Illinois General Assembly Floor TranscriptsBrowseSenate99th GA

Illinois Senate Floor Debate — February 19, 2015

99th General Assembly (2015-2016) · Legislative day 10 · Regular Session
Chamber
Senate
General Assembly
99th (2015-2016)
Date
February 19, 2015
Legislative day
10
Session
Regular Session
Speaker turns
31
Original
View the source PDF ↗
Terry Link (D)

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

SHAUN LEWIS

(Prayer by Shaun Lewis)

Terry Link (D)

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) Please remain standing for the Pledge Allegiance. Senator Cunningham.

Bill Cunningham (D)

(Pledge of Allegiance, led by Senator Cunningham)

Terry Link (D)

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

Neil Anderson (R)

Senate Journal of Wednesday, February 18th, 2015.

Terry Link (D)

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) Senator Collins.

Jacqueline Y. Collins (D)

Thank you, Mr. President. I move to postpone the reading and approval of the Journal just read by the Secretary, pending arrival of the printed transcript.

Terry Link (D)

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) Senator Collins moves to postpone the reading and the approval of the Journal, pending arrival of the printed transcript. There being no objection, so ordered. James Carder of Blueroomstream.com requests permission to videotape. Seeing no objection, permission granted. Mr. Secretary, Resolutions. 1 STATE OF ILLINOIS 99th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 10th Legislative Day 2/19/2015

Neil Anderson (R)

Senate Resolution 152, offered by Senator Link and all Members. Senate Resolutions 153 and 154, offered by Senator Brady and all Members. Senate Resolution 155, offered by Senator Haine and all Members. Senate Resolution 156, offered by Senator Barickman and all Members. And Senate Resolutions 157 through 160, offered by Senator Link and all Members. They are all death resolutions, Mr. President.

Terry Link (D)

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) Resolution Consent Calendar.

Neil Anderson (R)

Senate Resolution 161, offered by Senator Anderson. And Senate Joint Resolution 11, offered by Senator McConnaughay. They are substantive.

Terry Link (D)

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) Senator Connelly, for what purpose do you rise?

Michael Connelly (R)

Point of personal privilege, Mr. President.

Terry Link (D)

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) State -- state your point.

Michael Connelly (R)

Thank you, Mr. President. I want to say a few words about my current Legislative Assistant, Linda Baumgartner, who's retiring after twenty-seven years in the Senate. Linda started with the 2 STATE OF ILLINOIS 99th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 10th Legislative Day 2/19/2015 State of Illinois in 1981 and worked for CMS and the State Board. She came to the Senate in 1988 and worked for Senators John Maitland and my friend and all of our friend, Senator Kirk Dillard. She's been a loyal, hardworking employee, a great member of our team. Today's her last day in the Senate. We want to wish her well. Please join me in wishing Linda well in retirement.

Terry Link (D)

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) Good luck in retirement. Mr. Secretary, Committee Reports.

Neil Anderson (R)

Senator Landek, Chairperson of the Committee on State Government and Veterans Affairs, reports Senate Resolution 52 Be Adopted. Senator Martinez, Chairperson of the Committee on Licensed Activities and Pensions, reports Senate Bills 46, 748 and 777 Do Pass. Senator Harmon, Chairperson of the Committee on Executive, reports Senate Bills 23, 38, 82 and 655 Do Pass. Senator Holmes, Chairperson of the Committee on Commerce and Economic Development, reports Senate Bill 675 Do Pass. And Senator Koehler, Chairperson of the Committee on Environment and Conservation, reports Senate Bill 51 Do Pass.

Terry Link (D)

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) We will now proceed to the Order of -- Resolution Consent Calendar. With leave of the Body, all 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?

Neil Anderson (R)

No objections filed, Mr. President. 3 STATE OF ILLINOIS 99th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 10th Legislative Day 2/19/2015

Terry Link (D)

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) Is there any discussion? If not, the question, shall the resolutions on the Consent Calendar be adopted. All those in favor, say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it. The motion is carried, and the resolutions are adopted. Attention, Members of the Senate. The deadline for filing Senate bills is Friday, February 20th, at 12 noon. I will repeat that again. Deadline for filing Senate bills is Friday, February 20th, at 12 noon. For -- Senator Cunningham, for what purpose do you rise?

Bill Cunningham (D)

For the purpose of an announcement.

Terry Link (D)

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) State your announcement.

Bill Cunningham (D)

Thank you, Mr. President. Just wanted to announce that the Democrats will be caucusing immediately upon adjournment in the President's Office, for approximately sixty minutes. That's immediately upon adjournment.

Terry Link (D)

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) Mr. Secretary, Messages from the House.

Neil Anderson (R)

A Message from the House by Mr. Mapes, Clerk. Mr. President - I am directed to inform the Senate that the House of Representatives has adopted the following joint resolution, in the adoption of which I am instructed to ask the concurrence of the Senate, to wit: House Joint Resolution 30. Offered by Senator Lightford. (Secretary reads HJR No. 30) 4 STATE OF ILLINOIS 99th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 10th Legislative Day 2/19/2015 Adopted by the House, February 18th, 2015. Timothy D. Mapes, Clerk of the House.

Terry Link (D)

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) Senator Righter, for what purpose do you rise?

Dale A. Righter (R)

Thank you, Mr. President. On behalf of all the Senate Republicans present on the Floor and those that are not on the Floor, I would like to announce a Senate Republican Caucus immediately upon your dropping of the gavel and the Senate adjournment, please.

Terry Link (D)

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) On the Order of Resolutions, House Joint Resolution 30. Mr. Secretary, read the resolution.

Neil Anderson (R)

House Joint Resolution 30, offered by Senator Lightford.

Terry Link (D)

PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) Senator Lightford moves to suspend the rules of {sic} the purpose of immediate consideration for the adoption of House Joint Resolution 30. All those in favor, say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it. The rules are suspended. Senator Lightford moves the adoption of House Joint Resolution 30. All those in favor will say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it. The resolution is adopted. Immediately upon adjournment, the Senate Democrats will gather in the President's Office and the Republicans will gather in Leader Radogno's Office. There being no further business to come before the Senate, the Senate stands adjourned till the hour of 12 noon on the 3rd day of March, 2015. Pursuant to the House Joint Resolution 30, the Senate stands adjourned. 5