The Times of Northwest Indiana - Bill to abolish lieutenant governor post passes early test
Begin forwarded message:
From: Lybolt@hotmail.com
Date: February 25, 2010 11:25:43 AM EST
To: Jlybolt@isbdc.org
Subject: The Times of Northwest Indiana - Bill to abolish lieutenant governor post passes early test
Bill to abolish lieutenant governor post passes early test
By Chris Essig - Lee Springfield Bureau
Feb 25, 2010
SPRINGFIELD | An Illinois proposal that would abolish the office of lieutenant governor passed an early test Wednesday.
House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, proposed amending Illinois' Constitution to make the next lieutenant governor the state's last. It passed a House committee by an 8-0 vote. It now moves to the full House. If the amendment is approved by the General Assembly this year, it would be placed on the November ballot, allowing voters to not only vote for a lieutenant governor candidate, but also whether the position should be eliminated altogether. The office would be eliminated in 2015 under the proposal, after the next lieutenant governor's term. "My position is we don't need the office," Madigan said. "The office is there mainly for the purposes of succession (of the governor). That is also dealt with in the constitution." If the office was removed, the attorney general would be next in line. Madigan's daughter, Lisa, is the current attorney general. The office of lieutenant governor came under more scrutiny this month after Democrat Scott Lee Cohen, a Chicago pawnbroker, won his primary bid. Accusations of past improprieties and ensuing pressure from the Democratic Party forced the lieutenant governor nominee to step down just a week after winning the election. Madigan said the episode added an incentive to push the amendment removing the office altogether. "It clearly provided some added interest for me," he said. Madigan also noted that the move would save the state money. In 2009, the lieutenant governor's office had a budget of $2.1 million. State Rep. Michael Tryon, R-Crystal Lake, agreed voters should be able to decide the legitimacy of the office, but was concerned too many amendments may clutter the November ballot. Another amendment that would allow voters to recall future governors will already be on the ballot, and other proposed amendments initiated by citizens are floating around the state. State Rep. Dan Brady, R-Bloomington, agreed with Tryon and voted "present" as a result. Madigan's proposal is House Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 50.
