By Alissa Groeninger and Ray Long
The Illinois House today approved a bill to abolish the oft-abused legislative scholarship program, a day after a Democratic state senator caught up in a scholarship scandal lost a primary race in Chicago.
It’s not the first time the House has voted to eliminate a program where some lawmakers have given scholarships to children of political cronies, friends and campaign contributors. But the Illinois Senate repeatedly has saved the century-old legislative perk, and the ultimate fate of the latest House bill is uncertain once again this spring.
Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, would rather reform the program than eliminate it, a top aide said Wednesday.
What gives this new effort an added political dimension is a confluence of events that have put the scholarships under greater scrutiny, including a federal subpoena last year seeking program records.
Authorities issued the subpoena following a Tribune report that showed former state Rep. Bob Molaro, D-Chicago, awarded scholarships worth $94,000 to four children of a longtime political supporter.
The most recent development came Tuesday when Democratic Sen. Annazette Collins, a scholarship defender, lost her primary election.
Secretary of State Jesse White accused Collins of flouting the law that requires members of the House and Senate to give the scholarships to citizens within the their legislative districts.
White then played a major role in defeating Collins when he threw the support of his West Side political organization behind the winner, Patricia Van Pelt Watkins.
On Wednesday, the House passed the scholarship abolishment bill 79-25, with two voting present, over emphatic protests by opponents.
Rep. Monique Davis, D-Chicago, contended the scholarships give relief to “working, everyday Americans and those who live in Illinois and who pay taxes, who don’t get big fat contracts from the state of Illinois.”
“If you have three kids in college and the state of Illinois can give one of them a scholarship, let's do it,” Davis said.
But sponsoring Rep. Fred Crespo, D-Hoffman Estates, said legislative scholarships are costly to universities because they are tuition waivers for students and universities aren’t reimbursed for the $13.5 million annual tab.
Lawmakers can give two four-year scholarships each year to students going to state universities. Sometimes the lawmakers break down the awards to include more people, such as by giving out eight one-year scholarships.
“It's been so often abused that the entire General Assembly is held in disregard because of a few rotten apples in this body,” said Rep. Dave Winters, R-Shirland. “Well, one way to solve that issue of image is to get rid of the opportunity for corruption, the opportunity for abuse.”
The Tribune found last year the number of lawmakers deciding to drop out of the program had increased dramatically.
Since then, Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno’s entire 24-member Republican caucus has ended participation in the program.
Radogno signed on as a co-sponsor of the newly approved House bill in hopes, a spokeswoman said, of helping push the measure through the Senate.
The Senate sponsor is Sen. Michael Frerichs, D-Champaign, who has seen prior attempts to pass scholarship bans blocked in committee. But he said he hopes to overcome that hurdle this spring.
Cullerton spokeswoman Rikeesha Phelon said the Senate president wants a thorough review of all university waivers, restrictions and requirements rather than focusing only on legislative scholarships.
In other action, a bill that would've narrowed the state's controversial eavesdropping law fell 15 votes short of passage.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Elaine Nekritz, D-Northbrook, would have allowed citizens to record audio of police officers in public places.
It is currently legal to videotape police, but capturing audio can net a 15-year prison term. A Cook County judge has ruled the law is unconstitutional.
The Illinois House today approved a bill to abolish the oft-abused legislative scholarship program, a day after a Democratic state senator caught up in a scholarship scandal lost a primary race in Chicago.
It’s not the first time the House has voted to eliminate a program where some lawmakers have given scholarships to children of political cronies, friends and campaign contributors. But the Illinois Senate repeatedly has saved the century-old legislative perk, and the ultimate fate of the latest House bill is uncertain once again this spring.
Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, would rather reform the program than eliminate it, a top aide said Wednesday.
What gives this new effort an added political dimension is a confluence of events that have put the scholarships under greater scrutiny, including a federal subpoena last year seeking program records.
Authorities issued the subpoena following a Tribune report that showed former state Rep. Bob Molaro, D-Chicago, awarded scholarships worth $94,000 to four children of a longtime political supporter.
The most recent development came Tuesday when Democratic Sen. Annazette Collins, a scholarship defender, lost her primary election.
Secretary of State Jesse White accused Collins of flouting the law that requires members of the House and Senate to give the scholarships to citizens within the their legislative districts.
White then played a major role in defeating Collins when he threw the support of his West Side political organization behind the winner, Patricia Van Pelt Watkins.
On Wednesday, the House passed the scholarship abolishment bill 79-25, with two voting present, over emphatic protests by opponents.
Rep. Monique Davis, D-Chicago, contended the scholarships give relief to “working, everyday Americans and those who live in Illinois and who pay taxes, who don’t get big fat contracts from the state of Illinois.”
“If you have three kids in college and the state of Illinois can give one of them a scholarship, let's do it,” Davis said.
But sponsoring Rep. Fred Crespo, D-Hoffman Estates, said legislative scholarships are costly to universities because they are tuition waivers for students and universities aren’t reimbursed for the $13.5 million annual tab.
Lawmakers can give two four-year scholarships each year to students going to state universities. Sometimes the lawmakers break down the awards to include more people, such as by giving out eight one-year scholarships.
“It's been so often abused that the entire General Assembly is held in disregard because of a few rotten apples in this body,” said Rep. Dave Winters, R-Shirland. “Well, one way to solve that issue of image is to get rid of the opportunity for corruption, the opportunity for abuse.”
The Tribune found last year the number of lawmakers deciding to drop out of the program had increased dramatically.
Since then, Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno’s entire 24-member Republican caucus has ended participation in the program.
Radogno signed on as a co-sponsor of the newly approved House bill in hopes, a spokeswoman said, of helping push the measure through the Senate.
The Senate sponsor is Sen. Michael Frerichs, D-Champaign, who has seen prior attempts to pass scholarship bans blocked in committee. But he said he hopes to overcome that hurdle this spring.
Cullerton spokeswoman Rikeesha Phelon said the Senate president wants a thorough review of all university waivers, restrictions and requirements rather than focusing only on legislative scholarships.
In other action, a bill that would've narrowed the state's controversial eavesdropping law fell 15 votes short of passage.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Elaine Nekritz, D-Northbrook, would have allowed citizens to record audio of police officers in public places.
It is currently legal to videotape police, but capturing audio can net a 15-year prison term. A Cook County judge has ruled the law is unconstitutional.