As expected, the Illinois House on Thursday overwhelmingly rejected Gov. Bruce Rauner’s idea to allow local right-to-work zones that would let workers to opt out of paying union dues at jobs covered by unions.
The House voted 0-72, with another 37 lawmakers voting “present.”
All 71 Democrats voted against the bill. They were joined by one Republican: Rep. Raymond Poe of Springfield.
Poe, whose district includes a large number of unionized state workers, bucked the wishes of Rauner, who wanted all Republicans to vote “present.” Labor unions were pressing for everyone to vote “no” on the bill.
“It’s real simple. I voted my district,” Poe said after the vote. “It has nothing to do with other things. We all have to represent our districts, and I voted my district. The whole thing was sort of a hoax, but yet it might be the only vote we get.”
Poe dismissed the idea of any retaliation for his vote.
“I’ve been here 21 years,” he said. “I’m not the first guy that ever did it, and I doubt I’ll be the last.”
Of course the whining from Illinois Republicans is epic, because they are all giant babies:
“We are going through a political exercise,” said House Minority Leader Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs. “Two weeks in a row, we are dealing with sham bills. What we are witnessing today is high theater. I’m embarrassed to be part of this process.”
Your party’s leader in the governor’s mansion proposed cutting autism funding ON WORLD AUTISM DAY and is refusing to bury the indigent dead, but THIS embarrasses you? Go back to school.
Sham vote or no, Rauner’s got to take this back to his ALEC buds and they’re not going to be happy. What are they paying him for, anyway?
A.