State Rep. Steve Reick offers the following hypothesis for State Rep. David McSweeney’e delay in sending his House Bill 4617 to Governor Bruce Rauner.
The bill would allow voters in any McHenry County township to petition for a referendum to abolish their township with duties and resources turned over to county government.
McSweeney’s Frank(s)enstein Update
NW Herald, AP File Photo
There seems to be some question as to the current status of H.B. 4637, Representative David McSweeney’s bill to eliminate townships in McHenry County that slithered through the House on the last day of veto session.
In a story in the Northwest Herald, the timing of when the bill would be sent to the Governor was discussed:
McSweeney did not give a definitive date of when he plans to send the bill to the governor. Gov. Bruce Rauner’s last day in office is Jan. 14, when he must relinquish his desk to Democrat J.B. Pritzker.
“I’ll send it when I’m ready,” McSweeney said.
He’s able to control the time that the bill will be sent to the Governor by filing a “Motion to Reconsider” the vote pursuant to Rule 65 of the Rules of the Illinois House which states in part:
(a)…When the motion to reconsider is made during the last 3 days of April or any time thereafter during the regular session, or at any time during a veto or special session, any member may move that the vote on reconsideration be taken immediately. The member who filed the motion to reconsider may withdraw the motion at any time by filing a notice of withdrawal with the Clerk…
(d) When a motion to reconsider is made within the time prescribed by these Rules, the Clerk shall not allow the bill or other subject matter of the motion to pass out of the possession of the House until after the motion has been decided or withdrawn.
What this says is that Representative McSweeney is afraid that Governor Rauner would heed the wishes of 21 members of the McHenry County Board and veto the bill if it landed on his desk. He’s going to put a “brick” on the bill until J.B. Pritzker is inaugurated, figuring he’ll sign it.
I’m sure that Representative McSweeney will portray this oleaginous attempt to grease the skids as we move toward the consolidation of power within McHenry County as his first measure of bipartisanship in the new administration. I can’t wait to see the photo of the signing ceremony.
I’ve said all I’m going to say about this bill, it’s now in the political realm. When Algonquin Township votes to eliminate itself, and all those legal fees end up on your property tax bill after they get moved up to the County for payment, just remember who made it happen. Folks, it’s up to you.
This pic is very unfortunate for McSweeney.
RINO Reick is a damn P_H_O_N_Y and an enemy of the taxpayer.
He is an ‘open-borders’ loser.
When has Reick ever said anything of value about anything since he’s been in office? Now he makes an unfounded threat and then says “that’s all he’s going to say.” Thanks for the no leadership, Reick. It’s just what we expected from you, as usual.
Interesting. I just found out in the last few days that an incoming governor can sign legislation that was made by the GA the previous year. I was under the impression that everything reset. You’d think it would…new governor, new legislative calendar, all the old stuff is wiped out. Apparently it doesn’t work like that. I would have thought it’s a new government, so you can’t act on matters that the previous government debated on. I thought you had to start from scratch. Are the governor and legislators sworn in at different times? Is there some specific window where the old legislature and new governor occupy the government and that’s how Pritzker would be able to sign hb 4637? Or do bills just linger around indefinitely? Illinois has some weird and convoluted rules…
Marking this for future comment… when I can comment on these three.
Gasbag – For future reference nobody cares what you have to say unless it’s I resign. Be blessed.
Po-corny, your childish comments show what a dud you are.
I await Gasser’s comments eagerly.
It is certainly very ironic that McSleezy provided heavy support to Andy and then used the legal fees that Andy was forced to rack up to try to (so far unsuccessfully) get out from under Bob Miller’s lame duck unionization of his own family to call for a need to make it easier to abolish townships, ONLY IN MCHENRY COUNTY.
I honestly don’t understand what was afoot here, but it is weird.
Having said that, AL township, and especially the Road District, aches to be dissolved, not because of any of the people who are or have been involved in township government, but because very little unincorporated land is left due to municipal annexations and growth.
However, too many questions and loose ends remain under this particular bill. Hopefully they will be cleaned up with the new session. (Falls off unicorn).
Meanwhile, during what election cycle would such a referendum be floated?
If the bill is not signed until January, that eliminates the 2019 Consolidated election so the next one wouldn’t be until the 2020 primary or general elections, both of which would require far more signatures to place it on the ballot.
Alternately, the proponents could elect to wait until the next Township Election in 2021 where the signature threshold would be much lower.
This would create the interesting prospect that those persons elected in that election would be out of jobs about two months after taking their offices depending on the date of dissolution selected by the petitioners. (must be at least 90 days after the election).
Who would want to run for the position under those circumstances?
LimaBravo–“Po-corny”,Never heard that as a child growing up, throw in a cornball too. If you care what Gasbag has to say you are a moron. Please make no mistake, I am not a dud, I am an ass and fully live up to and relish it.
Po-Commie, you are indeed an ass!