Name: Illinois House sets rules for the post-Madigan era, but Republicans say changes are merely tweaks
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Illinois House sets rules for the post-Madigan era, but Republicans say changes are merely tweaks

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AdvertisementBy Chicago TribuneFeb 10, 2021 at 5:11 pmThe Illinois House voted along party lines Wednesday to adopt new rules for the post-Michael Madigan era that include 10-year term limits for the speaker’s post and the minority party leader.But after decades of former Speaker Madigan’s iron grip on the legislative process, the changes don’t go as far as some lawmakers and advocates may have hoped in opening up the legislative process so that more bills are given consideration.AdvertisementWhile Democrats hailed the new rules, the first under new Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch of Hillside, as the dawning of a new era, Republicans said there were only minor tweaks that will do little to ensure a fair hearing for their ideas.The rules change with the most immediate impact allows House committees to hold remote hearings during public health emergencies after much of the legislature’s spring session was canceled last year as the coronavirus spread rapidly throughout the state. The Senate previously adopted rules for remote legislating, but a similar effort in the House fell short last year.AdvertisementMore contentious were rules on the process for new bills. Madigan was frequently criticized for allowing legislation he opposed to languish in the Rules Committee.In a nod to critics of how things were done in the past, all bills that are filed on time will now be required to be assigned to committees in the first year of a new General Assembly.But committee chairmen in the majority party — now all Democrats — would still retain discretion over whether the bills are called for a vote, a point of contention for minority Republicans.House Majority Leader Greg Harris of Chicago defended the rule, saying voters who elected a 73-45 Democratic majority expect legislators to stand up for the party’s values, and the rules will allow lawmakers to do that while also making sure Republicans’ bills have a chance to advance.“Any fair and reasonable person who looks at these new rules will see that they represent real progress toward making the House more open and more open to good ideas from everybody, truly,” said state Rep. Lindsey LaPointe, a Northwest Side lawmaker.“But at the same time, we need to remember that elections have consequences. The people of Illinois have made a strong statement by electing a Democratic supermajority once again,” LaPointe said.LaPointe was among the group of House Democrats who publicly opposed Madigan for another term as speaker after he became ensnared in an ongoing corruption probe involving Commonwealth Edison. Madigan has not been charged and denies any wrongdoing.Harris said that in conversations with fellow lawmakers, Republicans have raised objections that Democrats used the previous rules to push through major abortion rights legislation in 2019 and a sweeping social justice agenda backed by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus in the January lame-duck session without giving the GOP time to mobilize opposition.Advertisement“If I can help our side move those bills along, whether it’s LGBT equality, whether it’s immigrant issues, whether it’s the Black Lives (Matter) agenda, whether it’s reproductive health, and we can use our rules to get those things through and get them passed, I’m proud to be part of that,” Harris said.State Rep. Tom Demmer of Dixon, a deputy GOP leader, said the new rules do nothing to end tactics used to skirt the transparency envisioned in the Illinois Constitution.“The House rules should support the constitution; we should not circumvent it,” Demmer said. “And if we’re really serious about a new day, a new day doesn’t start by copying and pasting the rules from prior General Assemblies that have drawn the ire of members of both parties, members of the press, members of government watchdog groups and the frustration of so many of the people that we represent.”GOP Rep. Avery Bourne of Morrisonville said “we’re not asking that every bill of ours gets out of committee, just that we have the opportunity for an up-or-down vote on an idea.”By continuing to give committee chairs unilateral control over which bills get called for a committee vote, Democrats are “silencing the minority and not giving us a fair shake,” she said.While Republicans welcomed the creation of term limits for the speaker after Madigan held the gavel for all but two years since 1983, they noted that their caucus adopted internal rules four years ago that put term limits on their leader.Advertisement“You’re 36 years too late to instituting term limits,” said House GOP leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs.Despite criticism of the proposed rules, Harris said they represent a “historic first step in reforming the ways of the past and injecting more transparency and accountability while our chamber operates effectively and fairly.”“For the first time in years and years and years, the rules were not prepared by the office of the speaker and sent here to be adopted,” said Harris, who also served as majority leader under Madigan.A large number of the supermajority House Democrats were involved in the discussion and considered suggestions from the Republican minority as well, he said.Welch pledged that Democrats would continue evaluating the rules and considering further changes, including those proposed by the GOP.“I’m going to keep extending my hand to you, even though you guys keep slapping it down,” Welch said.Advertisementdpetrella@chicagotribune.com Advertisement

AdvertisementBy Chicago TribuneFeb 10, 2021 at 5:11 pmThe Illinois House voted along party lines Wednesday to adopt new rules for the post-Michael Madigan era that include 10-year term limits for the speaker’s post and the minority party leader.But after decades of former Speaker Madigan’s iron grip on the legislative process, the changes don’t go as far as some lawmakers and advocates may have hoped in opening up the legislative process so that more bills are given consideration.AdvertisementWhile Democrats hailed the new rules, the first under new Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch of...

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Dan Petrella

The Chicago Tribune is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television are named), it remains the most-read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region. It had the 6th highest circulation for American newspapers in 2017.

Illinois House sets rules for the post-Madigan era, but Republicans say changes are merely tweaks

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