PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) The -- I mean, the regular Session of the 98th General Assembly will please come to order. Will the Members please be at their desk? Will our guests in the galleries please rise? The invocation today will be given by Reverend Mary Alice Suter, Memorial Medical Center Chaplain, Springfield, Illinois.
(Prayer by the Reverend Mary Alice Suter)
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) The Pledge of Allegiance will be led by Senator Jacobs.
(Pledge of Allegiance, led by Senator Jacobs)
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Mr. Secretary, Reading and Approval of the Journal.
Senate Journal of Tuesday, February 18th, 2014.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) 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 CLAYBORNE) Senator Hunter moves to postpone the reading and approval of the Journal, proving -- I mean, pending the arrival of the printed transcript. There being no objection, so ordered. James R. Carder from Blueroomstream videotape -- seeks leave to videotape. Seeing no objection, permission is granted. Mr. Secretary, Resolutions.
1 STATE OF ILLINOIS 98th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 86th Legislative Day 2/19/2014 Senate Resolution 936, offered by Senator Sullivan and all Members. Senate Resolution 937, offered by Senator Haine and all Members. They are both death resolutions, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Resolutions Consent Calendar. Mr. -- Mr. -- Mr. Secretary, Committee Reports.
Senator Mulroe, Chairperson of the Committee on Public Health, reports Senate Bill 2915 Do Pass. Senator -- Senator Delgado, Chairperson of the Committee on Education, reports Senate Bills 2710, 2711, 2760 and 2775 Do Pass. Senator Frerichs, Chairperson of the Committee on Higher Education, reports Senate Bills 2728 and 2729 Do Pass. Senator Raoul, Chairperson of the Committee on Judiciary, reports Senate Bills 2730, 2791 and 2892 Do Pass. Senator Sandoval, Chairperson of the Committee on Transportation, reports Senate Bills 2598 and 2802 Do Pass; Senate Joint Resolution 46 and 50 and House Joint Resolution 52 and 53 Be Adopted. Senator Jones, Chairperson of the Committee on Local Government, reports Senate Bills 2721, 2814 and 2841 Do Pass. Senator Noland, Chairperson of the Committee on Criminal Law, reports Senate Bills 2709, 2783, 2800, 2801, 2806, 2808, 2852, 2912 Do Pass; and Senate Bills 2694 and 2695 Do Pass, as Amended.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Mr. Secretary, Appointment Messages.
2 STATE OF ILLINOIS 98th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 86th Legislative Day 2/19/2014 Appointment Message 597 Governor's non-salaried appointment Matthew J. Stropes Public Administrator and Public Guardian for Mason County Appointment Message 598 Governor's non-salaried appointment Peter J. O'Brien, Sr. Capital Development Board
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Senator LaHood, for what purpose do you seek recognition? SENATOR LaHOOD: Thank you, Mr. President. Point of personal privilege.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Please state your point, Senator. SENATOR LaHOOD: Thank you, Mr. President. Like to introduce my Page for the Day, Mr. Cole Hartley. He attends Princeville High School, which is in Peoria County. His hobbies include volunteer work, art, working out, and anything baseball related. He plays on the Princeville baseball team. And his future plans include attending college to major in kinesiology and also to play baseball. He's interested in working as a sports trainer or a PE teacher. And I'd like everyone to give him a warm Springfield welcome, to Cole. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Welcome to Springfield. Thanks for coming. Good luck to you. We'd like to recognize President Glenn Poshard, of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Thank you. Thank you. Former Senator in this Body. Thank you. Senator Righter, for what 3 STATE OF ILLINOIS 98th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 86th Legislative Day 2/19/2014 purpose do you seek recognition?
Thank you, Mr. President. For a point of personal privilege, if I might?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Please state your point.
Thank you, Mr. President. Ladies and Gentlemen of the Chamber, I am very pleased to introduce a group of my constituents from the south part of my Senate district, Crawford County. It is a group of citizens from Crawford County that come to the Capitol every year. They take time out of their family time, they take time out of their work to do nothing other than come here and learn more about what it is we do here. And the group is called Leadership Crawford County. They are seated in the balcony above the Democrat side, Mr. President. I wonder if they would please rise and we'd give them a warm Senate welcome.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Thank you for coming to Springfield. Hope you enjoy your day. Thank you. Senator Noland, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Thank you, Mr. President. For the purposes of introducing my Page for the Day, if I may. I have with me Miss Arielle Christopher. She is from Streamwood, which is in my district. She is a freshman at Streamwood High School. She enjoys arts and crafts. She's into dance and plans to both attend and finish college. She's adamant about that. She admires her parents because they are some of the most respectful and kind people. She 4 STATE OF ILLINOIS 98th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 86th Legislative Day 2/19/2014 is here today and I ask for all of us to give her a warm Senate welcome, if you would, please. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Welcome to Springfield. Good luck to you. Thanks for coming. Senator Muñoz, for what purpose do you seek recognition? SENATOR MUÑOZ: Thank you, Mr. President. For a point of personal privilege.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Please state your point. SENATOR MUÑOZ: I have two guests with me - good friend of mine, Virgil; his fiancée, Elena. They actually live in Senator Silverstein's district, in Lincolnwood. If we can welcome 'em to the Senate, I'd appreciate it.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Thank you -- thank you for coming to Springfield. Welcome. Welcome. President Cullerton in the Chair to present a very special guest.
Thank you very much. Senators, if I can have your attention for just a second. We have a special guest here today and Senator Haine has presented him with a Proclamation. I'd like to read from a portion of this Proclamation. The Members of the Senate are pleased to recognize Dr. Hightower, Ed Hightower, who is retiring after serving thirty-six years as a National Collegiate Athletic Association men's basketball referee. Dr. Hightire -- Dr. Hightower has officiated in five NCAA championships, twelve Final Four games and roughly twenty-five hundred regular-season games during his career. He began refereeing college intramurals 5 STATE OF ILLINOIS 98th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 86th Legislative Day 2/19/2014 and Illinois High School Basketball Association games in the seventies. And he's a graduate of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, holding a bachelor's and a master's degree, where he played basketball, and is a past board member and an inductee in the university's alumni hall of fame. And he holds a Doctorate of Education from Saint Louis University. So would you please welcome Dr. Ed Hightower to the Illinois Senate?
(Remarks by Dr. Ed Hightower)
I'm -- I'm a little reluctant to do this because I'm not sure what the Senator is going to say, but I'd like to recognize Senator Luechtefeld.
You know, I -- I've known Ed probably longer than anybody in this room. He was a young guy refereeing basketball and we -- we started hiring him at the -- at the Okawville High School. And - - and there's no doubt that, you know, when I saw him the first time, he -- he had all the qualities of someone I think that was going to be good and I think he proved that. But I have to tell one story, and it's a true story. I never really got after referees very hard, but I did let them know if they made a mistake. And - - and -- and Ed made a couple. But, anyway, one day he's standing right in front of the bench and he made a call and he has his back to me, and I am close enough to him that he -- he can hear exactly what I'm saying, and I said, "Ed, that was a terrible call." And Ed spun around, got right up in my face, and he said, "You could be right." Now I ask you, what do you say after that? I -- I just went over and sat down. Congratulations, Ed. 6 STATE OF ILLINOIS 98th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 86th Legislative Day 2/19/2014
…Haine in the Chair.
It gives me special honor to present this basketball to you, Superintendent. He's Superintendent in one of my largest and one of my most esteemed school districts in Illinois. And his mother lives in my neighborhood. I must say, she's been a supporter for many years. So it's -- it's a distinct honor to present a basketball signed by each and every Member of the Illinois Senate to Superintendent and now retired referee Hightower.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) The Senate will stand at ease for a few minutes to allow the Committee on Assignments to meet. The members of the Committee on Assignments will come to the President’s Anteroom immediately. The Senate will stand at ease. (at ease) Senator Sullivan in the Chair. (at ease)
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR SULLIVAN) Senator Clayborne in the Chair.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) The Senate will come to order. Senator Ira Silverstein, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
For purpose of announcement, Mr. President James Clayborne.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Please state your -- your announcement, Senator Ira Silverstein.
Just announcing there will be a Democratic Caucus immediately upon adjournment for approximately one hour, President Clayborne. 7 STATE OF ILLINOIS 98th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 86th Legislative Day 2/19/2014
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Thank you. That is in order. Senator Silverstein moves that the Senate recess for purpose of a Senate Democrat Caucus lasting one hour. Seeing no objection, the motion is granted. Committee Reports.
Senator Clayborne, Chairman of the Committee on Assignments, reports the following Legislative Measures have been assigned: Refer to Agriculture and Conservation Committee - Senate Bills 2696, 3000, 3049 and 3050; refer to Criminal Law Committee - Senate Bills 2937, 2941, 2953, 2956, 2992, 2995, 3012, 3018, 3034, 3074, 3075, 3101, 3102; refer to Education Committee - Senate Bills 2627, 2779, 2945, 2989, 3004, 3033, 3081, 3092, 3113 and 3214; refer to Energy Committee - Senate Bills 3090 and 3230; refer to Environment Committee - Senate Bills 2944, 2966, 3047 and 3121; refer to Executive Committee - Senate Bills 2993, 2997, 3021, 3072, 3103, 3127, 3129, 3132, 3137, 3144, 3148 and 3179; refer to Executive Appointments Committee - Senate Bill 3180; refer to Financial Institutions Committee - Senate Bill 3029; refer to Higher Education Committee - Senate Bills 2765, 2950; refer to Human Services Committee - Senate Bills 2965, 3005, 3009, 21 -- 3124, 3145, 3146, 3171, 3216 and 3223; refer to Insurance Committee - Senate Bills 2947, 2979, 3015 and 3091; refer to Judiciary Committee - Senate Bills 1941, 2939, 2952, 2954, 2955, 2969, 2970, 2984, 2985, 2994, 3010, 3022, 3023, 3040, 3057, 3094, 3104, 3110, 3120, 3123, 3134, 3141, 3142, 3143, 3169, 3176, 3228, 3229, 3231 and 3254; refer to Labor and Commerce Committee - Senate Bills 2943, 2971, 2973, 3016, 3037, 3038, 3105 and 3125; refer to Licensed Activities and Pensions Committee - Senate Bills 2998, 8 STATE OF ILLINOIS 98th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 86th Legislative Day 2/19/2014 2999, 3044, 3077, 3098, 3109, 3115, 3175 and 3232; refer to Local Government Committee - Senate Bills 2967, 2975, 2980, 2991, 3025, 3036, 3052, 3056, 3071, 3135, 3233; refer to Public Health Committee - Senate Bills 2968, 3028, 3035, 3048, 3055, 3076, 3149, and 3157; refer to Revenue Committee - Senate Bills 2951, 2974, 2977, 3003, 3008, 3027, 3051, 3108, 3147, 3168, 3219, 3220, 3234; refer to State Government and Veterans Affairs Committee - Senate Bill 3042, 3095, 3099, 3156, 3222, 3224 and 3225; refer to Transportation Committee - Senate Bills 2717, 2978, 2996, 3082, 3130 and 3255; Be Approved for Consideration - Senate Bills 1681 and 2363. Signed, Senator James F. Clayborne, Chairman. Senator Clayborne, Chairman of the Committee on Assignments, reports the following Legislative Measures have been assigned: Refer to Executive Committee - Committee Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 1527 {sic} and Floor Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 2363; refer to Local Government Committee - Floor Amendment 3 to Senate Bill 1681; refer to Revenue Committee - Floor Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 344 and Floor Amendment 2 to Senate Bill 344. Signed, Senator James F. Clayborne, Chairman.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR CLAYBORNE) Ladies and Gentlemen, the following committee addition: Revenue will meet in Room 212 at 3 p.m. Again, the Revenue Committee will meet -- will meet in Room 212 at 3 p.m. today. Thank you. There being no further business to come before the Senate, the Senate stands adjourned until the hour of 11 a.m. on the 20th of February, 2013. The Senate -- 2014. I'm sorry. The Senate stands adjourned. 9