Illinois House

Morale improved under new Illinois Speaker

Published by admin on Sun, 06/13/2021 - 11:46am

On Nov. 19 of last year, the number of Illinois House Democrats who had publicly stated they would not vote to reelect Speaker Michael Madigan grew from 12 to 17, meaning that Madigan at that point did not have enough votes to win. By Dec. 1, two more House Democrats, including a member of Madigan's own leadership team, had turned against him. "The 19" became a real force in Illinois politics.

Illinois House is more diverse than people think

Published by admin on Sun, 02/28/2021 - 10:49am

Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch gave his standard reply to a question about redistricting reform last week when queried at the Chicago Economic Club, saying different people have different opinions about what a "fair map" actually is.
But then the new House Speaker leaned a bit harder into the concept of protecting minority rights when redrawing the new legislative district maps than I've heard him do in the past.

Madigan relieved to be done with it all

Published by admin on Sun, 02/21/2021 - 2:44pm

"The 22nd District is a garden," then-House Speaker Michael Madigan told reporters several years ago when asked about his House district. Some thought it was funny, but he was serious. And he's most definitely the head gardener.
I've often said that Madigan, who officially resigned from the House on Feb. 18 after more than 50 years in office, ran the Speaker's office like he ran his ward and district offices. So, the House was an even bigger garden than his home turf.

Madigan resigns from Illinois House

Published by admin on Thu, 02/18/2021 - 11:20am

SPRINGFIELD — Former House Speaker Michael J. Madigan, 78, announced Thursday his immediate resignation from the state House of Representatives after 50 years in office.
“I leave office at peace with my decision and proud of the many contributions I’ve made to the state of Illinois, and I do so knowing I’ve made a difference,” Madigan wrote in a lengthy emailed statement.
His current term, which he won in November, ends in January 2023.

New rules in Illinois House is just the first step

Published by admin on Sat, 02/13/2021 - 12:49pm

While the House Republicans made some decent points last week when arguing against the chamber's new rules, they all but dismissed some pretty darned historic changes.
For years, decades even, the House Republicans have argued for leadership term limits. House Speaker Michael Madigan rebuffed them at every single turn. Heck, Madigan retaliated against members of his own party who dared broach the subject.

New House Speaker so far doing what Madigan didn’t

Published by admin on Sat, 01/30/2021 - 12:17pm

Just a couple of weeks into a job that most people couldn't imagine being held by anyone other than the guy who had it for decades, Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch is putting together a House that looks both familiar and different at the same time.
Welch's first week included a rollout of his new leadership team, with a Black woman as Speaker Pro Tempore and fresh faces throughout. By the third week, we'll see committee membership rosters and vice chairs. The following week will be the new rules.

New Speaker says Illinois House is ‘back in business’

Published by admin on Sun, 01/24/2021 - 12:28pm

House Speaker Michael Madigan avoided calling the General Assembly back into session during the pandemic for several reasons, many of them having to do with himself.
But Speaker Welch told me earlier this month that "The legislature is back in business. We're going to work in 2021."

Lame duck session was a failure by Pritzker administration

Published by admin on Sun, 01/17/2021 - 1:39pm

"The legislature is going to be a check on the executive branch," newly-elected House Speaker Chris Welch flatly declared to me during an interview the other day.
Welch was responding to a question I posed to him about his Jan. 13th inaugural address, when he asked not-so-rhetorically, "Why is it difficult to ensure that families' unemployment checks continue unabated and arrive on time so struggling families can feed their children? Why is that hard to grasp?"

Illinois House stalls Senate's sexual harassment bill

Published by admin on Mon, 04/15/2019 - 9:24am

Sen. Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake) spent more than a year holding hearings and overseeing negotiations which eventually produced SB1829, a massive omnibus bill on sexual harassment.

Latest Illinois crisis makes for an unusual session

Published by admin on Sun, 11/12/2017 - 3:16pm

 

One of the most unusual Illinois veto sessions I’ve ever seen wrapped up last week.