If you were wondering how
worried House Speaker Michael Madigan is about election day, last week's
special session gambit should have answered your question.
As you probably know, the
Chicago Democrat asked Gov. Rod Blagojevich to call the General Assembly into
special session right away to freeze electric utility rates for the next three
years. In January, your electric bill is scheduled to rise anywhere from 20 to
50 percent, depending where you live, because of a law that was passed a decade
ago.
Despite the national
Republican collapse, despite the fact that Gov. Rod Blagojevich has spent
millions of dollars on an electronic mugging of Republican gubernatorial
candidate Judy Baar Topinka, despite Speaker Madigan's mountains of campaign
money and the fact that his members enjoy all the perks and powers of
incumbency, Madigan's special session demand betrayed more than just a hint of
urgency, perhaps even some panic, about some of his members.
Mike Madigan is not fond
of special sessions. Gov. Rod Blagojevich wanted to call special sessions on
more than one occasion earlier this year, but Madigan always talked him out of
it. When House Republicans demanded a special session over the summer to address
skyrocketing gasoline prices, Madigan said no way.
But then out of the blue
Madigan called for a special session to freeze consumer electric rates.
The electric rate issue
has some legs in Chicagoland, where ComEd's rates will rise more than 20
percent come January. But it's been absolutely huge downstate, where Ameren's
rates will climb as much as 50 percent.
As a result, Democratic
legislators like Rep. Mike Smith (D-Canton) and Rep. Kurt Granberg (D-Carlyle)
who voted for the original legislation that has resulted in this rate hike are
getting hammered by public opinion and by the Republicans. Rep. Bob Flider
(D-Mt. Zion) was an Illinois Power lobbyist ten years ago and testified on the
bill's behalf in committee. He was also on Ameren's payroll until late last
year. Not good.
An opportunity to vote for
a rate freeze before election day could ease voters' minds. But Senate
President Emil Jones is on the opposite side of the fence.
Jones is a staunch ComEd
ally and has taken big bucks from the utility, its parent and its employees. He
only has one incumbent in any sort of trouble, Sen. Deanna Demuzio
(D-Carlinville), and her relatively unknown opponent hasn't exactly set the
district ablaze with his campaign. Instead of playing defense like Madigan,
Jones is on the attack against Republican incumbents.
So, a special session that
passed a rate freeze would give GOP incumbents like Sen. Dave Syverson
(R-Rockford) and Sen. Cheryl Axley (R-Mt. Prospect) an opportunity to shore up
their relationships with voters right before election day. When you look at it
this way, it's pretty easy to see why Sen. Jones doesn't like Madigan's special
session idea.
The governor has said he
would gather the members in Springfield when there are enough votes to pass it.
Well, there already are
enough votes. How many politicians do you think will vote to raise their
constituents' electric bills by 20-50 percent less than a month before an
unpredictable election? One head count has at least 30 Senators supporting it,
but lots more will jump on board if the bill ever gets called for a vote on the
floor.
However, if Blagojevich
called the special session he would seriously alienate Jones, who might even
refuse call it for a vote. Blagojevich would then look weak at a time when he
needs to project strength. And he'd have to be in Springfield amongst reporters
who don't particularly like him or trust him or believe a word that comes out
of his mouth. He's rather just remain safely in the comfy cocoon of the
multi-million-dollar TV fantasy world created by his advertising agency.
Meanwhile, the groups
representing big business, which are almost always in league with the major
utilities, have got to be disappointed in Topinka's announcement at the debate
last week that she wanted a rate freeze extension. Topinka had little choice.
She couldn't stand against a rate freeze, but the issue could separate her from
part of her natural base of support - and it's the part that has a lot of
dough.
-30-
Rich Miller also publishes
Capitol Fax, a daily political newsletter. He can be reached at
capitolfax.blogspot.com