Because… Madigan!
Tuesday, Dec 4, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Illinois News Network…
Of the more than 8,000 bills set to expire at the close of the 100th General Assembly, more than half will die in House Speaker Michael Madigan’s Rules Committee.
The 100th General Assembly has two more days of lame-duck session in 2019 before the next class is seated. In the past two years, lawmakers in the House and Senate filed more than 9,300 bills. They passed nearly 1,300 bills.
Of the 9,300 bills filed, nearly 5,400 are set to expire in the Rules Committee. Madigan is expected to continue in as House Speaker next year. The position affords him broad powers to control which bills advance, who votes on them and when they are called for a vote.
Outgoing Republican state Rep. Jeanne Ives, R-Wheaton, said lawmakers passed many bills but failed to address “the big stuff that needs to be accomplished in the state of Illinois.”
* Reality check…
And a whole lot of those shell bills were filed by Speaker Madigan himself. Click here for that list and click here for the list of all bills that are now in Rules.
- Montrose - Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 10:58 am:
It’s nice to see a news outlet actively taking advantage of the fact that their readers don’t know all the details of the story they are “reporting” on. /s
- Generic Drone - Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 11:00 am:
Of course had the roles been reversed and a republican was in Madigans position, they would have just relinquished the position long ago. Snark intended.
- cover - Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 11:03 am:
= ~2,300 of these were filed as shell bills, the overwhelming majority of which never had substantive language attached.
Whether *that* is good process is another question but the raw numbers don’t tell you much. =
No way that could be considered “good process”. I can understand having some shell bills around, but 2300? There probably aren’t 2300 good ideas floating around state government generally, not just in the General Assembly, during any 2 year period.
- G'Kar - Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 11:04 am:
I think in most cases, the few bills passed, the better.
- Arsenal - Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 11:07 am:
It’s also weird to see a conservative outlet complain that not enough new laws are being passed.
- fold your tent - Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 11:09 am:
The Illinois “News” Network:
“There are too many bills, too many laws!”.
“Not enough bills pass because of Madigan”.
“We’re relevant because we say we’re relevant!”.
- Give Me A Break - Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 11:12 am:
Cover: The number of “Shells” may appear large but consider each of the four caucus’ introduce their own shells.
And, those shells are for subject matters that include everything from state government operations to regulations on most everything to state budgets.
You can’t say one group or party introduced all 2300 shells.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 11:32 am:
re: Give Me A Break @ 11:12 am:
Fair point, each caucus introduces its own shells. That’s still nearly 600 dead shell bills per caucus (not to say they are equally split), not to mention an unknown number of bills that were filed as shells and later amended. I can understand having some shells around, but that sheer volume still seems excessive.
- Century Club - Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 11:51 am:
Looks like there are about 3,000 bills in Senate Assignments Committee: http://www.ilga.gov/reports/RulesCommitteeRpt.asp?ChamberID=S&GAID=14
Because…Cullerton?
- Stuff Happens - Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 11:57 am:
Please, please, please don’t kill HB5972.
- SSL - Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 11:59 am:
Government efficiency at its finest.
- Annonin' - Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 12:07 pm:
Surprised the dark money, IPI lobbos did not report that GovJunk signed more than 2,000 new laws. Stunning the small government, local control dudes did not reflect on that moment.
- Young and Inspired - Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 12:08 pm:
On Legiscan where you can look up all those bills pending in the rules committee you can skip to the last page (111) and see that bills from early 2017 regarding term limits and fair districting are some that get buried. These are some of the examples that I believe upset Republicans the most
- Norseman - Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 12:13 pm:
Hat tip to John for the context information. We know the propaganda network is a little light on context.
- Lucky PIerre - Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 12:16 pm:
This is what Democracy looks like in the Illinois legislature.
More secrecy the better and then a flurry of activity the last week of the session
- Michelle Flaherty - Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 12:25 pm:
Wow. Shell Bill industry really needs to hire better lobbyists.
- NoGifts - Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 12:29 pm:
I’m grateful the residents of Illinois won’t be subjected to 8000 new laws. I value quality over quantity. How many were needed?
- Pudintane - Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 12:44 pm:
SB 279 was one of the bills that didn’t get passed. It would have put the language back in the finance act to pay for prior year costs in reappropriated accounts. Now those vendors also have to wait until this language does get put back in to be paid for expenses incurred. The budget opened certain suspended programs, it just didn’t provide a way to pay those bills. Unintentional or genius level planning???
- Keyrock - Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 2:17 pm:
I’d been missing that headline. Please remember, Rich, “Because Madigan” never goes out of style.
- SaulGoodman - Tuesday, Dec 4, 18 @ 3:13 pm:
**nearly 5,400 are set to expire in the Rules Committee**
Also… all bills return to Rules (or Assignments in the Senate) at the end of session. Maybe IPI isn’t aware of this?