While leading Democrats were in Philadelphia for the Democratic National Convention last week … Republican Governor Bruce Rauner was holding press conferences exalting term limits.
“We need fresh ideas, new people, new thinking. Term limits will get it done,” he said.
But the state’s longest-serving legislator --- Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan --- says his lengthy tenure is beneficial. It put him in position to serve as a check against Rauner’s controversial agenda.
”The ideas of reducing wages and the standard of living, hurting the vulnerable in our society. These are all extreme ideas. They have no place in a state like Illinois. There may be other states in the nation where they would welcome things like this; Rauner ought to go there,” Madigan said.
Madigan says elections lead to term limits.
You can hear more of public radio’s interview at the D-N-C with Madigan here.
Limiting legislative terms would require amending the state constitution – and it’ll be another two years before that’s even possible.
