Question of the day
Tuesday, Jan 31, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From the synopsis of SB 690…
Amends the State Designations Act. Repeals the following State designations: State bird; State insect; official language; State mineral; State tree and flower; State animal; State fish; State prairie grass; State vegetable; State fruit; State fossil; State artifact; State folk dance; State theatre; State soil; State snackfood; State amphibian; State reptile; State tartan; and State pie.
* The Question: Your thoughts on this proposed legislation?
- East Central Illinois - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 2:47 pm:
need to amend and add ” . . . . and State Legislature and Governor.”
- El Conquistador - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 2:47 pm:
It doesn’t go far enough. The entire state should be repealed. There I fixed it.
- Someone you should know - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 2:48 pm:
Bah Humbug, Rooney told his kids about Santa when they were Four!!!
- Demoralized - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 2:49 pm:
And he is proposing this why?
- CornCob - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 2:50 pm:
and the point is…. ? My guess is a backhanded attempt to eliminate the official language.
- Keyrock - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 2:52 pm:
They wouldn’t eliminate Squuezey as state reptile, would they?
- dr. reason a, goodwin - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 2:53 pm:
Mmmmmm. Pie.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 2:53 pm:
Lots of people are going to be…
… upset.
The reason for this?
“Waste, Fraud, and Abuse”?
- FormerParatrooper - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 2:54 pm:
Now that we have a budget there is time to play with stuff, oh wait…
- Bigtwich - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 2:54 pm:
It is just a politically correct war on Pumpkin pie.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 2:55 pm:
They were sitting around and someone proposed they come up with some totally asinine political waste of time to match their gravitas chops
- Norseman - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 2:55 pm:
I was OK until he hit the state pie. My god man, have you no decency.
- Ron Burgundy - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 2:57 pm:
Don’t mess with the Tully Monster.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 2:58 pm:
Rooney isn’t going to stop until he can legislate one of the “Ls” from “Illinois”!
Stop him, now!
- My New Handle - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 2:58 pm:
Is this the Raunerite state shell bill for the budget?
- Henry Francis - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 2:58 pm:
Repealing the State fruit? The attacks on MJM never end, do they?
- Springfield Since '77 - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 2:59 pm:
I take it his Committee Assignments don’t keep him very busy…
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:00 pm:
“Well… um… it was a really swell bill in Mock State Government… ” - Fake Sen. Rooney
I’m going to hold off judgment until Ole Slip and Sue weighs in on Consolidation.
- Shemp - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:02 pm:
What the ….?
- Katiedid - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:03 pm:
This is his only bill so far??? And aren’t these often done through a vote by schoolchildren?
So glad that he was elected to take on the hard hitting issues of the day. Down with pie!!!
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:03 pm:
Are you sure his real name isn’t Ed Rooney?
https://youtu.be/3F0rPFASUXY
- Cubs in '16 - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:04 pm:
What the heck is a “State tartan”?
- hmmmm - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:05 pm:
I had to look up what a tartan was…
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:06 pm:
I was so proud when I was chosen to run the “polling place” at my school when we all voted on state fish. Now you want to throw out the will of the (elementary school) people! Say it ain’t so!
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:06 pm:
The last Rooney that went after children and their choices like this was Ed Rooney when he targeted Ferris Bueller!
- Cubs in '16 - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:06 pm:
State soil!? He wants to repeal dirt???
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:07 pm:
So is Rooney the governor’s point man on state liquidation or something?
The bust out continues.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:08 pm:
@FakeSenRooney - the last thing I want to do is to be seen as encouraging state pride! #WetBlanket
- Littlehorse - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:08 pm:
Down with them all.
- Cubs in '16 - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:08 pm:
I got his State bird right here…
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:09 pm:
@FakeSenRooney - This is a misunderstanding. The bill should read that we just get taken over by Indiana. #HoosierRealState
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:10 pm:
@FakeSenRooney - so, am I more disliked than Drury yet #LoseFriendsInfluenceNoOne
- 100 miles west - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:11 pm:
I would ask the question made famous by the immortal Sen. Ken Hall…”who wants this bill?”
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:12 pm:
Imagine
John Lennon, enhanced by VanillaMan
Imagine there’s no state bird
It’s easy if you try
No state insect
No yummy state pie
Imagine all the voters,
wondering what to do!
Imagine there’s no state fish
It isn’t hard to do
No state fossil
And no state snackfood too
Imagine all the voters
wondering what to chew!
You may say I’m a troll
But I’m only out for fun
As a GOP legislator
We can’t get anything done!
Imagine no state tree
I wonder if you can
No need for a state fruit
Just eat peaches from a can
Imagine all the voters waiting for Rauner’s plan, you
You may say I’m a bozo
But I’m not the only one
I hope soon you’ll reelect us
And watch Illinois come undone!
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:14 pm:
@FakeSenRooney - Pfft. Lincoln wasn’t even born in Illinois. Land of Lincoln, says who? #Abeless
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:16 pm:
@FakeSenRooney - the sooner we get rid of what schoolchildren see as state pride the better! #BurgerMeisterMeisterBurger
- muon - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:17 pm:
He did leave the state seal, state slogan and state song, FWIW.
- Katiedid - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:18 pm:
==I was so proud when I was chosen to run the “polling place” at my school when we all voted on state fish. ==
Yes!! I learned about campaigns from when we voted on the state animal in grade school. Of course, with my candidate, I also learned about losing a campaign, but it was still a great experience!
- CLJ - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:18 pm:
“Can you image how much I can get for each state designation. F**ing golden,” Rep Rooney’s voice on FBI surveillance audio.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:18 pm:
@FakeSenRooney - getting rid of all state symbols is symbolic to my ignorance to what the word symbolism means. #ColdHeartHotTake
- OneMan - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:19 pm:
He isn’t taking away Cheap Trick day is he?
- Anon221 - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:19 pm:
Hey… he left the State Song and the State Slogan in there when he gave his first bill the old freshman try;) Maybe he should learn some history first before he starts messin’ with it!
http://www.museum.state.il.us/exhibits/symbols/index.html
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:21 pm:
@FakeSenRooney - my goal is to be seen as the member yelling and shaking my fist at the fluffy clouds #GetOffMyLawn #AngryGuy
- Joe M - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:21 pm:
Fitting. So if it passes, when people look up that kind of thing on web sites and in encyclopedias, there will be entries for all the other states, but for Illinois, it will be blank. Like I said, kind of fitting.
- Politically Incorrect - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:21 pm:
I believe it was Jim Thompson who signed legislation making the Tully Monster the official State Fossil. At the time he said that enough was enough and this should have been the last such legislation back in the mid 1980’s…. The GA just cannot stop itself.
- Henry Francis - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:22 pm:
Ummmm OW, you may want to rephrase your comment about Ed Rooney going after children.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ferris-buellers-mr-rooney-guilty-in-sex-case/
- Shemp - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:22 pm:
This has that feeling of Nero, Fiddles and Rome.
- Politically Incorrect - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:23 pm:
But could we designate one or more of our illustrious Governors as the official “State Embarrassment”?
- Stuff Happens - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:28 pm:
How can they repeal state theatre?
That would cause all politicians to disappear in a puff of logic.
- Cubs in '16 - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:29 pm:
===Yes!! I learned about campaigns from when we voted on the state animal in grade school. Of course, with my candidate, I also learned about losing a campaign, but it was still a great experience!===
A then 9 year old Brucie Rauner spent a record $25 to help his State animal candidate elected; much to Katiedid’s chagrin.
- Earnest - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:33 pm:
I’m reserving my opinion until I see the numbers from the GOMB.
- titan - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:33 pm:
Is this a prelude to selling naming rights?
The official Allstate Illinois State Mineral.
The official Cabela’s Illinois State Fish.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:35 pm:
- Henry Francis -
Noted, but I already tried to keep it within the movie, Ferris Bueller, his choices for the day by typing this…
“The last Rooney that went after children and their choices like this was Ed Rooney when he targeted Ferris Bueller!”
The character “Ed Rooney” is just that, a character and that was my sole intent.
I offended you. I was wrong. I’m sorry.
OW
- Katiedid - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:35 pm:
==A then 9 year old Brucie Rauner spent a record $25 to help his State animal candidate elected; much to Katiedid’s chagrin. ==
Now I know the real story - I’ve always suspected something was up when all the other kids got an extra chocolate milk that week!!
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:38 pm:
–Is this a prelude to selling naming rights?–
I was wondering that, too.
Geico Gekko State Reptile.
Marie Callendar’s State Pies.
Chik-fil-a State Bird
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:39 pm:
@FakeSenRooney - my ultimate goal is to change our state’s name to “the land that shall not be named” #SenVoldemort
- 47th Ward - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:41 pm:
Rich, is there an award in the Senate similar to the Century Club in the House? This thing won’t get 2 votes in the Senate. Maybe we can call it the Rooney Award?
- Old Shepherd - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:41 pm:
When official state tartans are outlawed, only outlaws will have official state tartans.
- Lt Guv - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:42 pm:
They’ll only get the Drummer Silty Clay Loam out of my cold, dead hand.
- Amalia - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:43 pm:
shell bill. silly.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:43 pm:
@FakeSenRooney - if anyone can think of a better way to ridicule the choices of children I’m all ears #ToneDeaf
- Henry Francis - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:43 pm:
OW - no worries. If you knew me you would know that it is practically impossible to offend me.
To quote Unlce Hulka: “lighten up Francis”
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:45 pm:
@FakeSenRooney - when I saw pumpkin pie won I swore right then and there is avenge that disservice to all other pies everywhere. #RubeForRhubarbPie
- DuPage Bard - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:46 pm:
That’s his first bill? LOL
Was this a leftover piece of Matt Murphy’s agenda before he left?
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:49 pm:
- Henry Francis -
I stand by my apology. OW
@FakeSenRooney - my next bill will outlaw children from smiling, laughing, skipping, running, playing and any choice that might bring them joy or pride #DebbieDowner
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:52 pm:
@FakeSenRooney - this might be the only way the Turnaround Agenda gets passed. I’m probably closer passing this than that #LesserOfTwoFailures
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:56 pm:
@FakeSenRooney - I can’t wait to speak to this bill on the Floor. I’ll teach everyone a thing or three! #LearingNothing
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:56 pm:
Madigan, and the Eastern Tiger Salamanders he controls…..
- don the legend - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:57 pm:
Did he forget to include the designated State union, Afscammy?
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 3:59 pm:
@FakeSenRooney - see, you get Senators like me when you let John Tillman do the vetting #IP-OhMy
- Steve Rogers - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 4:00 pm:
And repeal the state bicentennial and just jump from 2017 to 2019, then we’ll have one less year of no budget.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 4:02 pm:
@FakeSenRooney - I want the IPI to be happy, John Tillmam to be happy, so bad-mouthing or running down state pride should do the trick #PhonyPride
- train111 - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 4:05 pm:
I can think of a few members of the general assembly we could nominate to be state fossil.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 4:08 pm:
Rooney at dinner table tonight: “Guess what! I’ve FINALLY gotten RECOGNITION!!” More pie for everyone! No, nope, scratch that….”
- JS Mill - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 4:11 pm:
=I got his State bird right here… =
LOL!!!
Don’t ye mess with my Tartan!
The Chicago Scots
https://www.chicagoscots.org/the-illinois-saint-andrew-society-tartan/
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 4:12 pm:
@FakeSenRooney - if I can make a difference and make just one child cry by ruining the official fish, then it will be all worthwhile. #SenGrinch
- Just Observing - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 4:15 pm:
I remember voting for the state fish in second grade!!!!
#HandsOffTheStateFish
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 4:15 pm:
@FakeSenRooney - these designations are all a farse, not unlike my Senate tenure since John Tillman vetted me #JokesOnMe
- Keyrock - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 4:16 pm:
Next idea: close the state museum!
(Oh wait, that was already done.)
- Huh? - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 4:17 pm:
This is too much! Getting rid of the square dance? How else are little boys supposed to learn how to hold a girl’s hand?!?!
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 4:19 pm:
@FakeJasonPlummer - whoa, @FakeSenRooney. It took my Dad 3 years and 1,206 packs of chewing gum to get me all the “Offical State” stuff action cards. Leave em alone #VerucaPlummer
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 4:21 pm:
@FakeJasonPlummer - hey @FakeSenRooney, you’re a meanie and I’m not gonna invite you to my super-sweet tree house made w/Plummer Lumber #KidsPlayAdultSilliness
- AlfondoGonz - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 4:35 pm:
Add the State Governor and I’m in.
- ChrisB - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 4:37 pm:
What are we going to teach our Eighth Graders now?
- Nick Name - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 4:50 pm:
Repealing sweet corn as the state vegetable is fine since corn is, you know, a grain.
- blue dog dem - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 4:52 pm:
The Illinois state bird is….a St. loius Cardinal.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 4:57 pm:
To put it in State Rep. Weber Borchers’ words when he was asked to sponsor a bill designating the monarch butterfly as the state insect,
“What was I going to do? There were 300 beady eyes looking at me waiting for my answer.”
- Tough Guy - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 4:58 pm:
Just because the Cubs won the World Series is no reason to repeal the Cardinal as the State Bird and the thought of taking away popcorn as the State snackfood, sent chills down my spine.
- Touré's Latte - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 5:02 pm:
I draw the line at removing the state mineral. No, sir, this will not do!
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 5:04 pm:
OMG. This Is IL. The destruction continues to inanity. Be ashamed Rooney; VERY ashamed.
- JoanP - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 5:05 pm:
Can you believe we don’t have a state beverage? Or a state dog*? Shocking.
Instead of getting rid of things, why doesn’t Sen. Rooney do something about this sad state of affairs?
* I nominate Oscar
- Jocko - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 5:37 pm:
In Rooney’s defense, we have the same dance as 24 other states. Now if he were to propose the twist or the mashed potato instead of the square dance, that’s something else entirely.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 5:43 pm:
Dear SENATOR Tom Rooney:
You are:
1) A disgrace to IL
2) A disgrace to everyone that were foolish enough to vote you into State employment, paid by taxpayers.
3) A failure even for #FailedILGovernor for this wasteful & childish act.
4) You found a way to demean yourself w/o any redeeming aspect to this waste of time & money.
Outstanding. Go get your boss to get his budget done, since you have so much time on your hands.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 5:46 pm:
Century Club.
- Soccermom - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 5:48 pm:
When you mess with the St. Andrew’s Society tartan, you’ve opened up a big ol’ can of whoop-ass gang aft agley
- retiree - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 6:00 pm:
Why????
- sal-says - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 6:12 pm:
Dear Rich & CapitolFax Commentators:
Thank - you - all.
With all the stuff and insanity going on nationally and Illinois-ee, a post like this is a bright spot in an otherwise dreary day.
Thank You All.
Sincerely,
sal-says
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 7:06 pm:
I trust Sen. Rooney has no objection to Mushrooms remaining the State Fungus.
- DuPage Bard - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 7:24 pm:
Tom Rooney- Rooneying cool things for kids for years.
- dray - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 7:39 pm:
spunky! !
http://www.journal-topics.com/news/article_0415890c-d37c-11e6-8b2b-9745a0b23b02.html
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 7:41 pm:
Dear Senator Rooney,
As a member of the Illinois General Assembly, I’m quite “confused” to the intent of your legislation.
Is it to ignore the citizens that went about to go threw the process and signature for these honors for these symbols, or is it to take away the pride of the state with these recognitions so we here in Illinois are as benign as as a blank sheet of paper?
I think what is most disappointing is the callousness to lump each of these into one big movement to dismiss them as irrelevant to Illinois, and wipe how they came to be from the books too as just mere clutter in the Illinois Statutes.
I find it ironic that a member of the legislature can find state symbols so trivial. Each chamber is chock full of symbolism and tradition that the only way to dismiss all these official symbols you must have a low tolerance for what makes Illinois unique or special. You are willing to take away the symbols of who we are as a state so easily, while sitting in a chamber, in a building, in a city, that has symbolism at an arms length at any given time.
So, “what gives” Senator? Why do you want to remove the “Illinois” from Illinois? Is there a reason we are all missing?
Is like to hear it.
Oswego Willy
- blue dog dem - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 7:45 pm:
While we are at it, can we move the State Fair back to DuQuion?
- Annonin' - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 8:00 pm:
And the dude is a history teacher..seldom has someone driven The Clown Car this quickly in what could be a brief career
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 8:21 pm:
Ugh… Typing too fast….
“As you are a member of the Illinois General Assembly, I’m quite “confused” to the intent of your legislation.”
- CEAmy - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 10:51 pm:
How about an Official State Budget?
- Newsclown - Tuesday, Jan 31, 17 @ 11:47 pm:
Before we get too exercised, aren’t a number of very worthy bits of legislation coming up for their repeal/renewal overview? The ones that makes sense get stamped: continue” and the rest, sunset. Or am I wrong that the sunset issue doesn’t pertain to the stuff mentioned in this bill?
- Anon221 - Wednesday, Feb 1, 17 @ 8:53 am:
Newsclown- I didn’t find anything about a repeal/renewal overview requirement in the PA:
(5 ILCS 460/230) (from Ch. 1, par. 2901-230)
Sec. 230. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.
(Source: P.A. 87-273.)
- Lovelife - Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 10:42 am:
Is this for real? Is there nothing in this entire state that needs fixing that someone would come up with this crazy silly bill?
Who is this guy and what is wrong with the people in his area?