Former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar and John Shaw, director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, announced Tuesday that the inaugural recipients of the Paul Simon-Jim Edgar Statesmanship Award are the 11 Republican members of the Illinois General Assembly who supported a critical budget package in July 2017 in the interest of fiscal solvency for Illinois.
The Republican lawmakers joined with Democrats to override then-Governor Bruce Rauner’s veto of a budget compromise. This vote ended a two-year fiscal stalemate that tarnished Illinois’ reputation, damaged schools, battered the state’s credit rating, and led to about $15 billion in unpaid bills.
The budget that emerged allowed Illinois to avoid further downgrading of its debt. It also ensured that Illinois state government would resume regular operations.
The 2017 budget paved the way for subsequent fiscal progress in the state as reflected in recent upgrades to Illinois’ credit rating by Moody’s Investor Service and S&P Global Ratings.
The decision to support this agreement was courageous, consequential, and effective. While several of the Republican lawmakers received accolades from their constituents in response to their votes, many were sharply criticized and later faced primary opposition. Several opted to retire after casting the critical budget vote in 2017.
“I have been observing Illinois state government for 50 years and this vote was one of the most consequential and courageous votes that I have ever seen,” said Edgar, who served in the Illinois House and as Illinois secretary of state and governor.
“It pulled Illinois back from the brink and helped put us on a much better path. This was not an easy vote and we are very fortunate there were people in the General Assembly who were willing to risk their political careers to do the right thing. This was a very important moment in Illinois history, and we should acknowledge the courage of those who were willing to cast very difficult votes,” Edgar said.[…]
Edgar and Shaw said they expect future Simon-Edgar Awards to go to a single person, but the 2017 budget vote was so consequential that they decided on a collective award this year.
The 11 Republican lawmakers who cast the decisive votes in 2017 were:
• Representative Steve Andersson of Geneva
• Representative Terri Bryant of Murphysboro
• Representative Mike Fortner of West Chicago
• Representative Norine Hammond of Macomb
• Representative David Harris of Mount Prospect
• Representative Chad Hays of Catlin
• Representative Sara Wojcicki Jimenez of Springfield
• Representative Bill Mitchell of Decatur
• Representative Reggie Phillips of Charleston
• Representative Mike Unes of Pekin
• Senator Dale Righter of Mattoon
Political, academic, and business leaders, along with interested Illinois citizens, submitted dozens of nominations of city and county officials and state legislators for the inaugural Simon-Edgar Award. These nominations confirm that statesmanship is alive and well in the Prairie State.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 12:03 pm:
The “Perfect 10”… Sen. Righter.
Congratulations, well earned, the right winners, the right message too.
The shame of those who ran off Representative Andersson…
… I have the receipts. You know who you are. This award for him is another Raunerism rebuke.
I’m thrilled for the 11
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 12:09 pm:
Well deserved recognition. These people stuck their necks out to do the right thing. We need more of that from our public servants.
- Grandson of Man - Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 12:13 pm:
Good and deserved. Congratulations. We should reward their bravery but not incentivize their willingness to play along for two years, that brought us to such a dire state. It’s clear what Rauner was at the very beginning. Next time we should act sooner.
- Bothanspied - Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 12:14 pm:
47th Ward, I kinda disagree with the well-deserved. They did their jobs. It wasn’t an extraordinary feat. They just simply did the right thing. That bar is set way too low.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 12:16 pm:
===It wasn’t an extraordinary feat===
The heck it wasn’t.
- Norseman - Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 12:18 pm:
Well deserved award to these folks.
With one exception, I don’t expect to see any GOP politician get this award in the future.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 12:19 pm:
===It wasn’t an extraordinary feat===
It all but ended Rep. Andersson’s GA career.
Others too, but Raunerites went after Andersson, made him an example.
If it was easy to go against Rauner, there never woulda been impasse, as any “Republican” member with 3 brain cells woulda called out the damage at Jump Street
- Lt Guv - Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 12:22 pm:
Great choice. Unfortunately, I doubt it will foster any reflection in others toward future behavior. Still, well deserved.
- Dozer - Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 12:24 pm:
Most of theses folks are gone, btw
- DuPage Saint - Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 12:24 pm:
I lost my rep (Anderson) over his vote. Was a shame. I actually went to his office after the vote just to say good vote
It was totally locked and and I thought empty I must have looked besides old non threatening lady came to door I said threw door I supported. She looked surprised opened door wanted my name and said she would tell Andersson. She said was scary and was told to keep office locked. What a pathetic way for opponents to act.
- Back to the Future - Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 12:25 pm:
Glad to see these legislators get recognition for voting for what they thought at the time was the right way to vote. Rauner put a lot of pressure on them and they stood tall for what they believed in rather than just playing politics.
- JS Mill - Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 12:35 pm:
=It all but ended Rep. Andersson’s GA career.=
Unes too.
Deserved recognition.
- GC - Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 12:40 pm:
Hat tip and well deserved.
- DuPage - Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 12:44 pm:
Some of the few actual Republicans as the tent was moving far right Rauner type thinking. It left long term moderate Republican voters entirely out of the tent.
- Andrea Durbin - Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 12:52 pm:
This honor is well deserved. I still feel enormous gratitude to those 11 who were willing to end the madness and the irreparable harm being caused by the budget impasse. They saved lives that day with their vote, not to mention the livelihoods of thousands of Illinoisans and helped prevent our state from sliding further into chaos. Bravo.
- Dotnonymous - Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 12:59 pm:
Proving the strength of one’s political conviction takes guts…well done.
- Skeptic - Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 1:32 pm:
Congratulations to them. Charleston and Mattoon are in the Eastern Bloc, aren’t they? What the heck happened there?
- Scott - Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 1:34 pm:
I don’t often agree with my rep (Noreen Hammond), but I’m glad that she made this vote. Part of it could have been because she saw how hard the budget crisis hit WIU and the surrounding community…not just the employees, but also the local businesses that were hurt. WIU puts a HUGE percentage of money into the area, and when a large chunk of that money was cut off, nearly everyone suffered.
- The Dude Abides - Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 1:41 pm:
These 11 GOP members are well deserving of this award. It shouldn’t be forgotten that Durkin punished some of these members for their courageous vote while he received Rauner’s money. This override vote was the beginning of the end of Rauner who overplayed his hand.
- Strategy Geek - Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 1:56 pm:
Home run for the inaugural award! If only all 177 legislators saw risking their careers to take principled votes as just “doing their job.” The state would be in much better fiscal shape. Would love to see this award inspire more principled votes.
- Proud Papa Bear - Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 1:59 pm:
I contacted every one of those after the vote to thank them. I remember Andersson’s reply - it was heartfelt.
I know my appreciation is small consolation for those who lost their legislative careers but I hope they can sleep well at night knowing they did the right thing.
- Proud Sucker - Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 2:52 pm:
I’ve known Steve for 15 years now and wholeheartedly agree to the positive sentiments expressed here. Also, I can corroborate OW’s receipts as they are likely some of the same as I saw. Extremely nasty and frightening.
- So they looked in the mirror... - Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 3:12 pm:
In an ironic twist of fate, many of these legislators created their own mess. They railed against anyone in the opposite party who would dare try to do the right thing. They won elections against them, citing Madigan, Quinn and tax-raising Democrats.
Now, after helping create a huge mess for the state, they are being honored as heroes.
Well, at least they showed they had a conscience. Perhaps it should be the Edgar-Simon ‘Good Conscience Award.’
They looked in the mirror and didn’t like what they saw. Good for them, anyway.
- Put the fun in unfunded - Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 3:24 pm:
Edgar needs to look in his own mirror. Until he gives an award to Dawn Clark Netsch (posthumously) for being honest about income taxes, the hypocrisy here is pretty rich.
- Just Do It - Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 4:15 pm:
“Now they are being honored as heroes”
Because it was heroic. There, fixed it.
- Annonin' - Wednesday, Aug 4, 21 @ 8:48 pm:
Ok but it could remembered as the better late than never award. Most of these GovJunk bootlicks drove enrollment down. Maybe ukes and kazoos for the parades rather than brass bands
- anon2 - Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 9:14 am:
They bucked their party and most risked their careers. Such profiles in courage are in short supply in the General Assembly.