Rep. Sullivan: Democrats Broke Parliamentary Rules to Advance Obama Library

Rep. Ed Sullivan

In a stunning violation of House rules, Illinois House Democrats used a subject matter only meeting today to advance legislation aimed at steering $100 million in public funds towards luring the Obama Presidential Library to Chicago.

“The legacy of the Obama Presidential Library shouldn’t be kicked off in a cloud of controversy,” stated State Representative Ed Sullivan (R, Mundelein). “Not only was the meeting a misrepresentation, so was the false roll call taken.”

Sullivan was speaking specifically to the Illinois House Executive Committee vote today on House Bill 6010. The legislation was brought up in what appeared as a subject matter hearing only, meaning testimony was to be taken, but no votes were to be cast. At the meeting, only four of the committee’s eleven members were present.

Without a quorum present, and no Republicans to hold the rules accountable, the four present Democratic members claimed the committee roll call to be 9-0 (9 voting “yes” and 0 voting “no”) on the proposal, with even opposing Republicans not in attendance recorded as “yes” votes.

“The roll call appears to be unequivocally out of order.  It is often the case that the majority party in Illinois will simply change the rules to get what they want accomplished,” added Sullivan. “In this case they didn’t even care to change the rules, they just flat out broke them.”

Under the rule of House Speaker Michael Madigan (D, Chicago), the House Rules committee often convenes throughout the legislative calendar to alter, change or suspend House rules to move various proposals. In this instance, even the stated rules appear to be violated.

Under current House rules, a committee cannot vote on measures unless a quorum is present and the proper posting requirements have been met. Under a parliamentary review, the following were violated: Rule 32 providing a majority of those appointed constitute a quorum of a committee, Rule 21 authorizing actions by recessed committees but requiring the House to be in session, and Rule 49 providing that no member of a committee may vote except in person at the time of the call of the vote.

The Illinois House does not reconvene regular session until April 29th. It remains unclear at this point what action will be taken on House Bill 6010, but Rep. Sullivan intends to object to the advancement of this legislation.