House Democrats explain their changing votes
Thursday, Jul 6, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Rep. Sue Scherer (D-Decatur) complained last month about the potential for a “huge tax hike” and said she couldn’t in good conscience vote for such an increase “on the backs of the hard-working families in my district.” Rep. Scherer voted against the tax hike on 3rd Reading. Her district just barely went Democratic at the top of the ticket last year and Gov. Rauner won it by about 6 points. She’s always voted like a target, until today, when she voted “Yes” on the override…
“When the budget package went to Governor Rauner’s desk, I sincerely hoped and believed that he would finally see the need to come back to the table, and negotiate an end to the crisis he created,” Scherer said in a statement. “I hoped he would see an opportunity to build off of the $3 billion in spending cuts we identified in our budget. But the governor’s total veto and his refusal to negotiate left me with an unfortunate choice: override his veto and support a deal I didn’t fully agree with, or follow the governor over a cliff, bringing millions of Illinois families down with us. … It became clear this week that the governor would not make the tough decisions needed to end his crisis, so I did.”
* Rauner won Rep. Mike Halpin’s (D-Rock Island) district by a hair three years ago. The freshman was one of a handful of House Democrats who initially voted for the tax hike bill on 3rd Reading the other day and then switched to “No” just before the roll call was closed. He switched to “Yes” today because four Republicans flipped. His explanation to a local paper…
After the vote, Halpin said he had heard from constituents since Sunday, including representatives from area universities, and decided that it was time to get a budget approved.
“I decided that having any budget, even if not perfect, was better than no budget at all,” Halpin said.
He added he was worried about rating agencies downgrading the state’s credit rating, as well as the effect of an extended impasse on schools and human service agencies.
Nothing yet from Rep. Natalie Manley (D-Joliet). Rauner barely won that district. Also nothing from Rep. Rita Mayfield (D-Waukegan), who represents a hugely Democratic district.
- Chris W - Thursday, Jul 6, 17 @ 6:23 pm:
Thankfully Pritzker, and his skeletons, will be the Dem Nominee. A awful candidate, why the Dems do not go for Hyannis Port West, I do not know?
- LibertyvilleNick - Thursday, Jul 6, 17 @ 6:24 pm:
I often wonder why we pontificate about these votes, if somehow it would be a surprise. This is all planned out well in advance.
- Chris W - Thursday, Jul 6, 17 @ 6:30 pm:
Could be Nick. At least 4 Dems had to vote yes and lost cover.
Rauner probably knew it all along, and was smart to make it Madigan’s albatross
- Almost The Weekend - Thursday, Jul 6, 17 @ 6:31 pm:
Halpin is a good example of changing his vote. Sue Scherer is not. She walked herself into a corner, there was no reason to say that about the tax hike a couple weeks ago. The “Madigan controls the house argument” just received their perfect gift in Sue Scherer
- anon2 - Thursday, Jul 6, 17 @ 6:32 pm:
These explanations are even less convincing than the ones from their GOP counterparts.
- LibertyvilleNick - Thursday, Jul 6, 17 @ 6:35 pm:
Chris W
I usually get these things wrong. I thought for sure Bill Daley would get the nod last time. Still hope for Kennedy
- Chris W - Thursday, Jul 6, 17 @ 6:39 pm:
Kennedy is too moderate for IL Dem Base, Nick.
After today I cannot see any of the Rauner voters of 2014, backing more tax raises by Pritzker
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jul 6, 17 @ 6:39 pm:
I love the phrase taxes on the backs of the hard working people.
We had a referendum asking about a millionaire tax that passed.
What about taxing the not so hard working?
- wordslinger - Thursday, Jul 6, 17 @ 6:44 pm:
–Thankfully Pritzker, and his skeletons, will be the Dem Nominee. A awful candidate, why the Dems do not go for Hyannis Port West, I do not know? –
What was your first language, before you started day drinking?
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Jul 6, 17 @ 6:50 pm:
People, stay on topic. There are other threads to discuss statewide candidates. Go there. Not here. Thanks.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Jul 6, 17 @ 6:52 pm:
–Word, I was drinking on election Night 2016, did Pritzker’s money help Hillary? –
You should probably taper off. It’s July now.
Clinton: 3.1M, 56%
Trump: 2.1M, 39%
Unless you think Rauner is runnin’ for governor of Mississippi. That would explain a lot.
- Chris W - Thursday, Jul 6, 17 @ 6:56 pm:
Rauner won by 5% in 2014? After Quinn’s tax hike ?
What is new here? What voter in 2014 who voted for Rauner, votes for Pritzker?
- Wensicia - Thursday, Jul 6, 17 @ 6:57 pm:
Mayfield’s seat is pretty safe. I don’t understand why she voted against the tax increase before today’s vote.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 6, 17 @ 6:58 pm:
===What voter in 2014 who voted for Rauner, votes for Pritzker?===
Labor.
- anon2 - Thursday, Jul 6, 17 @ 7:00 pm:
Candidate Rauner pledged to reduce the tax rate to 3% within four years. Now that it’s clear that won’t happen, will voters believe his promise next time? Once burned, twice shy.
- Evanstonian - Thursday, Jul 6, 17 @ 7:00 pm:
I’m pretty shocked. Politically, it would have been way more beneficial for the Dems to not put more votes on and let Rauner and the GOP take the blame.
They definitely deserve credit for putting the state before what’s best for Democrats in 2018.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Jul 6, 17 @ 7:01 pm:
=== I don’t understand why she voted against===
She has a pretty good record with biz lobbyists I think.
- LibertyvilleNick - Thursday, Jul 6, 17 @ 7:15 pm:
Wensicia
I like to think Mayfield cares about the people of Waukegan.
- Dome Gnome - Thursday, Jul 6, 17 @ 7:16 pm:
I’ve also been wondering about Mayfield’s vote. It seems a mistake.
- LibertyvilleNick - Thursday, Jul 6, 17 @ 7:17 pm:
Mayfield owes her seat to Terry Link. She had to have gotten permission.
- gstritzel - Thursday, Jul 6, 17 @ 7:18 pm:
Don’t want to hear it……
- Wensicia - Thursday, Jul 6, 17 @ 7:20 pm:
==I like to think Mayfield cares about the people of Waukegan.==
I think she does, as she is a former school board member. But, you can’t support spending, including the millions our district and community college is owed, let alone the MAP grants, without new revenue.
- LibertyvilleNick - Thursday, Jul 6, 17 @ 7:22 pm:
Wensicia
Like I said in my first post, this is all planned. It’s not like she woke up and had some revelation. Personal promises are made and things are traded. No one in Springfield is kept up at night with guaranteed pensions about the Praire State. I think Quinn is collecting on 4???
- LibertyvilleNick - Thursday, Jul 6, 17 @ 7:29 pm:
I often think these conflicts are staged. Rauner, Emmanuel and Madigan were close 3 years ago personally. I like politicians that put it on the line. At least Rauner won’t take a salary and it repairing the mansion on his own dime.
- Chicagonk - Thursday, Jul 6, 17 @ 7:35 pm:
I think the Republicans that changed their vote did it to make sure that vulnerable Dems would have to fall on their sword too. Politics until the end.
- Just Me - Thursday, Jul 6, 17 @ 7:45 pm:
Meh, none of this will matter in November 2018. The ridiculousness of Donald Trump and all Republicans who “follow” him will be all that anyone talks about.
And while Illinois Republicans are far removed from the disaster that is Donald Trump, you can expect the House Democrats to successfully burn a different image in the voters’ minds.
- Lamont - Thursday, Jul 6, 17 @ 7:47 pm:
Chris W keeps asking who voted for Rauner in 2014 that won’t vote for Rauner in 2018. I’m one of those people. I was initially angered by Quinn’s “attacks” on our pensions. I thought Rauner, not knowing much about him, was in the mold of Edgar or Thompson. Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice…
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jul 6, 17 @ 8:01 pm:
Trump won, deal with it
- Really - Thursday, Jul 6, 17 @ 8:19 pm:
Why are you all kidding yourselves? They changed their votes because Mad Mike told them to. They most likely had the Dems lined up vote for vote for any Republicans that switched. And don’t worry about poor widdle Sue Scheer. If she loses her seat in the next election Mad Mike will have a nice six figure state job for her.
- red raider - Thursday, Jul 6, 17 @ 8:24 pm:
any representative or Senator that voted for the appropriation bill and then said no to the tax increase is nothing more than a panderer. Neil Anderson is a perfect example in the 36th district and is now going after Halpin. Halpin showed him the difference between a legislator unwilling to expose the most vulnerable and a legislator unwilling to ever truly put his constituents first.
- Altgeld's Ghost - Thursday, Jul 6, 17 @ 8:37 pm:
And the Profiles in Courage Award goes to DeKalb area state rep Bob Pritchard for running out of the country to avoid a vote that might distress either his leader or many of his constituents who work for or depend on NIU for a living.
- Clark - Thursday, Jul 6, 17 @ 8:40 pm:
Something needed to be done to stop the bleeding, so I don’t see why legislators need to explain their override vote. What they should explain is what their next plan is to tackle the actual issues like our mounting debt, although I can see them coasting until after 2018.
- So long dental plan - Thursday, Jul 6, 17 @ 9:25 pm:
Finally the poor will start paying their fair share.
- Mongo - Thursday, Jul 6, 17 @ 9:26 pm:
Hey Really…not unlike Munger?
- union - Thursday, Jul 6, 17 @ 10:53 pm:
Any intelligent adult knew there would be a tax increase, even Rauner said it…just he wanted to crush unions first.
- PENSIONS ARE OFF LIMITS - Thursday, Jul 6, 17 @ 11:10 pm:
So, does or does she not have a problem? She made the correct choice. But what about …..
- PENSIONS ARE OFF LIMITS - Thursday, Jul 6, 17 @ 11:15 pm:
Props to “‘Wordslinger”
Endless musings can’t be ignored.
- PENSIONS ARE OFF LIMITS - Thursday, Jul 6, 17 @ 11:18 pm:
“Rauner, Emmanuel and Madigan were close 3 years ago”
- Governor Junk
- Anon - Friday, Jul 7, 17 @ 12:05 am:
What a pitiful response from Scherer…
She couldn’t in good conscience vote for a tax increase… But hoped the governor would have signed it?
How is that an acceptable response for any political issue? What kind of conscience is that?
- Anonymous - Friday, Jul 7, 17 @ 7:23 am:
Someone said this two days ago. The godfather knows how to count. Too bad this chess game is killing the rest of us.
- pool boy - Friday, Jul 7, 17 @ 7:27 am:
I was anonymous at 7:23. Sorry.
- Anti Libertyville - Friday, Jul 7, 17 @ 8:43 am:
Libertyville Nick,
If you knew what you are talking about, you would be dangerous.
- LibertyvilleNick - Friday, Jul 7, 17 @ 8:46 am:
Anti Libertyville
Awe. Insults. The lowest form of discourse. I wonder if Rich can track IP addresses to see how many sock puppets are on here.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Jul 7, 17 @ 8:49 am:
===and it repairing the mansion on his own dime.===
That’s not true at all.
- LibertyvilleNick - Friday, Jul 7, 17 @ 8:52 am:
Oswego-
The Trib says they Rauner contributed $1M. Guess its a lie?
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-bruce-rauner-fairgrounds-move-met-20170418-story.html
- plutocrat03 - Friday, Jul 7, 17 @ 8:54 am:
And yet no one worries that there is nothing that improves the business climate.
The Dems have chosen the path to continuous incremental tax increases. It has already been pointed out that the tax increase was not enough for long term stability. The only solution is to grow the portion of the economy that actually produces things. Hard to do when the population is declining. The remaining residents have to produce more and more just to stay even, much less get ahead.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Jul 7, 17 @ 8:56 am:
===The Trib says they Rauner contributed $1M. Guess its a lie?===
It’s a foundation.
The Rauners donated a million dollars.
The Rauners are NOT covering the entire cost of the renovation on “their own dime”
Your cite…
===by raising private money. Bever said in an email that $14 million has been raised and pledged to date, with $1 million coming from the Rauners themselves.===
If you can’t be honest to facts…
- LibertyvilleNick - Friday, Jul 7, 17 @ 9:01 am:
Oswego
The fact is he donated money
- LibertyvilleNick - Friday, Jul 7, 17 @ 9:02 am:
By the way, no one needs to continue to punch back like the president. You can win the blog wars for the day
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Jul 7, 17 @ 9:03 am:
===The fact is he donated money===
===…repairing the mansion on his own dime.===
Not even close to the same.
Factually wrong, actually.
- LibertyvilleNick - Friday, Jul 7, 17 @ 9:05 am:
Oswego
You win. You’re amazing and the best at everything. (He still donated a million dollars)
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Jul 7, 17 @ 9:08 am:
- LibertyvilleNick -
===(He still donated a million dollars)===
Yeah, that’s $13 million light on repairing the mansion on his own dime.
“Yeah, but… ”
Kudos to the Rauners, said so a few times, the exaggeration isn’t needed.
- LibertyvilleNick - Friday, Jul 7, 17 @ 9:13 am:
Oswego
You win (still donated a million dollars)
- LibertyvilleNick - Friday, Jul 7, 17 @ 9:19 am:
Oswego
I’ve been on here for a few years and you’re very Trumpish, always counter punching, trying to win. According to you I went from lying to exaggerating. If you want to win, start your own blog and sock puppet all day. I play by the rules of the site. Will you? Be polite. I dont want a 2 x 4 in the face
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Jul 7, 17 @ 9:25 am:
- LibertyvilleNick -
Your victimhood is noted, since I said or did no such thing to you.
Good luck.
- LibertyvilleNick - Friday, Jul 7, 17 @ 9:28 am:
and you win.
- Anonymous - Friday, Jul 7, 17 @ 9:36 am:
A lesson learned about voting to teach a lesson.
– MrJM
- VanillaMan - Friday, Jul 7, 17 @ 10:19 am:
I am not surprised that Rauner’s supporters have given up on our state. They’ve been repeatedly told that other places are not only better, but cheaper and more fun. Rauner has not praised our state, all its citizens, its governments or its schools - just the opposite. Rauner equates differing tax policies in physically violent terms. He equates needy citizens and those who serve them as parasites. He equates our schools and those who teach them as failures. He equates our largest city and most productive region in terrible negative terms. Rauner does this without providing solutions that fit us and our needs, but fits his instead.
Naturally, his followers are catatonic. Naturally, they believe the worse will come. Rauner told them that they were struck across their foreheads. He told them that they were assaulted. Naturally, they will hear him and be angry. That’s the only way a failure like Bruce Rauner stands a chance of being reelected.
Rauner is a very bad governor. He disrespects what he governs. Good governors don’t act like Bruce Rauner. Rauner has to be gone by 2019, or Illinois will continue to be mistreated by our state’s most powerful office holder.
- northsider (the original) - Friday, Jul 7, 17 @ 12:39 pm:
===What voter in 2014 who voted for Rauner, votes for Pritzker?===
Women who now know what “not having a social agenda” actually means.