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Evening updates - Reform bill passes House

Sunday, May 31, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller

* 7:00 pm - The Senate is basically just spinning its wheels while the House moves bills. “We’re waiting for those dummies in the House,” explained one state Senator.

Fittingly, House debate on the campaign reform bill has stalled at the moment because of a problem with the microphone system.

* 7:04 pm - The House mics are working again.

Over in the Senate, Sen. Rickey Hendon spent several minutes lambasting fellow Democratic Sen. Susan Garret during debate on a Garrett bill. Hendon’s comments were in retaliation for Garrett’s vote on the tax hike last night. Garrett is a member of leadership.

* 7:10 pm - The Daily Herald makes a good point about the Senate-approved gaming bill. It can’t be voted on by midnight….

Saturday was the first time this specific legislation had been taken up by the Senate. Upon approval it was sent over to the House. But the Illinois Constitution requires that each proposal be considered over three days in both the House and Senate. Sunday was day one for the gambling plan in the House. As a result, it can’t be voted on before the midnight deadline.

To get around this, lawmakers often pass so-called “shell bills” that don’t contain any details but are available at the last minute in the process should a deal be struck. But Waukegan Democratic state Sen. Terry Link didn’t go that route with his plan.

* Don’t forget, I’m posting on Twitter as well.

* 7:20 pm - Gov. Quinn will have a press conference in 10 minutes. We’ll have a report and some video in due time.

* 7:35 pm - 64-46-8 on campaign finance reform bill, but there’s been a request for a verification.

[Quinn press conference items have been moved to this post.]

25 Comments

- Anon - Sunday, May 31, 09 @ 7:05 pm:
I posted in the last thread abut how we are already losing 40 to 50 percent of our wages to government taxation? How much is too much? What happens when this passes and revenue continues to fall because of a continued deterioration of the economy, business leaving the state, tax avoidance starts to run rampant, etc.? Is 8 percent okay? How about 10 percent? When does it end? And nobody seems to talk about the corporate rate hike. Do any of you realize that these taxes are passed right on through to the customer via increased prices? And in addition to that, we will be paying higher sales taxes on the higher prices we will be paying. Again, when does it end? How much is too much?

- Rich Miller - Sunday, May 31, 09 @ 7:07 pm:
Anon, give it a rest. Post once.

- Anon - Sunday, May 31, 09 @ 7:14 pm:
I’m sorry about the duplicate posting Rich. I just posted my last comment when I realized you started a new thread.

Back to the point. Are my comments inappropriate? Can we not discuss the merits and unintended consequences of this dramatic tax increase? I can’t believe more people aren’t up in arms over this. You noted earlier that revenues were already down $3 billion. What if we pass this and end up down $10 billion at this time next next year? Do we jack personal income taxes up to 10 percent at that point? These are all reasonable questions IMO.

- North of I-80 - Sunday, May 31, 09 @ 7:16 pm:
Anon; if tax hike to 5% will be good & solve things, well then why not a 45% tax on income? Look at how great it would all be….

Do we have a pool going on whether they Will/Will Not pass a tax hike before midnight?

Thanks for keeping us all up on this Rich….

- wordslinger - Sunday, May 31, 09 @ 7:17 pm:
Until the Senate vote, I thought they would kick it down the street until the primary. Now I’m not so sure. Eighteen’s a lot, but I think the Senate plan might fly.

- Rich Miller - Sunday, May 31, 09 @ 7:22 pm:
We’re all tired and cranky. Let’s try not to get into flame wars over nothing here.

- Big West - Sunday, May 31, 09 @ 7:23 pm:
Glad Rep. Currie is calling the human services cuts bill. Folks love voting appropriations and hate voting revenue. I would love to hear the $7 billion in cuts folks suggest. Maybe it’s time for some hard cuts that balance the budget. $2 billion cut from education, $2 billion cut from healthcare, and $3 billion from “discretionary” appropriations. We may need to illustrate to everyone, Dems, Reps, Independents, and editorial boards what this is going to look like. Folks think the State is wasteful. Okay.

- Easy - Sunday, May 31, 09 @ 7:26 pm:
hard to make the case that the Democrat party in Illinois can govern. A governor who changes with the wind and a speaker who refuses to make the tough decisions.

this whole session the Democrats have chosen to punt on 3rd down because they are scared to call a play.

- A Citizen - Sunday, May 31, 09 @ 7:39 pm:
Where is Squidishe - Maybe the Greens can jump in and provide some insights ?

- Brave souls? - Sunday, May 31, 09 @ 7:40 pm:
If you can’t vote for revenue increases, you must vote for cuts. Time to go on the record.

- Orion - Sunday, May 31, 09 @ 7:43 pm:
I do not see what is wrong with cutting something like welfare (Link Card/Food Stamps, WIC, and other handouts).
If people who are actually working have to take furlough days, have pensions under attack, pay cuts and layoffs, everyone should have to bear a proportionate hit.
Yet I have never heard of welfare benefits being reduced.

- Brave souls? - Sunday, May 31, 09 @ 7:46 pm:
Try: cuts will increase unemployment and increase demands for those “handouts”.

- Anonymous - Sunday, May 31, 09 @ 7:47 pm:
Can you post the Campaign Finance Reform Bill #?.

I am @ the Dodger game @ Wrigley (Wearing my SOX Hat of course) and I can’t hear the audio in this place with all the whiny Cub fans B& Moaning after the Dodgers batted around in the top of the 1st.

Thanks
QTS

- Scooby - Sunday, May 31, 09 @ 7:52 pm:
hb7

- Brave souls? - Sunday, May 31, 09 @ 8:01 pm:
Did Hamos vote for or against the income tax raise?

- OneMan - Sunday, May 31, 09 @ 8:04 pm:
So are we going to have a budget tonight?

- Lefty - Sunday, May 31, 09 @ 8:05 pm:
Highly unlikely.

- Boxing Cross - Sunday, May 31, 09 @ 8:17 pm:
OMG….Boxed Tom Flunks out on campaign finance reform and a budget plan…Circular Firing Squad scores another coup

- Bill Lee - Sunday, May 31, 09 @ 8:27 pm:
“I do not see what is wrong with cutting something like welfare (Link Card/Food Stamps, WIC, and other handouts)”

Federal Match. Cutting one dollar of state money means losing the dollar the fed chips in, and now you’ve cut $2 in services to save One. Brilliant!(percentages vary, sometimes $1 loses you nine)

From a state standpoint, these programs are a good deal. Don’t like entitlements? Take it up at the Federal level, the state doesn’t have a lot of freedom to choose what it pays or doesn’t pay.

- Confused - Sunday, May 31, 09 @ 9:26 pm:
Bill where does the Fed get the money?

- Emily Booth - Sunday, May 31, 09 @ 9:51 pm:
TANF is block grant funded. Food Stamps is a federal program. Medicaid is 50/50 fed/state w/ some AllKids at 65/35 fed/state. AABD (Assistance to the Aged, Blind and Disabled) is a small state supplemental payment to persons receiving Social Security — I don’t see the state cutting this program for political reasons. That leaves the $100 mo transitional assistance grant issued to some eligible single adults in Chgo and East St. Louis. I don’t see how cutting this program would fill a $12 billion hole.

- Bill Lee - Sunday, May 31, 09 @ 9:53 pm:
From the Taxpayer, of course, but that isn’t the issue tonight, now is it?

- anon - Sunday, May 31, 09 @ 9:54 pm:
can they cut the human services grants that are not subject to entitlement or federal match? We need to make sure we are taking advantage of the federal matching dollars - i.e. direct services instead of grants.

- Emily Booth - Sunday, May 31, 09 @ 9:54 pm:
WIC is a USDA program.

- Pete Granata - Sunday, May 31, 09 @ 10:18 pm:
Just concluded watching the best argument yet for term limitations: Rep Black

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