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 galleries please rise? The invocation today will be given by Chance Newingham, Lifegate International Ministry {sic} (Ministries), Athens, Illinois.
(Prayer by Chance Newingham)
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) Please remain standing for the Pledge Allegiance. Senator Cunningham.
(Pledge of Allegiance, led by Senator Cunningham)
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) Mr. Secretary, Reading and Approval of the Journal.
Senate Journal of Tuesday, June 16th, 2015.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) 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 LINK) Senator Hunter moves to postpone the reading and the approval of the Journal, pending the arrival of the printed transcript. There being no objection, so ordered. Mr. Secretary, Resolutions.
Senate Resolution 659, offered by Senator Oberweis and all 1 STATE OF ILLINOIS 99th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 57th Legislative Day 6/23/2015 Members. Senate Resolution 660, offered by Senator McConnaughay and all Members. Senate Resolutions 661 and 662, offered by Senator Tom Cullerton and all Members. Senate Resolution 663, offered by Senator Koehler and all Members. Senate Resolution 664, offered by Senator Bennett and all Members. Senate Resolution 665, offered by Senator Murphy and all Members. Senate Resolutions 666 through 677, offered by Senator Link and all Members. Senate Resolution 678, offered by Senator Haine and all Members. Senate -- Senate Resolution 681 through 689, offered by Senator Althoff and all Members. And Senate Resolution 690, offered by Senator Hunter and all Members. They are all death resolutions, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) Resolution Consent Calendar.
Senate Resolution 679, offered by Senator Koehler. And Senate Resolution 680, offered by Senator Trotter. They are both substantive.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) For all Members at the sound of my voice, the Senate Executive Committee will meet today at 1 o'clock in Room 212. Okay? Senate 2 STATE OF ILLINOIS 99th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 57th Legislative Day 6/23/2015 Exec Committee will meet at 1 p.m. in Room 212. Senator Silverstein, for what purpose do you rise?
Purpose of an announcement, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) State your announcement.
That there will be a Democratic Caucus in the President's room -- Office upon recess for one-half hour.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) Senator Althoff, for what purpose do you rise?
Thank you, Mr. President. The Senate Republicans would also like to caucus immediately upon recess for about a half an hour.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) The -- Senators Silverstein and Althoff move that the Senate recess for the purpose of a Senate Democratic and Republican Caucus, lasting thirty minutes. Seeing no objection, motion is granted. The Senate now stands in recess to the call of the Chair. After the Senate Democratic and Republican Caucuses and committee, the Senate will reconvene for Floor action. The Senate stands in recess to the call of the Chair. (SENATE STANDS IN RECESS/SENATE RECONVENES)
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) The Senate will come to order. Mr. Secretary, Appointment Messages.
3 STATE OF ILLINOIS 99th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 57th Legislative Day 6/23/2015 Appointment Message 990248 Secretary of State's salaried appointment Michael J. Masterson Commissioner, Secretary of State Merit Commission Board Appointment Message 990249 Governor's non-salaried appointment David Marzahl Member, Secure Choice Savings Board Appointment Message 990250 Governor's non-salaried appointment David Rappaport Member, Secure Choice Savings Board Appointment Message 990251 Governor's non-salaried appointment John Rauschenberger Member, Secure Choice Savings Board Appointment Message 990252 Governor's non-salaried appointment Kurt Summers Member, Secure Choice Savings Board Appointment Message 990253 Governor's non-salaried appointment Alexander Stuart Member, Board of Trustees of the Teachers' Retirement System
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) I would ask that the Members please be at their desks. For our Members and for our guests, I will outline the procedures which we will operate under during this Committee of the Whole. After testimony from each panel of witnesses, Members of the Committee 4 STATE OF ILLINOIS 99th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 57th Legislative Day 6/23/2015 of the Whole may seek further information through questions within the time limits deemed necessary by the Chair. The provisions of our rules governing access to the Floor will apply, except that witnesses who will be providing oral testimony will be allowed on the Floor. I would also note that given action in the House, we may interrupt the Committee of the Whole to return to Senate action and resolve again into the Committee of the Whole. Senator Muñoz, for what purpose do you rise? SENATOR MUÑOZ: Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the Senate resolve itself into the Committee of the Whole solely to allow the Members to receive testimony and/or written submissions from witnesses regarding the topic of Minimum Wage and Paid Sick Leave for Workers and inquire of those witnesses under the procedures outlined by the President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Senator Muñoz moves that the Senate resolve itself into the Committee of the Whole for the purpose of testimony from witnesses regarding the topic of a Minimum Wage and Paid Sick Leave for Workers. Is there any discussion? All those in favor, say Aye. Opposed, Nay. The Ayes have it. The motion carries. The Senate is resolved into the Committee of the Whole. (COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE) (Contact Senate Transcribing for Audio)
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) The Senate has arisen from the Committee of the Whole. Senator Hutchinson, for what purpose do you rise? 5 STATE OF ILLINOIS 99th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 57th Legislative Day 6/23/2015
Thank you, Mr. President. Point of personal privilege.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Please state your point, Senator.
I just wanted to, before we leave, remark about all of the storm damage and tornado damage that has happened across the State. A town in my district, Coal City, was hit pretty hard in Grundy County and today was closed to visitors and nonresidents. And there are a lot of people who I know want to help wherever this has happened across the State. I know for Grundy County, there's an organization - you can reach it online - which is We Care of Grundy County and it's a lot of different organizations that come together that are taking things like, you know, just toiletries and cleaning supplies and things like that - so if you most want to help outside of all your prayers for people who have sustained some heavy damage. We're grateful in Coal City that -- no fatalities and -- and reports of minor injuries, but that doesn't take away the pain from when a storm hits like that. And for us, this is the second time in two years. So I just wanted to extend some warm thoughts to people across the State, wherever you were, if you were hit by that storm, this is really a time when Illinois does it right. This is when we come together. And in times like this, it's when we need each other more than we care to admit when we're not in crisis. So, I just wanted to leave with that thought and let everyone know that my thoughts and prayers are with you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Thank you, Senator Hutchinson. Senator Hastings, for what purpose do you rise? 6 STATE OF ILLINOIS 99th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 57th Legislative Day 6/23/2015
Point of personal privilege, Mr. President. So I have the distinct honor today…
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) State your point, Senator.
…to introduce a -- a few unbelievable young men and women that we have in the 19th Senate District. So, every year we sponsor a summer development program for high school and college kids to come and learn what government's all about. They volunteer their time for two months out of the year. They work five days a week, twenty hours a week, and we're really proud to have our interns here this summer, and I was hoping that the intern class from the 19th Legislative District could stand up. Just to kind of give some notes of the prior classes, we've had people get into law school, MIT, Harvard, get placed at Google, finalists for the Truman Scholarships. I'm excited about our future when I look at this year's class. If you look at the -- the men and women up here, we have 4.0 students at Miami of Ohio to all-American track stars at -- at Western Michigan -- Central Michigan University, to young blossoming entrepreneurs. We're really extremely proud of them for the role they take in their community, for giving back, and moreover, we're more proud of them for volunteering to -- to help out within the 19th Senate District. So I was hoping we can give the interns from the 19th Senate District a warm Springfield welcome.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Welcome to Springfield. Glad to have you with us. Senator Rose, for what purpose do you rise? 7 STATE OF ILLINOIS 99th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 57th Legislative Day 6/23/2015
Point of personal privilege, if I may.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Please state your point, Senator.
Thank you, Mr. President. I have with me one of my interns for the summer, Angela Gebauer. She's a U of I super senior in communications. She's had a very extensive career so far, having interned at Health Alliance Medical Plans previously. She's a big volunteer in a number of local charities, very active in her sorority, and actually told me a few minutes ago that she used to be a lifeguard at the Knight {sic} (Knights) Action Park, when her former boss was standing up here a minute ago. Senator McCann is technically her home Senator, and so, on behalf of Senator McCann and myself, if we could welcome her to Springfield, I'd appreciate it.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Thank you, Senator. Is it too late to swear her in as a witness for the Committee of the Whole? Mr. Secretary, Messages from the House.
A Message from the House by Mr. Mapes, Clerk. Mr. President - I am directed to inform the Senate that the House of Representatives has passed a bill of the following title, in the passage of which I am instructed to ask the concurrence of the Senate, to wit: House Bill 574. Passed the House, June 23rd, 2015. Timothy D. Mapes, Clerk of the House. 8 STATE OF ILLINOIS 99th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 57th Legislative Day 6/23/2015
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) Mr. Secretary, House Bills 1st Reading.
House Bill 574, offered by President Cullerton. (Secretary reads title of bill) 1st Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR HARMON) We will now proceed with 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?
No objections 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 business to come before the Senate, pursuant to House Joint Resolution 85, the Senate stands adjourned until the hour of 12 noon on the 30th day of June 2015, or until the call of the President. The Senate stands adjourned. 9