* From the Illinois Policy Institute…
The Illinois General Assembly is seven days into the special session but lawmakers continue to spend minimal time actually in special session, which Gov. Bruce Rauner called with the intent of passing a state budget.
The Illinois House of Representatives and Senate adjourned from the seventh day of special session after less than 11 total minutes between the two chambers. The Senate adjourned after only six minutes and 49 seconds. The House marked its shortest special session yet, adjourning after a mere three minutes and 55 seconds.
Over seven days, the two legislative chambers have put in less than 111 minutes of work in special session. With each day of special session costing taxpayers an additional $50,000, according to an estimate from the Chicago Tribune, the special session has run taxpayers around $350,000, or about $3,150 for each minute the House and Senate have worked.
- Whatthewhat - Tuesday, Jun 27, 17 @ 1:02 pm:
How many minutes did Rauner or his staff spend in negotiations on the issues included in the special session?
- Whatthewhat - Tuesday, Jun 27, 17 @ 1:03 pm:
How many minutes have members spent in caucus dealing with issues included in the special session?
What about on the floor in regular session?
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jun 27, 17 @ 1:06 pm:
Great job MJM and Cullerton—-Lookin out for Illinois!
- Lt Guv - Tuesday, Jun 27, 17 @ 1:08 pm:
Completely false measure. Not defending the GA, but this is a red-herring.
- TinFoilHatOnBackwards - Tuesday, Jun 27, 17 @ 1:08 pm:
Yeah & you can bet they were the most intense 111 minutes ever endured by anyone!
Anyone know where I can get a new “Tin Foil” hat,
this one is gettin’ kinda’ small! /s
- Mr. RJG - Tuesday, Jun 27, 17 @ 1:09 pm:
General Assembly adjourning after only a few minutes in session is FALSE. The truth of the matter is they are adjourning to conduct the Committee of the Whole. The members are still on the floor or in meetings.
- Texas Red - Tuesday, Jun 27, 17 @ 1:13 pm:
No one every accused Illinois politicians of having an arduous work schedule. Now campaigning that is another story !!
- cdog - Tuesday, Jun 27, 17 @ 1:14 pm:
Watch out! There’s lots of dogs running this direction!
The hope and expectation is that there is real work going on in a few offices. tick, tock, tick, tock…
- Linus - Tuesday, Jun 27, 17 @ 1:15 pm:
Wantonly disingenuous, from the masters of wanton disingenuousness.
- Ducky LaMoore - Tuesday, Jun 27, 17 @ 1:17 pm:
Meh. There is a whole lot more attempting to get something done when compared to the Blago special sessions.
- Tier 1 Gal - Tuesday, Jun 27, 17 @ 1:20 pm:
I don’t think IPI is providing a fair analysis of time actually spent on meetings/efforts related to the special session. This is a cheap shot and does not solve the issues or foster “unity.”
- Chicago 20 - Tuesday, Jun 27, 17 @ 1:20 pm:
I’m really happy Rauner volunteered to pay for the special session.
The happiest I’ve been in years.
- @MisterJayEm - Tuesday, Jun 27, 17 @ 1:22 pm:
This metric is juvenile at best, and at worst it is deliberately dishonest.
But I’d expect nothing else from the IPI.
– MrJM
- Norseman - Tuesday, Jun 27, 17 @ 1:23 pm:
=== the special session has run taxpayers around $350,000 ===
Bill the Rauner campaign because this was a campaign stunt. The real work is happening behind the scenes with the 5 tops (can’t call them leaders anymore).
- RNUG - Tuesday, Jun 27, 17 @ 1:26 pm:
False measure. The leaders and Legislators don’t have to be on the floor to be meeting and talking. A real political reporter knows the deals get done in the offices, back rooms, and pubs. The floor is just where they formalize things.
- Because I Said So.... - Tuesday, Jun 27, 17 @ 1:28 pm:
I hate these kind of headlines. If and when an agreement is met, it will because what takes place behind closed doors with the leaders AND Governor.
Being in Springfield Springfield before a deal is struck is all for show. Thanks Rainer!
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jun 27, 17 @ 1:29 pm:
It’s s true false measure since Rauner and Durkin both said the “Senate did their job”
Durkin and Rauner wanted Madigan to work with Durkin… “Alone”..,
According to that matrix…
See how phony all this seems when it’s decided to plot out the absurd with a time clock?
- 47th Ward - Tuesday, Jun 27, 17 @ 1:30 pm:
===Over seven days, the two legislative chambers have put in less than 111 minutes of work in special session.===
Yes, but it was quality time. The Democrats are very efficient, so much so that the Senate had already passed a budget and a bunch of reforms before the Special Session was even called.
- Galena Guy - Tuesday, Jun 27, 17 @ 1:46 pm:
“But I’d expect nothing else from the IPI”
Couldn’t have said it better.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Jun 27, 17 @ 1:51 pm:
The IPI whiz kids obviously have some time on their hands.
Perhaps they could calculate the projected ROI on the Turnaround Agenda. Apparently, GOMB doesn’t have the brainpower for that.
- walker - Tuesday, Jun 27, 17 @ 2:15 pm:
Saw the headline and thought “Who would be stupid enough to post such nonsense?”
Oh. IPI
Everyone I’ve talked to lately have been working their butts off in Springfield.
- cc - Tuesday, Jun 27, 17 @ 3:41 pm:
I dread meetings in a work place because 99% of the time they add little to actual work in progress. Then there is that refusal to understand that the idea just offered will legally never pass muster down the line.
- Thomas Griffin - Tuesday, Jun 27, 17 @ 3:42 pm:
I wish my job was that easy. They are running the clock out on purpose.
- Huh? - Tuesday, Jun 27, 17 @ 5:42 pm:
“Over seven days, the two legislative chambers have put in less than 111 minutes of work in special session. …”
Barely enough time to gavel the meeting into session, call the roll for per diem and gavel the session closed.
- Lucky Pierre - Wednesday, Jun 28, 17 @ 12:27 am:
Of course the Senate did their job, bipartisan negotiations produced a Grand Bargain.
Speaker Madigan does not agree with the concept of bipartisan compromise