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Madigan: “I don’t think there is a judge in the nation, especially in Illinois, who would challenge this”

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* Charles McBarron takes a look back at the summer of 1988, when Big Jim Thompson muscled a bill through both chambers to keep the White Sox in Chicago…

In the late afternoon on June 30, based on Senate President Phillip’s opposition, Lt. Gov. George Ryan pronounced the Sox stadium bill “dead.”

Phillip had a vice-like grip on his members, so there was no reason to doubt Ryan as the bill awaited a Senate vote. But, Gov. Thompson wasn’t giving up.

“I said, ‘Pate, this is personal. I want this stadium and you have to help me,’” Thompson said.

In a surprise, Phillip dropped his opposition, allowing his members to vote as they wished. The Senate Minority Leader smirked as Thompson prowled the Senate floor, looking for Republicans willing to support the bill.

Shockingly, Thompson convinced three Republicans to go along, giving the bill the minimum 30 votes needed. As soon as the votes were tallied, Thompson and his lobbying team literally sprinted into the House chamber to try to get the bill passed before the midnight deadline.

What happened next was as dramatic as anything that happened at Comiskey Park in the during the 80 years it hosted ballgames.

Go read the whole thing, but also make sure to listen to Charlie’s play-by-play that aired live on WMAQ Radio during the roll call…

You can hear WMAQ’s tone that clearly signaled midnight before the vote was taken. But Charlie couldn’t hear anything on the other end because it was so loud in the chamber. Back in those days, the three-fifths vote requirement for bills with an immediate effective date didn’t kick in until July 1. It was most definitely July 1 when that bill passed.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 10:01 am

Comments

I was lucky enough to be there that night. It was absolutely crazy, and I LOVED every moment. And, yes, it was after midnight.

Comment by Wonderful World Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 10:09 am
Thompson = “Build Illinois”
Rauner = “Destroy Illinois”

Comment by DuPage Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 10:10 am
Charles McBarron and this recounting, both, are top shelf. One of the best statehouse stories that deals very specifically to 60, 30, signature, and a governor being the leader that worked with the GA and made the politics and governing work.

Great stuff. Take the time, it’s worth it.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 10:14 am
The great Jim McPike in the chair

Comment by Anon Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 10:15 am
Being a life long Sox fan, we listened to this live on WBBM back in 1988. I’ve since heard that Jerry Reinsdorf had no intention of really moving to St. Petersburg. Interestingly, here we are 30 years later and the Tampa Bay Rays are threatening to leave that very same ballpark if they don’t get a new facility.

Comment by Stones Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 10:28 am
The transcript at the ILGA website shows McPike declares the passage AND the time at 11:59 p.m. The court ruled it is the prerogative of the presiding officer to determine the time and the SOX stayed!

Comment by Annnonin' Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 10:29 am
Let’s hope this rebuild on the South Side kicks in pretty soon. The Sox are 26th in home attendance with a 17,583 average, just 44% of capacity.

Ironically, one of the four teams with a lower attendance mark is the Rays, who play in the stadium that Jerry supposedly was going to ship the team.

The metros of Portland, Salt Lake City, Indy, Raleigh, Charlotte and Las Vegas are itching to get in the game. If they can bankroll new stadiums, you’re going to see the likes of the Rays, A’s and the Sox consider a move, unless their cities can come up with new stadiums.

I doubt Chicago and Illinois would build another stadium for the Sox. Not after the Ricketts got turned down for the corporate welfare, and are paying for improvements out of their own very deep pockets.

http://www.espn.com/mlb/attendance

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 10:30 am
That’s a night I’ll never forget. I was gallery-roosting in the House when the vote (which was no earlier than 12:03 a.m. by my watch) was recorded. John Dunn, a Democrat from Decatur, through a sheaf of papers into the air in protest. This was a rare occasion I was glad Dunn lost. My white Florida White Sox t-shirt has yellowed over the years. I’m just glad it never became more than a collector’s item.:)

Comment by Wallinger Dickus Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 10:37 am
I was also on the House floor that night. The vote started before midnight but didn’t end until after midnight. I was just in front of Bill Marovitz when the vote was being taken and he was bemoaning the loss of a great franchise. It was also interesting to see members of House Republican leadership turning down Lt. Governor Ryan’s admonition that they should vote in favor of the legislation. You could almost physically feel the momentum when the first vote changed from May to aye. I still remember the super Sox fan in the gallery yelling “Way to go Big Jim” when the gavel came down after they reached the magic 60.

Comment by regnaD kciN Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 10:46 am
This video is worth a watch too from Comiskey
https://youtu.be/ht0GFjomrBM

Comment by Thanks Big Jim Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 10:46 am
Was supposed to be Addison White Sox. They owned the land. But when Addison referendum failed by 50 votes Pate pulled his support

Comment by DuPage Saint Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 10:48 am
Always heard about this legend. Well written and fun to read.

Comment by Boone's is Back Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 10:49 am
I was on staff at the time, and saw the issue developing. So, without being asked, we collected the prospectus from every bond issue for a publically funded stadium for the prior 20 years or more. Sure enough. Late in the game, marovitz came to me, apologizing for such a big request, needed fast. He was surprised when i said he could have it the next day. High fives.

Comment by Langhorne Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 10:57 am
As a life-long Sox fan, I was glad to see them stay. But this was a really bad deal. The authority paid for the buildout of the ChiSox Grill and also recently for a larger scoreboard. The gift that keeps on giving.

Comment by James the Intolerant Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 11:00 am
Did they really stop the clock at 11:59?

Comment by Grand Avenue Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 11:17 am
White Sox games are great. Cheap tickets, easy access, good food choices. Not a deep fan base, but plenty of loyal fans and good heritage.

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 11:21 am
Great read. Rich’s headline was the line of article that stuck out to me the most. Velvet hammer at it’s finest.

Comment by Centennial Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 11:24 am
I still have my red “Save our Sox” cap - preceded 45’s similar red cap.
It was a wild evening — the clock wasn’t stopped as much as the timestamp was whited out and edited on the vote. I love Illinois politics, when the right result comes about.

Comment by capitol view Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 11:41 am
That’s great audio

Comment by Anonymiss Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 11:41 am
I’m a huge Sox fan. Went to a game at the 2005 series. But I’m still troubled by this gift to the owners— and the continuing gifts to the owners from the government authority that “owns” the stadium.

Comment by Keyrock Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 11:53 am
That is just great stuff. The roll being held open…a governor actually on the floor working the bill…live, play-by-play media coverage of the General Assembly.

Man, some of us joined this circus a couple of decades too late.

Comment by BC Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 12:03 pm
I was 10 years old at the time and a huge White Sox fan. I don’t think I realized until much later on in life how close this came to not happening, and there were things in McBarron’s piece that I didn’t know until today. Thanks so much for posting!

Comment by Father Ted Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 12:10 pm
Big Jim promises taxpayer largess for votes, he’s a hero. Blago does it, 14 yrs in prison.

Comment by Just Sayin' Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 12:33 pm
–Big Jim promises taxpayer largess for votes, he’s a hero. Blago does it, 14 yrs in prison.–

I’m sorry you hit your head so hard.

But what were the instances of “taxpayer largess for votes” that landed Blago in prison?

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 1:01 pm
Word is correct on the attendance problems for the White Sox. Before extensive renovations were done from 2001 to 2018 the park cost $137 million, I really can’t figure out the total spent on renovations its for sure in the many millions only a small part of it was picked up by the White Sox. There is no way the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority ever gets even on this deal,

Mr. Reinsdorf’s franchise pays just $1.6 million in annual rent to the state but that did not start before 2008, up till then they paid no rent. The Sox also must pay a fee on each ticket sold in excess of 1.93 million in paid attendance. Since 2008, I think the Sox have paid that fee only in 2010, when games drew 2.2 million fans.

Ultimately I like having an American League team here, even though I am a north side Cubs fan. But this was a very bad deal.

Its really absurd, please Rich don’t remind us all of this really bad deal to keep the white sox in town.

Comment by Rod Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 1:36 pm
Thanks for the audio.

Comment by UsedtobeGOP Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 2:59 pm
My first, last night of session it was a circus. I had no idea what was going on I was an intern been in the Cap two weeks. Sat in the House gallery in amazement.

Comment by theCardinal Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 5:39 pm
My father may have mentioned this to me once . . . Or twice . . . or a hundred times. Love the audio.

Comment by John Dunn Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 5:41 pm
it is refreshing to remember a time a governor worked with members of the opposing party to muscle something through that might not have been popular but needed doing. I took Reinsdorf at his word on the moving threat.

Imagine 2005 never happening….

Sales tax and other receipts going to Florida and not Illinois.

Comment by low level Tuesday, Jun 26, 18 @ 9:07 am