{"id":333224,"date":"2010-02-17T22:48:14","date_gmt":"2010-02-18T03:48:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/chicagopressrelease.com\/press-releases\/senates-closed-door-meeting-riles-critics-media"},"modified":"2010-02-17T22:48:14","modified_gmt":"2010-02-18T03:48:14","slug":"senate%e2%80%99s-closed-door-meeting-riles-critics-media","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/333224","title":{"rendered":"Senate\u2019s closed-door meeting riles critics, media"},"content":{"rendered":"

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois lawmakers learned Wednesday their budget problems aren’t unique, but the manner in which they found that out certainly was.<\/p>\n

In an unprecedented move, Senate Republicans and Democrats met behind closed doors, a meeting that riled media and good-government watchdogs but had lawmakers saying it was an innocent attempt at improving the partisan working environment.<\/p>\n

So intense was the criticism, Senate President John Cullerton said the joint meeting would not be repeated, though he said he had no regrets.<\/p>\n

“Since everybody seems to be pretty upset about it, it’s not that big of a deal, we just won’t do it anymore. We’ll go back to our separate ways of having our own separate party caucuses,” Cullerton told reporters Wednesday afternoon.<\/p>\n

The closed-door meeting was scheduled with the support of Senate Republicans. Patty Schuh, spokeswoman for Senate Republican leader Christine Radogno, said caucuses are closed and this was simply a caucus meeting.<\/p>\n

“It’s unfortunate that something that was very innocent has taken on the appearance that it was sinister,” Schuh said. “In hindsight, we would probably do things differently.”<\/p>\n

The closed-door presentation was given by the National Conference of State Legislatures, which addressed Illinois’ finances in front of Democratic and Republican senators. Closed caucuses are usually reserved for private strategizing among partisan ranks. <\/p>\n

Cullerton, a Chicago Democrat, said hosting a bipartisan caucus was meant to encourage lawmakers to ask questions without political repercussions or fear of how their comments might come back to haunt them in the media or future campaigns. He noted several state senators are seeking higher office, including two Republicans still in the running for the GOP nomination for governor. <\/p>\n

“This is meant to be (a caucus) where just the senators are there to get information, but where they can also feel like they can ask questions and have a free exchange of ideas without having to be worried about what the press might report,” he said earlier Wednesday.<\/p>\n

But news of the state Senate’s closed meeting quickly touched off a firestorm of criticism. <\/p>\n

Charles Wheeler, a former statehouse reporter and professor at the University of Illinois’ Springfield campus, said he was unaware of anything similar happening in his decades watching state government. He said if the Senate wanted a private meeting, members should have used a provision in the constitution that allows for one if two-thirds of the membership votes to close a session to the public.<\/p>\n

“You can argue for secrecy if you’re plotting your party strategy or attempting to work on negotiations. That’s more just, in my mind. But when the entire membership of the Senate meets, it should be open,” Wheeler said.<\/p>\n

Don Craven, a Springfield attorney specializing in First Amendment issues, said the closed meeting sets a dangerous precedent.<\/p>\n

“I recognize that President Cullerton and the Republican leader may be trying to make a point or set a tone for open civil bipartisan discussion. All of that’s to be commended,” Craven said. “But all of that needs to be done in accordance with the constitutional requirements of openness.”<\/p>\n

The Illinois Constitution requires public access to “sessions” of both houses of the General Assembly and meetings of its committees. Although the briefing Wednesday was for all members of the Senate, Cullerton said it was not a session and there was no action or votes.<\/p>\n

Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office offered no opinion on the constitutionality. A spokeswoman said study of the constitutional convention’s debates would be necessary to determine what delegates meant in regards to this open caucus meetings.<\/p>\n

A spokeswoman for Gov. Pat Quinn said the governor had no comment on the matter. Also declining to weigh in were House Speaker Michael Madigan and House Republican leader Tom Cross.<\/p>\n

Lawmakers surprised<\/p>\n

Many suburban lawmakers said they were unaware the meeting was closed to the media until told afterward.<\/p>\n

State Sen. Dan Duffy, a Lake Barrington Republican, said he didn’t realize the meeting was closed until hours later. “It could have been open. I don’t think there was anything special or secret that went on,” Duffy said.<\/p>\n

State Sen. Terry Link, a Waukegan Democrat, said he found out when a reporter told him. “I personally don’t see why it should have been a closed meeting,” he said. “It makes no sense to me whatsoever.”<\/p>\n

Aurora Democrat Linda Holmes also said she didn’t realize the meeting was closed. “The media certainly could have been there,” she said. “It was just finding out what other states’ budgetary issues were.”<\/p>\n

State Sen. Susan Garrett, a Lake Forest Democrat, also said the meeting could have easily been open.<\/p>\n

“The ironic thing about this is there was no confidential information. There was no reason to have a closed-door meeting,” she said. “I presume what President Cullerton was trying to do was create an environment where legislators felt comfortable asking questions and making comparisons to Illinois and other states. But I personally think all these types of meetings should be open. There’s no secret information being exchanged.”<\/p>\n

State Sen. Matt Murphy, a Palatine Republican, said he learned the meeting was closed when he walked in. <\/p>\n

“There wasn’t a whole lot in there people don’t know already,” he said. “It didn’t strike me as something that needed to be secret.”<\/p>\n

State Sen. John Millner, a Carol Stream Republican, missed the meeting because of a family medical emergency. Contacted later, he said he’d likely have attended if he’d been at the Capitol.<\/p>\n

“Here’s the thing: If any decisions were made, it would be wrong. If it was simply a presentation. – I don’t see a problem with that,” Millner said.<\/p>\n

Some lawmakers knew it would be closed.<\/p>\n

State Sen. Pamela Althoff, a Republican from McHenry, said the decision to hold a joint caucus was a courtesy for their “guests.” She serves on the National Conference of State Legislatures. The fact that the caucus remained closed – just like party caucuses that always are closed to the public – was merely incidental. <\/p>\n

“They have a limited time,” said Althoff of the conference officials. “They flew in. They need to get back to their individual respective offices. We just thought this was an accommodation we could make for all of our members, as well as for our guests who were here.” <\/p>\n

State Sen. Donne Trotter, a Chicago Democrat, said the decision to close the Senate meeting was jointly made by leading party members. <\/p>\n

“It’s the National Conference of State Legislatures,” Trotter said. “So there is nothing ominous about what was going on.” <\/p>\n

GOP hopefuls react<\/p>\n

The two GOP candidates left in a near tie for the Republican nomination for governor are members of the Illinois Senate.<\/p>\n

Hinsdale Republican Sen. Kirk Dillard attended the meeting but said fear of lawmakers embarrassing themselves or questions popping up in future campaigns shouldn’t influence public access. <\/p>\n

“I’m a big boy. I can ask my questions in public,” Dillard said. “And I didn’t really learn anything that I didn’t already have a pretty good handle on: The state’s broke. We can’t pay our bills. And we’re hemorrhaging jobs. Sadly, I already knew that.” <\/p>\n

Fellow GOP governor candidate Bill Brady, a state senator from Bloomington, missed the meeting, but in the aftermath he said closing off access seemed unnecessary. <\/p>\n

“It didn’t make any sense,” Brady said. “They made something out of something that shouldn’t have been an issue.”<\/p>\n

Not the usual caucus<\/p>\n

Caucuses are part of the insider routine at the Capitol that few outsiders consider. On a regular, sometimes daily basis during session, the Republicans and Democrats meet independently in caucuses closed to the public. <\/p>\n

Often during these closed meetings, they strategize on upcoming legislation, count votes to see if there is enough support to pass key proposals, and generally set out an agenda for how they plan to proceed in public.<\/p>\n

These happen all the time, often on a moment’s notice. There are fabled Capitol tales of shouting matches and worse during contentious caucus meetings. Generally the clandestine discussions quickly leak to the media, who often huddle outside waiting for lawmakers to emerge.<\/p>\n

What was different Wednesday was the closed meeting involved all members of the Senate, something political observers said they’d never seen before. <\/p>\n

A few years ago, then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich offered a blanket invitation to lawmakers to come to the Executive Mansion for private talks on the state budget. That move was to counter ongoing private meetings by legislative leaders on the budget.<\/p>\n

Wednesday’s hoopla comes just more than six weeks after the state instituted new Freedom of Information laws, which were widely praised by leading lawmakers for easing access to state records and government meetings. <\/p>\n

But Cullerton said an open platform for lawmakers to ask questions without qualm is important in an election year, particularly when the legislature includes two potential candidates for the governor. <\/p>\n

“So none of this stuff that’s going to be reported is secret. As a matter of fact I want you all to see it,” Cullerton said. <\/p>\n

The report presented to the Senate included information about Illinois’ current budget gap – which is the second largest in the nation behind Oklahoma – as well as the information about sales tax, personal income tax and corporate income tax revenues, which were down across the country.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Daily Herald staff writer Timothy Magaw contributed to this report. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Read the original article on DailyHerald.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services<\/a><\/p>\n

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