While state politicians Sen. Doris Turner and Rep. Mike Coffey represent different parties, both were displeased with two of the bills passed during last month’s veto session. At a Tuesday evening Citizens Club forum held at the Hoogland Center for the Arts, they shared their thoughts on a transit reform package to avert Chicago public transit service cuts and a bill allowing medical aid in dying for terminally ill adults, which would be through a drug that must be self-administered.

Turner, a Democrat, and Coffey, a Republican, both voted against the transit bill, explaining that the reform package to fill a funding gap for the Regional Transportation Authority in the Chicago area did little for central Illinois, though a move to fill the funding gap for the RTA felt inevitable.

“The reason why I voted no is because I really felt like it was more of a bailout for Chicagoland and wasn’t going to benefit downstate,” Turner said. “There was going to be some type of legislation that was going to be passed, because just looking at what was happening in Chicago with transportation, you knew something was going to happen,” she said.

Earlier versions of Senate Bill 2111 included more significant tax levies than what ended up in the draft approved by the Statehouse: a Chicago area sales tax increase and an increase on toll road charges by 45 cents before future increases tied to inflation. Coffey took issue with most of the bill.

“I want Chicago to be successful. I’m not one of those down-staters that believes, ‘Forget about Chicago. We don’t need them,’” Coffey said. “No, we need them. We need Chicago to be the best big city in the country, because it’s a money generator for us all to prosper, but you have to put some parameters on what they’re doing up there. We didn’t do any of that, and this bill was catastrophic.”

Both legislators cited their faith when asked why they voted no on Senate Bill 1950, also titled the End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act, but said they wrestled with their votes.

“This, I will tell you, this was one of the hardest bills that I’ve ever been a part of on the House floor,” Coffey said. “Normally, when you’re on the House floor, I’ll be talking like this and no one will be paying any attention to what you’re saying and they’re just talking. This particular day, on this particular issue, you could hear a pin drop and I will tell you, it was difficult,” he said.

“I couldn’t wrap myself around it and (vote yes), but I will tell you that every single person that spoke on that bill gave very compelling answers either way. I mean, at one point, I had tears in my eyes listening to these stories.”

Turner even said she prayed that the bill would not be called for a vote.

“I’m serious. That was my prayer: Please tell me this bill is not going to hit the board,” she said. “I voted no; I just couldn’t bring – my faith just would not bring me to vote yes.”

She added that the bill barely passed the Senate and indicated at least one yes vote came from party pressure.

“One of the leaders, I’m not going to say who, came over and spoke to my seatmate and she … was kind of browbeaten into voting yes,” Turner said. “But it is still sitting with the governor. He has not said whether he’s going to sign it or not, and there are still people that are advocating, ‘Please don’t sign it.’”

Both lawmakers were supportive of House Bill 576, which increases privacy protections for elected officials and allows them to spend campaign money on security expenses. It overwhelmingly passed both chambers.