* Ugh…
…Adding… I asked the Senate President’s spokesperson if the Senate will be in session this weekend and his response was: “Let’s see how today goes.”
*** UPDATE 1 *** The end of session party is proceeding as planned.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Sun-Times…
Capitol insiders speculated whether the overtime demand is a Madigan power play. If Pritzker had attained all his legislative priorities by the end of Friday, the rookie governor would be largely credited with the wins.
Legislators have complained that there was little time to digest comprehensive capital and budget bills — and negotiations were vastly done behind-the-scenes. House Republicans on Friday blasted out a statement accusing Democrats of increasing spending and neglecting any of their preferred job reforms. Republicans said the reforms were taken out on Friday morning, prompting the statement.
It appears Madigan, too, is trying to force some Republicans to vote on the budget and capital plan, to show that it is “bipartisan.” Republicans had asked for a real estate tax and the $1 tax on cigarettes to be removed from the capital plan. On Friday they learned the taxes were still on the table, and their requested reforms were stripped out.
Asked about the budget negotiation process during a House Executive Committee, House Majority Leader Greg Harris, D-Chicago, noted there was “less agreement than there was in the past.”
“Some things we agreed upon, some things we did not,” Harris said of negotiations with Republicans.
- anon2 - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 2:44 pm:
When every member of a caucus has to speak to bills, it slows the process down.
- Thomas Paine - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 2:45 pm:
Thank Jim Durkin for intentionally slowing the process down.
- 47th Ward - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 2:45 pm:
He has the votes to keep the House Republicans from gumming everything up. Glad they got the tough ones out of the way before the deadline.
- I’ll res - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 2:45 pm:
Sorry rich and staff ,looks like a long week for you.
- No Dog in the Hunt - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 2:48 pm:
End of regular session party???
- Wensicia - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 2:49 pm:
There’s no rest for the weary. Let them stay until it’s finished.
- Former State Worker - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 2:52 pm:
This is what happens when you need 3 1/2 hours of debate for a bill!
- Bruce( no not him) - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 2:53 pm:
Who didn’t see this coming?
- Been There - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 2:53 pm:
“Please plan accordingly” A little late to tell us now
- E town - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 2:55 pm:
Embarrassing that Speaker and his team couldn’t get their crap together before today
- 47th Ward - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 2:56 pm:
The problem is not too much debate. The problem is leaving so much substantive, important and sometimes controversial bills until the last possible day.
That’s on the Democrats. Do better next time and you won’t need to stay over with no per diem.
- 360 Turnaround - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 2:57 pm:
Let’s see if this is real…
- The Captain - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 2:57 pm:
They should still have the end of session party tonight, tomorrow night and Sunday.
- Fixer - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 3:00 pm:
Does this change to vote threshold for any of the bills still waiting to go at this point?
- Leatherneck - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 3:02 pm:
Will the House try to pass the budget before leaving today (assuming it passes the Senate), or are we looking at that being delayed to the weekend? Meaning supermajority
- Truthseeker - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 3:02 pm:
The Speaker schedules little to no work for four months, repeatedly cancels days until a couple of weeks ago and now due to the “volume of work”, there are overtime days?Priceless.
Those blaming Jim Durkin may need to poke a couple holes in the top of your jar so you can breath.
- wordslinger - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 3:03 pm:
I figured all the optimism last night and this morning about wrapping up tonight was wishful thinking.
But what great news, for some.
Now, all those legislators and reporters who had already busted out the moldy old trope, “not enough time to read the bills,” have plenty of time for the wrathful, righteous, river of reading that was visited upon them this afternoon. Your prayers have been answered.
You won’t find any of them at the bars tonight watching Cubs/Cards, Sox/Cleveland. They’ll be in their rooms, reading.
I kid. Most legislators and reporters have never read an operating or capital budget all the way through. And they won’t this weekend, either.
- Rich Miller - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 3:05 pm:
===That’s on the Democrats===
Agreed. They should’ve been doing two of those big bills a day all week instead of putting so much stuff off until today.
- Donnie Elgin - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 3:06 pm:
(House Rule 69)
69. Effective Date
A bill passed after May 31 of a calendar year shall not become effective prior to
June 1 of the next calendar year unless an earlier effective date is specified in the bill and
it is approved by the affirmative vote of 71 members elected.
(b) If a majority of those elected, but fewer than 71, vote affirmatively for a bill on
Third Reading after May 31 and the bill specifies an effective date earlier than the
following June 1, the bill has not passed, but the Principal Sponsor has the right to have
the bill automatically reconsidered and returned to the order of Second Reading for an
amendment to remove the earlier effective date.
- Rich Miller - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 3:06 pm:
===This is what happens when you need 3 1/2 hours of debate for a bill===
Important bills deserve a thorough debate. This is about time management.
- Siriusly - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 3:07 pm:
“The end of session party is proceeding as planned.” for the Senators
- Thomas Paine - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 3:09 pm:
=== The problem is not too much debate.===
On the contrary, whose vote was changed by the three hours of speeches on cannabis, reproductive rights, graduated income tax?
It’s a “debate” if you are winning people over. Otherwise, it’s just a speech you could have given in the rotunda or a statement you could have issued after the vote.
They are trying to delay things. That’s their prerogative. But sometimes actions have consequences, and when Madigan politely asks you if your members could wrap it up a little more quickly, and you decline, this is one of the possible consequences.
- Truthseeker - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 3:10 pm:
Rich is 100% correct. It is about time management.
This is a clown show from an efficiency perspective. The jesters continue to pile out of the VW Beetle.
- Montrose - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 3:10 pm:
It feels like part of it is that Madigan often uses the pressure of time expiring to get big things passed, but he doesn’t usually have so many big things. There might be a bunch in discussion in the last couple weeks, but several don’t make it to the floor. One more way this year is different.
- 47th Ward - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 3:15 pm:
===It’s a “debate” if you are winning people over. ===
We elect these women and men to represent us in Springfield. Speaking on legislation is one of the primary functions in the job description.
It’s not about persuasion, it’s about representation.
- Fax Machine - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 3:15 pm:
Are the clocks going to be stuck at 11:59 PM Friday throught the weekend?
- lakeside - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 3:17 pm:
Man, we should really make session longer than one week next year.
- Truthiness - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 3:18 pm:
House leaves early tonight and Senate tries to stay and do it’s job… classic
- Seats - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 3:20 pm:
Hope the clocks work tonight like they did when they passed the bill for the White Sox stadium.
- Downers Delight - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 3:21 pm:
Should we take bets on which rating agency is the first to deliver a warning message?
- Michelle Flaherty - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 3:25 pm:
The Speaker just did the “Don’t make me pull this car over” to the HGOP.
And he WILL pull the car over.
- 360 Degree TurnAround - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 3:26 pm:
No starting times for the session days on bulletin. Scare tactic.
- employee - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 3:29 pm:
When I look at all of the negative comments I want to say….. what about the staff that have to be here…. at no fault of theirs…
- Fixer - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 3:29 pm:
Thank you Donnie Elgin. Much appreciated.
- Steelerfan - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 3:32 pm:
I don’t think this is inefficiency or a time management problem.
It maximizes the power of the speaker and the president of the Senate and the governor and the mayor of the city of Chicago to get all of what they want.
- wordslinger - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 3:33 pm:
–The Speaker just did the “Don’t make me pull this car over” to the HGOP.–
LOL, that’s exactly right.
Did some of the endless droners think May 31 was a real, hard deadline? Somebody should have told them midnight, June 30, is the witching hour.
- Leatherneck - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 3:46 pm:
- Seats - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 3:20 pm:
Hope the clocks work tonight like they did when they passed the bill for the White Sox stadium.
————–
WMAQ 67 coverage of the White Sox vote when the clocks stopped:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcGr64mNkOM
Midnight struck about 4 minutes into the video.
- 51 state - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 3:47 pm:
Didn’t Friday the 10th and Monday the 13th get canceled? Friday the 17th was a 10 minute session, Friday the 24th was 1hr 23 mins? Just sayin….
- Annonin' - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 3:50 pm:
hard to chart amount of “time management” needed to:
1. assess sincerity of GOPie claims of “working together”
2. pricing GOPie giveaways, and
3. Lining up votes for the “big bills”
- Nick Name - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 4:03 pm:
So everything not passed by midnight tonight will require a supermajority and a specific effective date. Nice.
- Chris Iverson - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 4:08 pm:
I love how the GOP is not at all in control of anything, yet Democrats commenting here just have to blame them and cannot possibly think their party could ever make a mistake. It’s like a cult or something.
- Just Me - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 4:11 pm:
Lots of commenters complaining about the Republicans wanting to speak on bills. This is what happens when you roll over the Minority. They only have so many things they can do.
- JB13 - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 4:22 pm:
This illegal nonsense is Republicans’ fault? Elections have consequences only when you want them to?
- Soo... - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 4:28 pm:
“This is what happens when you roll over the Minority. They only have so many things they can do.”
Soo I don’t see how delaying the inevitable is a fruitful tactic for the superminority. Better time would spent advocating for things you can get instead of just throwing rocks.
- Nick Name - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 4:51 pm:
===Better time would spent advocating for things you can get===
Ease off. They have a bill to kick Chicago out of Illinois. /s
- Commisar Gritty - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 6:12 pm:
Dear Republicans,
Win an election, then you get to make the rules. Here is some free advice.
Abandon your hateful platforms. Stop trying to destroy anyone that isn’t rich. Stop pretending that climate change is a hoax, and you just might get there.
Also anyone crying process foul that shares a party with Mitch McConnell needs to get a drink splashed in their face.
Sincerely,
12.7 Illinoisans
- PrairieDog - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 6:34 pm:
Commissar Gritty;
Don’t you mean gerrymander the districts and then you get to make the rules?
And remember, the Democrats’ agenda(s) can be characterized in a hateful way, too. They aren’t the angels some like to claim.
- Just Me - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 6:45 pm:
Look, the Democrats have all the power they need to do whatever they want. And they’re going to get everything they want. The price of ignoring the Republicans is a few hours of debate. Sounds like a good bargain to me.
- Thomas Paine - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 8:44 pm:
@Just Me -
Hey, I agree. As I said, it’s their prerogative.
But let’s not pretend that this was not an intentional delay strategy.
Leader Brady is happy with how negotiations on the budget and capital bill have gone. Ergo, we do not spend three hours debating bills we have already made our minds up on in the Senate.
May 31, June 2, June 30th —- it is all the same. It does not really matter when these bills pass, assuming they have the votes.
Boy, if there is one thing Madigan can do, it is count.
- lake county democrat - Saturday, Jun 1, 19 @ 4:35 am:
This much drama over having to work one extra weekend?