Scott Fitzgerald: “The Senator brings up many good points. One, you don't have the benefit of the language that they are going to try and…”

“The Senator brings up many good points. One, you don't have the benefit of the language that they are going to try and put into a conference committee report. I do have a copy. And I have to say, Senator Durbin was very straightforward in sharing it with me. But for all the other Members of this body, it is phantom language, so-called placeholder language that would be used later to create an opening in parliamentary rules to slip in the real deal, the real backroom deal between George Ryan and Mayor Daley. The point you made is, that deal has not been shared with you. You have gotten no specifics from Mayor Daley or Governor Ryan. Interestingly, it is not the Governor who actually has the authority by himself to just decree that a runway plan be done in Illinois under State law. There is, in fact, a permitting process. There are hearings, and these plans are subjected to an adversary proceeding. There is opportunity for controllers and pilots and other interested parties to come and testify. There is a whole permitting process. We are being asked, in codifying the backroom deal made by two people, just 48 hours ago, to preempt the Illinois Aeronautics Act. We are being asked to do what the Illinois State Senate should be doing. They can take a look at the Illinois Aeronautics Act. I had 6 years in the State Senate. I didn't think when I got to Washington I would be put in the position of debating the sorts of issues they debate in the Illinois State Senate.”