 Quinn plans to hammer out a special session date on Wednesday at a
meeting with legislative leaders, leaving lawmakers hoping he won't
repeat former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's approach of calling lengthy and
generally unproductive special sessions.Even fellow Democrat
state Sen. John Sullivan, of Rushville, said Quinn would be wise to
avoid Blagojevich's approach.
"I think it has a potential to be a very productive special
session, as opposed to Blagojevich, when he would call it for some
goofy reason that nobody really understood, and probably including
him. And nothing got accomplished," said Sullivan.
Retired state Rep. Bill Black, who served during the Blagojevich
years, said he has faith in Quinn.
"It is not to Gov. Quinn's advantage to keep (lawmakers) over
there," Black said. "Downstaters always said, 'This is county fair
time, and legislators have to get re-elected. And you don't get
re-elected if you don't go to the county fairs and buy the grand
champion rabbit or grand champion pig or go to the queen contest and
shake hands.'"
Last week Quinn said he will call a special session this summer
to address Illinois' $31 billion statewide construction plan. The
multiyear program is in trouble, the governor said, because
lawmakers did not act on new projects set for 2011-2012. Money for
those projects was tied up in a Statehouse game over the state
budget.
The Illinois House sent a $33.2 billion budget to the Illinois
Senate. But Senate Democrats, upset over budget cuts, added $430
million for human services and education and tied that extra
spending to the annual reauthorization of the statewide construction
plan.
Because lawmakers did not authorize the spending, Quinn warned
them that summer construction would halt unless they returned to
approve funding for those capital projects.
But state Rep. Frank Mautino, D-Spring Valley, said that once
lawmakers are back in Springfield, it will be tough to limit the
special session to just the extra spending and the construction
plan.
"That became the circus of Rod Blagojevich, where we were in
(special session) more days than any other time in the history of
the General Assembly, because there were so many issues outside of
just the budget that had to be solved," Mautino said. "I'd hate to
see that happen."
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In 2007 and 2008, Blagojevich called a record 26 special sessions
to consider issues ranging from comprehensive ethics reform to a
temporary, one-month budget for the state chronic renal disease
program.
Blagojevich overused his power in calling special sessions, so he
lost credibility with lawmakers, said Kent Redfield, political
science professor at University of Illinois-Springfield.
"Special sessions came out of him not being able to build a
cooperative relationship and being confrontational," Redfield said
In 2009, lawmakers voted to impeach Blagojevich, and he now
awaits a verdict in his second trial on federal corruption charges.
Blagojevich wore the crown for calling the most number of
unproductive special sessions, but Quinn may be the opposite,
Sullivan said.
"Many members didn't show up, but there would always be a few
that would show up. They simply wouldn't even come to Springfield,
so that was an indication of the lack of respect for (Blagojevich),"
Sullivan said. "I think if Gov. Quinn, again, calls us back into
special session to address reappropriation on the capital bill, I
look for there to be a large turnout, because it is an important
issue for everybody in the state."
[Illinois
Statehouse News; By DIANE S.W. LEE]
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