I asked Rep. Lang what the purpose was for doing that, and why there were so many blatantly unconstitutional spending provisions in the Bill.
Here's what he had to say:
Lang said that, by filing a Motion to Reconsider, he controls the Bill, rather than the Governor. Pat Quinn has indicated that he was going to sit on the Bill until all budget matters were resolved. The Motion to Reconsider keeps the Bill in the House, thus allowing the General Assembly an opportunity to amend the Bill once other budget matters are resolved.
Regarding the numerous provisions that donate tax dollars to favored churches and parochial schools, in clear violation of Article X, Section 3 and Article I, Section 3 of the Illinois Constitution, Lang said that many legislators had gone overboard because there has been no Capital Bill in ten years, and that many of the provisions simply don't pass the smell test.
In any Capital Bll, said Lang, there will be provisions that you could pick on. That is why Lang supports a proposal to have an independent commission evaluate the merits of the various spending proposals.
But that's why we have a General Assembly: to do exactly that.
Regarding some of the spending proposals that I pointed out to him as being unconstitutional, Lang said that some of the spending proposals were just plain stupid and wrong.
We'll see what Governor Quinn does with his veto pen. Stay tuned.
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