Lawmakers override Pritzker’s ambulance veto, fail to agree on ethics changes

[September 03, 2021]  By Greg Bishop

(The Center Square) – Lawmakers went around Gov. J.B. Pritzker to enact a law about paying for ambulance services, delivering the first veto override of the governor’s term.

They also failed to agree on changes to an ethics bill the governor made.

All of Pritzker’s bill vetoes from this year and from the previous General Assembly have stuck, except for House Bill 684.

Illinois State Ambulance Association’s Chris Vandenberg said the bill ensures services are paid for, not by funds through managed care organizations, but through fee-for-service.

“We can’t continue to pay the EMTs and the paramedics the wages they need in order to do this,” Vandenberg told WMAY before Tuesday’s legislative session.

Bourne said Republican requests were disregarded.

Illinois State Ambulance Association’s Chris Vandenberg on WMAY. State Rep. Mary Flowers, D-Chicago, and state Rep. Robyn Gabel, D-Evanston, debate. State Rep. Avery Bourne, R-Raymond, on the House floor Tuesday. 

• WMAYNews Facebook, BlueRoomStream

“Choosing to vote to uphold this weak amendatory veto is doubling down on the fact that the ethics reform that you passed takes away the ability to have a true and independent watchdog over this body,” Bourne said.

Republicans that supported the bill in May turned to opponents.

The bill was pulled for the record. Later in the evening, when the vote was eventually called, there weren’t enough Democrats in the chamber to get the three-fifths majority to concur with the governor’s changes.