Senate Returns for One Day Session

Monday, October 18, 2010

Whether they are cheering the election results or crying over them, members of the Illinois Senate will quickly be back in session. On November 4, just two days after Election Day, the Senate will be considering a nearly $4 billion pension borrowing proposal which barely passed the House in May and never came up for a vote in the Senate.

"Much of the hesitancy to vote for any borrowing last spring was because there was no sole financial plan," says Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno, adding the session is going to be a waste of time and money anyway, seeing as how the General Assembly is already scheduled to return for the fall Veto Session November 16.

A spokesman for Senate President John Cullerton said the one day session is in response to a statement Governor Pat Quinn made in July that he wanted the Senate at the Capitol in November to vote on the bill, which would rack up $1 billion worth of interest but would avoid skipping the 2011 pension payment.

S.B. 3514 passed the House in May, 71-44-2.