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* The beginning of what could be a brutal veto session for Gov. Rauner…
Senate votes 42-13 to override Rauner's veto of SB 1905 which prohibits local right to work zones.
— DougFinkeSJR (@DougFinkeSJR) October 24, 2017
The rollcall will be posted at this link. It got two more votes this time than the first time around.
…Adding… Hmm…
— SB1905 —
Althoff and McConnaughay changed from No to YesRezin and Schimpf voted yes after not voting in July https://t.co/IZCUyfyCqG
— IL Working Together (@IllinoisWorking) October 24, 2017
Rut-roh.
The bill fell four votes shy of a veto-proof majority in the House, so that’s where the action will be. And, man, are they ever pushing hard against it.
* The Illinois Policy Institute’s news service was in a bit of a lather about the bill earlier today…
More than half of the nation’s states have enacted laws barring forced unionization. In Illinois, lawmakers are primed to make enacting local right-to-work laws a criminal offense with up to a year in jail for the local politicians doing so.
A right-to-work law allows an employee to refuse union membership and still be employed. It’s proven to be a lightning rod on both sides of issues surrounding organized labor. Twenty-eight states have adopted right-to-work laws.
Under Senate Bill 1905, any local official in Illinois enacting right-to-work laws could potentially be charged with a class A misdemeanor. That’s a penalty often given to prostitutes, burglars, and drunk drivers and means up to a year in prison. It’s one step below a felony.
Laurie Reynolds, Prentice H. Marshall Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois College of Law, said taking a step to criminalize state-local disagreements warps the nature of local democracy.
“I have to think that a state court in Illinois would invalidate this as an abuse of state legislative power,” she said. “This is really beyond the pale.”
*** UPDATE *** Press release…
Governor Bruce Rauner issued the following statement following the Senate vote on SB 1905:
“Today’s vote could create a damaging loss for the economic competitiveness of Illinois.
Senate Bill 1905 would hurt all the people of our state through lost job opportunities, slower economic growth, a smaller statewide tax base and ultimately higher taxes in the future.
This vote denies local communities – cities and counties – the ability to decide for themselves how they would like to structure their regulations to compete for jobs with other states like Indiana, Wisconsin, Tennessee and Texas.
SB 1905 could be particularly devastating for communities in Illinois with high unemployment – Dolton, Danville, Decatur, Rockford, Englewood and Lawndale.
We urge the House of Representative to uphold the veto and give Illinois a chance to empower local voters to compete for jobs in high need areas throughout the state.”
* Related…
* More Rauner, Democrat showdowns on tap during veto session: Democratic Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s legislation to create a “bill of rights” for student-loan recipients is up for override, as is a measure from Democratic Treasurer Michael Frerichs to make it easier to collect life insurance benefits when a beneficiary dies.
* More GOP lawmakers split from Rauner on Debt Transparency Act: State Rep. Tim Butler, R-Springfield, said he initially thought HB 3649 was an attempt by Mendoza to handcuff Rauner during an election year. “But that being said, transparency is very important,” Butler said. “These bills should be reported on time. Whether or not it’s a monthly basis, or whatever, I think that’s the question.” Butler initially voted against it, but said he said he’s reconsidering that headed into a possible vote to override.
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 3:16 pm
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governor may be threatening legislators again. Not a good tactic.
Comment by 360 Degree Turnaround Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 3:22 pm
It took over 2 1/2 years for alleged Republicans and Democrats in the GA to have “enough” of Bruce Rauner.
Autonomy makes a Governor stronger.
A thoughtful governor would use this autonomy to find 60 and 30 with concensus.
Rauner is not a thoughtful governor.
It’s time to cut Rauner out where you can to save Illinois.
We’ll see.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 3:22 pm
Fowler missed the vote and asked to be added to the roll as a “yes.”
That makes eight Republicans voting to override.
Comment by Roman Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 3:35 pm
“And, man, are they ever pushing hard against it.”
Sorry if I’m slow, but are they pushing against the veto or the bill? Or both (both sides pushing)?
Comment by Perrid Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 3:39 pm
So, if this another version of the Springfield two-step or are the GOP legislators finally showing their union stripes?
Comment by Anon Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 3:44 pm
How did Rauner’s grandparents vote/s
Comment by Flynn's mom Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 3:50 pm
I find I’m now getting thru Capfax faster these days. Anything that has Rauner saying anything at all, I disregard it. More time for comments.
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 3:53 pm
Who thinks Kwame should have made sure the green button was pushed on this one?
Comment by 360 Degree Turnaround Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 3:53 pm
Well, I might as well be a dissenting voice. Apart from the strongarm tactic of making local legislative decisions criminal this over ride is givng power to less than a million people over the rest of the state. Union membership is declining (except in the service industry) yet our legislators continue to bow down to them, perhaps because over 50% of union members are public sector employees feeding union money to the politicians. It’s quite the rigged system.
Comment by Never Politically Correct Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 4:01 pm
It was wrong when the state legislatures in Missouri and North Carolina blocked local municipalities from increasing their minimum wages. It was exactly the kind of petty, tiresome politics that priortizes results over process that we see too much of in this country. This bill, too, is petty, tiresome and wrong. It is, at least, a great reinforcement of how this isn’t about unions, or families, or income, or process. It’s about sports, because red and blue are the teams and we just pick our sides and root for our quarterback to cross into the end zone.
Comment by Chris Widger Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 4:08 pm
===because red and blue are the teams and we just pick our sides===
The bill had bipartisan support so this part of your analysis is incorrect. You do make a decent point in the rest of your comment, though.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 4:09 pm
===SB 1905 could be particularly devastating for communities in Illinois with high unemployment – Dolton, Danville, Decatur, Rockford, Englewood and Lawndale.===
How come it never occurred to the Governor that, had he made a case for it from the beginning, perhaps he could have won limited “right to work zones” in these communities. Maybe he could have done the research needed to show that paying people less in those communities would open up more jobs there. I thought he was some kind of super salesman?
If we’re ever going to experiment in this state to see if a controversial economic development idea can work, I’m sure these are the communities that would be most open to trying it. He didn’t even try.
Instead, he pushed for RTW statewide, as if he had a majority in the General Assembly like Scott Walker had. He only won some support places like Lincolnshire, lol. Now he says this plan might hurt Englewood? Where’s he been for three years? Does he even remember 2015?
Also, look at the roll call Governor. Look at how many Republicans are running away from you. That’s what a lame duck looks like.
Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 4:11 pm
Englewood and Lawndale? He knows those are not cities, doesn’t he? Nice name check, but has little to do with the actual bill.
Comment by Juice Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 4:16 pm
Every right to work law has resulted in the “right” to make less money and benefit those who are already well to do. This Governor clearly could care less about working people. He also clearly cares less about the truth; just ask his grandparents.
Comment by Tired Teacher Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 4:46 pm
Re: switched votes. Could it be that the Rauner campaign wants a House vote?
Comment by Not It Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 4:49 pm
Is local control really sacred to conservatives? Not when it comes to pre-empting towns from imposing significant regs on guns.
Comment by anon2 Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 4:51 pm
About time for Bruce to trot this one out again — maybe couple it with the whopper about his immigrant grandparents.
– MrJM
Comment by @MisterJayEm Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 4:55 pm
Rauner’s working hard against this. He’s promising House Republicans that he will veto the next public funding of abortion bill if they uphold his veto.
I mean they believed him the first time.
Comment by Michelle Flaherty Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 5:06 pm
“Loss of competiveness”? I thought this was all about protecting worker rights. Gave up the charade, I guess.
Comment by Wondering Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 5:12 pm
Right to Work legislation doesn’t give anyone the right to work, only the right to not pay their fair share of a union negotitiated contract and the costs of administrating the contract.
Union membership is down as income inequality grows disproportionately for Rauner and the other one percenters.
Comment by Chicago 20 Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 5:20 pm
“Todays vote could create a damaging loss for the economic competitiveness of Illinois.”
Except it couldn’t. Right to work has no effect on a company’s bottom line.It is just a way for politicians to harass unions by allowing deadbeats .
Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 5:21 pm
Bruce Rauner a.ka. “Mr. Local Control”.
The man is the king of canned responses which all amount to nonsense word soup.
If he was serious about it he would also back legislation that relieves unions of the obligation to bargain on behalf of non-members.
I won’t hold my breath on that one.
Comment by JS Mill Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 5:29 pm
We are a Union State. Focus on reforms beyond this point.
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 5:38 pm
I guess the GA wants to get rid of whatever remains of Illinois manufacturing.
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 5:43 pm
If my count is right, seven of the eight Republicans who voted to override are on the ballot next year. Does that mean they’d rather make friends with labor than have Rauner’s financial protection next November?
This is an issue Bruce really, really cares about — perhaps more than anything else. I don’t think he’ll take these override votes lightly.
Comment by Roman Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 5:47 pm
Rauner deleted his facebook post that referenced this press release. Over 90% of the comments were bashing Rauner.
Comment by Real Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 5:52 pm
- Were any of the positive Facebook comments in Swedish?
Comment by Chicago 20 Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 6:08 pm
I’ve noticed on Facebook that some who call themselves Conservatives are bashing Rauner and saying that they are done with him. The Governor is pretty toxic and now some GOP members are deciding that they don’t want to be identified with him. They are also tired of living under his thumb and realize that the result of voting with him has been destructive to the Districts that they are supposed to represent. While they may not be courageous enough to say so publicly they will be glad when he’s gone.
Comment by The Dude Abides Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 6:13 pm
Getting Amazon now… might be more “challenging” for Illinois.
Comment by Steve Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 6:48 pm
==I guess the GA wants to get rid of whatever remains of Illinois manufacturing.==
You know we’re not a RTWFL state right now, right?
Comment by Arsenal Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 8:58 pm
Perhaps the mildew is off the Rose ?
Comment by Jaxon Tuesday, Oct 24, 17 @ 10:46 pm
Im against rtw. That said, it’s wrong to criminalize it.
Comment by Generic Drone Wednesday, Oct 25, 17 @ 12:21 am
Remember, too, that this is the 70% chance US Supreme Court case Rauner plans to win…
“The second big thing we’re doing, same dynamic. I’ve never said Illinois should be right to work state, because we have a majority General Assembly who doesn’t believe in freedom, and free enterprise, and free choice, but I went to local governments, cities and counties, and I said, “you should control your competitiveness in your economy. You should decide whether you want your city to be able to compete against Indiana, or Tennessee, or Texas.” I got 36 cities and counties to pass local ordinances allowing local control of their labor regulations and other types of regulations. We got sued. Many of the communities abandoned their efforts in court, but one community, Lincolnshire, in the North suburbs of Chicago, says, “We’re going to stay the course.” I’m advocating with them and helping them with that. We are now in Federal Court. We’re heading to the Supreme Court in 2018. It’s not as high a probability as our government freedom case, but while we’ve been in court, Hardin County, Kentucky, before Matt Bevin won as governor and it became a pro-growth state, before that they had a county, Hardin County, that wanted to compete with Tennessee and Texas for jobs. They passed an ordinance, no more forces unionism in their county, even though the state was a forced union state. They won in Federal Appellate Court. This court said, “You can, as a county, decide.” Now we have competing court rulings, and we’re going to bring our case to the Supreme Court. Theirs is dropped, because they’ve become a freedom state. Ours is going to get to the Supreme Court. I think we’re going to win. We got about a 70% chance. When we do, we will have many counties in Illinois, but also New Jersey, Connecticut, New York, and California, that will vote for economic freedom and competition and change the dynamic completely. That will have nothing to do with the legislature or our budget fight. These are transformative changes that we are driving.”
https://www.hoover.org/research/budget-crisis-land-lincoln
Comment by Anon221 Wednesday, Oct 25, 17 @ 7:45 am
I hope people get the message that Bruce Rauner, the IPI and others in that camp are sending: If workers don’t permanently lower their economic standards of living, there will be no investment in them.
That is naked exploitation by the most privileged. It tells communities in economic pain that they have to surrender their leverage to the benefit of the most powerful.
There’s absolutely no need for RtW, other business reforms notwithstanding. Full union states have higher incomes and better standards of living. Their economies are doing fine, on the whole. Jobs are being created more consistently in some of those states than in Wisconsin and Indiana. So this proves we don’t need RtW. It will only bring us down, and keep pushing down standards of living.
Comment by Grandson of Man Wednesday, Oct 25, 17 @ 8:09 am
Right to Work? Right to starve is more like it. Life’s reality is that we have to earn enough to pay the bills. If employers were willing to pay fair wages, unions would disappear because there would be no need for them. I am curious to know why the same people who earn $10,000 an hour have a problem paying the people who work hard to keep the doors open, $15 an hour?
Comment by donna Wednesday, Oct 25, 17 @ 9:18 am