(The Center Square) – Michael J. Madigan is out.
The former Illinois House spokesman is now a former Illinois State representative after speeding up his Departure until close of business on Thursday.
Madigan initially released a statement that he would be leaving in late February. Then, curious and without explanation, he submitted a letter of resignation which he presented to the Illinois Clerk of the House, John W. Hollman.
Dear employee:
I, Michael J. Madigan, hereby resign from the office of State Representative for the 22nd Representative District effective February 18, 2021. This letter serves as my letter of resignation.
With kind personal greetings, I stay
With best regards,
Michael J. Madigan
It's the "I'm staying, Sincerely, Michael J. Madigan" that deserves a closer look.
I'm not sure if there was a single moment in his political tenure when the Southwestern Democrat was in person with someone who was not serving his goals, considering much of everything that was for him or his bipartisan approach governing was not good, or was a bit sincere in the way he approached his speaking body.
He ended up rattling around the Illinois House for more than 50 years – 36 of them (a national record among lawmakers) as speakers. The state of Illinois was inducted into the union in 1818. For about a quarter of Illinois' existence, Madigan, a clear case for tenure restrictions, was required by law.
Still involved In the Justice Department's ongoing investigation into ComEd, the largest power distributor in Illinois, Madigan was a throwback to a time that should have been dropped from politics decades ago. Arrogant, inviolable, reproachless. This would only be possible in Illinois.
A tax attorney by profession, he was a masterful backroom operator well into a time when transparency was required. Weak lapdog statehouse media enabled this unchecked agency to operate within sight. Again only in Illinois, where speaking the truth to power means you have limited access to the press.
At a time when the demolition culture is getting relentlessly difficult for men like Madigan, he ran through his like an Olympian #MeToo moment. His final routine at the gold medal was facilitated by the lack of an inspector general to appoint, and many of the victims' claims against his office and his friends were simply allowed to lapse by law. Brilliant and gross in equal parts.
The diligence of his business and the isolation by the machine he inherited and built can best be explained in an anachronistic phrase: Madigan did not have a smartphone with him and the man did not have an active email account.
In his statement to the media, initially stating that he was hanging around until the end of the month, Madigan admitted that he was "exposed to vicious attacks from people trying to reduce his legislative focus" in order to reduce the amount of " Work to Improve “People of Illinois. "
He left out the part about driving the state into financial ruin and meeting unfunded pension obligations for the state's public sector workers $ 144 billion According to The Bond Buyer, it creates the worst divide between legislative Democrats and Republicans in the center of the United States.
While a parade of corrupt and ineffective governors came and went and the Illinois population was spilling out in U-Haul trucks to live elsewhere to escape insane property taxes and a deteriorating quality of life, Madigan was the only constant.
Forget the governors. They either bowed to Madigan's knee or didn't. Madigan ran the show. He set the tone. No law under Madigan's house rules got a vote without his approval. Everything ran through him and was led by him.
While the winners make history and Illinois remains a deeply democratically controlled state in historical financial ruin, history will not and should not be kind to Madigan.
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Elsewhere in America …
ARIZONA
A measure that runs through Arizona law would give people, businesses, hospitals, and local governments partial immunity from pandemic-related litigation. Senate Act 1377 Examination in the Senate Committee passed on Monday based on the party-political model. It also found its way out of the Senate Judiciary Committee last week in kind. The bill would require anyone seeking pandemic damages in court to demonstrate that the "provider" can provide clear and convincing evidence that they have acted willfully negligently. It is seen as a higher bar for a plaintiff than in any other civil lawsuit.
COLORADO
Jared Polis, governor of Colorado, urged it more tax breaks to aid the state's economic recovery during his speech on the state last week. Proposals he endorsed included the abolition of business tax, doubling the earned income tax credit, and non-taxing social security benefits for seniors. The tax break would be in addition to Proposition 116, a move approved by voters in November that reduced state income tax from 4.63% to 4.55%.
CALIFORNIA
A bill passed by California Democrats last week would End of fracking in the state by prohibiting the issuing of new permits or renewals of permits. Progressive group Consumer Advocates said the legislation provides "the quickest, most solid way to make a transition" from oil and gas development. The Western States Petroleum Association said this would adversely affect the state's economic recovery and "safe, affordable and reliable" will eliminate energy for families and businesses under environmental standards that are already the toughest in the world. "
WASHINGTON
Washington's Proposal on capital gains tax has come one step closer to the law after getting through two dozen amendments on a major legislative committee last week. The bill would effectively lower the tax rate on investment income from 9% to 7% and include a blanket exemption for commercial and residential property. The bill has already been rejected by 42 technology CEOs who warned in a letter sent to the committee that a capital gains tax could trigger a mass exodus of companies.
OHIO
Have two Ohioans filed lawsuits Challenging Ohio tax law, which allows cities to tax the income of workers who, according to legal proceedings, do not live in or work in the communities. The Buckeye Institute, an independent research and education group, filed lawsuits against the cities of Columbus and Cincinnati on behalf of Eric Denison and Josh Schaad. The trials will ask the court to clarify Ohio's unconstitutional law that allows cities to tax workers who do not live in and have not worked in those cities. Denison, who lives in the suburb of Columbus in Westerville, and Schaad, who lives in the suburb of Cincinnati in Blue Ash, spent time off-site in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
INDIANA
School administrators salaries In Indiana, they're up nearly 17% since 2010, according to a report released last month, and many school principals salaries are now at $ 250,000 a year, including bonuses, car grants, and retirement account contributions. The report said that if administrative costs had increased at the same rate as all salary costs, "schools would have saved more than $ 75 million in 2019 – enough to add over $ 1,000 in compensation to each teacher."
KENTUCKY
Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, tabled a bill last week requiring a governor facing the election of a successor to a U.S. Senator to select a person from the U.S. same political party. According to a statement by McConnell spokesman Robert Steurer, Senate 228 Bill is supported by Mitch McConnell, leader of the US Senate minority. The bill comes because both McConnell and US Senator Rand Paul are Republicans and Governor Andy Beshear is a Democrat.
VIRGINIA
Legislation that would allow illegal immigrants to obtain state college tuition fees and ID cards with the DMV was narrowly passed in both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly. House Bill 2123, sponsored by Del. Alfonso Lopez, D-Arlington, would ensure residents regardless of where they live Citizenship Status or immigration status, have equal access to all education in the Commonwealth, including government tuition fees and financial assistance programs provided by the state or higher education institution.
GEORGIA
An effort in Georgian legislation to increase the tax credit for adopting a foster child could cost the state $ 4.8 million Sales in the next five years. House Bill 114 would increase the annual tax incentive for adopting a foster child from $ 2,000 to $ 6,000. The Department of Audits and Accounts estimated the proposal could cut government tax revenues by $ 400,000 in fiscal 2022 and grow to a loss of revenue of up to $ 1.5 million by fiscal 2026.
NORTH CAROLINA
The state must Federal government repaid $ 7 million In funding the Extended Benefit Unemployment Program, and unless North Carolina law changes the law, the benefits must be drawn by the unemployed who have already received the benefit. State officials said North Carolina may need to cut weekly EB payments for about 20,000 workers unless state law is changed to allow the state to dip into unemployment reserves to cover the cost. The state could also ask for federal aid.
LOUISIANA
The federal government has proposed building a system of levees that could provide residents of seven communities in southeast Louisiana with the same flood protection as New Orleans. The Cost $ 1.9 billionHowever, it affects local officials who said the project could be completed for less money. The federal government would likely pay 65% of the cost. State and local partners are expected to pay the rest, and a local source of funding has not been identified.
TEXAS
Governor Greg Abbott is calling on Texan lawmakers to enact and approve laws Financing for wintering the state power grid after widespread power outages. Abbott previously called on legislation to reform and scrutinize the Texas Electric Reliability Council (ERCOT) to ensure Texans never experience it again Power outages on the scale they've seen in the past few days. He also spoke to President Joe Biden and executives in various industries on Friday to determine the best course of action for the future.
WEST VIRGINIA
West Virginia legislation that would curb the governor's spending authority in a state of emergency finds its way through the General Assembly. House Bill 2014, sponsored by Del. Shannon Kimes, R-Wood, wants to establish himself Legislative oversight of the emergency expenditure made available to the state by the federal government. This would limit the governor's spending ability to $ 150 million until lawmakers use the money.
PENNSYLVANIA
Health officials and medical service providers in Pennsylvania agree that approximately 200,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine should be withheld as a second dose for those who had already received the first shot were instead given out as starting doses. Where they disagree depends on who is to blame. "We're not here to blame anywhere," Health Secretary Alison Beam said during a press conference. But Penn State Health said the use of intended second doses as first doses was under the direction of the state health department.
NEW YORK
The political hurricane surrounding New York State's evasive maneuvers regarding the number of COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes escalated dramatically while Governor Andrew Cuomo was in Trade allegations of dishonesty with a member of his own party, Queens Rep. Ron Kim. In the meantime, investigations into the state's failure to publish the statistics were launched by federal attorneys and the FBI New York Republicans continue to demand that Cuomo resign or be charged. Cuomo was combative and indignant insisting in continuing attention to the subject that there is "nothing to investigate".
NEW HAMPSHIRE
A bill aimed at dramatically expanding school election funding in New Hampshire is initially placed on the shelf after the legislature decided to postpone further deliberations for the next year. In a 20-0 vote, the New Hampshire House Education Committee decided to hold back the advancement of legislation to set up educational savings accounts in the Granite State. The proposal would approve annual grants of up to $ 4,597 per student.
MICHIGAN
Since becoming a right to work in 2013, Michigan unions have repeatedly violated workers' rights. On February 12, the National Labor Relations Board was established in Washington issued the petition by construction workers from Michigan to defend their right to vote for union officials from the workplace. The NLRB decision reversed a November decision by the Detroit NLRB, which rejected two petitions filed by Rayalan Kent, an employee of Rieth-Riley Construction Company, and employees requesting a decertification vote against the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 324.
The Michigan Bureau of Elections published a list of approximately 177,000 voter registrations The cancellation is planned because the state believed the voter deviated from the registration address because they either surrendered a Michigan driver's license or the polling mail was returned undeliverable prior to the November 2018 election. Conservative activist Anthony Daunt in June sued Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Election Director Jonathan Brater for inadequate maintenance of the voter registration list.
IOWA
Iowa lawmakers are considering a few bills to help protect public school workers Respect for freedom of expression from students, including journalism advisors to students who produce school newspapers. HF 509 was presented and referred to the Working Committee on February 15 while SF 238 was presented on February 3rd and referred to the Education Committee, which met on the bill on February 8th.
MINNESOTA
Governor Tim Walz asked for President Joe Biden's continued support for the biofuels program last week, despite economists' concerns over concerns about the inefficiency and cost of biofuels. Biofuels – bioethanol and biodiesel made from plants – have been used as a solution to climate change since 2005, as they reduce dependence on fossil fuels. But there are distributed nationwide taxpayer costs and focused benefits for selecting corn growing states that benefit from biofuels despite higher opportunity costs, said Gary Wolfram, professor of economics and public policy at Hillsdale College.
WISCONSIN
Wisconsin's largest group of companies, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, said Governor Tony Evers' proposal to enable communities with more than 30,000 people to do so increase their local sales tax will make many parts of the state less affordable. Wisconsin sales tax is a flat 5%. The governor's office said 68 out of 72 counties had an additional 0.5% local sales tax. The 0.1% special sales tax paid on Miller Park expired in April and resulted in a tax refund in Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington, Waukesha, Racine, and Kenosha counties.
Contributing to this column were Senior Editors Delphine Luneau and Jason Schaumburg, and Regional Editors J. D. Davidson, Derek Draplin, Cole Lauterbach, Brett Rowland and Bruce Walker.