Springfield Acts Too Much Like Washington
Rep. Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City) is one of a handful of Republicans purposely being kicked off the House floor for refusal to wear a face mask.
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OPINION
Springfield hasn’t always been this nasty. I started covering politics as a cub reporter in 2005 and I had good relationships with guys like former Rep. Bill Black, former Sen. Dale Righter, and former Sen. Mike Frerichs, who is now State Treasurer, of course.
Even privately, off the record, they would criticize members of the opposing party to me, but it wasn’t full of vitriol or hatred. It was a genuine frustration with positions or actions.
God, that feels like forever ago.
Even in 2013, when I was on Senate Republican staff, I was surprised at how distant the Republican and Democratic caucuses were. There were some specific members who were disliked (on either side), but I didn’t understand why there wasn’t a little more collaboration. Obviously, politics plays a part. I’ve told the story about how we had to pull teeth to get then-Sen. Bill Haine to join a Republican on a bill. But he couldn’t be seen talking about the bill with the Republican.
Other than a congressional race in 2012, I didn’t get my first taste of Washington for real until I lobbied for the Indiana Corn & Soybean growers beginning in 2014. Walking through the halls of Longworth or Rayburn, you could see the peering eyes of young staffers trying to figure out if you were on “our team.” This is pre-Trump and I can’t imagine the distaste staff and members on each side have for each other today.
That leads me to the last few days in the Illinois House. A handful of Republicans are trying to make a statement by getting themselves kicked off the floor for refusing to wear a face covering in accordance with House rules. It apparently led to a profanity laden blowup from Rep. Steve Reick (R-Woodstock) to Rep. Lakesia Collins (D-Chicago) after he was mistakenly named in the resolution to remove members from the floor last Thursday. He tried to apologize, she felt threatened, and they had a kumbaya meeting in the Speaker’s office yesterday morning.
It’s important to state just how silly the mask protests are for these handful of Republican members. Even when the public spaces mask mandate expires next week, each employer or business or group that runs a building (like the House Democrats run the House Chamber) has the authority to mandate masks or shoes or coats and ties (like the Senate does). By standing around until you get kicked off the floor does your constituents a disservice because you aren’t participating in the process, working on bills, or participating in any debate or constructive discussion. Not like many of them want to govern anyway. And, to be fair, yes, I’ve seen the pictures, I’ve seen the video, I know there are Democrats who have not been wearing a mask at times. The difference is, when they’re admonished about it, they put it back on. If this is some protest about the efficacy of masks, then, I don’t even want to hear it. The science is clear.
This all goes to a bigger problem. While there are honest brokers on both sides of the aisle in both chambers, sadly, we’ve reached a DC level of partisanship in Springfield. Far too many Republicans believe Democrats want to destroy America or Illinois. Far too many Democrats believe that Republicans are racist, xenophobic zealots who want to kill poor people.
Both House Speaker Chris Welch and Republican Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) made pleas on the House floor yesterday for a return to civility.
“We must always conduct ourselves with mutual respect for one another. We must make an effort, at all times, to find ways to work together,” Welch said. “It's what the people of our state expect and deserve.”
Durkin echoed.
"We have people watching us right now, adults, children, think about that. Let's think about that. Let's respect what's going on on the floor. Let's listen to somebody's questions. Let's listen to somebody explaining their bills,” he said. “We should give the people that are watching us the opportunity to realize that we are serious people who all have something in common, and that's to fix our state, help our neighbors, help our neighborhoods.”
Immediately after the calls for civility and working together and moving past pointless protests?
Three more House Republicans were kicked off the floor for not wearing a mask.
At some point, you have to wonder if the system is even worth keeping as it is. Maybe the answer is more political parties. Surely independent redistricting could help.
But it doesn’t begin to get better until elected officials start acting like adults.
