In this issue:
- Madigan trial begins this week
- Not much has changed in Springfield
- Speaking to the Youth Advisory Council
- Illinois headlines
Madigan trial begins this week
One of the biggest public corruption trials in Illinois history started up this week in a federal courtroom in Chicago.
Jury selection started on Tuesday for the corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, who is charged with delivering official acts in exchange for personal benefits.
Madigan was Illinois’ Speaker of the House for 36 years until he was forced from office in 2021. He was indicted in 2022. Madigan amassed vast power both through his office as Speaker and through various political posts in his Chicago ward and statewide. Any legislation which he disfavored had no chance of passage in Springfield. Prosecutors have alleged over the years that this concentration of immense power in a single set of hands led lobbyists and others with pending bills in the Capitol to make corrupt deals with Madigan in exchange for his support.
Madigan is “charged in a 23-count indictment alleging Madigan’s vaunted state and political operations were run like a criminal enterprise to amass and increase his power and enrich himself and his associates,” according to the Chicago Tribune.
The trial will continue next week.
Not much has changed in Springfield
Unfortunately, very little of the power structure which led to this week’s corruption trial has changed in Springfield.
Tremendous power is still concentrated in very few hands in the Capitol. Bills are not called up for a hearing or a vote if the Speaker of the House does not approve of them. This has denied the people of Illinois a fair hearing on hundreds of bills on many different topics – including the issue of ethics reform. Former Speaker Madigan’s indictment – along with the previous indictments of his former Chief of Staff, many other legislators, local officials and numerous lobbyists – should have been a wake-up call for Springfield about the need for ethics reform. Sadly, the many reform proposals which have been put forward by Republicans over the last few years have not been allowed to get a fair hearing or a vote.
They were crushed by the concentration of power in the hands of the House Speaker.
Speaking to the Youth Advisory Council
I recently spoke at Senator Tom Bennett’s Youth Advisory Council in front of 15 different schools across the 53rd Senate District on my background and how I became a State Representative. I encouraged each of them to find something they are passionate about in their future endeavors.
During the day, the students had to come up with bill proposals and shared them with the group. They only had about 30 minutes to brainstorm and work together as a team. At the end of the day, they were able to vote on the best proposal.
The winner was the Safe Water Act!
Our current bill backlog
When a vendor provides the state with goods and services, they submit the bill to the Illinois Comptroller for payment. The Comptroller processes the paperwork and pays the bill when funds are available in the state’s checking account. Currently the total amount of unpaid bills is $1,725,362,519. This figure changes daily. Last year at this time the state had $1.2 billion in bills awaiting payment. This only includes bills submitted to the Comptroller for payment, not unfunded debts like the state’s pension liability, which is well over $100 billion.
Illinois headlines
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JJC holding Red Ribbon Week door decorating contest