Oddly enough, someone thought there should be some ethics legislation. Who'd a thunk it?
The ethics bill (good old House Bill 824) would ban people and business that have a minimum of $50,000 of contracts with the state from making campaign contributions to state officials that decide who gets state contracts. The Guv'na made some changes to the bill, extending the ban to lawmakers and party leaders, prohibiting lawmakers from holding other government jobs while in the General Assembly (double-dipping) and, best of all, changing the voting for pay raises such that a "yes" vote supports a pay raise (where currently a "no" vote supports a pay raise). The Guv'na sat on this for a bit while he generated some contributions but when it finally got in front of the Illinois House, the revised bill was voted down 110-3.
Now comes our pal, Emil Jones Jr. The Illinois Senate needs to shoot down the Guv'na's new version of the bill now, or the whole thing dies. Jones is our venerable Illinois Senate President and will preside over things with his usual majesty.
The Senate has 15 days to vote. Jones will not be reconvening the Senate until November 12. The Jones camp thinks they have 15 days from the next Senate meeting. [more on this below] There is also the matter of construction financing and budget issues that aren't going to be discussed until the fat cats get themselves back in session.
I won't debate whether Blago's ideas were bad, they seem to have some merit (though more in a you backstab me, I'll backstab you sorta way), but the end result is decent. He did overload the bill, making his version unlikely to get votes (and stalling the process yet again). Some Reps are correct in their clamoring that they are the legislators and the Governor isn't (everyone wants their say).
Yet....I'm pissed at these knob polishers as usual. I'm pissed that this will end up in the shitter eventually. These guys would fuck up a free beer because they were too busy hustling bj's in the bathroom for 2 beers a go. Greedy, selfish and shameless.
The Veto Procedure:
You can read it all in the Constitution of the State of IL in Section 9 "Veto Procedure".
If you read this like I do, Jones and Company are missing the window (as the House has delivered the bill). However, there are more than a few that agree with the Senate's interpretation that the bill isn't officially delivered until it is read into record. There is a nice recap of the issue here. Either way, this is just further mucking up the works and ensuring that business as usual continues. Congratulations, assholes.(c) 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.If within 15 calendar days after such delivery the second house by a record vote of three-fifths of the members elected passes the bill, it shall become law.
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