Jan 17, 2008 6:07 pm US/Central
Transit Fight In Springfield A Record-Setting Deal
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CBS) ―
The fight over funding for mass transit is one reason the Governor and General Assembly set a series of Springfield records last year -- most are nothing to brag about.
CBS 2 Political Editor Mike Flannery takes a look at the long and costly road to transit funding.
The governor ordered 19 special sessions in the past six months, more than any other governor in Illinois history.
In fact, Rod Blagojevich has now called the General Assembly into more special sessions than all other governors combined since the 1970 state constitution was enacted.
It's been mostly counter-productive.
Republican House Leader Tom Cross said, "There's been a lot of animosity toward the governor, largely caused by him."
Democratic Rep. Jack Franks said, "We must stop the childish nature of the process that has led us to this point."
The 95th General Assembly first convened Jan. 10, 2007, and blew right through the May 31, 2007, constitutional adjournment deadline.
With the governor and House Speaker Mike Madigan locked in a test of wills over difficult issues, both chambers worked more than the typical 50 days in an average session. The House was active 108 days and the Senate was active 99 days, costing taxpayers more than $1 million extra just in overtime payments for legislators' meals, lodging and travel.
Nonetheless, some in the General Assembly, and notably their staffers who do not share in the per diem payments, used the phrase "overtime in hell" when referring to the second half of 2007.
There are optimists who hope 2008 might be better, in other words calmer, down in Springfield.
This is an election year and lawmakers' appointments with voters just might instill a sense of discipline on all those politicians, especially the Democrats who run everything in the state capitol. It was the fussing and feuding between Blagojevich, Madigan and Senate President Emil Jones that wreaked so much havoc in 2007.
The $1 million spent on legislative sessions would have been enough to cover state aid for about 200 public school students.
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