Illinois Senate Floor Debate — February 5, 2015

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) The regular Session of the 99th General Assembly will please come to order. Will our Members please be at their desks? Will our guests in the galleries please rise? The invocation today will be given by Shaun Lewis of Civil Servant Ministries, here in Springfield, Illinois. Pastor.

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Thank you, Pastor. Please remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance. Senator Cunningham, would you please lead us?

(Pledge of Allegiance, led by Senator Cunningham)

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Mr. Secretary, Reading and Approval of the Journal.

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 -- printed transcript.

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Hunter moves to postpone the reading and approval of the Journal, pending arrival of the printed transcript. There being no objection, so ordered. WICS Television requests permission to audiotape and videotape the proceedings. Seeing no objection, leave is granted. Blueroomstream.com also requests 1  STATE OF ILLINOIS 99th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 6th Legislative Day 2/5/2015 permission to videotape. Is there any objection? Seeing none, the leave is granted. Mr. Secretary, Resolutions.

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Resolutions Consent Calendar.

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Mr. Secretary, Committee Reports.

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Kotowski, for what purpose are you seeking recognition?

Thank you, Mr. President. It's a pleasure seeing you this morning. You look -- you look as dashing as ever. I just wanted to say that. So it's a great -- a great privilege that I have 2  STATE OF ILLINOIS 99th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 6th Legislative Day 2/5/2015 today. I have some very, very special guests. We're honored today by the presence of my niece and nephew, Ellie and Chip Kurczewski. They're -- they're wonderful -- they're wonderful kids. They -- they're extraordinary - please stand up - and they're -- they're joined here by their parents, Phil Kurczewski and his wife, Beth Dempsey. They're -- they're significant. Beth is my wife's sister. Right? And Phil is obviously a great -- Beth made a very wise choice in marrying someone of Polish, you know, Polish ethnicity, which is great - there's a great balance - just like her sister did. But Chip and -- and Ellie are very, very accomplished. Ellie loves to read. She wants to be a scientist. She's a very cool kid. And -- and Chip is a Mets fan. I just found this out, Phil. And Phil's a -- and -- and his dad's a diehard Sox fan. But Chip's favorite food is watermelon. Right? And that's -- I think Ellie loves all food. So Chip wants to be an astronomer, an astronomer, and Ellie wants to be a scientist. Could you please give them -- a great Springfield welcome - to our family, the Kurczewskis? Thank you.

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Ellie, Chip, and the Kurczewski family, welcome to Springfield. Welcome to the Senate. At this point, we're going to turn the Podium over to Senator Andy Manar for purposes of an introduction. Senator Manar.

Thank you, Mr. President. All right. Ladies and Gentlemen, my colleagues in the Senate, if I could have -- have your attention for just a few seconds. I want to -- I invited the Rochester Rockets Football Team to the Senate today because they are the proud winners of five consecutive championship trophies for Class 3  STATE OF ILLINOIS 99th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 6th Legislative Day 2/5/2015 4A football in the State of Illinois, an unprecedented run on the part of these young men and their coaching staff. So please welcome them to the State Senate today. As is the case in -- in most communities that -- that we represent, sporting events on the high school level instill pride in young people and their parents and their communities and their neighborhoods. And I think that could not be better said than for the community of Rochester, which, of course, is just a -- a few miles outside of Springfield to the southeast. But the work that has been done by Coach Derek Leonard over the years - ten years, in fact - has led to this amazing run on the part of this school district. So I'd like to invite him up just to say a few words. And, again -- the gallery here is filled. I think there are seventy -- seventy players here today that are sophomores through seniors at Rochester High School. And, again, I just want to offer my congratulations to this team. I'm proud of you. Proud to represent you in the State Senate. I know that your hometown is incredibly proud of what you have accomplished, not just this year, but for -- for the past five years in State football. So please welcome Coach Leonard.

So, thank you. Thank you to all the players for coming. Coach, thanks for coming. I have a hunch that we might be back here for number six in a row next year from the Rockets. Please give the players and the coaching staff one more round of applause. Thank you.

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Althoff, for what purpose do you seek recognition? 4  STATE OF ILLINOIS 99th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 6th Legislative Day 2/5/2015

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Please state your point, Senator.

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Congratulations, Jennifer. Go, Siwash! Go, Prairie Fire! Mr. Secretary, Introduction of Bills.

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate, I just wanted to inform you, we will be turning to 3rd Reading. That will be final action. I’d ask all Members within the sound of my voice to be at their desks. Will all Members of the Senate within the sound of my voice be at their desks? Mr. Secretary, let's pick back up with Introduction of Bills.

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate, on page 2 of your printed Calendar, on the Order of Senate Bills 3rd Reading, is Senate Bill 11. Senator Lightford, are you ready to proceed? Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Lightford, to present Senate Bill 11.

Thank you, Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate. This is the effort to raise Illinois' minimum wage. We need to move forward on this wage this year. As many of you know, the voters went to referendum this past November and over two-thirds of the State indicated that a minimum wage was necessary. That included pretty much all of our areas throughout the State of Illinois. Minimum wage is not a new discussion around here. In 9  STATE OF ILLINOIS 99th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 6th Legislative Day 2/5/2015 fact, surprisingly, the Governor, on yesterday, in his State of the State Address, acknowledged that the State needed to raise its minimum wage. This bill asks you to raise the wage to nine dollars on the first of July and then fifty cents thereafter until it reaches the maximum of eleven dollars in 2019. Over four hundred thousand low-wage workers will be affected by this increase. And our goal is just to help working poor, to help them bring themselves out of poverty. I'd be happy to answer questions, Mr. President.

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Thank you, Senator. Is there any discussion? Senator Murphy, for what purpose do you rise?

To the bill, Mr. President.

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) To the bill, Senator.

You know, I made -- I made a -- a joke in committee that fell flat the other day that -- referring to this as the week of Groundhog Day and we're -- here we are again voting on a minimum wage bill in the Senate. And I think that's a testament, Senator, to your stick-to-itiveness on this issue and your commitment to it, and we certainly commend you on that. I think it was important that the Governor made the statement you alluded to yesterday, that he is open to this and thinks this is an important issue as well. He also indicated he wants to work with both sides of the aisle, and you in particular, on this as the Session goes forward. I don't think he is for doing it in the form it's in in this bill right now. The concerns that I think he has raised, and that we 10  STATE OF ILLINOIS 99th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 6th Legislative Day 2/5/2015 have felt all along, are when you make employees more expensive, you price some of them out of the market and some people lose their job. I -- I think what I heard from him yesterday was, while we stairstep up people's pay at the minimum wage, we also want to make it easier for those employers to keep them in their job. I know you're trying to make an effort in that regard with your tax credit. I suspect that has the potential to be a point of negotiation, as you go forward, with the Governor. But I can't support this bill right now as a stand-alone concept because I think the Governor is on to something - that without -- while taking such a large step up in the cost of employees, without correspondingly giving employers the opportunity across the board to maybe save some money in other areas, you run the risk of people losing their job that we want to help. I look forward to the conversation about this issue in conjunction with others throughout the spring, and, again, commend you for your efforts in pushing this issue forward, but respectfully rise to request a No vote.

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Thank you, Senator. Senator McCarter, for what purpose do you seek recognition? SENATOR McCARTER: To the bill.

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) …bill, Senator. SENATOR McCARTER: I'm not going to repeat what I said when this was debated before, but I think it -- it really is not a surprise that the Governor spoke about it, because it had been mentioned a few times 11  STATE OF ILLINOIS 99th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 6th Legislative Day 2/5/2015 now. Maybe the amount and the transition period may have been a surprise to many, 'cause I noticed there was a lot of laughter when that was mentioned. But, you know, this -- I -- I'd like to ask people to go carefully with this, because, as we know, every decision we make now, especially with a new Governor, it's seldom going to be made one topic at a time. There's going to be agreements that concessions are made on both sides. And, you know, there's talk of that and I think we should be open to that. My concern is that, again, we don't really help the people we say we're trying to help by lessening their opportunity. This will have an impact on small businesses that -- we can talk of reforms in the future to workers' comp, unemployment insurance reform, all these things, but the problem is, Ladies and Gentlemen, that these come in time. Thirty seconds after this, you could pass those business reforms and the burden would be on businesses immediately, but they would not see the relief but for three, four years into the future. So, some say, "Well, we're trading." We're not really trading, and there's no guarantee that those -- the benefits of those reforms will actually come about. So I would just ask that you -- you take the Governor at his word that this is something he wants to deal with, you take our side at our word that this is something we want to deal with, and that we continue the conversation. Because an abrupt move like this is not fair. It's not fair to the people you say you're trying to help, nor is it small businesses. So I would kindly ask for a No or Present vote. Thank you.

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Thank you, Senator. Senator Nybo, for what purpose do you seek recognition? 12  STATE OF ILLINOIS 99th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 6th Legislative Day 2/5/2015

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) The sponsor indicates that she will yield. Senator Nybo.

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Lightford.

Thank you, Mr. President. Senator, I think it's important that we move this measure earlier in the Session to allow the House ample time to also consider this minimum wage increase. This isn't the first that the Governor and I have had conversations about the minimum wage. In fact, we talked about it when he was the candidate, we talked about it when he was the Governor-elect, and we've had conversations since he's been Governor. So just because it happens to be the day after the State of the State Address, doesn't lessen the issue, it doesn't lessen the urgency and the concern for us to assist with working poor families. So I think it's important that this is in timely fashion to move the bill over to the House. 13  STATE OF ILLINOIS 99th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 6th Legislative Day 2/5/2015

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Nybo. To the bill, Senator.

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Thank you, Senator. Senator Oberweis, for what purpose do you seek recognition?

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) To the bill, Senator.

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Thank you, Senator. Senator Collins, for what purpose do you rise?

Thank you, Mr. President and Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate. To the -- to the bill. Today, yes, we are here again. The political realities are different, and the rhetoric is heated, but the needs of the working people of Illinois remain the same. Their needs and the wishes of the voters we represent ought to guide our consciences and our votes - today and in the future. That -- this legislation -- first of all, I want to commend the sponsor for her hard work and working with negotiating this bill. And I am proud to be a cosponsor. I believe this legislation will give workers more money to spend in their local -- local communities, boosting our economy, making our State more competitive and more compassionate. That's the mantra I heard a lot of yesterday. I want to say that no studies bear credible documentation and data that -- to claim that raising the minimum wage is bad for business or leads to higher unemployment. Matter of fact, in those states who have raised the minimum wage, there has been an increased job growth. Based on the principle "basic economics 101", is that when you provide more moneys in the pockets of consumers, they have a tendency to spend and put it back into the market. But I want to say also, that what we know for sure and certain is that low-income individuals are more likely than higher-income individuals to spend additional earnings quickly and locally. So, there was a comment made on the other side that, 17  STATE OF ILLINOIS 99th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 6th Legislative Day 2/5/2015 yes, we do have a very high unemployment in the African-American community, but it's not based on the policy of raising the minimum wage, it's based on governmental policies that have been in effect for the last thirty years that put up barriers to the access to jobs - poor educational systems, as well as the lack of. As an example, yesterday I heard that while the Governor wants to increase parole officers and prison officials, workers, he's cutting moneys that would equip -- to social services that would equip our youth to have access to the job market by developing their job skills set and their opportunities to move into jobs because they have given the skills to navigate the job market. So, to me, that's ironic, hypocritical, and somewhat of a -- a quandary that I have. So let me just end in saying this, let's not let the pursuit of perfect be the enemy of what is possible today, what is good today, and what is right. I ask for a strong Aye vote. Thank you.

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Thank you, Senator. There being no further discussion, Senator Lightford, do you wish to close? Senator Lightford.

Thank -- thank you, Mr.… Thank you, Mr. President and Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate. I appreciate the conversation that's just taken place around an issue that has been on the table for the last three years. This isn't anything new. We have negotiated a minimum wage increase for the last three years. And in fact, there were nine additional states -- the country recognizes that we need to do more in this area. There were nine other states, just January 1, that increased their minimum wage. That would be Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, Ohio, 18  STATE OF ILLINOIS 99th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 6th Legislative Day 2/5/2015 Oregon and Washington. There is a need across this country to help the working poor. As long as they're getting up every day, trying to do best for their families, we should not keep them heavily reliant on government assistance. And that's exactly what we're doing by finding every excuse we can to not pay them fair and livable wages. And just because they're minimum wage workers doesn't necessarily mean that they're unskilled. It means that they're working to provide a means for their family until other job opportunities exist. There was one comment that was made earlier in debate and the number was twenty-six years old. Those aren't teenagers at twenty-six years old. They're grown adults. They have working -- their families. They -- they're taking care of children at twenty-six years old. They're not teenagers. And so I don't want you guys to think that this is a bill to bash teenagers. This is a bill to help all of them have access, to have living wages and to be able to take care of their families. I did not mention in my opening, Mr. President, quickly, that there is a tax credit for small businesses with fifty or fewer employees that will assist with the maximum of fifteen hundred dollars per employee, per year, which is about seventy-five cents an hour, which pretty much covers the difference of the minimum wage increase for the first three years. So I just want to leave us with the fact that there is hundreds of thousands of minimum wage workers right here in the State of Illinois who work every day and still realize that they're in poverty, and this would be a great first step to help them remove themselves out of poverty and rely much less on government assistance. I ask for an Aye vote, Mr. President.

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) 19  STATE OF ILLINOIS 99th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 6th Legislative Day 2/5/2015 Thank you, Senator Lightford. The question is, shall Senate Bill 11 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 -- on that question, there are 35 voting Aye, 18 voting No, 1 voting Present. And Senate Bill 11, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. Continuing on our Calendar on page 2, still on the Order of Senate Bills 3rd Reading, is Senate Bill 273. President -- Senator Muñoz, for what purpose do you rise? SENATOR MUÑOZ: Mr. President, I want to go on record I wanted to vote Aye.

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) The record will reflect your intent. Thank you, Senator Muñoz. Senate Bill 273. President Cullerton, do you wish to proceed? Mr. Secretary, please read the bill.

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) President Cullerton.

Thank you, Mr. President, Members of the Senate. Governor Rauner has asked legislative leadership to work with him on legislation to address the projected 1.5-billion-dollar gap in the current fiscal year State budget. As you are aware, this gap is affecting programs like the child care service program that we had testimony on today, and I understand various State agencies face 20  STATE OF ILLINOIS 99th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 6th Legislative Day 2/5/2015 significant operating holes in their budget. So this bill has a finance title. We are taking it up today to but a vehicle bill in motion to respond to the Governor's request. For context, in fiscal years '92, '10 and '11, the General Assembly, in response to projected deficits and revenue reductions, had provided the Governor with expanded authority to manage appropriations that this Body had approved. The Senate Republican staff, along with our staff and staff from the other caucuses, have been meeting with the Governor's staff while the Governor refines components of his proposal. So with that, I would ask that we pass this bill. Be happy to answer any questions.

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Is there any discussion? Any discussion? Seeing none, the question is, shall Senate Bill 273 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 55 voting Aye, none voting No, none voting Present. And Senate Bill 273, having received the required constitutional majority, is declared passed. Senator McCann, for what purpose do you rise? SENATOR McCANN: Thank you, Mr. President. For a point of personal privilege.

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Please state your point, Senator. SENATOR McCANN: Thank you, sir. I would like to introduce, in the gallery on our side of the aisle, some guests that I have visiting today from out of State. Three of them are from Washington, D.C. They're here representing the Legislative Prayer Caucus -- the 21  STATE OF ILLINOIS 99th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 6th Legislative Day 2/5/2015 Congressional Prayer Caucus. They're Lea Carawan, Summer Ingram, and Mike Morisi. I would also like to introduce some special guests that we had here earlier in the Rotunda. Four-year-old Grace Anna Rodgers sang the National Anthem at the kickoff, the rollout of the Legislative Prayer Caucus, which is nondenominational, nonpartisan. We have members from both Chambers and both sides of the aisle. And if you haven't joined yet, we would hope that you would do so. And I would like to introduce Mike {sic} (Jeff) and Angie Rodgers, Grace Anna's parents, Anna Rodgers -- or Grace Anna Rodgers, and my wife, Vicki McCann. If they would rise and we could give them a warm Springfield welcome.

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Will our guests in the gallery please rise to be welcomed to the Illinois State Senate? Welcome. Thank you for being here. 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. Mr. Secretary, have there been any objections filed to any resolution on the Consent Calendar?

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 will say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it. The motion carries, and the resolutions are adopted. Senator Raoul, for what purpose do you rise?

Point of personal privilege. 22  STATE OF ILLINOIS 99th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 6th Legislative Day 2/5/2015

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Please state your point, Senator.

Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen of the -- the Senate, yesterday many of us lost a friend. Dean Sweitzer, made his transition yesterday morning. Dean never characterized himself as a lobbyist. He called himself a "hobbyist". I met Dean ten years ago, shortly after I was appointed to the Senate. And I met him in his office, which was at The Globe at the Abraham Lincoln Hotel. And within about a month after I'd started here, I was confronted with a very uncomfortable situation at The Globe, where two -- two people from Chicago approached me about an ordinance in Chicago and I tried to sidestep it and they began confronting me with the N-word, repeatedly. And Dean Sweitzer, who I had only known for a few weeks, came to my defense. And from there, our relationship grew - same way as many of you-all had that -- your own unique relationship with Dean. He's -- he was one of a kind. I know everybody had their -- Dean was the type of guy that wasn't afraid to say anything to anybody. He used to call the old Senate President "Idiot". He'd say, "Idiot, let's go out for a smoke", and -- jokingly. And only Dean was allowed to do something like that, because of the relationship that he built with all of us. And I'd just like to request that we do a moment of silence on -- on behalf of all -- of all our friend, Dean Sweitzer.

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Please rise for a moment of silence. (Moment of silence observed) Mr. Secretary, Messages from the House.

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) On the Order of Resolutions is House Joint Resolution 18. Mr. Secretary, please read the resolution.

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Clayborne moves to suspend the rules for the purpose of the immediate consideration and adoption of House Joint Resolution 18. Those in favor will say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the rules are suspended. Senator Clayborne now moves for the adoption of House Joint Resolution 18. All those in favor will say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it, and the resolution is adopted. There being no further business to come before the Senate, the Senate stands adjourned until the hour of 12 noon on the 17th day of February, 2015. The Senate stands adjourned. 24