By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – If the person you’re not talking about is a Democrat, can you still use the phrase “the elephant in the room”?

A group of state lawmakers announced nine ethics bills Thursday but grew irritated when reporters’ questions focused on House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago). Commonwealth Edison has paid $200 million as part of a federal deferred prosecution agreement, having admitted to bribing Madigan – through cash and favors – to steer legislation its way. 

Madigan is implicated but not indicted.

Some, like State Sen. Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake), openly are asking Madigan to resign. Introducing the package of bills, she said, “It’s time for us to stand up and make it clear that we will not stop our work until we reach real systemic change.”

The bills include the perennial attempts to keep legislators and lobbyists from being the same people, and to implement a buffer period – stopping the “revolving door” – between serving in the General Assembly and becoming a lobbyist. But one allows lawmakers to remove a legislative leader if he or she does not keep their nose clean legally. 

That last one appears to point to Madigan, but State Rep. Mary Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville) said, “It’s really, really frustrating to hear something about Speaker Madigan, because it really takes away the focus of what this message is all about. This is way bigger than Speaker Madigan.” She went on to say, in response to a question, that if she were Madigan, she’d resign.

The bills do not address campaign finance, as one reporter found out when he ticked off State Sen. Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) by asking if any of the lawmakers on the call – all Democrats – if they’d accept Madigan’s campaign cash.

“Why don’t you ask a question about what we’re here to talk about?” asked an irked Manar.

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected].