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A fight for relevance

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Illinois

* No governor likes to be ignored or treated as if he was irrelevant. Pat Quinn is no exception. But that’s just what the General Assembly did to him all spring. I’ve been writing about Quinn being cut out of much of the process since the end of March when I asked Speaker Madigan about it. But it eventually became so obvious that even Chicago reporters started writing about this problem in recent days. Gov. Quinn tried hard to dispel that notion during his press conference yesterday.

* For instance, on the ComEd bill, Gov. Quinn sounded a whole lot like a spurned Rod Blagojevich…

Quinn repeated his vow to veto legislation that would allow Commonwealth Edison to raise its rates to invest in its power grid — coming down on the side of consumers rather than lobbyists in “three-piece suits and fancy shoes.”

* Quinn wanted to delay a billion dollars in payments to local governments, but that didn’t survive the process…

The state budget lawmakers have sent to Gov. Pat Quinn doesn’t touch the 6 percent of income taxes that are sent to local mayors for their own budgets.

* The budget spent about $2 billion less than the unbalanced budget Quinn proposed in February…

“I don’t think anyone who looks at it would say they would be happy with the investment in education. I mention early childhood, scholarships for students who are needy who have the ability to do college work, very disappointed in the fact that they cut funding for kindergarten through 12th grade in our grammar schools and our high schools. That’s no way to build a better Illinois,” the governor said.

“And I will tell legislators of both parties and both houses how I feel about education and how I think the public feels. They didn’t get the job done properly there. It’s incomplete, and I think we need to keep working with them,” Quinn said.

* Quinn didn’t elaborate about whether that would mean a special summer session (a la Blagojevich) or not. ~~But Speaker Madigan controls that fate~~…

At the last minute, [Senate] Democrats added about $430 million in operations spending to a capital bill. The money would restore money cut from general state aid to schools and the Monetary Award Program for college scholarships and provide additional funds to a couple of dozen human services programs.

The House refused to consider the bill before adjourning. Instead, House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, said he wanted a conference committee of representatives and senators to work out a solution over the summer.

…Adding… It was early in the morning when I posted this, so I just agreed with something that I actually knew was not true. I knew that Madigan passed a non-concurrence motion. Heck, I told subscribers about it. That bill is in the Senate now.

* The governor pointed to one area of concern…

He voiced particular concern about the proposed cuts to early childhood education. “You don’t get to be a 3-year-old two years in a row. And I’ve told the leaders of the Legislature that we have work to do when it comes to early childhood education,” Quinn said.

There’s hope by many legislators that money will be added back in the fall or (more likely) in January if state revenues pick up.

* Now, on to gaming expansion…

“I have told the legislators over and over again the people of Illinois do not want an excessive gambling bill that’s top heavy, and I think I reflect the public sentiment on that,” Quinn said.

“In Chicago, I have said I can see if it’s properly done, an opportunity for a gambling casino. But once the General Assembly got this subject, both House and Senate, it got more and more top heavy. Well my job is to make sure the people of Illinois come first, not the gamblers, not the insiders,” the governors told reporters in his Statehouse office.

* The governor seemed to admit that even Mayor Emanuel ignored him on this topic…

Quinn also revealed that about 10 days ago he had a conversation with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel “about the general subject of a casino in Chicago.” The governor said he told the new mayor, who was a vital force in winning support for the gambling package, that “we can’t have an excessive gaming bill in Illinois, that I thought the public wasn’t for that.”

* The mayor told a different story, however…

“In my conversations with him he sees the strengths,” Emanuel said.

There could be an amendatory veto on the bill, but there might not be enough votes in both chambers to sustain such a move.

And as subscribers were told yesterday morning, Quinn won’t even get the bill until Senate President John Cullerton takes a procedural brick off it…

Sen. Dave Syverson, R-Rockford, said a procedural maneuver by Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, to move for reconsideration of the bill, actually protects it and works to Rockford’s benefit.

Syverson said the motion to reconsider means Cullerton can control when the bill is forwarded to the governor.

“It’s probably good news from a Rockford standpoint,” Syverson said. “This way he can control it until he has a chance to negotiate and talk to the governor about it.”

* The best way for a governor to flex his muscles and prove his relevancy is through vetoes, and the ComEd bill isn’t the only bill that’s heading for the chopping block…

Although the governor has not officially decided on Senate Bill 178, State Rep. Chapin Rose said Governor Pat Quinn made his decision on the House floor Tuesday night.

A group of the bill’s supporters approached Gov. Quinn Tuesday, Rose said, and asked him to strongly consider passing the bill.

The bill would allow Health Alliance and other health insurance providers to stay with their customers for two more years.

* Quinn vetoed this project during the spring, so the GA revamped it and sent it to him again…

In the waning hours of the state’s legislative session, lawmakers on Wednesday sent Gov. Pat Quinn a revamped bill that could pave the way for construction of a $3-billion synthetic gas plant on Chicago’s South Side.

Mr. Quinn in March vetoed a previous version that would have forced the state’s natural gas ratepayers to shoulder the higher costs of the gas the plant would produce. But Leucadia National Corp., the New York-based conglomerate developing the facility, agreed to consumer protections that limit rate increases and spread the burden of higher prices to businesses that buy gas from non-utility providers. […]

Unlike the version Mr. Quinn vetoed, the current bill would cap the rate increase at 2%. The earlier bill would have exempted customers of alternative gas suppliers, but this one includes them.

* Listen to the governor’s press conference in two parts…

Click to download

* Roundup…

* Quinn Critiques Legislation

* Budget would cut $171 million from public schools

* Quinn: Lawmakers didn’t get job done on budget

* Hospitals may sustain blow instead of knockout

* Editorial: An ‘excessive’ but needed casino bill

* Cities look forward with new casinos

* Quinn murky on plans for gaming expansion

* Chicago’s casino bet - Gamble could raise millions of dollars, but questions leave experts wondering about the price

* Elgin may lobby Quinn against gambling expansion

* Gambling’s expansion gets a poor reception - No Peoria area lawmakers voted for bill that many officials say will draw business away from East Peoria casino

* Mayor urges Danville residents to back casino with Quinn

* Casino means 1,000 ‘full-time, good-paying jobs’

* Brown: More gambling, more scandals? You can bet on it

* Chicago coal-to-gas plant closer to reality after Illinois legislators OK 2 bills

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Jun 2, 11 @ 7:35 am

Comments

Keep in mind Pat sometimes Mr. Irrelevant goes on and does good things…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Irrelevant

Comment by OneMan Thursday, Jun 2, 11 @ 7:52 am
Quinn has always been amazingly arrogant in his claims to be the exclusive voice of what the people want. He lives increasingly in his own echo chamber.

Comment by Cassiopeia Thursday, Jun 2, 11 @ 8:05 am
1M: That’s very relevant. I just don’t know to what. But it beats thinking about having Quinn as governor.

Comment by Excessively Rabid Thursday, Jun 2, 11 @ 8:23 am
Did anyone vote for Quinn thinking that he would actually run much of anything in Springfield?

Comment by Aldyth Thursday, Jun 2, 11 @ 8:26 am
Given the productivity of recent months, it’s a good thing the GA went about it’s work and wasn’t bogged down by whatever Shiny New Thing an ego-tripping governor wanted to put his name on.

Quinn can prove his relevance to ComEd and the Jacobs Boys in a hurry. That’s real money. Some targeted reduction vetoes can make like uneasy for some, if he chooses to do so. And the casino bill is literally in his hands.

Quinn certainly has a few good cards to play. But you have to know how to lay them down.

I’d be just as happy if an Illinois governor focused on running the government efficiently, and let the GA do its job.

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Jun 2, 11 @ 9:06 am
Dear Governor,

The Map is the one thing that Madigan truly cares about, if you want to get his attention, hold off on signing it, even hint that you might veto it, but only if you’re willing to actually do it.

Comment by Ahoy Thursday, Jun 2, 11 @ 9:26 am
Quinn needs to carefully pick his fights. The veto might give him relevancy, but it could end up making get a Blagojevich level of relevancy in negotiations, which is to say instead of just being ignored, the legislators will refuse to meet with him period rather than just let him talk and then not consider what he says.

Personally, I feel that Quinn’s veto talk about redistricting needing to be “fair” is hogwash because if hurt the Dems like that he would be dead meat to every single Democratic legislator. His tough talk, like the mapping stuff, isn’t necessarily helping him.

Comment by Precinct Captain Thursday, Jun 2, 11 @ 10:15 am
The number of comments on the governor’s relevance are telling.

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Jun 3, 11 @ 5:47 am