Washington

By ROBERT MACKAY

ILLINOIS now has a third state office in Washington, prompting one wag to suggest a plot by Gov. James R. Thompson to get to Washington by shipping the state Capitol here piece by piece.

The newest office, however, represents not the governor, but the General Assembly. Its existence has stirred some controversy, and at least one Illinois newspaper editorially criticized the need for the office.

Illinois residents certainly can't complain about a lack of representation in the nation's capital. There also are the State of Illinois Office, which works on behalf of Thompson and various administration officials who are supposed to be working for the people, and the State Board of Education Office, which works on behalf of Thompson and for the school children, their parents and taxpayers of the state. And

now, the General Assembly Office represents state senators and representatives who are also supposed to represent the people of Illinois.

All that suggests overkill and a waste of taxpayer money. Even Bill Holland, the director of the new office, said he is not sure the General Assembly Office is absolutely necessary, but he defends his office against criticism that it duplicates the State of Illinois Office.

"They do overlap, that's true," Holland said. "But the governor's office represents the governor and his vision of how the federal government affects Illinois. The governor's office represents not only the governor, but the institution of the governor. The General Assembly Office: we represent Illinois and all the members — Democrats and Republicans, senators and representatives. We also represent the institution of the General Assembly. There's a difference, a big difference."

Holland said the federal government tends to ignore state legislatures and deal only with governors when discussing federal programs for the states.

"That hurts at points," Holland said. "Various federal agencies establish programs, rules and regulations and identify the governor as the chief person to contact, and then they'll all draw their regulations to the governor and then they say the General Assembly should appropriate the money. Well, the General Assembly is an equal branch of government. If some of the rules and regulations exclude the General Assembly or give it limited input, then our authority in the appropriation process is diminished."

A recent example of this, Holland said, involved some mental health bills in which the federal government asked Thompson to set 15 priorities for possible funding. Later, the federal government told Thompson it could fund only the first seven of the priorities. "But what if items 8 through 15 are very important to the General Assembly? We're kind of taken for granted; we're not allowed our input. We're trying to get the federal rules and regulations amended so there is consideration given to state governments. That is something you won't get from the governor's office."

Holland, 29, former staff director of House Speaker William Redmond's Appropriations Committee in the 81st General Assembly, said his office does not compete with the State of Illinois Office in lobbying for federal funds and programs; it is not Democrats against Republicans. "It's in our best interest to work together. Ultimately they're working for Illinois, and ultimately we're working for Illinois. The governor's office maintains good, close relations with the Republican members [of Congress]. We presumably could try to work with some of the Democratic members. I'm not sure it would be overkill, I don't think so."

The General Assembly Office staff consists of three people: Holland, who handles transportation matters; Russ Blaauw, a Republican from Springfield who handles education and social services; and Jim Freeh, a specialist on the federal bureaucracy. The office's appropriation of $173,000 expires June 30.

While Holland's staff will lobby against President Reagan's budget cuts that could adversely affect Illinois, Holland does not feel the outcry against the cuts will be very intense. "The people I talk to back in Illinois [about the cuts] . . . the feeling I get is, 'We really want this to work.' They understand it's going to be painful. They want to see a resolution of the problem. I think they're willing to take their lumps; they just want a fair shake. And everybody is going to get their lumps."

Holland hopes to prove by the end of June his office is necessary and should continue to exist, regardless of which party is in control of the Illinois legislature.

"I work for Democrats and Republicans . . . and I want to do a good job for both Democrats and Republicans." In a bipartisan atmosphere, Holland said, "Everybody benefits."

Responding to a skeptical look, Holland said, "You're right, that's not Illinois politics. The key is what I didn't say. I am not nonpartisan. Anybody in Illinois government who says they're nonpartisan is a liar."

April 1981/ Illinois Issues/ 43