* Rep. Jay Hoffman, I’m told, is still holding out…
…Adding… From comments…
Be patient. It takes time,
Oldsters will recall the number of ballots necessary in the contest for State Senate President between Thomas Hynes and Cecil Partee. That was a marathon.
That is true, but they have a ton of bills to pass before the current GA expires at noon.
What a mess.
*** UPDATE 1 *** They’re going back to the floor to vote on bills while Reps. Welch, Hoffman and Williams work things out.
*** UPDATE 2 *** After passing the criminal justice reform bill with just 60 votes on a roll call that seemed to take forever, the House Democrats are now heading back to caucus. Seemed like non-Welch Democrats were staying off the roll call for a while.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Press release…
Statement from Illinois Democratic Women, Illinois NOW, Chicago NOW, She Votes Illinois, We Will and Resistor Sisterhood and Vote Mama on the Speaker of the House race in Illinois
Women have made significant progress in advancing a legislative agenda in Illinois that addresses the most pressing needs of Illinois women, girls and working families in our state. We must recognize the value that women in leadership bring to that process. While we had hoped that the House Democrats would support a woman for Speaker of the House of Representatives, we recognize it is their choice to select someone who has the respect and trust of their caucus. We look forward to working with a leader who is a champion for the issues that are most important to us. We expect that as a new leadership structure is established a woman will be in one of the top roles and is diverse, inclusive, and honors the equality of all of the residents of Illinois. Finally, we are deeply grateful to the women who were not afraid to put themselves forward as candidates for Speaker and opened the conversation. Thank you to Representative Ann Williams, Representative Kathy Willis, and Representative Stephanie Kifowit.
* Press release…
The Illinois House Republican Women’s Caucus released the following statement on the upcoming election for Speaker of the House:
“We applaud the House Democratic women who are courageously trying to end the status quo and toxic culture in Springfield. We strongly urge them to stand strong for all the women in our state in electing a leader that will stand for the principles we have all been fighting for, not only for us, but for our daughters and future generations.”
- PC - Wednesday, Jan 13, 21 @ 10:13 am:
The White Moderate strikes again!
- NIU Grad - Wednesday, Jan 13, 21 @ 10:14 am:
18 people still have a reason to hold out, whether that be concerns about his allegations or something else. If 51 votes wasn’t good enough for Madigan, Welch is in the same boat. A frontrunner isn’t a frontrunner without those 60.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jan 13, 21 @ 10:15 am:
===frontrunner isn’t a frontrunner without those 60===
Dude, what did you major in at NIU?
- TheUpperRoom - Wednesday, Jan 13, 21 @ 10:16 am:
There will be growing pains within the caucus, no matter who gets the votes or how fast. It should be interesting to watch. I suppose change never comes easy, and there’s no good time for it, but the chain of events has been strange, to say the least.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 13, 21 @ 10:16 am:
@NIU Grad - If you got 60, by definition you’re not a frontrunner…you’re the Speaker.
- Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Wednesday, Jan 13, 21 @ 10:17 am:
Now the horse-tradin’ gets serious.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jan 13, 21 @ 10:18 am:
The reason the 19 were effective is that by sticking together the math proved they could deny.
Welch now is chasing 5 votes. It’s up to Welch to find the 5 as Hoffman holds out.
What will have to be agreed to get those five is the drama.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 13, 21 @ 10:20 am:
I like Welch. He has been a very good legislator, approachable and fair in his time in Springfield. But on the surface, this seemed to play out to quickly. Not sure if he will get to 60 but I really thought this would be a much longer, drawn out process. Who know, maybe it will be.
- PC - Wednesday, Jan 13, 21 @ 10:23 am:
We’ll see how many of the holdouts are able to actually contain what are likely their real motivations for opposing Welch.
- Pyrman - Wednesday, Jan 13, 21 @ 10:24 am:
Hoffman may be trying to ensure downstate is represented in leadership
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jan 13, 21 @ 10:26 am:
=== Hoffman may be trying to ensure downstate is represented in leadership===
It may be as simple as that. Is it? That’s the drama.
I know I don’t know at this point, as I see no path for Hoffman to 60 as he sits.
- Practical Politics - Wednesday, Jan 13, 21 @ 10:29 am:
Be patient. It takes time,
Oldsters will recall the number of ballots necessary in the contest for State Senate President between Thomas Hynes and Cecil Partee. That was a marathon.
- Rich Hill - Wednesday, Jan 13, 21 @ 10:29 am:
Theme song of the day: https://bottomlesspit.bandcamp.com/track/horse-trading
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jan 13, 21 @ 10:29 am:
===Be patient. It takes time===
Yes, but in the meantime they have bills to pass before noon.
- Ok - Wednesday, Jan 13, 21 @ 10:30 am:
I think it is obvious that you don’t want to be one of the last 13 holdouts. Classic prisoner’s dilemma
- Thomas Paine - Wednesday, Jan 13, 21 @ 10:31 am:
Downstate Democrats’ top worry ought to be the map.
- twowaystreet - Wednesday, Jan 13, 21 @ 10:36 am:
I can’t help but see the correlation between a criminal justice package waiting on concurrence and Hoffman’s hold out.
Could be wrong..
- Ok - Wednesday, Jan 13, 21 @ 10:38 am:
Next 4 members to come on board get desirable committee spots.
Everybody else gets the “Distributed Ledgers and Crytocurrency Subcommittee”
- Anon1 - Wednesday, Jan 13, 21 @ 10:40 am:
IMO Welch’s arrest and other troubles are a huge problem. You know that the Republicans will use that as campaign fodder. The mail pieces will be brutal.
- Donnie Elgin - Wednesday, Jan 13, 21 @ 10:40 am:
Welch should be putting together his “clock” list.
- Pizza Man - Wednesday, Jan 13, 21 @ 10:42 am:
So is where Rep. Welch tells Rep. Hoffman that he will become his Majority Leader and offers Rep. Williams a plum committee chairmanship?
MJM on the sidelines….waiting to call on me, caucus!
- W.C. Fields - Wednesday, Jan 13, 21 @ 10:42 am:
I’m with anonymous that this is moving a little too fast, not with her/him for no nickname. I’m not sure this “elect then vet“ set up created by Madigan is fair to Welch or to any of our fellow Illinoisans who happen to be black if Welch is later pilloried and forced to withdraw his name. Please remember, after all of this Illinois Dems will have the concrete shoes of Madigan‘s unfavorables without the corruption of the speakers calendar to leverage fundraising. We need a true leader who is set up to succeed and I hope Welch, or whoever else, gets that clear runway.
- Update - Wednesday, Jan 13, 21 @ 10:43 am:
You left one name out on the working out discussion.
- Ok - Wednesday, Jan 13, 21 @ 10:44 am:
No chance Hoffman is majority leader. Sorry, 5 votes doesn’t get you that.
- Pizza Man - Wednesday, Jan 13, 21 @ 10:45 am:
@ OK…lol.
- TheUpperRoom - Wednesday, Jan 13, 21 @ 10:45 am:
I think the problem isn’t the “who”, it’s the “how”. That is the snarl in all of this. It just seems strange to go from where we were to where we are, in the timeframe it happened.
I guess that’s politics. Never consider anything carved in stone until its been carved in stone.
- Boone's is Back - Wednesday, Jan 13, 21 @ 10:46 am:
That Trib story is a joke and hit job. Alaina Hampton really needs to get a job.
- Todd - Wednesday, Jan 13, 21 @ 10:48 am:
does anyone else wonder what kind of sine die speech Madigan is going to give if he does?
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jan 13, 21 @ 10:49 am:
Glad they are back. Good.
- Joe Bidenopolous - Wednesday, Jan 13, 21 @ 10:50 am:
=Hoffman may be trying to ensure downstate is represented in leadership=
Or, just spitballing, he could be trying to protect the caucus from having a leader with domestic violence and sexual harassment allegations hanging over his head. Look for a lot of Democratic primaries in ‘22 if he wins - and yeah, the mail will be brutal.
I also agree this process went a little too quickly once Welch got in. That should be something that makes you go hmmmm.
For the record, I’ve had nothing but positive interactions with Welch
- SouthSide Markie - Wednesday, Jan 13, 21 @ 10:53 am:
At the rate they’re currently moving, it does not appear that they’re going to get much done beyond the criminal justice reform bill.
- Amalia - Wednesday, Jan 13, 21 @ 10:53 am:
so this is what we have come to, Welch and his issues and Hoffman and his anti women’s agency. Illinois is better than this.
- Ok - Wednesday, Jan 13, 21 @ 10:55 am:
I think the people who are saying this process went too quickly are aligned with people who were positioning themselves to be candidates once Madigan dropped out, but then never had an opening to enter once Welch and Williams became the frontrunner.
A whole bunch of Hoffman-come-latelys that completely misread what was clearly going to happen.
And I can’t shed a tear for them, because leaders stand up in the face of great challenges (Williams), or can mobilize people quickly to address a cause (Welch).
It is what it is.
- Charlie Wheeler - Wednesday, Jan 13, 21 @ 10:59 am:
Point of Information
Cecil Partee was not a candidate for Senate president in 1977, as he was retiring from the Senate. The standoff was between Mayor Daley’s chosen successor to Partee, Thomas Hynes, who had 21 supporters, and a group of independent-minded senators called “The Crazy Eight,” (actually nine), and four Black senators, who held out for greater democracy within Senate Democratic ranks, e.g., roles in choosing leadership positions, committee chairs, etc. Hynes and the 13 holdouts finally compromised, and on the 186th ballot on 2/16/77, Hynes was elected Senate president.
Charlie Wheeler
- Amalia - Wednesday, Jan 13, 21 @ 11:12 am:
Note in Charlie Wheeler’s post that Cecil Partee was the President of the Senate.
- Scott Fawell's Cellmate - Wednesday, Jan 13, 21 @ 11:18 am:
@Charlie Wheeler-
Thank you for everything you share here. I always learn something knew and I’m smarter bc of it.
- Ares - Wednesday, Jan 13, 21 @ 11:45 am:
Might a deal be reached to have Speaker Madigan remain for one last year for transition, with a successor to follow?
- Perplexed - Wednesday, Jan 13, 21 @ 11:51 am:
Inside the Statehouse hive: “Welch emerged victorious despite his serious #MeToo baggage … Women legislators cut a deal and came up with a cover story to justify voting for him despite his history … Look how Madigan engineered last-day chaos so he could put his guy in charge … Ooh, it was so dramatic, you just had to be there, it made sense at the time … Once Welch is the guy no more surprises will surface — and nobody will bother to look back at his Proviso history … Ooh, this has been so exciting, we live for these moments … ”
Outside the Statehouse hive: “Never again believe a Democrat who pretends to ‘Respect women’ or ‘Believe women.’ Challengers can file to unseat these #MeToo hypocrites in December, right?”
- Captain Jack - Wednesday, Jan 13, 21 @ 12:34 pm:
=== Alaina Hampton really needs to get a job. ===
She has a job.
She is running a meet-up for harassment victims at Tock Bottom Brewery.
And she is running the Midwest Office for E Street Consulting.
And she is running a PAC filled with ComEd donations.
I expect a book deal is next.