Legislative Action

By DIANE ROSS

Let the session begin

THE WEATHER'S about the only thing more unpredictable than the legislature. In fact, unpredictability is about the only thing you can predict about the legislature this session.

The Illinois General Assembly was scheduled to convene January 13 to hear the governor's annual State of the State address, then go back home and reconvene March 3 to hear the governor's annual budget address. Before the holidays, though, Gov. James R. Thompson had said he planned to call a special session, ostensibly to follow his State of the State address to consider his proposal to increase state liquor taxes (see "The state of the State," p. 4).

Then on January 4, House Speaker George Ryan announced he wouldn't support Thompson's proposal — and he didn't see how any other legislator would support it or any other increase in statewide taxes — before the March primary. Everyone was surprised when Ryan came out against Thompson's liquor tax increase, but no one was more surprised than Thompson. After all, Thompson had handpicked Ryan as his running mate in the March primary. Thompson's press secretary said only that Ryan's remarks had caught the governor off guard. But sure enough on January 5, the next day, Thompson took Ryan's advice and "uncalled" the special session.

It remains to be seen whether the governor and his would-be lieutenant governor can uncross their signals in time to call a special session on taxes and revenue before the primary.

As of this writing, January 11, Thompson's State of the State address was still set for January 13 and his budget address for March 3. According to the Department of Energy and Natural Resources, however, "certain days . . . have a high incidence of storms." One of those times is Christmas, and the other — you guessed it — is March 3.

Traditionally, the legislature does not get down to business until after the March primary, but in this year of unpredictability, that assumes the Illinois primary will still be held as scheduled March 16. With reapportionment still in the courts, even that date may be unpredictable. □

February 1982/Illinois Issues/25