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Kudos to the Tribune for injecting reality into silly season

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* I always try to remind people at this time of the year that they should ignore most of the articles written about Statehouse legislation. It’s the season of hope, much like baseball’s spring training. Thousands of bills are introduced, but only a few will make the final cut. Unlike baseball, though, it’s possible to discern where many of those bills are going, namely: Nowhere.

For instance, stories like this one are particularly suspect…

A measure to repeal the two-year-old ban on horse slaughtering for human consumption in Illinois is gaining some momentum in the state legislature.

The House Agriculture and Conservation Committee voted 11-2 Tuesday for House Bill 583, pushed by Republican Rep. Jim Sacia of Pecatonica, to lift the ban. The measure now moves to the full House.

If the bill had passed a liberal committee, it would be “gaining some momentum” in the General Assembly. But the conservative, pro-farmer, pro horse slaughter ag committee? That’s totally expected.

* Here are a few more excitable stories that probably won’t mean anything in the long run because introduced bills or bills that have passed a sympathetic committee just aren’t a signal for much of anything without closer scrutiny and context…

* The Anti-Immigrant Agenda In Springfield

* GOP bills about sex offenders draw ire

* Free drinks at your favorite casino a bad deal for Illinois

* Vote-By-Mail Debate Heads to Illinois House Committee

* Allow medical marijuana, with a doctor’s permission

* The Tribune provides some much-needed MSM analysis today…

In a single week, the Democrats who control the Capitol promoted the prospects of bills to abolish the death penalty, allow civil unions for gay couples and legalize marijuana as a pain reliever.

Before your blood gets boiling about sweeping changes coming to Illinois—or you get your hopes up, depending on your politics—know this: It’s all part of an oft-maddening rite of spring in Springfield.

Scrambling to appease their hard-core backers, Illinois lawmakers roll out thousands of bills that face long odds of becoming law but most assuredly will win partisan points back home or with certain ideological voters.

Flashy issues that stir a political party’s base inevitably attract headlines, such this year’s heavily Republican-backed call for a special election to replace Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.), who was appointed by Rod Blagojevich, then governor. Yet they often become one-year wonders, left on the scrap heap after one failed vote.

That’s exactly right. All stories about bills in committee should include this sort of context. They don’t, so readers are left to fend for themselves.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 8:34 am

Comments

Those are anti-immigrant? I was expecting something far worse. These are basically common sense proposals to help keep the budget deficit from growing at a faster rate and simple enforcement of laws that are/should be on the books.

Comment by Wumpus Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 8:44 am
The special election bill is a good example because they are promoting it as if it would recall Burris, which it would not. There is no provision for replacing an appointed person (unless he were to step down).

Comment by Pot calling kettle Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 8:44 am
Still, it’s a good way to get people’s blood pressure up. Or, a free lunch (or even better) from interested lobbyists.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 9:00 am
HB 925, HB 3914 and SB 1351 has really fired up the activist bikers.

Comment by The 'Broken Heart' of Rogers Park Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 9:05 am
Please explain to me why limiting financial resources to legal citizens a bad thing?

Comment by Just Because Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 9:17 am
You’re getting upset about bills that are going nowhere, which is supposed to be the point of this post. Take a breath, please.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 9:21 am
It really is sad to see all those sick cancer patients and others get their hopes up that Michael Madigan would even think of allowing a medical hemp bill to pass. That’s not going to happen until Michael Madigan is gone.

Haven’t needed a single Republican vote since 2002 to pass medical hemp, but Illinois Democrats would rather lock a cancer patient in a cage so they can keep kissing Madigan’s ring, instead of actually trying to help someone that is about to die.

Would silly season still be happening if we had honest and transparent government instead of a fiefdom? The entire system the Republicans and Democrats have designed to run this state is selfish and corrupt. This is another prime example of that. Michael Madigna has too much power.

Comment by TaxMeMore Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 9:51 am
===Would silly season still be happening if we had honest and transparent government instead of a fiefdom?===

Yes.

There’s this minor problem of rounding up enough votes on the floor, see?

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 9:51 am
This year, my appetite for new legislation is absent…I guess our duly elected reps must appear to be doing something whilst Quinn, Madigan, and Cullerton figure out a way out of the deluge of red ink…I guess it os too much to expect that everyone be involved in the conversation and crafting of a solution…

Comment by Anonymous45 Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 10:04 am
Rich, in your opinion, are the concealed carry bills in this category this year, or is there a chance that there might be a real vote on it? There seems to be little more public discussion on the issue than normal, and the main one is sponsored by a Democrat.

Comment by Downstate Commissioner Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 10:47 am
I totally agree. Neither Dems or Rep can be trusted. I have written both parties many times and get the ole song and dance routine each time.

There is one thing that I am looking forward to.

Tomorrow for the first time ever the U.S. Congress to hear testimony regarding the Adam Walsh Act. The AWA was created behind closed doors and never debated.

Well, tomorrow is the first of many “public” hearings on the AWA.

More here: http://cfcoklahoma.org/New_Site/index.php?option=com_fireboard&Itemid=0&func=view&catid=84&id=1104

Comment by MSLGWCEO Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 10:48 am
== - Just Because - Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 9:17 am:

Please explain to me why limiting financial resources to legal citizens a bad thing? ==

I second that emotion.

Comment by Speaking at Will Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 11:06 am
My other pet peeve about these types of stories is they never, ever include the bill number. It’s a simple piece of information that allows everyone to go look up the facts of what’s being debated/passed/killed/etc.

Comment by Scooby Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 12:14 pm
wow…HB 4142 - makes transporting an undocumented person a class 4 felony?

So, some poor cab driver who unknowingly picks up a fare commits a felony if said fare is undocumented?

Wow, that’s pretty evil. So, cab drivers are going to be required to check that all of our papers are in order? What, will I have to carry my SS card and my passport with me if I want to hail a cab?

and SB 2083 sounds like its also going to mandate taking my SS card and my passport not only when I vote, but also when I just register? Yeesh.

All these things that will do virtually nothing to discourage illegal immigration are just going to make everyday citizen’s lives a helluva lot harder, all in service to Big Brother.

Comment by jerry 101 Monday, Mar 9, 09 @ 7:20 pm