* The Daily Herald editorial board is now griping about bill negotiations…
Cullerton also hosted a closed-door meeting on the public policy. In the meeting were camera critics, camera supporters and camera company lobbyists. How much sway did the lobbyists with a clear profit motive have on the compromise? We don’t know because the public wasn’t included. This is outrageous, especially coming on the heels of the outcry over the closed Senate session Cullerton convened to hear about the state budget crises a few weeks ago.
The editorial was about red-light camera reform legislation proposed by Senate President John Cullerton.
It’s pretty difficult to take an editorial page seriously when they print stuff like this. Private meetings to hash out differences on bills are as old as the Republic.
…Adding… I wrote this in comments, so I’m gonna frontpage it…
Believe it or not, when legislators are trying to regulate an industry, they usually bring industry representatives in for a meeting so they can understand how their actions might impact said industry. They don’t always have to agree with the industry, but it helps to know how a law will work in the world outside the capitol.
* The Champaign News-Gazette also editorialized about the red-light camera issue this week. They based their opinion on Daily Herald reporting…
Camera manufacturers want to sell them and make money. So they hired big-shot Chicago lobbyist Al Ronan, who spread campaign donations around to certain powerful legislators.
Presto, suddenly red light camera legislation was introduced and approved by the General Assembly.
RedSpeed, which is the big suburban player, has been making relatively small campaign contributions since 2006. Senate President Cullerton’s personal committee has received all of $3500 since 2008. Speaker Madigan has received just $1000. The company’s total since ‘06 is $53,215.00. That’s not inconsequential, but it’s not particularly big Statehouse money.
The real force behind this issue are municipal leaders like Mayor Daley who want the cash cows.
* Meanwhile, Sen. Rickey Hendon cracked a joke this week about unpaid legislative reimbursement checks…
A leading Senate Democrat Tuesday used the birthdays of two colleagues to encourage Comptroller Dan Hynes to begin issuing expense checks to Illinois lawmakers, who are owed more than $665,000 in unpaid reimbursements for food, lodging and mileage dating back to last July.
“Perhaps because it’s their birthday, someone could call the comptroller and have him release their seven or eight months of past-due per diems for their birthday,” said Sen. Rickey Hendon (D-Chicago) to a smattering of applause as he feted Sen. Michael Bond (D-Grayslake) and Sen. Linda Holmes (D-Plainfield).
The wisecrack ginned up a little blowback…
But the No. 2 Senate Republican said Hendon’s focus on unpaid legislative expense checks, while perhaps not ill intended, won’t go over well with social-service providers awaiting state payments who have a lot more at risk financially than rank-and-file lawmakers.
“For those people who are watching state government very closely because they have a lot at stake, like providers waiting forever to get their checks, that’s probably not very funny,” said Sen. Dale Righter (R-Mattoon), the Senate deputy minority leader. “I’m not sure that I’d want to be joking about that.”
The joke was probably inappropriate, but Righter is totally against a tax hike to help make those provider payments, and most groups representing the providers are for a tax hike. Stones, glass houses, etc.
* Related…
* Government in Illinois still too secretive
* Web site allows taxpayers to track state grants
* Opinion: Cut pensions for future lawmakers