First impessions and early skirmishes

legislative Action

First impessions and early skirmishes

MICHAEL D. KLEMENS and DEBORAH L. GERTZ

Sen. Miguel del Valle (D-5, Chicago) stood on the floor of the House January 14 and held his two-year-old son in his arms while he took the oath of office. The state's first Hispanic senator, he shared the ceremony with his family and a busload of friends and supporters. It was the high point of his first days in Springfield.

Del Valle and 16 other first-time legislators also got their first lessons in the legislative process and their first exposure to legislative controversy during the opening days of the 85th General Assembly. Much of the time was spent waiting, and in the General Assembly freshmen wait the longest and get the worst seats and offices. "I kept thinking there had to be a better way," he says, then quickly adds that he found the process interesting.

"It's like playing musical office and musical chairs," he jokes. Although he had the next-to-last choice, del Valle is happy with his office on the first floor of the Capitol. His floor seat is in the second row, next to fellow freshman Tom Dunn (D-42, Joliet), a friend. He has been impressed with the warmth shown him by his colleagues and the legislative staff.

His committee assignments pleased del Valle, too. He did not get a seat he sought on Elementary and Secondary Education but was named vice chairman of the Higher Education Committee and serves on the Local Government, Energy and Environment, Revenue, and Appropriations II committees. He says he requested the revenue and appropriations seats because he knows "money makes it all go."

The first resolution to carry del Valle's name is one asking for a study of the impact of the Illinois Lottery on the minority community. It is authored by another colleague and seatmate, Sen. Howard Brookins (D-18, Chicago). His first bill will deal with a still undetermined topic involving higher education. Del Valle says. "I'm ready to go."

So is the rest of the 85th General Assembly. Veterans and newcomers gathered in Springfield January 14 and set about the task of organizing themselves for a new biennium. There were leaders to select, committee assignments to seek, offices and seats to pick and history to make.

As is often the case with the General Assembly the process was not completed without controversy. Sen. Philip J. Rock (D-8, Oak Park) was supposed to breeze to reelection as Senate president. Democrats had held off a spirited Republican challenge in November and preserved their 31-28 majority in the upper chamber. Rock staffers had played key roles in a number of those contests, conventional wisdom held, and had made friends for the president.

Adjusting the current year budget

The tug-of-war between Gov. James R. Thompson and the 84th General Assembly over current year spending ended February 6 when the governor vetoed $11.3 million of $26.4 million in new general funds spending that legislators had added on their final day in office. The debate will continue with the 85th General Assembly that took office a day later, on January 14.

The latest set of changes made halfway through the fiscal year adds $15.1 million of general funds spending and $126.5 to total spending. Total authorized appropriations stand at $10,474 million in the general funds and $20,418.8 million overall.

Much of the new spending was first requested by Thompson after the general election and postponed then by lawmakers who decided to handle only urgent items during the fall veto session.

Most of money Thompson vetoed resulted from a dispute over whether road funds or general funds should be used to pay certain state police expenses — a $7.9 million argument. By law no more than 40 percent of trooper operations can be paid from road funds that draw revenue from motor fuel taxes and from license fees. At issue is how certain nonuniformed technicians and support personnel are counted, and whether some of their salaries can be paid from the road fund. Lawmakers say no and Thompson says yes. In the latest exchange, Thompson asked for a road fund supplemental, but legislators provided the money from general funds. In turn Thompson vetoed it and said the money should come from the road fund. Meanwhile, the troopers are working, and sometime down the road the money will have to come from one pot or the other.

New general funds spending approved by lawmakers included $2.5 million to fund pay increases approved for judges, legislators, constitutional officers and agency heads. Legislators also approved a $260,000 transfer to repay money borrowed internally to build a formal garden at the executive mansion. And lawmakers agreed to spend $500,000 to establish the Illinois Center for Value Added Agriculture at the University of Illinois, fulfilling a Thompson campaign promise. Other general funds increases were $3.5 million to boost rates paid for children in foster care: $300,000 to keep the emergency room at Cairo Hospital open; $14,500 to repair walls at Lincoln's Tomb; and $1.4 million to cover an increase in lawmakers' office expenses.

Increases in general funds spending were modest compared to hikes in non-general revenue funds — money that does not come directly from state taxes but instead from sales of bonds or outside sources like the federal government. In that category legislators added $112.2 million in new spending that Thompson left virtually untouched.

Again, some of the increase was for items postponed by legislators meeting in their post-election session. The largest hike was $37.5 million for each of two new prisons to be built at Mount Sterling and Canton. Legislators and the governor also agreed to appropriate $5 million in Build Illinois funds for a new central library in Chicago. And the General Assembly appropriated $13.3 million in federal funds for an assortment of drug abuse programs.

Projects added by lawmakers that fell victim to Thompson's veto pen included $75,000 for the Illinois Summer School for the Arts, $100,000 to City Colleges of Chicago to run the Probation Challenge Program and $87,000 to the Committee to Commemorate the U.S. Constitution in Illinois. Any chance to override died with the 84th General Assembly, but the 85th can revive any it chooses.

Lawmakers will be considering the 1988 budget before the ongoing tinkering with the current spending plan ends. The question of which fund should pay state police expenses will force that consideration and open the door for more additions.

Michael D. Klemens

March 1987/Illinois Issues/27

General Assembly deadlines
April 10	Final day for introduction of bills
May 8	Deadline for bills out of committee, first house
May 22	Deadline for passage in first house
June 12	Substantive bills out of committee, second house
June 18	Appropriation bills out of of committee, second house
June 25	Deadline for passage, appropriation bills, second house.
June 26	Deadline for passage, substantive bills, second house
As needed	Summit meetings

But then Rock ran into a roadblock, Sen. Dawn Clark Netsch (D-4, Chicago). Netsch wanted to be appointed to the party leadership and, joined by Sens. Timothy Degnan (D-l 1, Chicago) and Jeremiah Joyce (D-14, Chicago), abstained on the vote. That left Rock three votes short. After a day of private meetings Rock agreed to name a woman to the next available leadership position and to put a woman on the Senate rules committee. With that he was reelected, and the Senate moved on to its other business.

Across the aisle Republicans added a woman to their leadership team without fuss. Adeline J. Geo-Karis (R-31, Zion), who was the GOP candidate for state comptroller, was named caucus chairperson, replacing Sen. James Rupp (R-51, Decatur) who lost his reelection bid.

History was made in the Senate when Linda Hawker, a former Rock assistant, was elected the first woman Senate secretary. That led to some initial confusion as Hawker was called both "Madam Secretary" and "Mister Secretary" in her first days. Whatever the title, Hawker, who ran Sen. Penny Severns' (D-51, Decatur) successful November campaign, now manages all Senate operations and provides support for the 59 senators.

Things went more easily on the House side, and Michael J. Madigan (D-30, Chicago) was reelected speaker as expected. Democrats made no changes in their leadership team, but Republicans had vacancies to fill as a result of the departures of Sam Vinson to a law practice, Jack Davis to the U.S. Congress and the election defeat of Dwight P. Friedrich. Moving into leadership posts were Robert W. Churchill (R-62, Lake Villa), Jane M. Barnes (R-38, Palos Park) and Fred J. Tuerk (R-93, Peoria).

With new leaders in place, representatives made some history themselves with a smoking ban. After lively debate 69 members of the lower house voted to adopt a rule that prohibits smoking during committee hearings. Rep. Barnes sponsored the amendment, which was considered on its merits, not party lines. Assistant Majority Leader John S. Matijevich (D61, North Chicago) told fellow Democrats that "everybody's on their own." That prompted Rep. Thomas J. McCracken (R-81, Downers Grove) to say he was "glad that the other side was released to vote its conscience."

Supporters of the ban cited poor ventilation in some committee rooms, Rep. Karen Hasara (R-100, Springfield) said it was difficult to restrict others if the General Assembly did not restrict itself. Opponents spoke of individual choice and suggested it would be necessary to put loudspeakers in the hall so that legislators would not miss the hearings.

Other Republican-sponsored rule changes fared poorly. Two proposals that would have reduced the number of committees failed on party line votes. So did an effort to add another committee, for veterans affairs. "There's no reason to shortchange veterans," sponsor Tuerk said.

The House rules battle illustrated that power rests with the majority. That would help del Valle and other Democratic new-comers and probably frustrate some Republicans. Within the parties seniority is one key to influence, entitling the holder to prime office space amd floor seats, a leadership slot or choice committees. If del Valle and other freshmen stay around long enough, they too will get first pick of new offices.

28/March 1987/Illinois Issues

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