Wonkish.com

Here’s what we can expect on tap in Springfield today -

In the Senate, the executive committee has begun discussing a number of bills this morning:

• Constitutional Amendment to institute recalls (HJCA28)

• Constitutional Amendment to allow a graduated income tax (SJRCA92)

The one I would keep an eye on would be Sen. Frerich’s constitutional amendment resolution to allow for a graduated income tax. With the HB750 /SB2288 folks saying they are holding off on pushing their bill until the veto session after the election, this may be something to watch. If the constitutional amendment resolution succeeds, they may structure their “Tax Swap” bill on a graduated income tax, as opposed to the current tax, then credit, then spend, then swap structure.

Also moving out of the Senate yesterday was another bill to exempt riverboat casinos from the state smoking ban. Given recent news that the casinos are rebounding from their January and February slumps, I think there may be some second looks at the casino exemption.

Stay tuned.

A strange thing happened in Springfield Tuesday night. The moon set, the sun rose, and rain began falling upwards. That, and Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan signed on as a chief sponsor of House Bill 311, which would create a single-payer healthcare system in Illinois.

Has he gone Mad? Has the “revolution begun”, as some single-payer fanatics are saying?

No. It seems to be typical Madigan - playing another game. We just aren’t sure which game he is playing this time. Is it:

1. Build the majority? Allow his members to vote for healthcare to help them in the fall elections.
2. Appease Rep. Mary Flowers? Is she going to jump to the Green party after endorsing their presidential candidate? Madiganneed to hold on to as many members as possible.
3. Provide cover for his members on healthcare? The House has worked for almost a year now to destroy Governor Blagojevich’s healthcare for all plans. Is this the Madigan’s way of allowing his members pretend they are for healthcare to avoid more heat?
4. Stick it to the Governor? Seems the most likely - after the Governor’s healthcare expansions ran into resistance in court yesterday.

Nine times out of ten, its going to be “Stick it to the Governor,” the Lincoln to his Lee (or is it vice versa?).
But let’s give the Speaker the benefit of the doubt here. Let’s pretend he actually cares about the policy. And let’s pretend that the man who killed single-payer in Illinois 16 years ago (and killed healthcare for all again last year) has finally grown a heart. Is HB311 the single-payer we have all been waiting for?

UPDATE: HB311 sailed out of committee with an 8-4 vote. What makes this more suspicious are all the “subs” that were put on the committee last night to vote in place of normal members. The subs who served last night:

• Rep. Jefferson
• Rep. Riley
• Rep. Ford
• Rep. Graham
• Rep. Boland

Normal committee members not attending were Rep. May, Rep. Crespo, Rep. Dugan, Rep. Golar, and Rep. Howard.

The Illinois General Assembly is expected to take up important gun bills today (April 9, 2008).   This in the wake of public outrage in Chicago reaching a boiling point with the count of Chicago Public School children killed this school year reaching 23.

Local church leaders, school officials, Mayor Daley, and Governor Blagojevich rallied in Chicago last week, calling for passage of “common sense gun laws” that they say will turn back the tide of violence.

The bills expecting to receive consideration today include:

1. One Gun a Month (HB4393 - Arroyo) - Limiting individuals to purchasing one gun per month. Currently, there is no limit to how many or frequently an approved individual can purchase firearms.
2. Universal Background Check (HB758 - Osterman) - Requiring all gun sales to require a background check of the purchaser. Currently, gun sales between private individuals do not require a background check.

Already, supporters of the gun bills are gearing up for a long fight ahead - targeting legislators across the State, promising that they will not go down quietly.

My view:  Expect these bills to pass, but not before a long fight - in public and behind closed doors.  The gun lobby has strong teeth in the Illinois House. 

The Illinois House and Senate rejected calls for spending restraint in the midst of an Illinois state budget crisis, and powered on with an early-April spending spree today.

Absent, of course, was any talk of revenue sources, of course. Why make the tough decisions when the easy ones are so… easy!

Honorable Mention:  HB5215 - Appropriates $1 million to the Department of Public Health for grants for research on autoimmune diseases.

Honorable Mention: SB2492 - Per Diem Payments for Hospitals for Psychiatric Services. ($5- $10 million).

Runner-up: HB5095 - appropriates $24,000,000 for an increase in the cost of care reimbursement rate for foster parents of wards of the State at DCFS.

Runner-up-too: HB4466 - Requires DNA Testing for all felony arrests . ($20 - $30 million).

1st Place:  SB2570 - Creates the Renewable Fuels Development Program Fund.  Provides for transfer from General Revenue Funds to the fund.  Also exempts from taxation that part of the selling price of motor fuel or gasohol that exceeds $2.50 a gallon. ($150 - $200 million?).

Total New Spending: $200 - $265 million

Total New Revenue: $0

It’s gonna be a long summer.

• Michigan tries to lure film business with a film tax credit.
• Maine fails at school consolidation attempt.
• Pennsylvania passes gun control package.  The package included the following new regulations:
  • Targets straw gun purchasers with new warnings that buying a gun for someone else, other than a gift to a relative, could get them arrested and prosecuted on a gun crime. In cases where a gun used in a crime is traced back to an alleged straw purchaser, the time period in which authorities have to charge the gun buyer with a crime would be extended.
  • Possessing a firearm with an altered or obliterated serial number would be a felony instead of a misdemeanor.
  • Anyone who lies on a gun-application would face state penalties on top of federal penalties.
  • Anybody who falsely reports a gun stolen would be charged with a second-degree misdemeanor and would be prohibited from legally buying a gun in the state.
  • The Pennsylvania State Police would have to maintain a registry of lost and stolen guns.