Chicago pols in the state legislature

I was lobbying for nursing home reform and was able to prevent my adversaries from getting enough votes to pass a bill in committee. But the Illinois House had a rule that a committee chair could bring a bill to the full chamber even if it didn’t pass the committee.

Jesse White, the committee chair, said he was considering doing that.

I knew that White took orders from House Speaker Michael Madigan, but that if I talked to Madigan about it he would say it was White’s decision. So, my allies and I talked to White and he eventually decided not to report the bill out of committee.

 When I thanked him, he said, “A lot of people down here are helping you. You have to do something for them.”