Our state rep in action

Last year our representative to the Illinois House of Representatives introduced a bill to prohibit public universities and community colleges from paying commencement speakers with state funds. From the House transcript for April 22, 2015, Rep. Jack D. Franks (D-63) questions Rep. Reginald Phillips (R-110) about how much money the bill would save:

Phillips: “Well, I have some ex . . . examples here. Some of these people that spoke were paid, at the University of Illinois, like 40 . . . 40 thousand, some 50 thousand dollars.”

Franks: ”Who were these people?”

Phillips: "Okay. I don’t know who these folks are, but I’ll just give you some of the names. Is that all right?”

Franks: “Yeah. Give us the names and how much they were paid and when and which school.”

Phillips: “Cokie Roberts at the University of Illinois, 2012, $55 thousand. Do you know who she is?”

Franks: “Yes.”

Phillips: ”Okay. Very good. Mayor and I don’t know how to pronounce it . . . Ange . . . Angelo, 2002, nearly $100 thousand.”

Franks: “In 2002?”

Phillips: “Yeah. That was 2002.”

Franks: “Oh, Maya Angelou.”

Phillips: “Maya Angelou, yes.”

Franks: “Not a mayor? Maya Angelou?”

Phillips: “Maya Angelou.”

Franks: “Okay.”

And a little later on:

Franks: “I‘ve asked a very simple question. How much did it cost us over the last few years at each university?”

Phillips: “Well, I’m going to have to apologize. I don’t have that right now, but I can get that to you.”

Franks: “Well, it’s your Bill. We need you to get that to us.”

Phillips: “Okay.”

And that was, so far, the end of that. The bill has not resurfaced.

Related posts
About last night (Our rep speaks)
Creative accounting (30 + 60 ≠ 90)

[I have changed dumb quotation marks to smart ones and replaced “. . .” with Internets-appropriate ellipses. I can’t of course do anything about the quotations themselves. All I can do is vote. Elaine saw news of this legislative moment somewhere on Facebook. Kῦδος to whoever found it.]