© 2024 NPR Illinois
The Capital's Community & News Service
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
State of the State is about the effectiveness and culture of Illinois government. Written by Brian Mackey, the blog focuses on key areas of news important to Illinois such as criminal justice and labor.

Sheila Simon On What It's Like Being A Lt. Gov.

bucket
Dru!
/
flickr.com/druclimbs
Sheila Simon's essay on the lieutenant governorship takes its title from a saying about the vice presidency.

Former Illinois Lieutenant Governor Sheila Simon has written a paper on what's often regarded as one of the least important offices in Illinois politics. "A Warm Bucket of What? Assessing the Role of Lieutenant Governor in Illinois" was published by the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Sheila Simon is a second-generation lieutenant governor — her father, Paul Simon, held the job in the late 1960s and early '70s, and has the distinction of being the only officeholder to be lieutenant to a governor of the other major party. But that's nothing compared to the bizarre line of succession that prompted New Jersey to add the office just a few years ago. That and more on the latest episode of State of the State.

Sheila Simon
Credit WUIS
/
WUIS
Former Illinois Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon.

Subscribe to the State of the State podcast and other WUIS programs on our podcast page, or by copying this URL into iTunes or any other podcast app.

Music: "Untitled" by Interpol, "Born to Run" by Bruce Springsteen, and "Frontiers" by Floratone.

Brian Mackey formerly reported on state government and politics for NPR Illinois and a dozen other public radio stations across the state. Before that, he was A&E editor at The State Journal-Register and Statehouse bureau chief for the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin.
Related Stories