STATE OF ILLINOIS
HOUSE JOURNAL
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
NINETY-SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
78TH LEGISLATIVE DAY
Perfunctory Session
THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2002
11:OO O'CLOCK A.M.
NO. 78
[January 3, 2002] 2 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Daily Journal Index 78th Legislative Day Action Page(s) Adjournment........................................ 8 Corrections Budget and Impact Notes Supplied....... 3 Introduction and First Reading - HB3709-3714....... 3 Temporary Committee Assignments.................... 3 Bill Number Legislative Action Page(s) HJR 0054 Resolution......................................... 7 HR 0561 Resolution......................................... 3 HR 0562 Resolution......................................... 4 HR 0565 Resolution......................................... 4 HR 0570 Resolution......................................... 5 HR 0572 Resolution......................................... 5 HR 0588 Resolution......................................... 6 SB 1903 Other proceedings.................................. 3 SB 2077 Other proceedings.................................. 3 SB 2619 Other proceedings.................................. 3 SB 2665 Other proceedings.................................. 3 SB 2729 Other proceedings.................................. 3 SB 2871 Other proceedings.................................. 3 SB 3314 Other proceedings.................................. 3 SB 0151 Referred........................................... 3 SB 0385 Referred........................................... 3 SB 1233 First Reading...................................... 8 SB 1261 First Reading...................................... 8
3 [January 3, 2002] The House met pursuant to adjournment. Anthony D. Rossi in the Chair. Prayer by Clerk of the House Anthony D. Rossi. Minutes Clerk Jennifer L. Timms led the House in the Pledge of Allegiance. TEMPORARY COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS The Speaker announced the following temporary committee assignments: Representative Cowlishaw replaced Representative Tenhouse in the Committee on Rules on November 29, 2001. Representative Yarbrough replaced Representative Bradley, Representative Howard replaced Representative Brosnahan, Representative Monique Davis replaced Representative Delgado, and Representative Flowers replaced Representative Smith in the Committee on Judiciary II on December 21, 2001. RE-REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON RULES The following were re-referred to the Committee on Rules pursuant to Rule 19(b): HOUSE BILLS 1903, 2077, 2619, 2665, 2729, 2871 and 3314; SENATE BILLS 151 and 385; HOUSE RESOLUTIONS 460, 535 and 538. CORRECTIONS BUDGET AND IMPACT NOTES SUPPLIED Corrections Budget and Impact Notes have been supplied for HOUSE BILLS 3674, 3676, 3688, 3690 and 3693. INTRODUCTION AND FIRST READING OF BILLS The following bills were introduced, read by title a first time, ordered printed and placed in the Committee on Rules: HOUSE BILL 3709. Filed by Representative Curry, a bill for AN ACT regarding taxes. HOUSE BILL 3710. Filed by Representative Brunsvold, a bill for AN ACT in relation to forest preserve districts. HOUSE BILL 3711. Filed by Representative Granberg, a bill for AN ACT regarding schools. HOUSE BILL 3712. Filed by Representative Hannig, a bill for AN ACT in relation to vehicles. HOUSE BILL 3713. Filed by Representative Bill Mitchell, a bill for AN ACT in relation to vehicles. HOUSE BILL 3714. Filed by Representative Black, a bill for AN ACT in relation to criminal law. RESOLUTIONS The following resolutions were offered and placed in the Committee on Rules. HOUSE RESOLUTION 561 Offered by Representative Persico: WHEREAS, The Bill of Rights was adopted by the American nation on the 15th day of December, 1791; and WHEREAS, The Bill of Rights was a necessary part of the new Constitution proposed by the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia; and WHEREAS, The Bill of Rights guarantees unalienable rights including
[January 3, 2002] 4 the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; and WHEREAS, Every member of the Armed Forces of the United States has sworn to support, uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States, including the Bill of Rights, against all enemies, foreign and domestic; and WHEREAS, The Armed Forces of the United States are currently engaged in the War Against Terrorism to protect those rights; therefore, be it RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we hereby proclaim the 15th day of December, 2001 and each 15th day of December thereafter as "Bill of Rights Day" in the State of Illinois; and be it further RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the President of the United States and to each member of the Illinois congressional delegation. HOUSE RESOLUTION 562 Offered by Representative Art Turner: WHEREAS, Falun Gong, which is also known as Falun Dafa, is a discipline of personal beliefs that incorporates exercise, meditation, and principles based on truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance; its millions of practitioners work to attain inner peace, good health, and better skills to deal with stress and conflict in life; and WHEREAS, Over the past several years, authorities in the People's Republic of China have taken strong and brutal actions against practitioners of Falun Gong; reports indicate that tens of thousands of people have been tortured and sent to labor camps, and property owned by those who follow this discipline has been destroyed or confiscated; the aggressive actions taken by the state reflect a systematic commitment to eliminate Falun Gong and those who pursue it; and WHEREAS, The persecution of practitioners of Falun Gong is in apparent violation of the People's Republic of China's own constitution and a flagrant violation of standards of human rights recognized by the United Nations and most governments of the world; and WHEREAS, Citizens of Illinois who practice Falun Gong and those who understand this discipline cannot fathom the reaction of the Chinese authorities; indeed, those who value human rights seek an increase of efforts to urge the People's Republic of China to halt this persecution; therefore, be it RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the United States Secretary of State to increase efforts to urge the People's Republic of China to recognize and protect the human rights of its citizens and halt the persecution against practitioners of Falun Gong; and be it further RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be delivered to the United States Secretary of State, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the members of the Illinois congressional delegation. HOUSE RESOLUTION 565 Offered by Representative Berns: WHEREAS, A remnant of the 1870 Forest Plantation remains at the University of Illinois' Urbana-Champaign campus; and WHEREAS, This remnant, called Illini Grove, stands at the corner of Lincoln and Pennsylvania Avenues; and WHEREAS, In the 19th century, Professor T. J. Burrill established the field of Plant Pathology with his research in the Plantation, evaluating tree growth and survival on prairie soils demonstrating potential productivity; and WHEREAS, Today this area is a highly valued green space with a variety of trees, some as old as 130 years - a very rare condition on the bustling Urbana-Champaign campus; and WHEREAS, As a boy, Senator Stanley Weaver played in the Plantation
5 [January 3, 2002] and he has many pleasant memories of this wood; in 1963, Senator Weaver and his wife signed a petition to prevent further development of buildings in this area; therefore, be it RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we wish the remnant of this forest, known as Illini Grove, to remain forever open, green and wooded space, as natural as possible; and be it further RESOLVED, That we urge the Department of Natural Resources and the University of Illinois to permanently and prominently place a bronze plaque at Illini Grove, declaring it to be a testimonial to Senator Stanley Weaver and his late wife, Mary Smith Weaver, for their life-long dedication to preserving nature; and be it further RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to the Director of the Department of Natural Resources and to the President of the University of Illinois. HOUSE RESOLUTION 570 Offered by Representative Hamos: WHEREAS, This General Assembly has heretofore appropriated $40 million in the State's Fiscal Year 2002 Budget to the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) for the purpose of making grants to its Service Boards to subsidize the provision of reduced fare transit for the elderly, students, and the disabled (P.A. 92-8, Art. 52, Section 19b1); and WHEREAS, It is the understanding of this House of Representatives that a commitment to fund the RTA at $40 million per year for these purposes was an integral component of the 2001 Illinois First program; and WHEREAS, Proposed budgets of the RTA and its Service Boards the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and PACE for their fiscal years commencing January 1, 2002 have been prepared in full reliance on the existing Fiscal Year 2002 appropriation; and WHEREAS, These appropriated funds are necessary for the maintenance of service by PACE and CTA; and WHEREAS, On November 27, 2001, Governor George Ryan announced that it was his intent not to expend $4 million of the Fiscal Year 2002 appropriation for these purposes; therefore, be it RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge Governor George Ryan to fully honor the aforesaid duly enacted statutory appropriation and provide $40 million to the RTA for these purposes in Fiscal Year 2002; and be it further RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives urges that the Governor's Fiscal Year 2003 Budget be prepared requesting an appropriation of no less than $40 million for the RTA for these purposes; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be presented to the Governor of the State of Illinois. HOUSE RESOLUTION 572 Offered by Representative Coulson: WHEREAS, Newborn infants have been abandoned to unsafe environments or other circumstances that can result in death or injury to those infants and that can result in civil or criminal liability for parents who may be under severe emotional distress; and WHEREAS, There is a need for a mechanism whereby a parent may relinquish a newborn infant to a safe environment while maintaining anonymity and avoiding civil and criminal liability; and WHEREAS, Such a mechanism, while not preferable to a plan for the infant's adoption, is a safer alternative than the infant's abandonment; and WHEREAS, Illinois has taken steps to implement such a mechanism by enacting the Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act, Public Acts 92-408 and 92-432; and
[January 3, 2002] 6 WHEREAS, Parents in every state ought to have a means for relinquishing a newborn infant to a safe environment; and WHEREAS, H. R. 2873, the "Promoting Safe and Stable Families Amendments of 2001", has passed the United States House of Representatives and is presently being considered in the United States Senate; the bill appropriates federal funds to support infant safe haven programs such as the program established in Illinois under the Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act; and WHEREAS, Passage of H. R. 2873 will be of invaluable benefit to infants and their families in every state; therefore, be it RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY- SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the United States Senate to pass H. R. 2873, the "Promoting Safe and Stable Families Amendments of 2001"; and be it further RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this Resolution be sent to each member of the United States Senate. HOUSE RESOLUTION 588 Offered by Representative Hartke: WHEREAS, There are over 48,000 adults and juveniles incarcerated in 36 correctional facilities run by the State of Illinois; and WHEREAS, Despite problems of overcrowding and understaffing, these prisons have an excellent record of maintaining the public safety; and WHEREAS, In other states where private prisons have made encroachments, correctional security has often been significantly compromised, resulting in more serious injuries to staff and inmates, as well as a growing number of inmate escapes; and WHEREAS, One of the primary causes of such unsafe conditions in private prisons is the poor training, high turnover, and low compensation of their employees; and WHEREAS, The Illinois General Assembly has recognized that "issues of liability, accountability, and cost warrant a prohibition of the ownership, operation, or management of correctional facilities by for-profit contractors" by its enactment of a moratorium against private prisons; and WHEREAS, In spite of that moratorium, attempts are still being made to privatize operations of the State's correctional facilities through incremental measures; and WHEREAS, The Department of Corrections currently contracts out medical services at its facilities, which has led to difficulty in recruiting and retaining health care professionals and hardships for employees, including bounced pay checks from fly-by-night contractors; and WHEREAS, Governor Ryan has proposed the privatization of a number of important functions that impact prison security at all Illinois Department of Corrections prisons, including dietary and commissary functions; and WHEREAS, The privatization of such functions would be detrimental to the efficient and secure function of these facilities and is therefore contrary to the intent of the Private Correctional Facility Moratorium Act; therefore, be it RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the State of Illinois affirms its commitment to a secure, safe, and effective State prison system by forestalling efforts to incrementally privatize operations of the Department of Corrections; and be it further RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives opposes Governor Ryan's proposal to privatize the dietary and commissary functions at the Illinois Department of Corrections prisons; and be it further RESOLVED, That the Department of Corrections shall, prior to the privatization of any aspect of operations at a State of Illinois correctional facility, seek the authorization of the General Assembly to request bids for any services that are normally performed by employees of the Department of Corrections; and be it further RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be delivered to
7 [January 3, 2002] the Director of Corrections. HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 54 Offered by Representative Daniels: WHEREAS, The State of Illinois borders or contains over 1,000 miles of the inland waterway system; and WHEREAS, Many of Illinois' locks and dams are more than 60 years old and only 600 feet long, making them unable to accommodate modern barge tows of 1,200 feet long, nearly tripling locking times and causing lengthy delays and ultimately increasing shipping costs; and WHEREAS, The use of 1,200-foot locks has been proven nationwide as the best method of improving efficiency, reducing congestion, and modernizing the inland waterways; and WHEREAS, The construction of the lock and dam system has spurred economic growth and a higher standard of living in the Mississippi and Illinois river basin, and today supplies more than 300,000,000 tons of the nation's cargo, supporting more than 400,000 jobs, including 90,000 in manufacturing; and WHEREAS, More than 60% of American agricultural exports, including, corn, wheat, and soybeans, are shipped down the Mississippi and Illinois rivers on the way to foreign markets; and WHEREAS, Illinois farmers, producers, and consumers rely on efficient transportation to remain competitive in a global economy, and efficiencies in river transport offset higher production costs, compared to those incurred by foreign competitors; and WHEREAS, The Upper Mississippi and Illinois lock and dam system saves our nation more than $1,500,000,000 in higher transportation costs each year, and failing to construct 1,200-foot locks will cause farmers to use more expensive alternative modes of transportation, including trucks and trains; and WHEREAS, According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, congestion along the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers is costing Illinois and other producers and consumers in the basin $98,000,000 per year in higher transportation costs; and WHEREAS, River transportation is the most environmentally friendly form of transporting goods and commodities, creating almost no noise pollution and emitting 35% to 60% fewer pollutants than either trucks or trains, according to the U.S. EPA; and WHEREAS, Moving away from river transport would add millions of trucks and rail cars to our nation's infrastructure, adding air pollution, traffic congestion, and greater wear and tear on highways; and WHEREAS, Backwater lakes created by the lock and dam system provide breeding grounds for migratory waterfowl and fish; and WHEREAS, The lakes and 500 miles of wildlife refuge also support a $1,000,000,000-a-year recreational industry, including hunting, fishing, and tourism jobs; and WHEREAS, Upgrading the system of locks and dams on the Upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers will provide 3,000 construction and related jobs over a 15-20 year period; and WHEREAS, In 1999 Illinois was the leading shipping state, with more than 66,000,000 tons of Illinois products, including grain, coal, chemicals, aggregates, and other products, representing a value of more than $8,000,000,000; and WHEREAS, 109,000,000 tons of commodities including grain, coal, chemicals, aggregates, and other products were shipped to, from, and within Illinois by barge, representing $16,000,000,000 in value; and WHEREAS, An additional 136,000,000 tons of commodities pass Illinois' borders on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, representing a value of more than $43,000,000,000; and WHEREAS, Shippers moving by barge in Illinois realized a savings of approximately $1,000,000,000, compared to other transportation modes; and WHEREAS, Illinois docks shipped products by barge to 20 states and received products from 18 states; and
[January 3, 2002] 8 WHEREAS, Barges moving to and from Lake Michigan use the O'Brien Lock, with the Chicago Lock passing over 36,000 recreation vessels and over 410,000 passengers on over 13,000 commercial passenger vessels; and WHEREAS, There are approximately 364 manufacturing facilities, terminals, and docks on the waterways of Illinois, representing thousands of jobs in the State; therefore be it RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we recognize the importance of inland waterway transportation to Illinois agriculture and to industry in the State, the region, and the nation, and that we urge Congress to authorize funding to construct l,200-foot locks on the Upper Mississippi and Illinois River System; and be it further RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this Resolution be delivered to the President Pro Tempore and the Secretary of the United States Senate, the Speaker and the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, the Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, the Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and to the Illinois congressional delegation. SENATE BILLS ON FIRST READING Having been printed, the following bills were taken up, read by title a first time and placed in the Committee on Rules: SENATE BILLS 1233 and 1261. At the hour of 2:15 o'clock, Representative Poe moved that the House do now adjourn. The motion prevailed. And in accordance therewith and pursuant to SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 45, the House stood adjourned until January 9, 2002, at 1:00 o'clock p.m.