And The Circus Goes On

Friday is the deadline...maybe. The Illinois General Assembly is set to adjourn on Friday, but if meaningful tort reform bills do not get voted on, the legislators may get called into overtime.

Will Illinois lawmakers actually pass a good bill? And if so, will our governor sign it? And then, will the Illinois Supreme Court leave it alone, or call it unconstitutional? (The answer to the last question appears to be that the bills, both House and Senate versions, as currently worded [before amendments*] would pass the test with the Supreme Court, as per the writer of the decision that deemed the last law's wording unconstitutional.)

The bigger question is, are some lawmakers voting for these bills in an effort to appear to their constituents that they are "on their side," when in reality they know that someone else is going to sink the bill later?

My prediction: Someone is going to stall, someone is going to keep adding bogus amendments, someone is going to do something, and the General Assembly will adjourn without a vote. The spin will be, "We tried and tried, but it was not our fault!! It was so-and-so's fault for doing ABC." Those lawmakers in favor of meaningful tort reform legislation aren't going to let a bill go by if it's a band-aid or substandard approach. So, in the end, there will be finger pointing, but no vote.

I *hope* I am wrong.

[DecaturPride, back at the helm of my own blog. Thanks Dr. G for helping out.]