By Dave Dahl
SPRINGFIELD – As Illinois House Republicans urged their Democratic colleagues to join them in trying to boot longtime House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) out of office, those same Republicans Tuesday suggested that a cancellation of the fall veto session – made official late Tuesday afternoon – would be tied to Madigan’s job security as speaker.
That session was to begin next week and continue the week after Thanksgiving.
State Reps. Avery Bourne (R-Morrisonville) and Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield) were part of a news conference Tuesday afternoon decrying the endemic corruption in Illinois politics and government, corruption they blame on Madigan. And the speaker – who has held the gavel all but two years since 1983 and who has been a state representative since 1971 – has been losing support among Democrats, some of whom openly say they don’t want him as speaker – and / or as Democratic Party of Illinois chairman – anymore.
Speaking shortly before the cancellation announcement, Bourne said,“This shows that Speaker Madigan, if he chooses to not have veto session, doesn;t want to get his caucus together, because (he does not have) the confidence of his own caucus.
“It (would be) a strong signal that the speaker is weak.”
Added Batinick, “I think it means he doesn’t have sixty votes, is what it means,” referring to the minimum number of votes needed to become speaker.
On another topic, while he would not address President Trump’s complaints about widespread fraud costing him last week’s election, State Rep. Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield) said when it is the voter’s burden to notify the local election authority of an address change, the registration could stay with the old address for years. Batinick also urged the state to do a better job of clearing the rolls of dead people.
Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]
