PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) 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 Pastor Jeff Nelson, Cherry Hills Baptist Church, Springfield, Illinois.
(Prayer by Pastor Jeff Nelson)
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) Please remain standing for the Pledge Allegiance. Senator Cunningham.
(Pledge of Allegiance, led by Senator Cunningham)
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) Lisa Yuscius, Blueroomstream.com, seeks permission to videotape. Justin Fowler, State Journal-Register, seeks permission to photograph. Seeing no objection, permission granted. Mr. Secretary, Reading and Approval of the Journal.
Senate Journal of Thursday, December 1st, 2016.
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 approval of the Journal, pending the arrival of the printed transcript. There 1 STATE OF ILLINOIS 99th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 134th Legislative Day 1/9/2017 being no objection, so ordered. Mr. Secretary, Resolutions.
Senate Resolutions 2484 through 2486, offered by Senator Brady and all Members. Senate Resolution 2487, offered by Senate President Cullerton and all Members. Senate Resolutions 2488 and 2489, offered by Senator Harmon and all Members. Senate Resolutions 2490 and 2491, offered by Senator McGuire and all Members. Senate Resolution 2492, offered by Senator Manar and all Members. Senate Resolution 2493, offered by Senator McConchie and all Members. Senate Resolution 2494, offered by Senator Rezin and all Members. Senate Resolution 2495, offered by Senator Barickman and all Members. Senate Resolution 2496, offered by Senator Haine and all Members. Senate Resolution 2497, offered by Senator McGuire and all Members. Senate Resolution 2498, offered by Senator Rose and all Members. Senate Resolutions 2499 and 2500, offered by Senator Harmon and all Members. Senate Resolution 2501, offered by Senator Haine and all Members. Senate Resolution 2502, offered by Senator Harmon and all 2 STATE OF ILLINOIS 99th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 134th Legislative Day 1/9/2017 Members. Senate Resolution 2503, offered by Senator Hutchinson and all Members. Senate Resolutions 2504 and 2505, offered by Senator McCann and all Members. Senate Resolution 2506, offered by Senator Lightford and all Members. Senate Resolutions 2507 and 2508, offered by Senator Mulroe and all Members. Senate Resolution 2509, offered by Senator Link and all Members. Senate Resolution 2510, offered by Senator Harmon and all Members. Senate Resolutions 2511 and 2512, offered by Senator Manar and all Members. Senate Resolutions 2513 and 2514, offered by Senator Lightford and all Members. Senate Resolutions 2515 and 2516, offered by Senator McGuire and all Members. Senate Resolution 2517, offered by Senator Haine and all Members. Senate Resolution 2518, offered by Senator Mulroe and all Members. Senate Resolution 2519, offered by Senator Raoul and all Members. Senate Resolutions 2520 through 2526, offered by Senator Anderson and all Members. Senate Resolutions 2527 and 2528, offered by Senator McGuire and all Members. 3 STATE OF ILLINOIS 99th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 134th Legislative Day 1/9/2017 Senate Resolutions 2529 and 25 -- I'm sorry, Senate Resolutions 2529 through 2531, offered by Senator McCann and all Members. Senate Resolution 2532, offered by Senator McConchie and all Members. Senate Resolution 2533, offered by Senator Haine and all Members. Senate Resolutions 2534 and 2535, offered by Senator Manar and all Members. Senate Resolutions 2536 through 2540, offered by Senator Anderson and all Members. Senate Resolutions 2541 through 2543, offered by Senator Link and all Members. Senate Resolutions 2544 through 2563, offered by Senator Althoff and all Members. Senate Resolutions 2564 and 2565, offered by Senator Manar and all Members. Senate Resolution 2566, offered by Senator Murphy and all Members. Senate Resolution 2567, offered by Senator Link and all Members. Senate Resolution 2568, offered by Senator Hasting and -- Hastings and all Members. Senate Resolutions 2569 through 2576, offered by Senator Althoff and all Members. And Senate Resolution 2577, offered by Senator Rose and all Members. They are all death resolutions, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) 4 STATE OF ILLINOIS 99th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 134th Legislative Day 1/9/2017 Resolution Consent Calendar. Mr. Secretary, Introduction of Senate Bills.
Senate Bill 3459, offered by Senator Althoff. (Secretary reads title of bill) 1st Reading of the bill.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) Senator Righter, for what purpose do you rise?
Inquiry of the Chair, if I might, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) State your inquiry.
First of all, Mr. President, Happy New Year to you and yours. It's good to see you and see everyone back. There has been much speculation lately about what's going on here, particularly in the -- the Illinois Senate. So knowing that you are an esteemed Member of the Senate Democrat Leadership team, I have no doubt - in fact, I would guess it's right there in your breast pocket - that you probably have a -- a schedule of what we'll be doing today and maybe tomorrow. Would you be kind enough to -- to share that with the Members of the Senate?
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) As was -- as a lot of times that you see postings and all that, the same postings - to be determined. Senator Righter, for a second time.
And I suspect my last. Mr. President, will you be traveling tomorrow to go watch the former President give his farewell speech? 5 STATE OF ILLINOIS 99th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 134th Legislative Day 1/9/2017 I'm -- I'm considering going, but I'm curious about your travel plans.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) I'm here to solve a budget problem. Mr. Secretary, Appointment Messages.
Appointment Message 990618 Governor's non-salaried appointment Alexander Stuart Trustee, Teachers' Retirement System Board of Trustees Appointment Message 990619 Governor's salaried appointment Tim Sickmeyer Chairman, Civil Service Commission Appointment Message 990620 Governor's salaried appointment Aaron Del Mar Member, Illinois International Port District Board Appointment Message 990621 Governor's non-salaried appointment Collin Hitt Member, State Board of Education Appointment Message 990622 Governor's salaried appointment Cynthia Santos Member, Pollution Control Board Appointment Message 990623 Governor's salaried appointment Heidi Mueller 6 STATE OF ILLINOIS 99th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 134th Legislative Day 1/9/2017 Director, Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice Appointment Message 990624 Governor's non-salaried appointment Marianne Eterno Murphy Member, Health Facilities and Services Review Board Appointment Message 990625 Governor's non-salaried appointment Jonathan Ingram Member, Health Facilities and Services Review Board Appointment Message 990626 Governor's non-salaried appointment Anthony LoSasso Member, Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board Appointment Message 990627 Governor's non-salaried appointment Thomas Dunn Member, Illinois Gaming Board Appointment Message 990628 Governor's non-salaried appointment Robert Filotto Member, Will County Metropolitan Exposition and Auditorium Authority
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) Mr. Secretary, Resolutions.
Senate Resolutions 2579 and 2580, offered by Senator Tom Cullerton and all Members. Senate Resolutions 2583 through 2585, offered by Senator Mulroe and all Members. 7 STATE OF ILLINOIS 99th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 134th Legislative Day 1/9/2017 Senate Resolutions 2586 and 2587, offered by Senator McCann and all Members. They are all death resolutions, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) Resolution Consent Calendar.
Senate Resolution 2578, offered by Senator Morrison. And Senate Resolutions 2581 and 2582, offered by President Cullerton. They are substantive.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) Senator Rezin, for what purpose do you rise?
Thank you, Mr. President. Point of personal privilege, please. Oh, purpose of an introduction.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) State your introduction.
Thank you, Mr. President. I am honored today to have two fine young gentlemen standing behind me, Nick and Matt Borgstrom. They're from Morris, Illinois. Nick is a sophomore at ISU. He's a marketing major and he also plays soccer at ISU. And Matt Borgstrom is a freshman at University of Illinois - Senator Rose - at University of Illinois. He's in the Business School and Finance Club and is trying to figure out what his other extracurricular interests are. I'd also like to acknowledge up in the gallery, very good friends of mine, parents of Nick and Matt, are Mark and Suzy Borgstrom. In the -- in the gallery right behind us. So I would like a very warm Springfield welcome for my guests 8 STATE OF ILLINOIS 99th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 134th Legislative Day 1/9/2017 here today. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) Welcome to Springfield. Will the Committee on Assignments please meet in the President's Anteroom immediately? Will the Committee on Assignments please meet in the President's Anteroom immediately? Tom Lisi of WUIS seeks permission to audio. Seeing no objection, permission granted. Mr. Secretary, Committee Reports.
Senator Clayborne, Chairman of the Committee on Assignments, reports the following Legislative Measures have been assigned: Refer to State Government and Veterans Affairs Committee - Motion to Concur with House Amendments 1 and 2 to Senate Bill 1821; re- refer from Executive Appointments Committee to Assignments Committee - Appointment Message 990283; Be Approved for Consideration - Senate Bills 17, 263, 284, 305, 390, 393, 432, 523, 584, 951, 1110, 2053, House Bills 242 and 5907, Motion to Concur with House Amendments 3 and 6 to Senate Bill 2437, Senate Resolution 2581, Senate Resolution 2582. Signed, Senator James F. Clayborne, Chairman. Senator Clayborne, Chairman of the Committee on Assignments, reports the following legislators -- Legislative Measures have been assigned: Refer to State Government and Veterans Affairs Committee - Floor Amendment 1 to House Bill 5907; Be Approved for Consideration - Floor Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 17, Floor Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 263, Floor Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 284, Floor Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 305, Floor Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 390, Floor Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 393, Floor Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 432, Floor Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 9 STATE OF ILLINOIS 99th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 134th Legislative Day 1/9/2017 523, Floor Amendments 1, 2, 3, and 4 to Senate Bill 584, Floor Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 2053, and Appointment Message 990283. Signed, Senator James F. Clayborne, Chairman.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) Nelson Howard seeks -- of WGN News seeks permission to videotape. Seeing no objection, permission granted. Senator Silverstein, for what purpose do you rise?
Purposes of announcement, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) State your announcement.
There will be a Democratic Caucus upon recess for -- they're telling me one hour. Let's hope.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) Senator Althoff, for what purpose do you rise?
Thank you, Mr. President. As you might expect, the Republicans would like to call a caucus for one hour, immediately.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR LINK) Senator Silverstein and Senator Althoff move that the Senate recess for the purposes of a Democratic and Republican Caucus, lasting approximately sixty minutes. Seeing no objection, motion is granted. The Senate now stands in recess to the call of the Chair. After the Democratic and Republican Caucuses, the Senate will convene for the purpose of Floor action. The Senate stands in recess to the call of the Chair. (SENATE STANDS IN RECESS/SENATE RECONVENES) 10 STATE OF ILLINOIS 99th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 134th Legislative Day 1/9/2017
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR SULLIVAN) The Senate will come to order. Lee Milner with the Illinois Times seeks permission to take still photographs. Kelsey Gibbs with WCIA requests permission to videotape. Mike Flannery with WFLD-TV requests permission to record. And Michon Undstrom {sic} (Lindstrom) with WAND requests permission to shoot film. Seeing no objection, leave is granted. Mr. Secretary, Resolutions.
Senate Resolution 2588, offered by Senator McCann and all Members. And Senate Resolution 2589, offered by Senator Manar and all Members. They are both death resolutions, Mr. President.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR SULLIVAN) Resolutions Consent Calendar. 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 concurred with the Senate in the passage of a bill of the following title, to wit: Senate Bill 3319. Together with the following amendments which are attached, in the adoption of which I am instructed to ask the concurrence of the Senate, to wit: House Amendments 1, 2, and 3 to Senate Bill 3319. Passed the House, as amended, January 9th, 2017. Timothy D. Mapes, Clerk of the House. 11 STATE OF ILLINOIS 99th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 134th Legislative Day 1/9/2017
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR SULLIVAN) Ladies and Gentlemen, if I can have your attention. Will all Members within the sound of my voice please come to the Senate Floor immediately? All Members within the sound of my voice, please come to the Senate Floor immediately. Ladies and Gentlemen, in just a little bit we're going to be going to Supplemental Calendar No. 1. It has been or is in the process of being distributed. Ladies and Gentlemen, one more time. All Members within the sound of my voice, please come to the Senate Floor. We are ready to take up substantial legislation. All Members please come to the Floor. Ladies and Gentlemen, if I could have your attention, please, for an announcement. Tomorrow morning at 9 a.m., State Government will meet in Room 409. Tomorrow morning at 9 a.m., State Government, in Room 409 - State Government Committee. Okay, Ladies and Gentlemen, if you'll turn to Supplemental Calendar No. 1 that has been distributed, at the bottom of the Calendar on the Order of Secretary's Desk, Concurrence on Senate Bills, we have Senate Bill 2437. President Cullerton indicates he wishes to proceed. Mr. Secretary, please read the motion.
I move to concur with the House in the adoption of their Amendments 3 and 6 to Senate Bill 2437. Signed by President Cullerton.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR SULLIVAN) President Cullerton.
Yes -- yes, my motion is to concur with House Amendment No. 6 to Senate Bill 2437. I think I can concur with No. 3 as well. Is that correct? So, thank you, Mr. President, Members of the 12 STATE OF ILLINOIS 99th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 134th Legislative Day 1/9/2017 Senate. This is a bill which received bipartisan support in the House. The vote was 91 to 16. Also, if I can just mention that I am the Chief Sponsor of this bill, that I have so far sponsored five hundred and seventy-six total Public Acts, so if I was able to pass this bill, it would be five hundred and seventy-seven in my thirty-eight-year career. So it would be important to me to try to pass this. This bill deals with the Chicago Municipal and Laborers Pension Fund and it would be -- for the first time, make a structurally significant funding formula for this fund. Currently, these employer contributions, by law, are funded by a property tax levy based on a multiplier and it's insufficient. And these funds could be insolvent within ten years. So the City has increased revenue sources, water and sewer taxes and 9-1-1 surcharges - they've already enacted those, to be paid into the pension funds in addition to the property tax levy. This would increase the employer contribution to the funds over a five-year schedule until contributions reach an arc and then the arc would proceed to be ninety percent funded by 2058. This is, again, something that's been supported by the unions in Chicago that were affected by it. They've already voted for the taxes. It's received a hearing in our committee here in the Senate and is supported by the -- in a bipartisan fashion over in the House. I would ask for an Aye vote. Be happy to answer any questions.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR SULLIVAN) Thank you. Is there any discussion? Is there any discussion? Seeing none, Ladies and Gentlemen, the question is, shall Senate -- shall the Senate concur in House Amendments 3 and 6 to Senate Bill 2437. All those in favor will vote Aye. Opposed, Nay. The voting is open. Have all voted who wish? Have all voted who wish? 13 STATE OF ILLINOIS 99th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 134th Legislative Day 1/9/2017 Have all voted who wish? Mr. Secretary, take the record. On that question, there are 41 voting Aye, 0 voting Nay, 0 voting -- excuse me, 41 voting Aye, 0 voting Nay, 2 voting Present. Having received the required constitutional majority, the Senate does concur in House Amendments 3 and 6 to Senate Bill 2437, and the bill is declared passed. President Cullerton, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Yes, thank you, Mr. President, Members of the Senate. We have concluded our work for today. We are coming in to Session tomorrow at 10 o'clock. We have some -- the House is in Session and they are perhaps going to be passing some measures that we should take up. We have a committee at 9. As everyone knows, we filed a substantial number of -- of bills and amendments to -- into the record today. Those bills are now out there in the public. They represent a substantial package of legislation designed to bring about a balanced budget to the State of Illinois. So it's our intention, in working in a bipartisan fashion, that we would reintroduce those pieces of legislation at our inauguration, for those of us who are here on Wednesday, and immediately take up those matters in committee and hopefully Floor action as soon as possible.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR SULLIVAN) Thank you. Leader Radogno, for what purpose do you seek recognition?
Thank you, Mr. President. I do believe there's a lot of anticipation about the potential of voting on the bills that were filed today. I just want to say that the Senate President and 14 STATE OF ILLINOIS 99th GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGULAR SESSION SENATE TRANSCRIPT 134th Legislative Day 1/9/2017 myself and many of the people voting -- or, rather, working on these various issues spent a tremendous amount of time over the holidays and I cannot leave our staffs out of that. They were instrumental in doing this. I think that because we're not voting today -- and we're not voting today for two reasons - one, this is the lame-duck Session and many Members had concerns about us trying to push major issues through in lame-duck Sessions. We will reintroduce those bills, as the Senate President said, immediately and let the public weigh in on them. We are most certainly open for constructive suggestions. We're not open to poison pills. And I think that there's a real sense in this Chamber right now that we can and should do something to move this State forward and I certainly look forward to us doing that in a very timely fashion to help our State get back on track. Thank you.
PRESIDING OFFICER: (SENATOR SULLIVAN) Ladies and Gentlemen, there being no further business to come before the Senate, the Senate stands adjourned until the hour of 10 a.m. on the 10th day of January -- 2017. The Senate stands adjourned. 15