It’s just a bill
Monday, Feb 6, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Seems like a lot of work…
As Illinois prepares to celebrate 200 years in existence, a local legislator wants to give the state a corrected state seal as a birthday gift.
House Bill 479, sponsored by Rep. Tim Butler, R-Springfield, seeks to change the date on the outside ring from Aug. 26, 1818, which is when the first state constitution was signed, to Dec. 3, 1818, when Illinois officially became a state.
Butler believes, although important, the first constitution’s date should be removed for the actual day Illinois became a state.
* How about we give it a while?…
President Barack Obama’s birthday may become the next state holiday, if some Illinois Democrats have their way.
House Bills 231 and 503 and Senate Bill 55 all make Obama’s birthday, Aug. 4, an official holiday.
Both House bills would make Aug. 4 a “legal holiday,” in which state government offices shut down, and schools and businesses have the option of closing. The Senate bill’s “Barack Obama Day” would be commemorative only.
* And Sen. Tom Rooney (R-Rolling Meadows) explains his bill to repeal most official state designations…
“I teach economics for a living in a high school, and I wanted my first set of bills to include items that are what I call “basic economics in action,” said the West Leyden High School teacher, in Northlake. “When I came to the concept of scarcity being something that gives things value, this idea was what came to mind.
“Our list of official designations is long enough that it, in my opinion, has decreased the value of official state designations in general. I hope that paring it back provides more value to the ones that remain.”
To put sum up his sentiment in layman’s terms: less is more.
* Sen. McCann responds…
In 2015, Sen. Sam McCann, R-Plainview, sponsored successful legislation that was prompted by a group of fourth-graders at Chatham Elementary School to make sweet corn the official vegetable of Illinois.
McCann in a written statement defended the use of the various state symbols.
“Firstly, I have great respect and admiration for my colleague, Sen. (Tom) Rooney. I’m sure that it is being put forth with the very best of intentions,” McCann said. “But generally I feel that the state symbol bills that advance in the legislature grow organically within the communities and regions around the state. ”
However, McCann acknowledged that lawmakers might want to focus on something bigger, like passing a state budget, before adding any more state symbols.
Um, yeah.
- wordslinger - Monday, Feb 6, 17 @ 10:28 am:
Thank you, Sen. Rooney, for revealing the contents of your navel.
In the future, try to save your academic exercises for high school.
- Michelle Flaherty - Monday, Feb 6, 17 @ 10:32 am:
Somewhere, Matt Murphy is rolling over in his grave.
- 47th Ward - Monday, Feb 6, 17 @ 10:32 am:
This is what happens when you put 173 legislators together who have no power to do important things, like pass budgets, raise revenue, improve programs, cut spending, modernize government, etc.
Legislators legislate. And when you take the important matters out of their hands, they do a lot of unimportant legislating.
- Mokenavince - Monday, Feb 6, 17 @ 10:33 am:
We don’t need any more State holidays. I just means no work for pols and State employees with holiday pay.
- Norseman - Monday, Feb 6, 17 @ 10:37 am:
First bills tend to be inconsequential and avoid needlessly stepping on toes. Hopefully Leader Radogno will counsel him on getting a better first bill.
- A Jack - Monday, Feb 6, 17 @ 10:37 am:
We do need an August holiday, but let us not forget March, April, and June. We could have state holidays for Pulaski day, Cheap Trick day, and End of The Fiscal Year Day. Is this snark? Ask me on Cheap Trick day.
- m - Monday, Feb 6, 17 @ 10:47 am:
A day off honoring a past president probably makes more sense than Columbus Day.
- Just Observing - Monday, Feb 6, 17 @ 10:56 am:
I didn’t know about the August 1818 date vs. the Dec. 1818 date — I kinda agree with Rep. Butler that it should be changed although I cringe at the thought of spending money on replacing seals (e.g. stationary, flags, door emblems, etc.)
- A guy - Monday, Feb 6, 17 @ 11:02 am:
Put President Obama in some Hall of Fame if you’d like. He’ll have a behemoth memorial library in a few years to memorialize his service as well.
A Holiday? Talk about jumping the shark! Columbus, Washington, Lincoln, Dr. King, all have something in common. They aren’t living. And History had a very good opportunity to evaluate the full comprehensiveness of their lives before even considering a holiday.
Oy Vey, isn’t naming a school mean anything anymore?
- A Jack - Monday, Feb 6, 17 @ 11:06 am:
Reagan was born in Illinois. Today in fact is his birthday. How about a bipartisan holiday bill honoring both Presidents?
- Anonymous - Monday, Feb 6, 17 @ 11:09 am:
Tim Butler taking on the tough issues of the day
- Missing Something - Monday, Feb 6, 17 @ 11:40 am:
We already have a holiday for President Obama, it is called President’s Day
- Anonymous Lee - Monday, Feb 6, 17 @ 11:49 am:
=== Somewhere, Matt Murphy is rolling over in his grave. ===
I hope not.
=== We already have a holiday for President Obama, it is called President’s Day ===
Actually, technically we all still observe Washington’s Birthday:
http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/personnel/holidays.html
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/snow-dismissal-procedures/federal-holidays/#url=2017
Also, we observe Lincoln’s Birthday. President Obama also called Illinois his home state.
- PAM - Monday, Feb 6, 17 @ 12:41 pm:
So the current bill proposing that any animal from a shelter is the ‘State Pet’ will not be allowed? If you find the right shelter, both the donkey and the elephant could be the ‘State Pet’. How bi-partisan can you get?
- Ron Burgundy - Monday, Feb 6, 17 @ 12:48 pm:
Sorry if this double posts. Connection acting up.
Anyway, no on Obama legal holiday. Commemorative is plenty, provided Reagan gets one also. Let passage of time determine if he deserves to be placed on the same level as Lincoln. And I agree the Columbus Day holiday can go. It’s basically become a day of Italian-American pride, like St. Patrick’s Day or Cinco de Mayo, albeit less drinky.
- Threepwood - Monday, Feb 6, 17 @ 1:16 pm:
Is Rooney’s bill really “Just a bill?” I don’t mean to say it isn’t, I just can’t understand it. Is there something I’m missing? Does he hate sweet corn but doesn’t want to alienate farmers? Phobic of cardinals but needs that sweet Audobon cash? Or does he really just believe Official State Things matter?
- Had Enough - Monday, Feb 6, 17 @ 1:39 pm:
We could have State Budget Day - it would be more of a leap year type of holiday - doesn’t happen every year.