Does the old dog have more bark or bite?
It’s something I’ve wondered while watching my family’s dogs interact — and observing the Illinois Legislature.
My family adopted a dog recently, and that didn’t sit too well with one of the hounds already in residence.
For weeks, we have watched the two walking stiff-legged around each other, hackles up and teeth bared. They will snarl and snap but have not actually drawn any blood.
At issue is who is the top pooch.
In Springfield, a similar dynamic is taking place.
Gov. Bruce Rauner is the new guy at the statehouse, and House Speaker Mike Madigan, D-Chicago, is the old dog used to having his way.
And Madigan is doing his best to prove that he’s still the top dog.
To prove who is boss, apes pound their chests, cats hiss and dogs growl. Mike Madigan calls bills.
For the past two weeks, Madigan has written, sponsored and called several bills for a vote that he doesn’t support. It makes sense only in a warped Springfield sort of way.
Typically, legislative leaders and the governor sit down and talk about legislative priorities. There’s usually some give and take and a compromise is reached.
Neither side gets everything it wants, but a final package is eventually agreed upon. And there’s usually something for everyone.
But instead of serious negotiations, Illinoisans are being entertained during the current legislative session with some unfortunate political theater.
Madigan is calling up Rauner’s proposals such as right-to-work zones and welfare cuts and having his Democratic majority in the House vote them down — before Rauner and his allies have even introduced the legislation.
The bill and their amendments are drafted by Madigan, not Rauner, and they lack context.
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For example, it’s kind of hard to decide how much to spend on welfare when it’s unknown how much money will be coming into the state treasury.
Madigan has been talking about raising the income tax again, but Rauner has not.
Considering spending without revenue figures is like going shopping without knowing how much money you have in your pocket. It’s a pointless exercise.
In fairness, Rauner and his allies are trying to change how the game is played. They’re waiting until the final days of the current session to introduce bills and seek a grand bargain.
This doesn’t sit well with the speaker. Sometimes it’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks.
But for Madigan, this past week hasn’t been about crafting public policy, it’s about teaching obedience.
Many of the Democrats in the House know when to roll over and play dead for Madigan. And the speaker has taught the last five governors to heel.
And now he’s intent on showing the rookie governor who’s really in charge of state government.
Is Madigan barking up the wrong tree? Time will tell.
But time in this legislative session is running out.
Scott Reeder is a veteran statehouse reporter and a journalist with the Illinois News Network, a project of the Illinois Policy Institute. He can be reached at [email protected]