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* The Tribune editorializes again on the urgent need to bring the Senate back into session…
How many days between now and Nov. 12? Illinois Senate President Emil Jones says the answer is zero, if what you’re worried about is the ethics bill that has 15 days to live or die now that the House has rejected Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s changes.
Jones’ reasoning is that the Senate’s 15-day window for taking action doesn’t open until the House report has been entered into the Senate record, which will happen when the Senate reconvenes Nov. 12. There’s no reason to call his members to Springfield sooner to second the House action.
Roughly half of the gazillion legal experts who were asked to weigh in on the matter Friday agreed with Jones’ interpretation of the state constitution. The other half didn’t. The General Assembly’s Legislative Research Unit came down squarely on the side of ambiguity, pointing out that delegates who drew up the constitution “probably did not imagine every scenario.”
Then notes…
If Jones is wrong about the deadline, the ethics bill is dead. If he’s right, it might as well be dead, because it will be tied up in court for years while lawyers argue over whether 15 days means 15 days or something else. It’s a win for Jones and Blagojevich. The rest of us are the losers.
That may be the most valid point in the debate. This move to reinterpret the constitutional meaning of when the Senate is notified of the House’s action may be right, or it may be wrong, but either way this is likely to end up in court, and that could give the governor time to continue raising money from state contractors.
Also…
Here’s who should care: every one of the Democrats who has aspirations to succeed him as president of the Senate. And others who have political aspirations, such as Sen. Debbie Halvorson, who is running for a seat in Congress. Do they really want to answer every day through Election Day for why the Senate is sitting on ethics reform? Do they really think voters will believe them when they say, “Trust us, we’ll do this . . . right after the election”
* Meanwhile…
Illinois Senate President Emil Jones brought Democrats together in Chicago Friday, but he wasn’t there to focus on the fate of a high-profile campaign finance reform bill.
He wanted to talk about campaign cash.
More than a dozen Senate Democrats attended a two hour lunchtime meeting at a Loop office to talk about on how to build up campaign accounts to ensure Jones’ members are re-elected.
The meeting convened amid concerns that Jones’ pending departure—he announced last month he would step down and engineered his son as his successor—is making it difficult for Senate Democrats to raise campaign cash.
“We certainly feel as though we’re going to have a harder time raising money than before now that Emil’s a lame duck,” said Sen. Louis Viverito (D-Burbank). “When you’re trying to retain incumbents, you’re faced with the reality that it takes a lot of money to keep their names out there.”
* More on that SDem meeting…
llinois Senate President Emil Jones is adamant about not reconvening the Senate until after the November election, despite pressure from interest groups and his own members to return earlier to deal with an ethics bill and budget cuts.
A two-hour meeting among Senate Democrats in Chicago Friday failed to budge the Chicago Democrat, even though his timetable for returning to Springfield means about two dozen state parks and historic sites will close, about 80 state employees will lose their jobs, and a hard-won ethics bill could be in jeopardy. […]
Sen. John Sullivan, D-Rushville, said Jones also promised to deal with reversing some cuts Blagojevich made to the state budget. The House voted last week to take $221 million out of restricted state accounts and use it to restore funding for substance abuse programs, historic sites and parks and state human service agencies.
Sullivan said the promise by Jones should persuade the Blagojevich administration to back off any layoffs or facility closures.
For the rest of the story, you’ll have to subscribe.
* Related…
* Meeks to meet with Blagojevich on school funding
* Meeks and Blagojevich Face Off on Education Funding
* Jones sees pressure to reconvene Senate
* SJ-R Opinion: Nov. 12 veto session too late for action
* House can hurry if it wants to
* Lawmakers: Governor’s gone wrong with rewrites
* Cuts at historic sites protested
* Unidentified column circulating on those mysterious Intertubes: Madigan still gets the blame
* Crowd rallies for Weldon Springs
* Ralph Martire: Sale of lottery won’t be a panacea for state’s woes
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 9:26 am
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I would expect nothing less from the lame-duck Senator…
Comment by BandCamp Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 9:33 am
Jones desire to self destruct his own party know no bounds. First pushing to get repubs elected in the house, and now pretty much helping to increase their numbers in the senate. Hell hath no fury like a Jones who has been scorned.
its nice to see that even on his way out Jones is working to protect the Gov’s pay to play system and ensure it financially benefits the Gov as long as possible.
Comment by Ghost Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 9:35 am
I guess Barry hasn’t gotten the memo about the need to call his state’s Senate President to see if anything at all can be done to begin reform in the most corrupt state in the country? Probably too busy planning all his “change” for the fed level issues. Meanwhile we’ll just keep throwing more tax dollars at the idiocy in Springfield. Thanks Barry!
Comment by BigDog Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 9:43 am
Blago should have something real sweet for Jones when he’s done. I thought the governor was on the ropes after the Rezko conviction, but Jones stood firm. Blago’s now back in the game, and it’s all due to Jones.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 10:23 am
Regarding the younger Jones: the public should remember “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”.
If we don’t want another lame duck in the Senate, we should work to make sure Jones is turned away at the door…
Comment by Erickson Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 10:43 am
This is a typical example of the leadership the Dems have shown for the last ?? years. It is also the Main reason a CON CON needs to happen so we can stop this mess. I do not believe this was what the Forefathers had in mind when they established our Government.
What a mess.
Comment by He Makes Ryan Look Like a Saint Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 10:44 am
What the forefathers had in mind? I’d be happy with the opinion of my middle school grammar teacher. Have you seen the convention question as it is to appear on November’s ballot? It’s a train-wreck, a blathering blizzard of words designed to confuse.
Comment by Suzanne Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 10:57 am
Stunning that one person [Emil] has such power that impacts ethics bill as well as closing state facilities & killing state jobs.
Comment by North of I-80 Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 11:08 am
Saw on another blog the Rep. Kurt Branberg is rumored to be the next head of DNR. Guess that explains him being one of THREE votes to uphold Gov. Rewrite’s veto of the ethics bill. Our new natural resource man was quoted about wanting to develop golf courses.
It’s the Department of NATURAL RESOURCES!!
Comment by Leave a light on George Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 11:22 am
There are lots of rumors about what Granberg will get. That’s one of them.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 11:30 am
I hope people will remember all of this in November. If it doesn’t matter on the ethics bill, which is a crock, why not just come back and deal witrh the closings so this doesn’t affect real people’s lives. Every time I think I have seen the height of arrogance, uncaring, and blatant disregard for ones duty, that these politicians show; they surprise me and top themselves. If there ever was a herd that needed culling this one does. I plan to use my vote in November to do what I can to relieve these folks of the burden of their jobs. And I hope others do the same. What is good for the goose is good for the gander.I am livid that the only concern some of these people have is where their campaign cash is coming from. It is time the voters showed them what they spend doesn’t matter, it is what you do when you get the job. They should all be arrested for impersonating a human being.
Comment by Irish Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 11:49 am
So, once again, it looks like the money is there for the parks, the social service agencies, and the drug programs (whether they actually need it given how poorly they are run being a separate issue) but we citizens just can’t get at it because of the machinations of Blago/Emil and the Democrats, who are fully in charge these days.
Clearly, an income tax increase is not needed, as the money always appears when Blago/Emil decide to
cut it loose.
All politicians do this, of course, but members of this administration seem to be particularly fond of the screaming headlines about laid off employees and closed programs followed by….nothing. A little sturm and drang keeps citizens from forgetting they even have a state government; given its utter uselessness, they can be pardoned for forgetting about this one.
Comment by Cassandra Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 11:55 am
At this rate the head of DNR will be the guy who comes in to flush the toilets in the winter to keep the pipes from freezing.
Comment by Ghost Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 12:06 pm
We all need to remember who is clogging the pipes of the Illinois legislature.
Cassandra, FYI - There are not-for-profit organizations that get state funding to care for the mentally challanged, elderly and sick who are losing their state funding and will close their doors. While their employees are not state employees they do get benefits from the state.
If these elected officials care so little for the people who have the least, why are they in office?
Comment by eek Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 2:20 pm
SOS decision for furloughs rather than layoffs could be an option for other Departments who are facing hundreds of layoffs. I realize SOS is not under the Gov., but still holds true.
Comment by You Go Boy Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 5:59 pm
Irish - Amen and AMEN! I, too, will vote for no incumbents this November, no matter who they are.
They are a scourge on this state and country, here in Springfield and Washington. The only cure for their hubris is a boot out the door.
Comment by Disgusted Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 6:47 pm