* 3:41 pm - The House just voted on the CTA/RTA bailout bill. It failed to reach the three-fifths level and was placed on the order of Postponed Consideration.
* 3:55 pm - As I told subscribers this morning, the House Speaker’s plan to not read the governor’s budgetary line-item and reduction vetoes into the journal today has become an issue. Rep. Jay Hoffman, the guv’s floor leader, just asked whether the vetoes would be read into the daily journal. Hoffman was told that they would be getting back to him “in a timely manner.” Here’s the relevant Constitutional language…
The house to which a bill is returned shall immediately enter the Governor’s objections upon its journal.If within 15 calendar days after such entry that house by a record vote of three-fifths of the members elected passes the bill, it shall be delivered immediately to the second house.
In other words, the House, which is the originating chamber for the budget, is supposed to read the vetoes in immediately, which then starts the 15-day clock.
* 4:20 pm - From Rep. Fritchey’s blog…
The real surprise wasn’t the number of Republican votes for the [mass transit bailou] bill, however, it was the number of Democrats who did not support this issue that is critical to so many of us and our constituents. Some of the ‘no’ votes were disappointing but not shocking (Chapa LaVia, Franks), but others were very curious indeed.
A handful of Democratic legislators allied with the Governor did not support the bill, and while I don’t want to get into a he said/she said exercise, it is my understanding that the Governor (either directly or through his office) was involved in pulling votes off of the bill.
My understanding is that the Governor may announce a ‘plan’ as early as tomorrow to address both the mass transit issue as well as the larger issue of a capital bill. For those keeping count, this plan would be in line behind the one to ‘rock the system’ on campaign finance and ethics; the one to improve health care for Illinoisans, and countless others.
In other words, a big splashy press conference to introduce a plan that will have little chance of actual passage.
* 4:33 pm - From the AP…
The vote on the funding plan was 61-48. It needed 71 votes to pass.
* 5:08 pm - Statement by Gov. Rod Blagojevich…
“I believe a tax on working families for transportation is a backdoor fare hike, and I believe the legislature was correct in rejecting that approach. For months I have urged the leadership in the House to consider alternatives, but unfortunately no progress has been made. Now, after the legislature’s rejection of Speaker Madigan’s tax increase, we are in early September without a resolution and the clock still ticking. This has never been a question of whether we should fund mass transit – that is essential. It is a question of how. I will continue to push to close corporate loopholes and to find other sources of revenue to help fund the CTA and RTA without raising taxes on people.”
* 5:10 pm - Press release from the Transportation for Illinois Coalition…
Statement attributable to Doug Whitley, president of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce and a co-chair of TFIC:
“Today’s action in the Illinois House of Representatives underscores the importance of transportation funding for the people of the State of Illinois. Unfortunately, the failure to win approval of the transit funding and reforms in this measure brings us closer to the realization that there is a public transportation crisis that must be resolved. There is now even greater urgency that Illinois’ elected officials find appropriate solutions for the state’s critical transit and capital transportation needs. We urge them to continue working in good faith to come to a resolution that will provide for transportation needs and avoid serious consequences for our citizens and our state.”
Statement attributable to Michael T. Carrigan, president of the Illinois AFL-CIO and co-chair of TFIC:
“Today’s House action should be viewed as a stepping stone toward ultimately passing legislation to provide critical transportation funding our state desperately needs. Clearly, there is much work to be done. But with each step in this process, the public and elected officials learn more about the need for transportation funding in Illinois and the dire consequences of inaction. We urge lawmakers to continue to work toward a transportation funding plan that will address the state’s critical transportation needs and can be enacted into law.”
* 5:14 pm - Audio from Speaker Madigan’s post-vote press conference is below. Madigan promised to continue looking for votes for the bill, saying some members were absent today. “I see the real possibility that we can get to 71 votes.”
More…
“We’ll talk to all interested parties on the issue. We’ll talk to Rep. Cross… to find converts for this bill… There were certain Downstate Democrats who in my judgement were voting no because the governor’s office was telling them to vote no. If you’re looking for areas to find additional votes, I would suggest you look at the House Republicans and those who are interested in working with the office of Gov. Blagojevich…
“This is a good, solid bill. This is a bill that ought to have the support of a governor of Illinois who lives in the City of Chicago and within blocks of the most popular rapid transit lines in the city, that being the Brown Line. This should have the support of the [House Republicans] because there is capital in the bill… There ought to be enthusiastic support for this bill.”
More…
“I think there’s going to be be great hardship throughout Northeastern Illinois. There’ll be great hardship in Chicago. Don’t stop there. Think in terms of all of the senior citizens in the suburban areas. Think in terms of those who use the paratransit offered by Pace in Chicago and throughout all the suburban areas. All of those people are going to be impacted.”
And still more…
“I think with the passage of time there will be 71 votes for this bill and when there are we’ll call the House into session.”