* Those who worry about lame ducks getting too far out of control should look at the medical marijuana bill, which came up way short yesterday afternoon in the House. The bill needed 60 votes, but when all was said and done it got 53…
After nearly two hours of sometimes passionate debate, the measure fell just a handful of votes short of the 60 needed to advance to the Senate, which must approve changes made in the House before it can go to Gov. Pat Quinn’s desk.
Under the legislation, certain patients could obtain medical-grade marijuana from state-regulated dealers for use in their homes.
Patients would have to receive permission from a physician to apply for a license. The Illinois Department of Public Health would then authorize the person to obtain three marijuana plants per month.
All of you know where I stand on this issue. I’m not sure this is the greatest bill in the world, however. Three plants per month seems a bit much. Not that I would know anything about that, of course.
* And then there was the death penalty abolition bill, which wasn’t called for a floor vote yesterday for lack of support…
A House committee [yesterday] morning voted to abolish the state’s death penalty, after a contentious debate, with critics alleging the bill was being rushed through the Legislature for political reasons.
The measure could come to a House floor vote as early as [yesterday] afternoon. “I’m still counting votes. [Monday] night we had 58,'’ said the sponsor, state Rep. Karen Yarbrough, D-Broadview. It needs 60 for House passage, and then would move to the Senate.
The House is losing some members today, so it’s fate, as they say, remains uncertain.
* Some other big stuff did pass, however. The Tenaska folks won the House round, but they have a tough fight ahead in the Senate…
The $3.5-billion “clean coal” power plant that has been the subject of a fierce lobbying war in Springfield between labor and business interests was approved on a second vote late Tuesday in the Illinois state House of Representatives.
The bill, which would require Illinois ratepayers and business users of electricity to purchase the Downstate Taylorville power plant’s output for 30 years, initially was narrowly defeated Tuesday and then was held, allowing Speaker Michael Madigan to call it for another vote later.
The Tenaska bill passed 63-50 on the second vote, after having lost by two votes the first time around.
Some lawmakers said on the floor that the second vote for the clean coal plant Downstate was a trade for the vote earlier in the day in favor of a $3-billion synthetic gas plant on Chicago’s South Side.
Subscribers know the rest of that interesting little story.
* And some sweeping changes were approved for police and firefighter pension funds in the House yesterday without much debate…
— Changes the standard retirement age for police and firefighters from age 50 to age 55. Police and firefighters could retire early starting at age 50, but would lose 6 percent for each year before 55.
– Reduces benefits to a surviving spouse from 100 percent to 67 percent of the deceased police officer’s or firefighter’s pension.
– Cost of living increases — the lesser of 3 percent or one-half of the urban consumer price index — would not kick in until a public safety employee or surviving spouse reach age 60.
– Starting in 2015, pension funds could petition the state comptroller to subtract funds from tax money owed to the cities by the state if a city does not make complete payments to the system.
* The bill received a whopping 95 votes, even though it was hotly opposed by Mayor Daley, who sent his chief legislative liaison to town yesterday…
The bill established a steep yearly payment schedule for Chicago to restore the city’s underfunded police and fire retirement funds to financial health, but Daley warned the extra $548 million the city will have to pump into city police and fire pension funds by 2015 could leave homeowners stuck with higher property taxes.
“You cannot place the financial problems on the back of every homeowner in Chicago. Besides that, every business in Chicago. That will make our city basically a city that will have a financial disaster,” Daley said.
* Roundup…
* Bill to abolish death penalty passes House committee
* Police, fire pension reforms pass Illinois House - Benefits for future hires would be reduced
