Cecil A. Partee Memoir - University of Illinois Springfield

the 1965 Civil Rights Act at the federal level, when LBJ [Lyndon B.
Johnson] was president. When this 1965 Civil Rights Act was passed that1
changed, of course, a lot of climate. Then it was a federal law and then
cities, of course, sort of abided the decision and went on and put in their
individual laws. Then there was a validation of the ordinances that had
been passed, that's right, at the state level.
I
Q: Yes, sir. The year 1967 seems to have been a big year in the legislature
for consideration of this type of thing in the housing. Do you
recall the circumstances of that year?
A: Well, in 1965 there was a bill passed for the reapportionment of the
Senate. That is when I ran for the Senate--subsequent to that election,
in 1966, and when I went to the Senate in 1967--in the 1967 legislative
session where, incidently, I received the Outstanding Freshman Award.
Q: Yes, sir.
A: There came to the Senate, at the same time I did, several House members
who had served with me in the House. We had a great deal mare legislators
from Chicago based on the reapportionment. Instead of one black senator,
we then had four,
Q: Yes, sir. A bill which you introduced with the housing affairs had to
do with the Weston nuclear plant, or this came up in regard to getting
the bill passed. Do you recall that?
A: Yes, I recall that very well. The federal government was looking for a
place to put a large nuclear plant, a plant that would bring a substantial
amount of money to Illinois if it were located here. They had designated
the site and the government, the federal government that is, had given
the impression that unless we passed an open housing law that plant would
not be located in Illinois and I was using that as an argument for the
passage of an open housing law, so that we could acquire that plant. But
that didn't sell. The opposition was so strong they would rather deprive
themselves of the dollars than to pass the law.
Q: Yes. I notice there was a bill that was passed to provide the--1 think
it was thirty million dollars for the purchase of land for the plant.
A: Yes.
Q: During the discussion, evidently on the floor for this bill, it was
stated that Senator Chew became extremely emotional regarding it, Do you
recall that instance?
A: Don't remember the specific incident but I do remember he did get
emotional on the subject at one or two times. Don't remember the specific
incident, no, I da not.