PEKIN, IL -
State Rep. Mike Unes (R-East Peoria) came out swinging today after voting “no” on House Resolution
34, which established the rules under which the Illinois House of
Representatives will operate for the 98th General Assembly.
The House Minority Caucus, of which Rep. Unes is a member, proposed Amendment 1 to House Resolution 34, which would have allowed for bills to be assigned to a substantive committee upon petition by a supermajority of House members from either party. Consideration of Amendment 1 was prevented by the House Majority Caucus, who now holds a veto-proof stranglehold over all House operations, following November’s Election.
“These House Rules are a huge defeat for transparency in state government operations,” said Rep. Mike Unes, “I do not understand why the Majority Caucus, led by Chicago Speaker Mike Madigan, will not allow for rules which allow for fair consideration of bills proposed by all legislators in the Illinois House.”
“There are issues of critical importance to Central Illinois that have, unfortunately, been blocked in the past by the House Majority Leadership,” continued Rep. Unes, “We had an opportunity today to change those rules and allow for a more democratic process. It is extremely disappointing that the Majority Caucus blocked that effort in a purely partisan manner, instead of voting in the best interest of all Illinoisans.”
House Resolution 34, as passed un-amended on a hyper-partisan roll call of 69-47, included provisions which allowed for bills to be heard in a substantive committee only with the approval of a super-majority of the House Democrat Caucus.
