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By DAVID H. EVERSON and KENT REDFIELD

Regional interests further party decline

Analysis of roll call votes on sales tax reduction and transportation funding bills indicate that regional factionalism transcends party loyalties

THE RECENT legislative votes on the sales tax reductions on food and drugs and on transportation funding in the Illinois House provide strong evidence of party decline in the Illinois General Assembly. In earlier articles in Illinois Issues, we had speculated that the signs of the declining influence of political parties on voting and voter turnout in Illinois would be joined by party decline in the Illinois General Assembly (see August) and in the Chicago Democratic organization (see June).

The roll call votes in the House on the sales tax and road plan (see box) demonstrate the sharp regional divisions within the parties on these issues once Gov. James R. Thompson and Chicago Mayor Jane Byrne made deals on them. (For details on the legislative battles on the sales tax issue, see December "Legislative Action.")

The initial passage in June of H.B. 2564 to eliminate the sales tax on food and medicine found the parties nearly unified in opposition to each other in the House. The decision of the governor and the mayor, however, to join forces last summer to pass the

House Democrats, 89

VOTE 1

VOTE 2

VOTE 3

VOTE 4

VOTE 1

VOTE 2

VOTE 3

VOTE 4

Downstate Democrats Districts 34-38, 43-59

Cook County Democrats Districts 1-10 + Greiman from the 15th

Birchler, 58

Y

Y

Y

Y

Bradley, 44

Y

Y

Y

Y

Chapman, 3

Y

Y

Y

N

Breslin, 38

Y

Y

Y

A

Getty, 10

Y

A

Y

N

Brummer, 54

Y

Y

Y

Y

Greiman, 15

Y

Y

Y

N

Christensen, 43

Y

Y

Y

Y

Jaffe, 4

Y

Y

Y

N

Darrow, 36

Y

Y

Y

Y

Kelley, 9

Y

Y

A

N

Donovan, 51

Y

Y

Y

Y

Katz, 1

Y

Y

Y

N

Dunn, J., 51

Y

Y

Y

Y

Leverenz, 5

Y

Y

Y

N

Flinn, 57

Y

Y

Y

Y

Mugalian, 2

Y

Y

Y

N

Giorgi, 34

Y

Y

N

Y

Pechous, 7

Y

Y

Y

N

Hanning, 49

Y

Y

Y

Y

Steczo, 9

Y

Y

Y

N

Harris, 59

Y

Y

Y

Y

Wilier, 6

Y

Y

Y

N

Kane, 50

Y

Y

Y

N

Williams, 5

Y

Y

Y

N

Mautino, 37

Y

Y

Y

Y

Yourell, 8

Y

A

P

N

McClain, 48

Y

Y

N

Y

13Y

11Y

11Y

13N

McGrew, 47

Y

Y

Y

Y

2A

1P

McPike, 56

Y

Y

Y

Y

1A

Mulcahey, 35

Y

Y

Y

Y

Chicago Democrats Districts 11-30

Rea, 59

Y

Y

Y

Y

Richmond, 58

Y

Y

Y

Y

Alexander, 26

Y

P

N

Y

Satterthwaite, 52

Y

Y

A

Y

Balanoff, 30

Y

Y

Y

N

Schisler, 48

Y

Y

Y

Y

Barnes, 29

Y

A

N

Y

Schraeder, 46

Y

Y

Y

Y

Beatty, 27

Y

P

Y

Y

Sharp, 49

Y

Y

Y

Y

Bowman, 11

Y

Y

Y

N

Slape, 55

Y

Y

Y

Y

Braun, 24

Y

Y

Y

N

Stuffle, 53

Y

Y

Y

Y

Bullock, 22

Y

Y

A

Y

Von Boeckman, 45

Y

Y

Y

Y

Capparelli, 16

Y

A

N

Y

Wolf, S., 56

Y

Y

Y

Y

Cullerton, 12

Y

N

N

Y

Younge, 57

Y

Y

Y

Y

Currie, 24

Y

Y

Y

N

29Y

29Y

26Y

27Y

Dawson, 30

Y

P

N

Y

2N

1N

DiPrima, 18

Y

P

N

Y

1A

1A

Domico, 20

Y

P

N

Y

Collar County Democrats Districts 31-33, 39-42

Doyle, 18

Y

P

N

Y

Ewell, 29

Y

A

N

Y

Hanahan, 33

Y

Y

Y

N

Farley, 14

Y

Y

N

Y

Matijevich, 31

Y

Y

Y

N

Garmisa, 19

Y

A

N

Y

Murphy, 39

Y

Y

Y

N

Goodwin, 22

Y

P

N

Y

Pierce, 32

Y

Y

Y

Y

Henry, 21

Y

A

N

Y

Schneider, 41

Y

Y

Y

N

Huff, 20

Y

P

N

Y

Redmond, 40

Y

Y

Y

N

Jones, 28

Y

P

N

Y

Van Duyne, 42

Y

Y

Y

Y

Keane, 28

Y

Y

Y

Y

7Y

7Y

7Y

2Y

Kornowicz, 25

Y

Y

Y

Y

5N

Kosinski, 16

Y

A

N

Y

Kozubowski, 23

Y

P

N

Y

KEY TO ROLL CALL VOTES VOTE 1 is final action (concurrence) in House on H.B. 2564, the bill to eliminate sales tax on food and medicine (June 28, 1979). VOTE 2 is veto override in House of H.B. 2564, the bill to eliminate sales tax on food and medicine (October 16, 1979). VOTE 3 is vote in House on amendment to H.B. 2796 to restore elimination of sales tax on food and medicine (October 30, 1979). VOTE 4 is 3rd Reading vote in House on S.B. 889, the Thompson-Byrne Transportation Plan (September 6, 1979). Y=Yes, N=No, P=Present, A=Absent

Kulas, 19

Y

P

N

Y

Laurino, 15

Y

A

N

Y

Lechowicz, 17

Y

P

N

Y

Leon, 17

Y

P

N

Y

Madigan, 27

Y

P

N

Y

Marovitz, 12

Y

Y

Y

Y

O'Brien, 13

Y

Y

N

Y

Patrick, 21

Y

A

N

Y

Pouncey, 26

Y

N

N

Y

Preston, 11

Y

P

N

Y

Ronan, 14

Y

P

N

Y

Taylor, 26

Y

N

N

Y

Terzich, 25

Y

Y

N

Y

Vitek, 23

Y

Y

Y

Y

White, 13

Y

A

N

Y

40Y

12Y

9Y

36Y

3N

30N

4Y

16P

0P

9A

1A

12/March 1980/Illinois Issues

House Republicans, 88

VOTE 1

VOTE 2

VOTE 3

VOTE 4

VOTE 1

VOTE 2

VOTE 3

VOTE 4

Downstate Republicans Districts 34-38, 43-59

Cook County Republicans Districts 1-10 + McCourt from 11, Conti from 18, Molloy from 21, and Collins from 30

Ackerman, 45

N

N

N

Y

Anderson, 45

N

N

N

Y

Bell, 36

Y

Y

Y

Y

Borchers, 51

N

Y

A

Y

Bluthardt, 5

N

Y

Y

N

Bower, 54

Y

N

N

Y

Birkinbine, 1

N

Y

Y

N

Campbell, 53

N

N

N

Y

Boucek, 6

Y

Y

Y

N

Dunn, R., 58

N

N

N

Y

Barnes, J., 8

P

N

N

N

Ebbesen, 37

N

N

N

Y

Collins, 30

N

N

N

N

Ewing, 38

N

N

N

Y

Conti, 18

N

N

N

N

Friedrich, 55

N

N

N

Y

Friedland, 2

P

Y

Y

N

Hallock, 34

P

N

N

Y

Grossi, 10

N

Y

Y

N

Hoxsey, 38

N

N

N

Y

Hallstrom, 1

P

Y

Y

N

Johnson, 52

Y

Y

Y

Y

Huskey, 8

P

Y

N

N

Jones, D., 50

N

P

N

Y

Klosak, 7

A

N

A

N

Kent, 48

P

N

N

Y

Mahar, 9

P

Y

N

N

McBroom, 43

N

A

A

Y

Matula, 7

P

Y

Y

N

McMaster, 47

N

N

N

Y

MacDonald, 3

N

Y

Y

N

Neff, 47

N

N

N

Y

McCourt, 11

N

Y

Y

N

Oblinger, 50

Y

A

A

Y

Molloy, 21

A

P

N

N

Polk, 36

N

A

A

Y

Piel, 10

P

Y

Y

N

Reilly, 49

P

N

N

Y

Pullen, 4

N

Y

N

N

Rigney, 35

N

N

N

Y

Schlickman, 4

A

Y

Y

N

Robbins, 54

N

N

N

Y

Stanley, 2

P

P

N

N

Ropp, 44

N

N

N

Y

Totten, 3

N

Y

Y

N

Ryan, 43

N

N

N

Y

Walsh, 6

N

Y

Y

N

Schuneman, 37

N

N

N

Y

1Y

16Y

13Y

0Y

Simms, 34

N

N

N

Y

10N

4N

8N

22N

Steele, 56

P

N

N

Y

8P

2P

0P

0P

Stiehl, 57

N

N

N

Y

3A

0A

1A

0A

Sumner, 46

N

N

N

Y

Chicago Republiaans Districts 12-30 Except 18th, 21st, and 30th.

Swanstrom, 35

P

N

N

Y

Tuerk, 46

N

N

N

Y

Vinson, 44

N

N

N

Y

Abramson, 14

P

N

N

Y

Watson, 55

P

Y

Y

Y

Bianco, 25

P

Y

P

Y

Wikoff, 52

Y

N

N

Y

Capuzi, 19

A

N

N

Y

Winchester, 59

N

N

N

Y

Catania, 22

Y

Y

Y

N

Woodyard, 53

N

N

N

Y

Epton, 24

N

N

N

N

5Y

4Y

3Y

37Y

Gaines, 29

Y

Y

Y

Y

26N

29N

30N

Kucharski, 27

P

P

N

Y

6P

1P

0P

Margalus, 23

Y

A

Y

N

0A

3A

4A

Meyer, 28

P

P

N

N

Collar County Republicans Districts 31-33, 39-42

McAuliffe, 16

P

A

N

Y

Peters, 15

P

N

N

N

Davis, 42

P

Y

Y

N

Sandquist, 13

P

Y

N

N

Deuster, 32

Y

Y

Y

N

Stearney, 20

A

P

A

Y

Dyer, 41

P

Y

Y

N

Telcser, 12

P

N

N

Y

Daniels, 40

P

Y

Y

N

Wolf, J., 17

N

P

N

N

Frederick, V., 31

Y

Y

Y

N

3Y

4Y

3Y

8Y

Griesheimer, 31

P

Y

A

N

2N

5N

10N

7N

Hoffman, 40

P

Y

Y

N

8P

4P

1P

0P

Hudson, 41

N

Y

Y

N

2A

2A

1A

0A

Kempiners, 39

N

N

N

N

Leinenweber, 42

N

Y

P

N

Reed, 32

P

Y

Y

A

Skinner, 33

P

Y

Y

N

Schoeberlein, 39

N

Y

Y

N

Burnidge*, 33

N

Y

N

N

2Y

13Y

10Y

0Y

*Burnidge was appointed on Aug. 28 and voted in roll calls 2, 3, and 4. The late Rep. Waddell voted in the first roll call.

5N

1N

2N

13N

7P

0P

1P

0P

0A

0A

1A

1A

transportation funding bill and then to oppose the veto override attempt of H.B. 2564 changed the picture dramatically. The regional divisions in the parties were exposed. For example, 95 percent of the downstate Democrats in the House voted both to override the governor's veto of H.B. 2564 and to amend H.B. 2796, the governor's compromise one-cent sales tax reduction, to restore the total elimination of the sales tax on food and medicine. In contrast, only 20 percent of the Chicago Democrats did so. Nearly as sharp was the split between Chicago and Cook County Democrats: 77 percent of the county Democrats joined their downstate brethren in supporting both attempts. On transportation, the major split was between downstate and Cook County Democrats with 93 percent of downstaters opposing all of the Cook County Democrats.

The divisions within the Republican party were just as sharp. On the override, amendment and transportation votes in the House, downstate Republicans voted with exceptional cohesion: 78 percent voted a pattern of "No," "No" and "Yes" on the respective three measures. In contrast, the collar county Republicans, upset with the Thompson-Byrne transportation deal, voted the opposite ("Yes," "Yes" and "No") with 69 percent cohesion.

The lesson of these roll calls is that on significant issues, factional politics, based on regional interests, is observable in the Illinois House. The regions are Chicago, the rest of Cook County, the five collar counties (DuPage, Henry, Kane, Lake and Will), and downstate. The divisions exist in both parties. Region and regional interests have become more important than party loyalties in determining legislative votes if these votes are good indications of the trends.

David H. Everson is director of the Illinois Legislative Studies Center at Sangamon State University, Springfield, and Kent Redfield is associate director of the center. Everson is also co-author of Illinois Issues articles "Voter turnout decline," June 1979, and "Ticket splitting: an ominous sign of party weakness," August 1979.

March 1980/Illinois Issues/13
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