Ill. Lawmaker Mike Bost Yells 'Let My People Go' During Tirade on House Floor (VIDEO)
State Rep. Mike Bost (R-Murphysboro) put on quite a spectacle at the Illinois House of Representatives floor on Tuesday over a pension reform bill he argued was too long for him to read and discuss in a short period of time.
"You should be ashamed of yourselves!" Bost yelled at his fellow lawmakers before quoting biblcal figure Moses by saying "let my people go!"
"Total power in one person's hands – not the American way!" Bost began shortly before throwing the hundred-plus pages of the bill into the air. Lawmakers around him looked on, shifting in their sheets.
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Bost continued, "These damn bills that come out here all the damn time, come out here at the last second! I've got to figure out how to vote for my people!
"You should be ashamed of yourselves! I'm sick of it! Every year! We give power to one person! It was not made that way in the Constitution! He was around when it was written! Now we give him – we've passed rules that stop each one of us! Enough! I feel like somebody trying to be released from Egypt! Let my people go!"
"My God, they sent me here to vote for them," he said before eventually falling into his seat.
Illinois lawmakers have criticized the Democratic-led pension reform bill endorsed by Gov. Pat Quinn and House Speaker Michael Madigan because it raises property taxes in order to fund pension costs. The pension program is meant to benefit state workers, university staff and downstate teachers, as well as retirement benefits for university employees.
Although Bost is upset about the premise of the bill, his reaction Tuesday was fueled primarily by what he sees as a dishonest tactic among those pushing the bill forward -- making the legislation's description excessively long while giving lawmakers little time to fully read and understand it.
The bill was approved by a state pension committee earlier Tuesday, and within hours was being pushed to the entire House for debate.
Bost's tirade has gone viral on the Internet, with some condemning his antics and others praising him for offering a refreshing spin on House politics.
Although the bill was reportedly scheduled to be voted on by Wednesday, its status on the Illinois General Assembly website indicates that voting has yet to begin.
