By Eric Stock
BLOOMINGTON – State Rep. Dan Brady, R-Bloomington, differs with Gov. Bruce Rauner when it comes to term limits.
Rauner has been touring the state wanting legislators to serve no more than five terms. Brady is serving his eighth term and running for a ninth. Rauner also wants statewide officeholders to serve no more than two terms.
PODCAST: Listen to Scott’s interview with Brady on WJBC.
Brady told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin voters should be able to remove lawmakers if they want, but for the legislative leadership positions, such as the one House Speaker Mike Madigan has held for three decades, that’s another story.
“Those types of changes should be looked at when it comes to something where you have the speaker as long as he has (been in office),” Brady said. “If you want real reform, I think you ought to be talking about within the caucuses.”
Rauner said in a visit to El Paso on Tuesday wants the General Assembly to pass term limits and redistricting reform since citizen-led efforts have failed in the courts. Brady suggests with Madigan in power, that will never happen.
“The speaker is not going to idly sit by and allow the idea of term limits and allow the idea of redistricting to be taken away from him, as frustrating as that is.
The Independent Map Group has appealed to the Illinois Supreme Court after a Chicago judge tossed out its ballot initiative last week.
Brady said bringing about change like this isn’t easy as he urged the group not to give up hope.
“I kind of equate it to Bernie Sanders from the standpoint for change and standing up and against the grain,” Brady said. “To see what happened at the Democratic National Convention. He caved and just went with the establishment.”
Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].
