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This just in… * 7% override * Another lawsuit possible ***

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Illinois

* 2:27 pm - The Senate has overridden a veto of the moment of silence bill…

The Illinois Senate has bucked Gov. Rod Blagojevich and approved a required moment of silence in public schools.

Senators voted 42-9 to override Blagojevich’s veto of legislation requiring students to reflect silently to start each day.

Blagojevich vetoed the measure, saying it violated the Constitution’s ban on mixing religion with public institutions.

The override motion now goes to the House.

* 2:30 pm - The House is debating a motion to override the governor’s amendatory veto of the property tax assessment cap bill. Early yesterday, Speaker Madigan was saying he was leaning towards accepting the AV, but was obviously talked out of this strategy. Stay tuned for a vote count and any more motions. Suburban Republicans have been asking for a “No” vote on the motion, so it may not succeed, but there could be Downstate GOP support, so who knows. Listen or watch here.

* 2:38 pm - The assessment cap override passed overwhelmingly with 92 “Yes” votes.

…Adding… What likely happened here is serious brinksmanship. Word was coming out of the Senate today that there weren’t enough votes in that chamber to accept the governor’s amendatory veto. That likely put the kibosh on Madigan’s initial thoughts about accepting the AV and allowing a constitutional challenge to kill off the new law. So, House members from Chicago and the suburbs were given little leeway. Vote to override or try to come up with an alternative proposal in a legislative environment that has discouraged quick compromise.

* 2:45 pm - Is another lawsuit on the horizon?

The governor’s House floor leader, Jay Hoffman, has just pointed out that some additional overrides of the governor’s budgetary vetoes are unconstitutional. The Constitution requires overrides within 15 days from the day the veto messages are entered into the Journal. The House parliamentarian just said that Hoffman’s point would be up to the courts.

* 2:52 pm - More on the assessment cap…

I talked to Sen. Terry Link yesterday about what he would do if the House overrode the assessment cap bill. Link, the Senate sponsor of the bill, said he would “probably” bring it to the floor for an override vote. We’ll have to wait and see what he says now.

* 3:22 pm - The roll call on the House’s assessment cap veto override vote can be downloaded here.

It looks to me like a structured roll call. Some suburban and Chicago Dems and Repubs were allowed off and their absence was more than made up by Downstaters and others. Then there’s the governor’s reliable “No” votes from the usual suspects.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 2:28 pm

Comments

I can’t think of anything we need more right now in Illinois than a moment of silence from Mr. Blagojevich and Company!

Well, that and say GOVERNING. That would be nice.

Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 2:38 pm
Rich - will Madigan’s Motions #3 & #4 on 3866 basically make it a complete override on Item/Reductions?

Comment by As A Mom Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 2:38 pm
It doesn’t appear so. Drafting error, apparently, but I’ll know more later.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 2:42 pm
Looks like some test prods on Emil’s resolve and the mood of the senate.

Comment by Kreskin Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 2:58 pm
do we know when the votes will be posted? interested to see where my rep was. thanks for the updates, rich.

Comment by chicagoan6 Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 3:05 pm
Is the Senate done for the day?

Comment by RightGirl Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 3:19 pm
Jay Magoo is very funny.

Yesterday he votes against the BLunderBoy Blaggo health care. Today he is talking lawsuits.

Let’s see, will Slick Willie Quinlan be rushing to court to get whacked one more time?
Let’s hope so. It is a lot of fun to watch the Spin Sisters and their boy toys fume when they get whacked and everyone laughs in their faces.

Comment by Mr. W.T. Rush Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 3:24 pm
The roll call was far from structured. And some of those votes may come back to bite the people that cast them.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 3:32 pm
The following is an excerpt from today’s Southwest-News Herald, a newspaper in the southwest suburbs of Chicago. I pass it along, Rich, because it provides Speaker Madigan’s direct take on the current budget mess. Kudos to the Herald for printing his exact thoughts, not the paraphrasing and speculatiion we get from the major media outlets.

“The problem,” he (Madigan) said, “is real simple: The state of Illinois does not have enough money in its treasury to pay for everything we want to do. In traditional terms, with an all-Democratic administration like we have now, there would have been a tax increase. But the governor has decided against that for five years, even though he is all the time wanting to spend more money.”

He refuted Blagojevich’s argument that offering health insurance to more people would make up for the programs that were cut.

“If you want to help the uninsured, you can expand the Medicare program,” said Madigan. “But these are specialized programs.”

Comment by GA Watcher Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 3:55 pm
if Emil does nothing, does the 7% solution go into effect the way the governor amendatorily vetoed it? Or does it not go into effect at all?

Comment by Confused Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 4:55 pm
Confused, if Emil does nothing then the bill dies and the homeowner’s exemption will return to its level prior to 2004.

Comment by Gene Parmesan Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 4:57 pm
Obfuscation has become an artform, brought to us by gov and Emil. Thanks a lot, NOT!

Comment by A Citizen Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 5:00 pm
With the House action yesterday and today, all eyes turn to the Senate, particularly the Senate Prez. Two questions. 1) Will the Senate will take up any or all of the veto overrides from Oct 2 (and the nunc pro tunc votes of Oct 3)? Does anyone know a strategy for forcing a vote if the Senate Prez keeps saying No, no, no? And a bonus question - why is Senator Jones channeling Amy Winehouse, anyway?

Comment by Downtrodden Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 5:22 pm
Expect President Jones to do the right thing and pass the 7% override. Blaggo misses the boat — again.

Comment by Mr. W.T. Rush Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 6:40 pm
Maybe this has been discussed but is there any way citizens can force a budget or force consequences on legislators and gov if not? probably no short term answer but then again maybe someone has an idea?

Comment by curious Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 6:50 pm
If Emil decided not to take action on a veto motion, the entire bill would die, not just the provisions relating to the alternative homestead exemption (7%). That includes all property tax relief offered this session and the statutory standards for windmills.

Comment by Lotta Liaison Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 6:58 pm
there is no way to force a vote, the presiding officer controls the business of the chamber

Comment by Lotta Liaison Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 7:00 pm
Mr. W. T. Rush

First off, Hoffman didn’t vote against Blago’s Healthcare plan, he voted not to override it. You need to get your facts straight. Also, Smart Money says Blago doesn’t miss the boat. Emil votes on a few overrides so Madigan can declare a small victory, Blago keeps healthcare money, and Emil’s pet projects are protected. Everyone goes home happy.

Comment by Smart Money Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 7:31 pm
Smart Money—to quote Emil “no, no, no, no” . How does everyone go home happy. First I don’t think Blago can spend the healthcare money without GA approval. Second, just what is Emil going to let back in without chosing and selecting some pretty tough calls that are bound to leave some very angry. And finally, Hoffman is beginning to sound like the little boy who rats anytime he thinks someone blinks. Is he there to actually work in the House, or just to be Blago’s little lap puppy?

Comment by Princeville Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 7:54 pm
While, if there were no Senate action on the HB664 override the bill would die, as Rep Barbara Flynn Currie suggested in her comments today - couldn’t the Senate send back another bill? By providing a $40,000 cap for three years, but not making the provision permanent - wouldn’t that have a better chance in the House?

Comment by silentk Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 8:12 pm
OK–if Emil does nothing on the 7%, it fails to become law. But if he fails to doing nothing on the budget Madigan just overrode, how can that not become law also. I’m new to all these parlimentary procedures.

Comment by Confused Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 8:50 pm
Hoffman is his own man. His record speaks for itself not mention that his district seems to give the guy overwhelming support. Emil and Blago will agree on the concessions to madigan. yes they are bound to irritate a few people. Also, blago doesn’t need GA approval he used his executive authority to appropriate the money to health care.

Comment by Smart Money Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 9:02 pm
I think Hoffman plays the game pretty well and has done pretty well under the Governor…he gets things done and does a lot for his district…a lot of legislators could learn from him, but almost all of them just want to self preserve their power, what good is the power if you are afraid to do anything with it…

Comment by missing the picture Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 9:55 pm
the media keeps harping on the Governor’s cuts…throw them in the Capital and call the bill for a vote…how much is the speaker holding up by not calling the Capital bill for a vote? A lot of jobs, a lot of opportunity for higher education, everyone wins with the capital bill, and not just a measley 600,000 a rep district…

Comment by missing the picture Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 9:56 pm
A state income tax increase is our only savior.

Comment by Bleak Future Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 10:03 pm
Why should Jones cave when he is getting so much attention? He must definitely be feeling like the BMOC.

Comment by Little Egypt Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 10:22 pm
I didn’t know Emil went to college. Where did he go?

Comment by A Citizen Wednesday, Oct 3, 07 @ 11:31 pm
Missing Picture–one would assume that the media is ‘harping’on Blago’s cuts as the House was holding public hearing on the cuts and we are now currently in Veto Session. Like the news or not, the media is covering what the news currently is. And I’m not buying the race to vote in the capitol plan, for one the last couple of days have been for the vetoes, for two holding up a vote for the CP for a short time is not effecting an awful lot at this time. They Madigan called the vote today and it passed just how quickly are the wonderful claims you proclaim going to start happening. The photo on the front of the Sj-R this morning, do you really think those people care if Madigan was not in the House debating the CP? They were there to voice their opinion/support for the current goings on, the veto cuts.

Comment by Princeville Thursday, Oct 4, 07 @ 7:03 am
A,
He got a (honorary) doctorate from Chicago State after their last windfall of cash. He had to go to the campus to pick it up.
I think that they also named a building after him. Unfortunately his degree will not count toward their graduation rate.

Comment by Bill Thursday, Oct 4, 07 @ 8:32 am
Why does Rod need a “floor leader”? Couldn’t he just have someone call his 4 votes and tell them what to do?

Comment by Bill Thursday, Oct 4, 07 @ 8:35 am
LOL, Bill.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Oct 4, 07 @ 9:48 am
Why in the world do we need a moment of silence in our schools? What is the purpose of this moment?

Are we also going to have a moment of noise for those who engage in blasting prayer?

Comment by Squideshi Thursday, Oct 4, 07 @ 11:13 am