A memorable contest; a Black president
WHATEVER ELSE it may do, the House of Representatives of the 79th General Assembly will be remembered
because of the number of ballots required to elect a speaker.
Both chambers convened at noon on Wednesday, January 8, as directed by the Constitution, with Gov. Dan Walker presiding in the Senate and Sec. of State Michael J. Hewlett in the House.
The Senate chose Sen. Cecil A. Partee (D., Chicago) as its president after a delay of several hours when eight dissident Democrats withheld their support until he agreed to appoint one of their number, Sen. Terry L. Bruce(D., Olney) an assistant majority leader. The other seven were Kenneth V. Buzbee, Carbondale; Vivian Hickey, Rockford;Jerome Joyce, Reddick: Vince DeMuzio, Carlinville; Bill Morris. Waukegan; Dawn dark Netsch, Chicago; and Don Wooten, Rock Island.
Partee's selection was historic because he was the first Black to be elected as president of the Senate (he had been minority leader) but the event was overshadowed by what was going on in the House. There, Rep. Clyde L. Choate (D., Anna) could not gain the necessary 89 vote majority despite continuous balloting.
From Wednesday until Friday afternoon (January 8-10) he was receiving 59 or 60 votes on each ballot with some 40 Democratic votes going to others, especially Rep. Gerald Bradley (D., Bloomington), the governor's apparent choice. Friday afternoon following a Democratic meeting, William A. Redmond (D., Bensenville) became the choice of the Democratic majority on the 39th ballot, but it took another 54 ballots before Redmond on Tuesday, January 21, received the 89 votes needed to elect him speaker. Seven of these votes came from Republicans.
The seven Republicans who voted for Redmond were Gene L. Hoffman and Lee A. Daniels, both of Elmhurst and from the same legislative district as Redmond; Charles E. Gaines, Edmund F. Kucharski, Roger P. McAuliffe, and Walter McAvoy, all of Chicago; and James P. McCourt, Evanston. Daniels and Gaines are freshman members.
James R. Washburn (R., Morris), who was chairman of the House Appropriations Committee in the 78th General Assembly, was chosen as the minority leader of the House. In the Senate, Sen. William C. Harris (R., Pontiac), who had been Senate president, became minority leader.
Redmond named Gerald W. Shea, Riverside, as majority leader, Corneal A. Davis, Chicago, E. J. "Zeke" Giorgi, Rockford, and Michael J. Madigan, Chicago, assistant majority leaders, and Don E. Brummet, Vandalia, and Bradley, whips. Washburn named Celeste Stiehl, Belleville, Arthur A. Telcser, Chicago, and William D. Walsh, LaGrange Park, as assistant minority leaders, and Brian B. Duff, Wilmette, and W. Timothy Simms, Rockford, whips. Partee named James Donnewald, Breese, Philip Rock, Chicago, and Bruce, assistant majority leaders in the Senate. Harris named Howard Mohr, Forest Park, and John Graham, Barrington, assistant minority leaders.
John F. O'Brien, Springfield, was elected chief, clerk of the House, and Kenneth Weight, Pawnee, secretary of the Senate. Both men had formerly held the assistant positions. Their former superiors, Fred Selcke and Edward Fernandes became House assistant chief clerk and Senate assistant secretary, respectively.
Plan to save $15 milion
Savings of $15 million a year are projected under a job freeze and spending control program for the governor's agencies put into effect (12/30/74) as the old year ended. Gov. Dan Walker announced there will be restrictions on state employment, office expense, and travel reimbursement.
There will be no hirings over the job levels of December 31 except in critical areas such as corrections, caseworkers, and direct patient care personnel; pay for new employees is not to exceed beginning levels (step 1); unnecessary middle management positions will be eliminated; voluntary retirement for eligible older employees will be encouraged; pools of employees, such as stenographers, will be used where possible; and overtime will be reduced by 20 per cent.
Office spending controls include a 50 per cent reduction in copying costs and 10 per cent for contractual services; no new publications to be started and newsletters to be dropped; no additional document storage expense unless the agency has an approved records management and disposal plan; and no relocation of offices or new leases resulting in increased costs without prior approval by a special committee.
Travel restrictions include elimination of full-time assignment of autos unless the agency or employee's use exceeds 15,000 miles per year; no reimbursement for lunch expenses, nor for breakfast or dinner unless the employee has to leave home prior to 6 a.m. or has to work past 7 p.m. on any day away from the home office not requiring an overnight stay; and travel coordinators to be designated in each agency to hold down costs.
Correction
The Auditor General is selected by a three-fifths vote of both houses of the legislature, not a two-thirds vote as stated here in the January issue.
March 1975/Illinois lssues/89