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* If you weren’t at yesterday’s Senate Executive Committee, you missed a heckuva show…

What some lawmakers referred to as “grade-school antics” Wednesday likely squashed voters’ chances to choose whether they want the ability to recall the governor and other statewide elected officials.

Amid shushing and yelling “one at a time” — one too many times — state Sen. Ira Silverstein gave up trying to control his committee. A hearing devoted to recall devolved into lawmakers talking over each other and name-calling.

“We’re senators here. We’re not kindergartners here,” said Silverstein, a Chicago Democrat and chairman of the Senate Executive Committee.

* Things got off to a bad start…

Before the Senate Executive Committee was called to order, Quinn approached Trotter to shake hands and said the South Side lawmaker refused the gesture and added, “I already took a bath today.” Trotter did not dispute that account later.

* And went downhill from there…

The Senate president demanded an apology from Quinn, who has toured the state recently urging the Senate not to prevent voters from deciding about recall.

“For you to go out, use taxpayers’ money and slander the Illinois Senate, I resent that,” Jones said.

Quinn refused.

“This Senate has to have the fortitude not to duck the issue,” Quinn said.

“We do not need a lecture from you,” Jones bristled in response.

* And didn’t let up for two solid hours…

Sen. Iris Martinez (D-Chicago) and Sen. Rickey Hendon (D-Chicago) joined in, scolding Franks for alleged transgressions that seemed to have little to do with the legislation at hand.

The suburban legislator was needled for supporting a Martinez opponent in the February primary, backing Hillary Clinton over native son Barack Obama in the race for the White House and having a “bad hairdo.”

* In the end, nothing happened…

Jones and other top Senate Democrats supported Trotter when he announced that, as the bill’s Senate sponsor, he had decided not to ask for a committee vote on it. Instead, he said, he would come back later with amendatory language to “make it better.” […]

“It was whitewash, it was a travesty, they ought to be ashamed of themselves,” Franks said after the committee hearing. “I was concerned that would happen, when a person who did not support the bill controlled the bill, that he would try to kill it, and that’s exactly what he did today.”

* The Tribune counted noses and had the best analysis in the MSM of why the SDems never called the measure for a vote…

After the hearing, [Senate GOP Leader Frank Watson] announced that he and the four other Republican committee members were prepared to vote for the measure. [Exec Committee Chairman Ira Silverstein] and Senate Majority Leader Debbie Halvorson (D-Crete) also told the Tribune they were going to vote for it, indicating there would have been at least seven votes in favor—enough to move the proposal to the Senate.

Senate Republicans said Democrats were doing Blagojevich a favor by delaying action Wednesday. “It’s all about protecting the governor,” Senate Minority Leader Frank Watson (R-Greenville) said.

* But not everything went the governor’s way during yesterday’s hearing…

Just a day after the Blagojevich administration proposed a reorganization of nearly two dozen state agencies and authorities, the Senate Executive Committee decisively turned thumbs-down on the idea.

By a 10-3 vote, the committee Wednesday told the administration no. The full Senate must also reject the plan, but the committee vote indicates the idea has little support, even among Democrats.

“You cannot guarantee there won’t be a bureaucratic mess,” said Sen. Ira Silverstein, D-Chicago. “I’m concerned about the loss of jobs, the loss of services. I have a lot of problems with this.”

* More Senate and recall stuff…

* Blagojevich allies stall recall-election bill

* Recall a bad idea for a bad guv: Hinz

* Panel approves ‘pay to play’ measure

* Senate rejects smoking exemption for casinos

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Apr 17, 08 @ 9:28 am

Comments

just goes to show that we don’t need more democrats - we need BETTER democrats………
a new low when one might think it couldn’t get any lower……..

Comment by Taking the High Road Thursday, Apr 17, 08 @ 9:32 am
Lost in all the uproar was maybe the best quote of the day, courtesy of Sen. Dale Righter (from the hearing on the Gov’s reorganization of agency administrations):

“The instrument has yet to be invented that can measure how little faith there is in the management ability of this administration.”

Comment by Quote of the Day Thursday, Apr 17, 08 @ 9:35 am
Franks would do well to follow my example and get a reasonable haircut. It would enhance his stature and credibility as a legislator.

Comment by Bill Thursday, Apr 17, 08 @ 9:47 am
Maybe I’m missing something but I couldn’t find section 50-37 of the IL Procurement Code that lists those definitions used by Harmon’s bill. Perhaps this a drafting error, a planned error or maybe just my technical inability to find the section ?

The Senate Exec committee conducted themselves like a bunch of amateurs. Once again showing the world their real character. That said, Jack does need a haircut.

Trotter can be an arrogant jerk, not just to Quinn but to everyone - including his constituents.

Comment by Napoleon has left the building Thursday, Apr 17, 08 @ 9:51 am
I uploaded video of the committee hearing.

“Too much too soon.”

Comment by Anon Thursday, Apr 17, 08 @ 9:59 am
LOL. You should probably have warned others that the video is not safe for all work environments due to language. But I’m leaving it up because it’s quite appropriate.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Apr 17, 08 @ 10:02 am
AS I am not as familiar with some of the inner workings of this state government as I should be; I am beginning to believe that a Con-con might be the only way to clean up this mess. The only fears I have been hearing about a possible Con-con is that the powers that be will attempt to take advantage of it and change many things that do not need changing, such as state workers pensions, and other things that would affect the lives of good working people who are not the problem in this mess. How much control would the present powers that be have in what ends up on the Con-con agenda? I know delegates are picked statewide and they bring to the table their concerns, and the concrens of their constituents. But isn’t that what the legislators are supposed to be doing and look where that got us? It is sad to say but I really don’t trust the system at all anymore. And I am afraid that a Con-con would just be another part of that system. One thing I have wondered for a while. How feasible would it be to have the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House elected at large from a list of candidates by the voters of the state? The candidates would have to be Senate members and House members of course. Thoughts?
P.S. I agree that limiting or ending the control of party money by the Speaker and the Senate President for elections other than their own would be a big first step, could that be done with an amendment or would it take a Con-con?

Comment by Irish Thursday, Apr 17, 08 @ 10:04 am
I’m curious as to the motivation for the hearing on the recall amendment. Jones and Trotter could have put it on the shelf without the spectacle of the hearing, right? Were they just itching for a beatdown of Quinn and Franks? In what way does that benefit them?

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Apr 17, 08 @ 10:10 am
So, who would lose their jobs in a reorganization of some state government functions. That’s who Silverstein is trying to protect. Dems love patronage, at all levels, although I suspect a passel of mid-level state managers (a large, not very competent overall and overpaid group) would face the axe in a significant reorganization. Having no place to put cronies and relatives of cronies who can’t get a job in the real world is the Illinois Dems’ worst nightmare.

Comment by Cassandra Thursday, Apr 17, 08 @ 10:11 am
===I’m curious as to the motivation for the hearing on the recall amendment.===

Subscribe and find out.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Apr 17, 08 @ 10:11 am
I was at the Senate Exec hearing and was the only non-elected person who testified over the recalls. I also agree that a con-con is the only way to move forward. We have a book that’s being finished and off to the publisher today, I hope, that among other things addresses the pensions.

Right now, my group, is the only one who has a proposal that not only preserves the pensions but actually ensures that the pensions get paid. No other reform is out there except for a “promise” to pay.

I’m writing an op-ed to lay it out, but basically, it takes pensions out of the appropriations process and puts the burden where it belongs to run the system more like IMRF which is ~100% funded.

The one point about a con-con… delegates are elected in their own election and no fulltime politician will likely be able to become a delegate. Legislators, specifically, are prevented from drawing two government checks simulatenously and unless the ILGA SOMEHOW manages to get their sessions under control and finish them in 4 months instead of 10, then MAYBE a legislator could be a delegate if the timing of things was absolutely perfect. But we all know the ILGA couldn’t be that efficient and a convention may run longer than planned.

As far as reducing the power of the 4 tops, I have specific reforms I put in the legislative article in our draft constitution at My Illinois Constitution, specifically, I term limit leadership positions, a prohibit legislative leaders from having any control of “party money” to fund other races and I put in a requirement that any bill is called for an up-or-down floor vote upon motion of 1/4th of the chamber.

Comment by John Bambenek Thursday, Apr 17, 08 @ 10:14 am
So Halvorson is in favor of it, but as Senate Majority Leader, unwilling to lead this group into passing it?

Some leader she is!

Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Apr 17, 08 @ 10:18 am
I’ve probably spent as much time with Trotter as anyone who comments on here, and I’ve never seen him be a jerk. His quick sense of humor does sometimes leave people talking to him a little off balance.

Comment by steve schnorf Thursday, Apr 17, 08 @ 10:41 am
Agreed, Steve. And I spent time with him last night. But he’s gotta know that when he says stuff like that he’s gonna get coverage.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Apr 17, 08 @ 10:48 am
lol@Iris,
Never let the good of the state or the interests of your constituents get in the way of your political grudges.

Comment by Bill Thursday, Apr 17, 08 @ 10:54 am
Cassandra, Word is they planned on hiring up to 60 contractors at over $100 per hour for this shared services initiative. Both Unions were against it, and Agencies were scared to death of it. I can’t blame the committee for their vote, it was the right thing to do.

Comment by He makes Ryan Look like a Saint Thursday, Apr 17, 08 @ 11:07 am
He makes Ryan….you may be right. But our fearless legislators are likely most scared about the possible loss of patronage jobs….I doubt very much
that they care about the quality of the work.

Comment by Cassandra Thursday, Apr 17, 08 @ 11:39 am
Cassandra, I think the re-org was designed to create more patronage jobs, not eliminate them. Not to mention the contractors He Looks refers to. Or the unbelievably expensive consultants who have been creating all those fancy e-newsletters for the past eighteen months. This was a horrendous idea from the beginning, for more reasons than I can count.

Comment by Beancounter Thursday, Apr 17, 08 @ 12:16 pm
Oops, meant He Makes!

Comment by Beancounter Thursday, Apr 17, 08 @ 12:17 pm
Given the series of unfrotunate events (with all appologies to Lemony Snicket) needed to obtain all the signatures, then votes etc to trigger a recall under the ammendemnt, no one should oppose it. Its tough to trigger successfully even if its in place. And if you have somone it could be successfully executed against then we defiently need it in place. An election is not and should not be a guarantee of tenure to the next election.

Comment by Ghost Thursday, Apr 17, 08 @ 12:34 pm
Keep fishing, VM.

Comment by JonShibleyFan Thursday, Apr 17, 08 @ 12:39 pm
Not sure if the Blogo gets off on watching his mismanagement and bad governing turn other elected officials against each other but the blame sits squarely on his shoulders.

Greg Hinz may be right about recall being a bad choice but something has to be done. Blogo isn’t going to resign and waiting for the next election or the feds is like water torture and could be detrimental to the economy of the state.

Comment by Garp Thursday, Apr 17, 08 @ 2:48 pm
Steve,

So, refusing a handshake and responding with “I already took a bath today.”….that’s not jerky behavior…just quickwitted humor meant to put the Lt. Governor off balance. I gotta say that’s a pretty generous assessment.

Comment by Budget Watcher Thursday, Apr 17, 08 @ 2:55 pm
Emil Jones deserves to be best buddies with Blago…am I the only Dem dat is embarrased by dos two “leaders” DeLeo and Hendon when dey are at da podium? I am ready to move to Indiana…

Comment by Loop Lady Thursday, Apr 17, 08 @ 5:21 pm
Lady, have you seen a guy who looks better at the podium than DeLeo?

Just turn off da soun, see, an everyting is fine. Yoo like da suit? It’s like me, eye-talian. Bree-oni, it’s called. See, I gotta guy over on Nort avenew dat gets em for me for half.

Bill, good point on Franks’ hairdo. AA thinks that guys with fancy-boy hair come off as vain and shallow. You know, like Blago.

Comment by Arthur Andersen Thursday, Apr 17, 08 @ 6:13 pm
BW, I neglected to mention that he also can be pretty blunt. He believes that recall is bad public policy, he believes that Quinn did the single worst thing that has happened to the government process in Illinois since the new Constitution, and he is not a hypocrite. What he said was blunt but not arrogant.

Comment by steve schnorf Thursday, Apr 17, 08 @ 10:57 pm
If Democrats want to democratize the state, the first place to start is by weakening executive power.

Recall is a good first step of finally returning more power to the people, but dividing up control over the most powerful agencies would create more independent government with more checks and balances on ever-growing power.

Specifically, healthcare and education have become so large a portion of our economy they should be independent spin-offs, similar to the spinoff of power over finances (comptroller and treasurer), justice (AG), and state police (SOS). They should be run by boards that are randomly selected from qualified applicants, unless the Legislature and Governor can reach a consensus on who to appoint.

Definately don’t start by weakening the legislature or we’re much more likely to wind up with a populist dictator, not real democracy.

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Apr 21, 08 @ 8:20 am