen of standing and select committees in the House, and -- and the same thing in the Senate? That’s not anywhere in legislation or in the bill? 171 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
There are some Senate and House per diem amounts, which are kept flat.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy.
Again, I -- I don’t feel at all comfortable that we have a real clear idea of what we’re doing with our own pay. Given that fact, I’m going to make one last request to pull this out of the record.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
Yeah, no. We -- you can vote how you would wish on this then, Senator Murphy, as a result. We are just simply appropriating the dollar amounts. We’re not -- and they are going down.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Murphy, have you wrapped up?
To the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) To the bill.
It -- you know, again, we have supported per diem cuts. We have supported reductions in our own pay and -- and furlough days. We support doing so. Again, I can’t tell whether or not 172 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 that’s in this bill. I have no advice as to what to do with this bill in light of the answers that have been given. I think you’re all going to have to vote your conscience as to whether or not you think this actually cuts or increases your pay accordingly.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Annazette Collins, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Yes, thank you, Mr. President. I wanted to make clear, too, if we were cutting our salary, because I don’t believe in cutting my salary and I won’t be voting for cutting my salary. So, is this a cut? To the sponsor.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Sponsor indicates that she’ll yield for a question. Senator Collins, perhaps you could restate your question now that she’s yielding.
Are we cutting our salary?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
No. This is only appropriating dollar levels. There -- you -- you may have an opportunity to do that in another bill. That is not this bill. This is just appropriating a dollar level.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Further discussion? Senator Righter, for what purpose do you seek recognition? 173 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011
Will the sponsor yield, please, Mr. President?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) She -- she will yield, Senator.
Senator, I’m -- I’m confused. You -- you just told Senator Collins that there was not a pay reduction, but earlier in response to Senator Murphy’s questions, you said that the average -- the pay, upon average, for the average Member, go down three thousand dollars. I don’t know how those two belong together.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
You know, given your time here in the Senate, I would think you might at this point understand the difference between appropriation level and then actual decisions around that. This is reducing an overall appropriation level.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
Right, but -- but you were asked a question not about an overall appropriation level, Senator. You were asked a question about Members’ pay and you responded on average it will go down three thousand. So you’ve kind of taken this out of the realm of just the big world of appropriations dollar, and you asked -- you answered a specific question about Member pay. So, I’m just asking, how did you arrive at that figure and how is that square with your answer to Senator Collins that, in fact, Member pay 174 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 won’t be affected?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
Very simply, in that we expect at a later time to have a bill that does institute furlough days and other things that will, in fact, reduce pay. That is not this bill. This bill simply sets an appropriation level that does, in fact, go down.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
Then reference to your expectations - and I’m assuming the comment that you made earlier in answer to Senator Murphy’s question about the average pay going down three thousand dollars - tell me what assumptions you are making in arriving at that three-thousand-dollar figure?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
Per diem is lowered from one thirty-nine to a hundred and eleven dollars and we have twelve furlough days as well. Those are the assumptions that drive this appropriation level.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
Now, just to confirm, Senator. There’s no furlough days in this legislation, correct?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans. 175 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011
Correct.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
Senator Steans, I want to take you to -- on Amendment 3, page 22, and I’m referencing lines 21 through 24, which detail the appropriation, in Amendment 3, for stipends for individual committees, on the assignments of the bills, and for chairmen and minority spokesmen of standing and select committees in the House and the Senate, and I have figures of five hundred and ninety-one thousand one hundred dollars, and then the second, one million six hundred and forty thousand dollars. Is that -- is that an accurate reflection of Amendment 3?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
Yes.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
Now, I also have, Senator Steans, as the FY -- FY’11 - so, the current year’s appropriation for those two - to be five hundred and sixteen thousand four hundred dollars, and that’s for Senate chair and spokespersons, and 1.15 million dollars for House chair and spokespersons. Would you agree with those two figures?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans. 176 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011
Yes.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
Okay, the obvious -- and I understand that I’m not -- you’re right, I’ve been in the Senate for a while, but I’m not an expert on appropriations, Senator. You pointed that out and I’ll confess that. But even to a simpleton like me, it would appear that that means that those numbers have gone up. So, the chairs and the spokespersons in the House and the Senate, all hundred and seventy-seven or however many fill those roles, are going to get more money from this amendment. You’re increasing the amount of money they’re getting for those duties. The question I have for you in terms of public policy is, why?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
That is not a decision on which I was involved, Senator Righter. I would say that overall the appropriation is going down on average for all Members. We’re going to be seeing a reduction, we suspect, of three thousand dollars if we pass a follow-up bill that deals with furlough days and the per diem is going down as well.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
Thank you, Mr. President. Well, now, Senator Steans, now you’re leaping back into the world of general appropriations 177 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 again, after we spent some time here on just these spokespersons and committee chairmen stipends. So let’s stay focused on that. I’m asking you why the stipends are going up. If it wasn’t your decision, I’m curious about whose decision it was. And surely someone has told you why you’re carrying a bill that increases those stipends.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
The recommendations for these stipends came from the recommendations from the Comptroller’s Office.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter.
Mr. President, with -- at this time, the Senate Republicans would request a caucus, please, in Leader Radogno’s Office. So we can learn more about what’s in this piece of legislation.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter, we are in the -- in the middle of a debate. We’d ask you to have your caucus between legislative measures. Senator Righter.
Thank you, Mr. President. First, Mr. President, that request is always in order and it’s not conditioned on a bill. Second, I would respectfully suggest that -- and I know that we’ve harped on this, but a lot of the questions that we are asking and a lot of the misunderstanding and misinformation that is flooding this Chamber right now is driven by the way that this has been done. I don’t think anyone questions the good 178 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 faith efforts of the sponsors that we’ve seen stand up here today. But the bottom line is, and -- and with all due respect, Senator Steans just demonstrated again, they don’t have a lot of these answers. If we had these answers, we could have a much more informed expeditious debate, rather than kind of this fishing that you see going on here, because we’ve not had a chance to answer any questions. With all due respect, Mr. President, in lieu of not -- not having a committee hearing and the sponsor not willing to pull the bill out of the record, even though she can’t answer these questions or she can’t tell us some of the public policy rationale behind the increases in appropriations for Members of this Body, then we would respectfully request a caucus immediately.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator, I understand your request. A request for a caucus is not always in order. We are in the middle of debate of a pending legislative measure. If you have a citation to a Senate rule that would permit you to call for a caucus in the middle of a pending legislative debate, I’d be happy to entertain that. Senator Righter.
Thank you, Mr. President, for your indulgence. As you -- you know and your Parliamentarian knows, as well as I do, that - - that word is not even mentioned in the rules. It’s been a courtesy that’s always been extended in this Body. And if it’s the Presiding Officer’s decision, and the majority’s, to simply blow through this in the manner in which you’re choosing to do, then obviously that’s your call; you have the gavel, Mr. President. But I would respectfully suggest that your Members 179 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 think very, very carefully about how they want to vote on a piece of legislation that increases their stipends for committee chairmanships and spokespersons with no - no - corresponding cut in salaries and whether or not that’s what your people back home are looking for you to do. Thank you, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Steans.
Senator Righter, I will take this out of the record and we can come back to it at a later date so you can have time to look at it.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senate Bill 2467 is out of the record, Madam Secretary. Senator Righter, do you wish to renew your request for a caucus now that we are between legislative measures? Senator Righter.
Not at all, Mr. President. I know that you have important business you want to get to.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Thank you, Senator Righter. Turning to the top of page 59 of your printed Calendar, still on the Order of Senate Bills 3rd Reading, Senate Bill 2473. Senator Kotowski seeks leave of the Body to return Senate Bill 2473 to the Order of 2nd Reading. Leave is granted. Now on the Order of 2nd Reading is Senate Bill 2473. Madam Secretary, have there been any Floor amendments approved for consideration?
Floor Amendment 1, offered by Senator Kotowski.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 180 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Senator Kotowski moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment No. 1 to Senate Bill 2473. All in favor, say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. Have there been any further Floor amendments approved for consideration?
Floor Amendment 2, offered by Senator Kotowski.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski moves for the adoption of Floor Amendment No. 2 to Senate Bill 2473. All in favor, say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it. The amendment is adopted. Have there been any further Floor amendments approved for consideration?
No further amendments reported.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 3rd Reading. Now on the Order of 3rd Reading is Senate Bill 2473. Madam Secretary, please read the bill.
Senate Bill 2473. (Secretary reads title of bill) 3rd Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski.
Thank you very much. The -- the amendments to Senate Bill 2473 contains the Fiscal Year 2012 budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs. The underlying amendments made reductions to the Fiscal Year 2012 introduced GRF appropriation levels for the Department’s personal services by five percent, contractual 181 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 service by seven percent, and operations by five percent. Also reduced through amendment are GRF-funded programs and grant lines administered by the Department. Through these reductions, Senate Bill 2473, as amended, reduces spending below Fiscal Year ‘11 by a total of 1.2 million GRF. However, for all funds comparison is a hundred and twenty-one million - in Fiscal Year ‘11 - seven fifty-nine, and for this year in this introduced bill, this amendment to the bill, is a hundred and twenty-one million seven fifty-two. So, it’s a difference of six thousand four hundred dollars. So, for the most part, it remains steady.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Thank you, Senator. Is there any discussion? Senator Murphy, for what purpose do you rise?
To the bill, Mr. President. I want to, first, thank Senator Steans for pulling the previous bill out of the record. That is greatly appreciated on our side. On this bill, I urge a No vote.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Is there any further discussion? Seeing none, the question is, shall Senate Bill 2473 pass. All those in favor will vote Aye. 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, there are 33 voting Aye, 24 voting No, none voting Present. And Senate Bill 2473, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. President Cullerton, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
182 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Yes, thank you, Mr. President, Members of the Senate. Wanted to address the schedule. Since we have virtually completed the passage of our budget with the exception of one bill that we took out of the record at the request of the Republicans, we now can readjust our schedule. So, to the Senate, we need -- we are -- we would be allowed to cancel our Session that was originally scheduled for Sunday and come back into Session on Tuesday at 4 p.m. -- Monday. Monday at 4 p.m., not Tuesday. Monday at 4 p.m. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Just to reiterate, we are back in Session on Monday at 4 p.m. Ladies and Gentlemen, for purpose of scheduling, I’d like to make the following committee announcements: The Senate Executive Committee, which canceled its meeting earlier today, and the Senate Licensed Activities Committee, which was recessed and did not meet at the time it was recessed to today, will meet on Monday at 5 p.m. Those are the Senate Executive Committee and the Senate Licensed Activity {sic} Committee - Monday at 5 p.m. The Senate Insurance Committee and the Senate State Government Committee, which were both in recess and did not meet at the time they were recessed to today, will meet on Monday at 5:30 p.m. Again, the -- Executive and Licensed Activities will meet Monday at 5 p.m., and the Insurance and State Government Committees will meet Monday, May 16th, at 5:30 p.m. I’d also remind all Members who have House bills on 3rd Reading -- Ladies and Gentlemen, if you have House bills on 3rd Reading and you are working on Floor amendments, you should file them as soon as possible to provide time for them to be heard in committee next week so your bill can be passed by the May 27th House Bill 3rd 183 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 Reading deadline. Please file your amendments as soon as possible. Madam Secretary, Committee Reports.
Senator Garrett, Chairperson of the Committee on Commerce, reports House Bills 1730, 2073, 3034 and 3289 Do Pass.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Righter, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Inquiry of the Chair, if I might, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Please state your inquiry, Senator.
Very briefly, you -- thank you for the information you’ve given us about Monday’s schedule. The last question I would have on that, though, is whether or not you anticipate the Senate engaging in any Floor action on Monday.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) If you’ll bear with us, Senator, we’ll be able to advise you shortly. Madam Secretary, Resolutions.
Senate Resolution -- 235, offered by Senator Haine. It is a death resolution, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Resolution Consent Calendar. Senator Righter, I’d like to respond to your inquiry. We do expect the Senate to engage in business on Monday. There will be some Floor action. Thank you, Senator. Madam Secretary, Messages from the House.
A Message from the House by Mr. Mahoney, Clerk. 184 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 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 124. We have received like Messages on House Bills 2189 and 3700. They all passed the House, May 13th, 2011. Mark Mahoney, Clerk of the House.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Madam Secretary, House Bills 1st Reading.
House Bill 123, offered by Senator Kotowski. (Secretary reads title of bill) House Bill 2168, offered by Senator Steans. (Secretary reads title of bill) 1st Reading of these House bills.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Madam Secretary, 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 have been filed, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Is there any discussion? If not, the question is, shall the resolutions on the Consent Calendar be adopted. All those in favor, say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it. The motion carries and the resolutions are adopted. There being no further 185 STATE OF ILLINOIS 97th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 43rd Legislative Day 5/13/2011 business to come before the Senate, the Senate stands adjourned until the hour of 4 p.m. on Monday, May 16th, 2011. The Senate stands adjourned. 186