Today’s quotable
Thursday, Apr 23, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
* After session ended last night, House Speaker Chris Welch defended his demand that all bills must have at least 60 Democratic votes before it can be put on the Big Board…
What began as a challenge to the House and our 60-Democrat rule, ended in proof that the process works. It’s worked ever since I’ve been speaker. It has led to big victory, after big victory after big victory. And the process delivers bipartisan results when it’s done right. And all you got to do is look at that last vote [Bears/Megaprojects bill]. Tonight, we delivered jobs, economic opportunity for every single area in this state.
The megaprojects bill received nine Republican votes.
- Sam E. - Thursday, Apr 23, 26 @ 9:22 am:
There’s a bit of a tell in that statement from the Speaker. The way Welch runs the House was being questioned, particularly by folks in the Chicago media who usually don’t pay a lot of attention to Springfield. So the House had to pass something — anything — to vindicate him. What’s in the bill didn’t matter much. I mean, they passed a bill for the Bears that the Bears weren’t in support of.
- CA-HOON! - Thursday, Apr 23, 26 @ 9:36 am:
The fact that only 9 Republicans voted for the megaprojects bill is not any kind of “gotcha” Rich, and Welch is fine to call the bill “bi-partisan” because at this time in history and in this political climate it is significant in itself that any IL-GOP voted for it at all. Especially given how the IL-GOP treats nearly every Democratic policy as one (or all) of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse any given day of the week.
Republicans have shown they cannot be trusted to file helpful policy proposals so the 60-vote dem threshold is a *good* thing at this time in history.
If the IL-GOP wants to get its bills out of committee and onto the floor, they need to stop acting the fool and come to the table if they want to be taken seriously.
Or they could win some elections for a change and maybe set the rules themselves, but that would also require them to stop acting the fool, and there is not much chance of that with a combative doofus like Bailey at the top of the ticket.
- Notorious JMB - Thursday, Apr 23, 26 @ 9:53 am:
I guess it depends on how you define the process working. The 60 Democrat threshold only shows that Dem legislators can work within their caucus to get 60 out of 78 Democrats to support legislation. It doesn’t mean you’re creating good policy.
- Annon'in - Thursday, Apr 23, 26 @ 10:19 am:
GOPie votes not surprising since it contain give aways for downtown SPI too. McCaskey’s too. And they pay no price for destruction of horse racing in IL. All great fun. On to the Senate.
- Carpe GM - Thursday, Apr 23, 26 @ 10:45 am:
I count 10 GOP yes votes:
Cabello
Coffey
Elik
Fritts
McLaughlin
Sanalitro
Schmidt
Schweizer
Sheehan
Stephens