* 10:59 am - There is quite a lot of dispute over what Rep. Monique Davis said in committee this morning, even among Republicans who were present, so hold your fire in comments. We’re working on getting some audio, but this broke open today when GOP Rep. Jim Sacia rose on a point of personal privilege this morning to protest what he described as outrageous racial remarks during a committee hearing…

Three Republicans in the Illinois House are accusing a Democratic colleague of “race-baiting” and spreading “racial hatred.” They’re asking the speaker of the House to investigate comments made this morning by Representative Monique Davis.

The dispute arose when a committee debated legislation to help ex-convicts get jobs and start businesses.

Both sides agree Davis claimed that lawmakers with prisons in their districts oppose that kind of legislation because they want to keep the prisons full.

Outraged Republicans say she made it a racial issue and said they want prisons filled with “black people from Chicago.”

Davis denies she made the statement. More in a bit.

*** UPDATE 1 *** Here are some quotes from some House Republicans about what Rep. Davis may or may not have said during that committee. It appears that AP story may have overstated the GOP unanimity about what happened…

REP. RON STEPHENS: “The Representative from Cook was shouting in a very accusatory tone. At first I thought she was being sarcastic, so I started laughing, and then I realized that she was serious…

“I heard her say the term ‘blacks from Chicago’, but I could have misheard her…

“In all the 22 years that I have been here I have never been accused of being tough on crime in order to keep prison jobs in my district.”

REP. DENNIS REBOLETTI: “I’m not sure if I ever heard her use the term ‘blacks from Chicago’. It was very loud and heated in the room. However, there was a racial overtone to the whole debate.”

REP. JIM SACIA: “I never heard Rep. Davis say ‘blacks from Chicago.”

*** UPDATE 2 *** Kevin has listened to the audio of the committee hearing and says Rep. Davis never made reference to “black people from Chicago,” in the context that has been alleged and reported by the AP. Here’s the relevant quote…

“African-Americans [legislators] down here have to fight harder to stop this continued recidivism because opportunties are denied. But you have to take the names of people with prisons in their districts and see how they vote. They don’t want to stop crime, it’s their livelihood. It is sad when your whole economy is based on the imprisonment of Americans.”

I’m not sure what the heck the howling about racial stuff is based upon.

*** UPDATE 3 *** We now have audio. It’s not the greatest because we couldn’t directly convert the file provided by the House, but click here to listen.

* 11:08 am - This ain’t huge news, but Treasurer Giannoulias admitted yesterday to considering a run for governor…

The ongoing budget battle in Springfield is not just upsetting voters. State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias said Tuesday in Galesburg that “to see what’s going on in state government is horrifying.” During a visit with a portion of the editorial board of The Register-Mail, Giannoulias said he is “open” to the idea of running for governor. […]

“If this was a private corporation, if he was the CEO of a private corporation, he would have been fired a long time ago,” Giannoulias said. “Sometimes … you wake up and say ‘you know, I think I could do a better job than the governor.’ I’m thinking about it (running for governor). I don’t stay up at night thinking about it.”

And check out this line…

[Giannoulias] said there’s been a lack of leadership in Illinois for too long, and labeled the Blagojevich administration as “vendetta-driven” government.

Asked to comment, Luis Guerrero, the governor’s director of communications, said by phone that his only comment was “accusations are counter-productive.”

That response might be read as: Keep your mouth shut if you know what’s good for you.

* 11:21 am - If you tuned into the House floor audio/video and are wondering why nothing is happening, the House GOP is caucusing on the budget, capital, etc. They should be back sometime soon.

* 11:24 am - The negotiations still have a long way to go, particularly over the issue of health insurance payments, but an AFSCME strike doesn’t appear to be imminent…

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees has agreed to extend its state contract for several more weeks after saying “some progress” was made during two-days of mediated contract negotiations.

*** 11:37 am *** House Speaker Michael Madigan was just asked whether the chamber would advance any revenue generating bills today, including a special funds sweep. The House had been working on a scaled-back $300 million sweep as a counter-measure to the Senate’s $500 million sweep.

Madigan said they would not be moving a funds sweep. No further session is scheduled until November, so that’s apparently that.

*** 12:45 pm *** The House is now debating veto overrides. Here’s the bill in question. The first override attempt of a line item failed, but several House Republicans voted with the Democrats. The second override attempt received far fewer votes. The roll calls aren’t posted yet, but we’re gonna get them for you as well as (hopefully) the analysis of what was in that first override vote. We’ve got a long ways to go, however.

The third motion, to override the governor’s veto which effectively increases the payment cycle for hospitals is being debated right now.

*** 12:53 pm *** The House overrode the governor’s veto which increased the payment cycle on hospitals. They’re debating the same issue for nursing homes now. The pressure will be on the Senate bigtime with that hospital vote.

*** 12:56 pm *** As expected, the nursing home money was restored. Ibid above on Senate pressure.

* 12:58 pm - The SJ-R has some details on the first budget override attempt that failed earlier today…

The House voted 64-26 this afternoon to override the governor’s veto in five spending areas totaling nearly $40 million, including a $27.5 million increase for workers who serve the developmentally disabled. But the motion needed 71 votes to pass.

*** 1:25 pm *** A pattern has been developing so far. Reduction overrides - which require simple majorities - have passed, while line-item overrides - which require three-fifhts votes - are failing. A vote to override a line-item veto for the secretary of state failed badly a few moments ago, but an override motion of a reduction veto in personnel services for the SoS passed with 64 votes.

* 1:30 pm - The same thing just happened with a couple of human services overrides. Line item override failed, reduction override passed.

*** 1:48 pm *** In case you missed the link above, you can find roll calls on the override motions at this link. None have been posted as of yet, however.

*** 2:01 pm *** The House failed to override the governor’s line-item veto of millions of dollars for drug treatment programs. Again, the pattern holds. Line-item veto overrides are failing while reduction overrides are passing.

*** 2:08 pm *** The House Clerk’s office has finally put the override motion rollcalls online. Click here.

*** 2:17 pm *** Another drug treatment veto override attempt is forthcoming. The next one will require just 60 votes and will restore $43 million reduced by the governor.

*** 2:41 pm *** As predicted, the House just voted to restore $43 million in reductions to the state’s drug treatment programs.

*** 2:44 pm *** Again, the House failed to override of a line item veto on school construction grants. The motion received just 60 votes. Maybe if the House Dems had more members they could make some of these votes a bit closer.

*** 2:48 pm *** OK, we finally had a motion fail on a reduction veto. It went by pretty fast, but I think it was a community college veto. The motion came up a vote or two short of the sixty required to pass.

…Adding… It was a community college override. The governor had reduced the base operating grants. Motion 24 if you’re following along.

…Also… A human services reduction veto was not overridden just now (3:10 pm). It was Motion 17, which would have restored $33.5 million in cuts to the community care program.

…And… From the SJ-R, which is also following along…

The House shot down restoring $148 million in construction money for Rochester and about two-dozen other school districts who have waited since 2002 for money promised by the state but never delivered. Lawmakers voted 60-26 to restore the money, but it needed 71 votes to pass.

“It’s important to these schools and it’s only living up to the obligation this state has had,” said Rep. Lisa Dugan, D-Bradley.

Then, the House rapidly rejected restoring six chunks of money worth tens of millions of dollars for higher education. That includes $18 million for the MAP grant increase, $10 million for community colleges and millions for grants and improvements at several state universities.

*** 3:17 pm *** An override motion to restore funding to elder abuse programs to the FY 08 level also came up two votes short.

*** 3:35 pm *** After stopping the governor from delaying Medicaid payments to hospitals and nursing homes, the House failed to prevent the governor from moving $185 million of Medicaid payments for prescription drugs, transportation, home health, medical appliances, hospice care and labs to Fiscal Year 10. The motion only required 60 votes, but came up way short.

*** 3:51 pm *** Yet another reduction override failed. This one would’ve restored about $27 million for cuts in community based services for developmentally disabled and mentally ill. The motion came up 2 votes shy. Some tourism vetoes were also sustained when the House couldn’t muster enough votes - one a line item and one a reduction veto.

*** 4:00 pm *** House Speaker Madigan is adjourning the House as I write this. He said he doesn’t intend to call the House back until November, but added that if the need arises he may call them back before that.

*** 4:00 pm *** Speaker Madigan’s spokesman claims the House has voted to restore about $420 million that was vetoed by the governor.

*** 4:37 pm *** From the governor’s press office…

The House passed a budget without approving sufficient revenue sources to pay for it. That is incredibly irresponsible — it’s the equivalent of writing a check that you know will bounce.

For most people, they’d be charged with a misdemeanor. In Springfield, it’s just more games. The Governor acted responsibly. He balanced the budget. The House should be using this time in Springfield to pass revenue measures already approved by the Senate rather than casting blame toward others. This is a problem they created. This is their budget.