You support my pork, I'll support yours

Note: This is a post from yesterday, but I bumped it up a bit.

Wanna hear what goes on in Springfield? The intrepid radio reporter Dave Dahl sent me an mp3 file of the Illinois House debating whether or not there should be an opportunity to raise taxes county-wide to pay a $15 appropriation for the downtown museum project.

Listen.

The chair of that session is State Rep. Gary Hannig (D-Litchfield). The lawmaker questioning State Rep. David Leitch (R-73rd District) is State Rep. Jack Franks (D-Woodstock). The roll call of the vote is here (PDF format).

Thanks for the information, Dave. I'd have posted it yesterday, but my Mac is being finicky today.

UPDATE: Upon listening, I was in error. HB4664 is a appropriation bill for a $12 million capital development bond fund to the Department of Natural Resources budget, in "anticipation" of any future capital bill, Leitch states. The money would be used to build a new Lakeview Museum at the former Sears block in downtown Peoria, Leitch said in response to a question from Franks.

Leitch told colleagues that approximately $50 million of the $130-$140 million project would be the Caterpillar visitor center, and noted that this money would come from the same fund that has funded museums in Chicago.

Commenter C.J. is correct. This is very much a case of "you support my pork, and I’ll support your pork.”

Like sausage, you'll never enjoy pork after you watch (or in this case, listen) to it being made.

For example, Leitch also said he has spoken to "Larry Suffredin" about introducing this in the state senate to add "for other projects that might be helpful to other parts of the state."

I thought Suffredin might be a state senator, but the only Larry Suffredin I could find is this guy, a member of the Cook County commission who is also a very powerful lobbyist. How sweet would that be, folks, for a Republican legislator from Peoria to go to a Democratic pol from Cook County to get legislation presented in the Senate. Apparently, Peoria's own State Sen. Dale Risinger (R-37th district) and State Sen. Dave Koehler (D-46th District) aren't Leitch's go-to guys.

"My goal was to get this out now so it is in the hunt, as it will," Leitch says, adding that he's seeking a "critical mass" of other projects to add to the bill to improve chances of passage.

It passed by a 80-20 vote.

Crossposted to PeoriaPundit.