Quinn wants a special election if Burris doesn't quit in two weeks

Sen. Roland Burris (D-Blagojevich) refuses to quit. But the Illinois General Assembly, with the blessing of Rod Blagojevich's successor, might fire him.

Gov. Pat Quinn said today that if embattled U.S. Sen. Roland Burris doesn't step down within the next two weeks, he wants lawmakers to send him a bill to set up a special election that could effectively remove Burris from office.

Quinn, appearing on "The Steve Cochran Show" on WGN-AM (720), said he spoke to the top two Democrats in the General Assembly today about the possibility of moving ahead with the legislation, which would take advantage of a clause contained in the U.S. Constitution's 17th Amendment.

Quinn's actions follow a legal opinion issued last night by Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan who said she believed the state could enact a special-election law that would effectively force Burris from office. Under the Constitution, a governor's appointments to fill Senate vacancies should be considered temporary until an election is held, she said.

This is good news.

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