One of the most unusual Illinois veto sessions I’ve ever seen wrapped up last week.
The two-week session was supposed to be about whether infuriated legislative Republicans would abandon Gov. Bruce Rauner in droves over his signature of HB40, which provides government funding of abortions for state workers and women on Medicaid. The potential for drama was high, but nobody was prepared for what actually happened.
The veto session kicked off on Oct. 24 under a dark and unexpected cloud of accusations when a group of more than 100 women signed an open letter claiming misogyny is “alive and well” in Illinois politics, particularly at the Statehouse. The women leveled a series of specific accusations against unnamed men who used their power to humiliate, subjugate or prey on women. The uproar was immediate and intense.
Legislative leaders promised quick action, but it soon became apparent that there were other problems besides the widespread allegations of a culture of harassment. Illinois hasn’t had a Legislative Inspector General since 2015, ostensibly because the four leaders couldn’t agree on who that should be.
During the week between the two scheduled veto session weeks, the House held a committee hearing in Chicago designed to highlight Speaker Michael Madigan’s attempt to address the sexual harassment issue. But the hearing’s substance was completely overshadowed by surprise testimony from crime victim advocate Denise Rotheimer, who claimed that Sen. Ira Silverstein, D-Chicago, had used his position as the chief sponsor of her bill to sexually harass her for months.
Perhaps even worse, Rotheimer claimed that she had tried to report her allegations against Sen. Silverstein almost a year earlier and nothing had been done. Why? Because only an inspector general is empowered by law to investigate such matters and, conveniently enough, the General Assembly didn’t have one. After saying they couldn’t find anybody for over two years who would accept the job or who was acceptable to all four legislative leaders, the powers that be all of a sudden found somebody to accept the post on an interim basis.
Aside from the fact that the people in charge don’t like having anybody around nosing into their business, this is typical Illinois stuff. Nothing ever gets done until an existential crisis finally forces a decision. Unpaid pension liabilities have to be swamping the state before a solution is proposed. A comprehensive alternative energy plan can only be enacted as part of a bailout to prevent a couple of unionized nuclear power plants from closing. Hundreds of thousands of people have to suffer and universities have to be on the brink of closure before we get a state budget.
Too often, nothing becomes a priority until an issue becomes a crisis.
As a result, Gov. Rauner’s attempt to remain relevant was almost completely pushed to the side.
During his first two years in office, the Republican Rauner was remarkably successful at preventing all but a tiny handful overrides of his dozens of vetoes, despite Democratic super majorities in both the House and the Senate.
But then things began to fall apart this past summer, when his vetoes of the budget, a tax hike and more money for local 911 emergency centers were all overridden. And then he signed HB40 and furious Republican legislators vowed to “vote their districts” in the upcoming veto session.
Instead of trying to keep everyone in line on every veto, Gov. Rauner and House Republican Leader Jim Durkin focused almost all their energy on just a few bills. Their number one priority was stopping an override of legislation to ban municipal governments from creating local “right to work” zones. Nothing energizes this governor more than trimming the power and influence of organized labor.
So, Rauner looked the other way while huge numbers of Republicans joined Democrats to override 17 of his vetoes. As long as they stuck with him on “right to work” and a couple of other bills, he didn’t squawk.
But that meant he was clobbered by one of his top political nemeses, Comptroller Susana Mendoza. Rauner had vetoed Mendoza-backed legislation to require monthly reports of how many unpaid bills were at each state agency. The two officials are bitter rivals, so the bill may have been politically motivated, but the veto was even more so.
The override motion passed the House unanimously and just three Republicans voted with the governor in the Senate. Yet, because he stopped a few overrides that he truly cared about, Rauner could proclaim victory, at least in his own mind.
Like I said, it was an unusual session.
- Publius - Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 11:18 am:
So was the 2.8 billion Mendoza mentioned in last friday’s Update unreported bills or was it non appropriated funds.
There is a difference
Buying things and not reporting them Ian bad but not as buying things you were approved to buy is much worse.
Jormally you would do an emergency appropriation and get legislative approval first. That would be a violation of the constitution right?
- Give Me A Break - Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 11:28 am:
Yes, it was a strange veto session to say the least. I have never seen so many members, lobbyist and staffers sick of the process and ready for some downtime.
Between the two-year budget battle and the allegations that came out, people seem burned out and more than a few asking themselves if they want to continue working in the legislative process.
- Anonymous - Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 11:34 am:
The Debt reporting act was necessary due to Governor Rauners deliberate hiding and not reporting billions in expenditures.
- Grandson of Man - Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 11:39 am:
Since union-busting is of primary importance and his number one motivating factor, Rauner should run on it. It should be a main plank of his campaign platform. Rauner should be open about it and not cloak it in other language, like the standard Republican talking points of job creators, pro-growth, or as he’s put it, pro-bidness.
- Annonin' - Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 11:48 am:
And GovJunk closed the week with a classy email that raises campaign cash off deploying National Guard members and veterans.
And now he is off to Champaign and Decatur.
- DougChicago - Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 12:02 pm:
I had to chuckle a bit at the thought that any of the lobbyist pigs would decide to check out of the sty because it has just gotten too icky. These are people who by and large would sell their own mothers to get a lobbying retention or to keep a disfavored bill in the Rules Committee. I don’t think the present unpleasantness will dissuade any of them to stop feeding at the trough. If anything they are trying to get the dirt on their “colleagues” so they can know what contracts are likely to become available.
- perry noya - Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 12:13 pm:
Good to see you back in the Sun-Times, Rich. Can we hope that the new owners have some sense?
- Nick Name - Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 12:18 pm:
===And then he signed HB40 and furious Republican legislators vowed to “vote their districts” in the upcoming veto session.===
Amazing, what it took to get GOP GA to actually represent their districts and not be Rauner toadies. Would that the Dems had pushed that legislation through back in 2015.
- Past the Rule of 85 - Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 12:33 pm:
===Nothing ever gets done until an existential crisis finally forces a decision.===
This is why I have such contempt for our politicians. It doesn’t matter which party is in charge. I wish just once they would put aside their hyper-partisan stances, act like adults and work to solve a problem with some forethought and deliberation.
I’m sure there is some perverse logic involved, probably involving shaking down stakeholders for campaign cash, but it’s never good for the people they ostensibly serve.
- Double UP - Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 12:33 pm:
We should have legislation to remove “The Honorable” from elected officials. I don’t think that title is merited.
- Exhausted - Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 12:42 pm:
To DougChicago: Lobbyists, Legislators and blog commentators come in various forms. Some are intelligent, mature, ethical and moral. Some are not. I have been an in-house business lobbyist for 23 years and consider myself for the most part, all of the above(sometimes I question my maturity). I find it offensive that you lump everyone together. So I guess in fairness I will give you the benefit of the doubt and consider you all of the above as well. Maybe you should reconsider your true reasons for being involved in politics or reading political blogs if you feel otherwise.
- Give Me A Break - Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 1:39 pm:
DougChicago: Not sure what your issue is, but the broad brush you paint lobbyist with means you either have no clue what they do and how they do it, or you simply have an axe to grind.
- dbk - Monday, Nov 13, 17 @ 3:21 pm:
–Aside from the fact that the people in charge don’t like having anybody around nosing into their business, this is typical Illinois stuff. Nothing ever gets done until an existential crisis finally forces a decision–
This is a great description of the core pathology.
Perhaps it’s somebody’s responsibility (the citizens of Illinois?)to make sure the ILGA is in a continual state of “existential crisis”?
So that stuff will get done.