There are many ways to compare the situations and whether it's transferable and that's all a fairly complex discussion.

If you remember his statements about commutation it puts his supposed great Democratic credentials a bit different:

>Rod R. Blagojevich, the Democrat who succeeded Mr. >Ryan as governor on Monday, said the clemency was >"terrible" and a "gross injustice."  

The Pantagraph (Bloomington, IL)

March 5, 2003, Wednesday

Death-penalty reforms win panel's support

BYLINE: Matthew Kemeny

SECTION: NEWS; Pg. A4

LENGTH: 517 words

SPRINGFIELD - Sweeping reforms aimed at fixing the state's flawed capital punishment system were given unanimous bipartisan support in a Senate committee Tuesday, but lawmakers say they still need some work.
The proposal, sponsored by state Sen. John Cullerton, D-Chicago, is virtually identical to reforms that were pushed last year by former Gov. George Ryan, who emptied Illinois' death row before he left office in January.

Among the provisions included in the measure now heading to the Senate floor are a reduction in the number of crimes eligible for the death penalty and a ban on a death sentence when a conviction is based solely on a jailhouse informant.

The legislation also would stop the death penalty from being imposed on defendants found to be mentally retarded.
"We had to do something," Cullerton told the committee. "I think we got as close as we can."

In a separate piece of legislation related to death penalty reforms, the same panel voted unanimously Tuesday in support of Senate Bill 15, which would require that police videotape interrogations and confessions in murder cases.

The proposal was amended to include audiotaping as well. Many state and local jurisdictions have already adopted the system, said state Sen. Barack Obama, D-Chicago.

But, the proposal, sponsored by Obama, may have a tough time winning final approval.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich opposes the concept, saying it would make it harder to secure convictions. A spokesman said the governor might support a measure that would mandate videotaped confessions - but not entire interrogations.

"As a former prosecutor, he knows that there are some consequences to doing that (videotaping interrogations). He also thinks that it may compromise police officers' abilities to effectively prosecute," Blagojevich spokesman Tom Shafer said.

Republican state Sens. Dan Rutherford of Chenoa and Bill Brady of Bloomington say Obama's legislation could hinder police.

And, state Rep. Dan Brady, R-Bloomington, said the legislation could hurt smaller police departments because they may not have the money and manpower to comply with the mandate.

"In Bloomington-Normal, that challenge may not be the same as it would be for the Gridley Police Department or the Heyworth Police Department, who don't have those kinds of resources, but still could have a major crime occur in their jurisdiction," Brady said.

Bill Shaven, spokesman for the Chicago Police Department, said the videotaping mandate could cost up to $3.2 million in equipment, maintenance, and personnel costs.

Bloomington Police Chief Roger Aikin said he was concerned about who was going to pay for the videotaping equipment. The department has six video cameras in the department. "I know cities don't have the money for it," Aikin said. "Is the state going to supply it?"

Hudson Police Chief Roy Garrett said the measure would "create a burden" for his department.

Leading the civil rights agenda is a measure to protect gays from discrimination in hiring, housing and other areas. It would add "sexual orientation" to the law that already prohibits discrimination based on, for example, race and religion.

The idea has been approved by the House in past years but went nowhere in the Republican-controlled Senate.

Lawmakers also have introduced legislation to require that women get equal pay for doing the same work as men, to let women sue when they are the victims of gender-based violence and to give the Legislature's approval to the federal Equal Rights Amendment.

Other bills would tackle racial profiling by requiring police to record the race of people they pull over, protect people's right to speak foreign languages in the workplace and bar housing discrimination against people who get their rent money from the government.

Sen. Barack Obama, D-Chicago, said the common theme is trying to fulfill America's "promise of inclusion" to everyone.

He and other supporters also say they have to draft the legislation carefully to have a real shot at passing such bills. Obama said he is working closely with police on his racial profiling bill and finding common ground despite police officials' initial concerns.

"Creating a piece of legislation that actually works in the real world requires that you talk to the people who are operating in the real world," he said.