SPRINGFIELD — Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn sounded like the statehouse tough guy Tuesday, daring lawmakers to “make my day” by sending him gambling expansion legislation that he has threatened to veto.
By Andrew Thomason
SPRINGFIELD — Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn sounded like the statehouse tough guy Tuesday, daring lawmakers to “make my day” by sending him gambling expansion legislation that he has threatened to veto.
Quinn hosted his first statehouse news conference in months, on the same day lawmakers returned en masse for the six-day fall veto session.
The governor talked about gaming and SmartGrid legislation, but was vague about the rest of his agenda for the fall.
Gaming
Quinn spoke last week about his requirements for gambling expansion, saying he will accept five new casinos but not slots at horse racing tracks.
The governor on Tuesday threw down the gauntlet to lawmakers considering anything else.
“They passed their masterpiece on May 31. Bring it on. Make my day. And I’ll be happy to examine that bill and use the power of the governor’s office and the executive branch to send them (a message about) how I feel about their bill,” Quinn said.
State Sen. Terry Link, D-Waukegan, sponsored the original gambling expansion legislation and will be sponsoring Quinn’s version as well.
“Our staff has been working with (Quinn’s) staff to put together his ideas into real form. And all of his concepts will be put exactly into a bill form, exactly the way he wants it so it will be his bill that I will be presenting,” Link said.
Link said he expects the governor’s gambling proposal to be voted on as soon as Wednesday. Because few at the Capitol expect the governor’s ideas to pass, Link is expected to try again with a modified version of his original legislation next week.
SmartGrid
Quinn also has been clear about his disdain for the SmartGrid legislation that would allow Commonwealth Edison Co., or ComEd, and Ameren Corp. to raise electricity delivery rates as part of a grid modernization.
The governor’s comments Tuesday were focused on the amount of money ComEd and Ameren have contributed to lawmakers in recent months.
“Legislators who accept lots and lots of campaign donations from utility companies want to write a law to raise the consumer utility bills for the next decade,” Quinn said.
The governor said legislators have “three loaves of bread” under their arms from ComEd.
State Sen Mike Jacobs, D-East Moline, said Quinn is hypocritical.
“As far as people having loaves of bread under their arms, if that’s true, then the governor is the guy that drives the truck,” Jacobs said. “Because nobody raised more money than Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his running mate Pat Quinn.
Quinn did not raise any money from ComEd, its parent company Exelon, or Ameren Illinois during his re-election bid in 2010, according to the State Board of Elections.
Quinn did raise more than $60,000 of his $7.4 million from unions that now support SmartGrid. And Exelon was a sponsor of the the governor’s 2011 inaugural ball, though how much was not listed in the campaign records.
State Rep. Kevin McCarthy, D-Orlando Park, who is shepherding SmartGrid through the House, said Quinn is coming close to insulting lawmakers with his talk of loaves and campaign donations.
“Trying to imply that because a person got a contribution that that’s going to stop and make them (change their vote), that shouldn’t be in the discourse,” said McCarthy.
Illinois Statehouse News tracked contributions from ComEd and Ameren. University of Illinois professor Kent Redfield said of that analysis, that the utilities “are trying to reinforce positions, so they definitely give money to people that have supported them in the past. They give money to leaders, but they are also trying to influence votes.”
The Illinois Senate on Tuesday approved a tweak to the SmartGrid legislation, thanks in part to seven state senators who switched their votes.
State Sens. Link; Maggie Crotty, D-Orland Park; Don Harmon, D-Oak Park; Linda Holmes, D-Aurora; Dave Luechtefeld, R-Okawville; John Mulroe, D-Chicago; Heather Steans, D-Chicago; and Dave Syverson, R-Rockford, voted for the latest SmartGrid legislation. They had all voted “no” or “present” in May.
Reality Check :Senator Mike Jacobs of East Moline
The governor said legislators have "three loaves of bread" under their arms from ComEd.
State Sen Mike Jacobs, D-East Moline, said Quinn is hypocritical.
"As far as people having loaves of bread under their arms, if that's true, then the governor is the guy that drives the truck," Jacobs said. "Because nobody raised more money than Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his running mate Pat Quinn.
Here is more information about the good senator from East Moline from the Tribune:
" in response to an unforgivable breach of decorum committed by Sen. Kyle McCarter, R-Lebanon, during the debate over a controversial smart grid bill pushed by Illinois utilities. McCarter observed aloud that Jacobs, chairman of the Senate Energy Committee and sponsor of a controversial utility-backed bill, is the son of former Sen. Denny Jacobs, a ComEd lobbyist. The 150-page bill came up for a vote in the last hours of the session after a six-minute committee hearing, McCarter said.
Jacobs' statesmanlike response was to walk across the aisle and punch McCarter in the chest. He accused McCarter of attacking his family and violating Senate rules about civil debate.
"You can look under my underwear," Jacobs said. "I don't care where you look. But the fact is I support this." Then later, to a Fox Chicago News camera: "The senator is full of (bleep)."
I'll take Pat Quinn over this guy any day.