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* Yesterday morning started off on a note of unity…
[Rep. Mike Zalewski] spent much of his Wednesday working to get support from people who are in favor of gun rights, including Rep. Brandon Phelps, the man behind concealed carry legislation, and Todd Vandermyde of the NRA.
They were worried the bill could send lawful gun owners to prison for making a simple mistake, so they got rid of the parts of the bill dealing with first-time offenders.
“It just shows when you sit down and find out people’s bottom line, you can get a lot of stuff done here,” said Phelps.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel was a major force behind the bill and the negotiations.
“He’s the first mayor, since I’ve been here, who’s ever reached out,” said Phelps. “And it’s nice to know you have somebody like that, in Chicago.”
* But things quickly deteriorated…
Within an hour, his legislation is up in the House. Zalewski runs through the routine things you have to do to start debate. Then, suddenly, Speaker of the House Mike Madigan hits the breaks.
“The clerk advises there are outstanding notes on the bill, so the bill shall be taken out of the record,” Madigan says.
Two seconds pass. “The chair is prepared to adjourn,” Madigan says, and he does.
The reaction among the sponsors can best be described as “You’ve got to be kidding.”
One minute, they’re about to debate the mayor’s gun bill. The next, Speaker Madigan points out some paperwork is missing, then abruptly adjourns the last scheduled session day of the year.
Herein lies the intrigue.
The “notes” the speaker referred to are requests for information that can only be provided by the administration of Gov. Pat Quinn. Things like how much the new, longer prison sentences would cost the Department of Corrections.
* The notes were filed by Rep. Ken Dunkin…
African-American lawmakers in the Illinois House used a procedural measure to delay the proposed legislation. The bill to set higher mandatory minimum sentences for illegal gun possession was stopped cold after a rarely used parliamentary move by the Black Caucus chairman.
“It was not a parliamentary trick. It was a parliamentary procedure that we have in the Illinois House rulebook,” said State Rep. Ken Dunkin, (D) Chicago.
Dunkin complained that sponsor Mike Zalewski had not answered all the questions raised during Wednesday’s committee hearing.
“I don’t understand why one member has the right to dictate to the other members that this isn’t a good public policy,” said Zalewski, (D) Riverside.
* Rep. Dunkin and other members of the Black Caucus want some more state programs…
“We want a bill that has a comprehensive approach toward dealing with getting bad guys off the street. We want that 100 percent,” Dunkin said. “The challenge with this bill still is there are collateral damages that will impact innocent people, potentially.”
The legislation’s prospects now appear fuzzy since lawmakers are not scheduled to return to the Capitol until Jan. 29 for the start of the spring session, though they could return earlier in the event of a pension breakthrough.
“We do enhancements down here every single year, and they fly out of the chamber,” Zalewski told reporters Thursday morning while acknowledging opposition from black lawmakers before the aborted vote.
“And all of a sudden, the one time we’re going to do enhancements for gun offenses, that’s the straw that’s going to break the camel’s back?” he asked.
* More…
The quick adjournment avoided a potentially fiery debate pitting African-American and Latino legislators against largely white Chicago-area and Downstate lawmakers, which would have put on display philosophical fissures among Democrats. It would have been the second time this week, following approval of gay marriage, that black lawmakers would have been asked to support a high-profile bill opposed by some of their constituents.
“Today was a day that we wanted to make sure that the sponsor and the mayor of Chicago (are) aware that we have a real problem” with this gun legislation, said Dunkin, who said crime fighting should not be done in a “piecemeal way.”
By blocking the legislation, the lawmakers aligned themselves on the issue with a re-election seeking Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn rather than Emanuel. Quinn has sought more money for programs to rehabilitate first offenders and re-entry programs for inmates.
Emanuel, who had billed the legislation as a way to help crack down on gun violence that continues to plague city streets, decried what he called “political stunts” to derail it.
* As I told you yesterday, Gov. Quinn had his liaisons working against the bill yesterday morning. Those weren’t the only Quinn fingerprints, however…
Often, the administration responds to requests for notes on legislation within an hour, although state law allows five days for a response.
The Department of Corrections is responsible for the notes covering the cost and impact on prison population. Zalewski’s legislation was changed Wednesday afternoon and Corrections spokesman Tom Shaer said each change requires careful analysis.
But Zalewski pointed out that for weeks, the agency has been able to quickly respond with inmate and cost projections based on differing versions of his bill. Corrections has opposed the measure, saying it would cost $700 million extra over a decade.
No way did Quinn want that bill on his desk. No way.
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 1:10 pm
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so any possibility that there were some deals to kill this in exchange for marriage equality support? It seems like the black caucus was opposed to both, but had far greater concerns abotu the impact of harsher sentencing on a system that tends to snag a disproportionally high number of minorities.
Comment by Ghost Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 1:26 pm
Quinn sure does like sticking it to Emanuel. Goes to show you, governors trump mayors every time.
Comment by Wordslinger Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 1:28 pm
“The bill…was stopped cold after a rarely used parliamentary move…”
Charles Thomas again displaying his legendary knowledge of legislative procedure
Comment by Joe Bidenopolous Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 1:38 pm
Zalewski did the same thing to the GA when he worked in the governor’s office for Blagojevich. They slow-walked responses to notes all the time.
Comment by Not me Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 1:47 pm
Even though Zalewski is white he represents the 23rd District which is over 80% minority in its composition. If the Black and Hispanic caucuses were opposed to the bill based on the increased potential imprisonment as one of Rich’s linked articles implies and they are reflecting the will of their communities is Zalewski in tune with his own electorate?
Moreover, did he carry the water on this bill as a favor to his father and Rahm? Maybe Zalewski needs to worry more about the minority communities in suburbs he represents than issues coming from Chicago that he does not represent.
Comment by Rod Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 1:54 pm
I’m sure I didn’t read that right.
Why would former Clinton White House Senior Adviser
U.S. Representative
Chair of the DCCC
Chair of the U.S. House Democratic Caucus
Obama White House Chief of Staff
Rahm Emanuel whine about a caucus position and a fiscal note as “political stunts”?
Maybe he meant it as a compliment.
Comment by crazybleedingheart Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 2:12 pm
The African American community is devastated by the murders of children in their communities right up to the point of doing something about it.
Comment by catrike Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 2:13 pm
Such note requests, and responses, occur often in Springfield. They are not a trick, but part of the regular hurdles to get over to pass a tough bill.
The best sponsors (think G Harris) file them early on their own bills and have an answer readily available, to co-opt such a maneuver by an opponent — if there is time. In this case, the last minute changes probably left the sponsor no defense against the move.
Comment by walkinfool Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 2:22 pm
Lol, catrike. Explain to me how the bill decreases violence? Other than locking up the “other”? It doesn’t. Shame on you zalewski, Munoz and rahm.
Comment by dang Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 2:34 pm
Well as long as I’m a star on the blog today…
@walkinfool we would have never won a motion to withdraw the notes or hold them inapplicable. Even supporters wanted to know cost. And Floor Amendment 5 diminished the cost of the bill, so the arithemetic was easy. Note the notes still haven’t been filed today.
Comment by Mike Z. Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 2:36 pm
“The challenge with this bill still is there are collateral damages that will impact innocent people, potentially.”
Total baloney. What reason, exactly?
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 2:38 pm
**The African American community is devastated by the murders of children in their communities right up to the point of doing something about it.**
Sure…except for the fact that this bill wouldn’t actually do anything about that devastation.
Comment by dave Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 2:39 pm
I should say, “what innocent people exactly?”
Comment by Lobo Y Olla Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 2:40 pm
This wasn’t a “rarely used” tactic. Fiscal note requests and informational requests have been uses for decades. If Zalewski didn’t know that he should read the manual they give out to freshmen legislators.
Comment by Tom Joad Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 3:15 pm
**This wasn’t a “rarely used” tactic. Fiscal note requests and informational requests have been uses for decades. If Zalewski didn’t know that he should read the manual they give out to freshmen legislators.**
Where did Zalewski say that it was rarely used?
I disagree with Zalewski on this bill, but lets not misrepresent what happened. The black caucus and the Quinn administration stalled so that the bill couldn’t pass this week.
There was little/nothing Zalewski could do about it.
Comment by dave Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 3:29 pm
This is embarrassing for Zalewski and Emanuel. Besides the fact that this is horrible public policy from a criminal justice standpoint, crowding more people into the corrections system could also lead to another early release nightmare for all kinds of inmates, with blame for the bloat and subsequent releases at the feet of Emanuel. Of course, that just be another chance for Our Little Hero to ride in on his High Horse again and demand action.
Comment by Precinct Captain Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 3:32 pm
I see a revolt pending in Chicago by 2015. It just needs a leader.
Comment by a drop in Friday, Nov 8, 13 @ 4:20 pm