*** Post updated on Sunday. Scroll down for more. ***
* 2:10 pm - Bill Dennis has a very interesting scoop today…
On May 31, 2007, the Illinois House of Representatives voted 90-20 to approve its version of SB 1621, a law that requires state pension funds to divest their holdings in foreign companies that are doing business with Iran’s energy industry, which is financing Iran’s efford to develop nuclear weapons.
Schock was among the 20 who voted against this measure.
So, Schock would threaten nuclear holocaust with China over Iran but wouldn’t vote for economic pressure? Oof.
* 2:38 pm - The governor has sent a letter to the legislative leaders and Mayor Daley…
…While I have postponed a mass transit ‘Doomsday’ twice, inaction by the General Assembly has also meant two missed opportunities for a final solution that works for people. We all agree that we cannot wait until another ‘Doomsday’ is upon us. Last Friday, Speaker Madigan and Leader Cross set a 7 to 10-day deadline to deliver a funding solution. This coming Monday will be the 10 th day.
It is important that we respect this deadline and avoid more ‘Doomsday’ situations. This past Tuesday, Speaker Madigan, Leader Cross and Leader Watson indicated that they believe they are making progress. This is a good sign. However, we must learn the obvious lessons from this fall, and not substitute progress for action.
I note with great interest the Mayor’s comments in today’s Sun-Times demanding that we all come to an agreement on a long-term funding plan for mass transit by December 1 st. I believe we all share his frustration with the lack of action. We need to work more quickly to provide certainty for the people who use the buses and trains every day.
With your participation, we can move this process along, and reach a solution in short order. Accordingly, I invite each of you, along with the Mayor, to a meeting in my Chicago office at 10:00 a.m. this Wednesday, November 14 th to work through any differences. We have promised the people a capital bill and a long-term funding source for mass transit.
*** Sunday *** So, apparently, this Pershing missile proposal from Schock wasn’t such a “deeply thought-out policy” after all. Larry fills us in…
Ronald Reagan signed the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in 1987 and it was ratified in the US Senate in 1988. The INF Treaty banned Intermediate Range Nuclear Missiles and the last one was destroyed (outside of museum pieces) in 1991. [In other words], we haven’t had any Pershing Missiles since Aaron Schock was 10 years old.
Oops.
* Also, Schock told Bernie Schoenburg this about his vote against the Iranian divestment proposal…
“With each additional restriction that’s placed on a pension fund in Illinois, it further prohibits those pension managers’ ability to make wise decisions, to keep those pension systems solvent,” Schock said.
The final version of the Iran bill applies only to the five state pension systems, not local police and fire pension systems.
Though he said the General Assembly shouldn’t delve in foreign policy, Schock said that doesn’t mean he would vote against all resolutions in that field.
“Ultimately, you have to make a decision based on what you’re presented with,” he said. “But I don’t think it’s wise for us to get involved with foreign policy, as a rule of thumb.”
Bernie didn’t mention it, but a check of the Sudan divestment vote showed Schock voted for that proposal.