Senate President Philip Rock, an Oak Park Democrat who has always faced a fractious caucus, once again is having problems assembling 30 votes needed on one roll call so the Senate can begin its actual work of the session.
Senate Republicans, who failed to narrow the 31-28 partisan split in last November`s elections, now are being courted by some Democratic lawmakers-and doing a little courting themselves-to try to increase their influence on the Senate`s 19 standing committees.
It`s a technical matter, but Senate committees cannot begin their deliberations on legislation already introduced until the report of the Committee on Committees, which determines the membership and partisan makeup of the committees, is approved.
On Tuesday, the resolution adopting the report fell a vote shy of the 30 necessary votes, when Chicago Democratic Senators Frank Savickas and Jeremiah Joyce did not vote.
Rumors have abounded for weeks that the two Democrats were likely votes for the Republicans on the issue.
”There are some issues that we agree on with some of the members of the other side,” Senate Minority Leader James ”Pate” Philip (R., Wood Dale)
said.
Philip said Republicans constitute 47 percent of the membership of the Senate but hold only about 40 percent of the membership spots of the individual committees.
”We would like to see that a little closer, and we also would like to change the school aid formula to benefit the suburban and Downstate areas,”
Philip said, adding that there were some other issues under discussion.
But aides to Rock said they suspected the Republicans` motives actually may be the ”first volley on redistricting.” Lawmakers elected in 1990 will determine the redrawing of legislative district boundaries, which will affect the control of the General Assembly for the next decade.
They pointed out that the general division of the Democratic-controlled committees has remained constant for the last six years, and that until now, Republicans have not voiced any concerns.
Both sides agreed, however, that little legislative business was likely to have been accomplished anyway until after Chicago`s April 4 mayoral election.
