Madiganstan: Chicago Dem boss elected House speaker for 17th time

Tattered Illinois flag

Illinois Democratic Party chairman Michael Madigan has been state House Speaker for 32 of the last 34 years. He's the the coroner for the decline and fall of Illinois. The nation's fifth most-populous state--for now--is losing population. Its pension debt--bribes really--to the public-sector unions, is unsustainable. The Prairie State has $11 billion in unpaid bills. Of the 50 states Illinois has the lowest credit rating.

Madigan is a major problem for Illinois. Getting rid of him is part of the cure for the state. But today in Springfield 66 Democrats--with one lonely "present" vote--elected the Chicago boss speaker again. If he serves out his two year term--a very likely possibility--he'll set a modern record for longest time as a state House speaker for any state.

Illinois also needs term limits. But Madigan and the Democrats will never agree to them.

In eleven years Illinoisan will be asked if they want to call another state constitutional convention. It's not too early to begin planning for the vote. Besides term limits, the Land of Lincoln needs redistricting reform, a less cumbersome system to create referendums, and Illinois needs to be a right-to-work state.

Here's an idea I like--Illinois should join Nebraska to become the second state to to have a unicameral legislature. There are too many politicians in this country.