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* Gov. Pat Quinn told Phil Kadner a curious story that I also heard the night session adjourned…
As for economic development, I asked Quinn why a gambling expansion bill failed to get out of the Legislature this year after it had passed the two previous years.
Quinn said he had reached agreement on “language I could live with” with state Rep. Robert Rita (D-Blue Island), the chief House sponsor, and it was given to the Legislative Reference Bureau to be placed in the bill.
But the night the legislation was supposed to be written, Quinn said, “the LRB staff member got himself lost.” I asked what that meant, and Quinn repeated, “he got lost. He couldn’t be found.”
But he said that he had made it clear to legislators that he would not sign a gambling bill unless pension reform was passed.
The way I heard it, the staffer was “lost” pretty much all day on the final day of session.
Very weird.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Jun 6, 13 @ 9:13 am
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The dog ate his laptop.
Comment by dupage dan Thursday, Jun 6, 13 @ 9:15 am
Has the staffer been found yet?
Comment by Cassiopeia Thursday, Jun 6, 13 @ 9:16 am
Wonder if got detained in one of the suburban towns that already have casinos….
:-)
Comment by OneMan Thursday, Jun 6, 13 @ 9:17 am
It’s easy to disappear in the catacombs and sub-sub-basements of the Capitol complex. It was a great place to play as a kid …
Comment by RNUG Thursday, Jun 6, 13 @ 9:18 am
lost? or lost on purpose?
Comment by Amalia Thursday, Jun 6, 13 @ 9:19 am
Lot of holes on the capitol grounds, and a lot of problems are buried in those holes.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Jun 6, 13 @ 9:21 am
Hiking the Appalachian Trail lost?
Or Milk carton, later found in a dumpster lost?
Comment by titan Thursday, Jun 6, 13 @ 9:22 am
He was looking for Speaker Madigan’s cellphone!
Comment by MrGrassroots Thursday, Jun 6, 13 @ 9:22 am
You usually … dont’ “talk” about someone “gone missing”, unless YOU want to go missing …
Food for thought.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Jun 6, 13 @ 9:24 am
Uhhh…clearly this is not the reason the bill didn’t pass…Quinn’s comments to the press are out of control.
Comment by Lotta Liaison Thursday, Jun 6, 13 @ 9:25 am
But if it is the case, the guy who was to do the re-write couldn’t be found… Wow, billions in economic development and taxes, either delayed or outright killed because of a single dude.
Says a lot about Illinois IMHO
Comment by OneMan Thursday, Jun 6, 13 @ 9:28 am
“all for the want of a nail”
Comment by steve schnorf Thursday, Jun 6, 13 @ 9:30 am
Lost? Smoke monster got him.
Comment by In 630 Thursday, Jun 6, 13 @ 9:32 am
So if I understand it there was only one guy at the ILRB that could draft that provision? How many people do they have working over there?
Comment by Stones Thursday, Jun 6, 13 @ 9:33 am
“very weird”…Indeed..
Comment by Charlatan Heston Thursday, Jun 6, 13 @ 9:34 am
4-8-15-16-23-42
Comment by RonOglesby Thursday, Jun 6, 13 @ 9:35 am
“very weird”? Given the performance of the states elected officials this is normal conduct. The capitol complex reminds me of central casting for a zombie movie.
Comment by Friedman Thursday, Jun 6, 13 @ 9:41 am
Bad day at Black Rock.
EH?
Comment by haverford Thursday, Jun 6, 13 @ 9:41 am
Squeezy the Pension Python ate him?
Comment by olddog Thursday, Jun 6, 13 @ 9:47 am
Like Madigan, he doesn’t have a cell phone and can’t be reached. Me suspects, find Madigan you find him.
Comment by AFSCME Steward Thursday, Jun 6, 13 @ 9:52 am
===So if I understand it there was only one guy at the ILRB that could draft that provision? How many people do they have working over there?====
And seeing that over the past many years the person who has been working on gaming bills at LRB is a women, shows how lost the governor actually is.
This bill was dead days before that final day. So there was no need for the staffer to waste her (or his) time on this anyway.
Comment by Been There Thursday, Jun 6, 13 @ 10:02 am
===…“the LRB staff member got himself lost.”===
“It was was revenge for re-writing the Gaming Bill — and a lot of other things”
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Jun 6, 13 @ 10:12 am
Oh, Paulie…we won’t see him no more.
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Jun 6, 13 @ 10:39 am
This did happen.
And as I understand it, it the Speaker’s staffer who was “unavailable” to help with the draft, not an LRB staffer. It’s the best evidence that’s surfaced that the Speaker was purposefully tanking the session.
Comment by WizzardOfOzzie Thursday, Jun 6, 13 @ 11:08 am
===as I understand it, it the Speaker’s staffer who was “unavailable” to help with the draft, not an LRB staffer==
Pretty sure you’re right.
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Jun 6, 13 @ 11:17 am
So the LRB Staffer is a “Red Herring”?
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Jun 6, 13 @ 11:23 am
The Governor has a full legislative staff…they don’t know how to draft?
Comment by Lotta Liaison Thursday, Jun 6, 13 @ 11:28 am
So:
- the Governor and the chief sponsor reach an agreement
- they give the language to the LRB so it could be drafted that evening
- “the night the legislation was supposed to be written” a key cog in that process (the Speaker’s staffer) suddenly disappears.
Well, that sounds about right. Good old Illinois.
Soething doesn’t add up here, though.
I don’t believe the Speaker simply threw a temper tantrum and decided to “show” everyone how powerful he is by tanking the last day of session.
Did he?
’cause that would be a whole different side of Madigan that I’ve rarely seen or heard of - at least so publicly.
There’s a difference between displaying power and sending a reminder vs. taking your ball and going home at the expense of the state.
Weird.
Comment by Formerly Known As... Thursday, Jun 6, 13 @ 11:41 am
Why ,He is the State………..
Comment by RNUG Fan Thursday, Jun 6, 13 @ 11:59 am
FKA,
How about the idea that the Speaker never wanted pension reform to pass in the first place? It’s totally conceivable that he passed a bill out of the House that he knew wouldn’t get passed by the Senate.
Comment by WizzardOfOzzie Thursday, Jun 6, 13 @ 1:45 pm
Last thing overheard from LRB office:
Q:”Can’t you get me off the hook this one last time?”
A: “Sorry, there’s nothing personal in this, it’s just business.”
Comment by LisleMike Thursday, Jun 6, 13 @ 1:59 pm
@WizzardofOzzie - was speaking in regards to the gaming bill, which is where the staffer disappeared.
As to the Speaker possibly never wanting pension reform to pass in the first place, I guess the many retirees, union members and state employees across Illinois will find out during the special session just called on June 19th.
Comment by Formerly Known As... Thursday, Jun 6, 13 @ 2:01 pm
maybe he doesn’t own a cell phone, either. apparently, all the powerful people in springfield don’t…
Comment by bored now Thursday, Jun 6, 13 @ 2:15 pm
FKA-
Governor said the two were connected. Why would he agree to the gaming bill if there wasn’t an agreement on pensions?
Comment by WizzardOfOzzie Thursday, Jun 6, 13 @ 2:19 pm
===as I understand it, it the Speaker’s staffer who was “unavailable” to help with the draft, not an LRB staffer==
Pretty sure you’re right.–
Anybody check “Rivers?”
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Jun 6, 13 @ 2:42 pm
and this is how our state is being run…Chinese fire drill no leadership, no control, kings arguing, presidents bullying, this is nothing but a State in confusion!!!
Comment by concern1 Thursday, Jun 6, 13 @ 3:22 pm