Is there a reason why we still have all three branches of government in Illinois?  In theory (and according to the Illinois Constitution), the Governor has the veto power over legislation.  Who cares about that when the Speaker of House Mike Madigan won't let anything he doesn't  like get to the Governor's desk let alone voted on.

Campaign finance reform in Illinois was passed last year but had absolutely no teeth to it.  It was basically giving lip service to a commission's findings that would have possibly made Illinois politics a bit less corrupt.  The meat and potatoes of the commission's findings was limiting campaign financing by political leaders and parties.  Madigan hates this provision because over the years, he has funneled money from his campaign coffers or the Democrat party coffers to races he needed to win.  You see, Madigan is not only Speaker of the House, but he is also the Democrat Party Chairman.  Both parties funnel money, but Madigan has been a master at it.  Despite being one of 4 states without similar campaign finance laws limiting these types of donations, Madigan essentially has killed the ethics reform - for now.  Minority Leader Tom Cross said it best,

"When one person dictates whether or not a bill or a concept, an idea, a new thought, can be debated or not – it's not a democracy," said House Republican leader Tom Cross of Oswego. "That doesn't work."

Time after time, Madigan has sat on bills that he does not agree with.  No votes.  He uses the power of the Speakership to kill anything he doesn't care for whether it's campaign finance reform or concealed carry.  For over 10 years Madigan has ruled - and I mean ruled in every sense of the word - the Illinois House.

Madigan is going one step further.  As many of you know, Scott Lee Cohen was duly elected as the Democrat Lt. Governor nominee.  Then, by some miraculous feat, it comes out that he has a very checkered past (domestic abuse charges, steroid abuse, ex-prostitute ex-girlfriend, late on child support payments - all "allegedly") All this stayed silent despite a 3 month long campaign before the election where nothing was said which makes me a bit suspicious.  In Illinois it seems if you don't like who was elected, God knows we'll find a way to get who we want on the ballot.  This goes double for the Democrats this time around.  Cohen has since resigned as Lt. Gov. nominee, but now the Democrats are scrambling to replace him.  Madigan will have his say in the process as well.  Click here for a great article outlining the Democrats' problems in picking a replacement for Cohen.

The bigger news, in my opinion, is Madigan wanting to abolish the Lt. Gov. office for good.  The estimated savings would be $2.5 million a year, but as Eric Zorn at the Chicago Tribune points out,

A problem with this proposal is that it creates the possibility of an abrupt change in party control in Springfield based on one tragic accident, one fatal illness or one big hairy scandal.

If the attorney general is a Democrat and the governor is a Republican,  then it doesn't seem right to me -- doesn't seem fair to the voters who elected a Republican governor -- to install a Democrat as governor if, God forbid, the Republican governor should drop his hairdryer into the bathtub.

And the prospect of such a change in party rule would therefore introduce conflicts of interest into any future impeachment proceedings. Again, God forbid.  Imagine that, in early 2009, a Republican attorney general had been next in the line of succession instead of a Democratic lieutenant governor.  The Democratically controlled House might well have been less inclined to bring impeachment charges against Gov. Rod Blagojevich, and the Democratically controlled Senate might have been less inclined to convict.

Reverse a few of those party affiliations and it's easy to imagine a hypothetical situation in which lawmakers would be more inclined to pursue impeachment and removal from office than they would be if no party switches at the top were in the offing.

Or consider the situation of a governor who is very ill or deeply enmeshed in some ghastly personal scandal.  His or her decision whether to step down might well be strongly influenced by the party affiliation of the successor, leaving us with a weakened governor.

We amended our state constitution roughly 40 years ago to make party nominees for governor and lieutenant governor run as team precisely to avoid this problem of perverse succession.

King Madigan's proposal is to eliminate the Lt. Gov. office in 2015, and then make the line of succession go through the Attorney General's office after 2015.  Hmmm.  Who holds that office now....oh, that's right, his daughter, Lisa Madigan.  Barring an appointment to the US Supreme Court (which I think will happen if Ginsburg or Stephens retires - especially Ginsberg) or her running for another office in 2014; she would be the successor to the Governor's mansion.  Since her father doesn't seem to be going anywhere soon, we could possibly have family dynasty in 2 of the 3 branches of government should the Governor not be able to complete his or her duties after 2015.

Some have other suggestions from having Gov. Quinn run solo without a Lt. Governor running mate leaving the office unoccupied to making Governor/Lt. Governor candidates run together in the primaries - similar to what McKenna and Murphy tried to do.  There's also another proposal to eliminate the Lt. Gov. office and combine the Comptroller and Treasurer into one office.  But what happens if Quinn runs solo, somehow defeats Brady/Plummer and for some odd reason has to resign before his term is up?  Lisa Madigan would take over since there is no Lt. Gov. spot.  Don't think for one second that Mike Madigan has not thought that one through.

Let's face it.  One man controls the Illinois government right now.  One man dictates what legislation sees the floor of the General Assembly.  One man holds the purse strings.  One man wants to continue to control Illinois politics.  How does one man do all these things?  Because we let him.  The first way we can help defeat Madigan is to return the Illinois House back to the Republicans.  Right now, the GOP would have to pick up at least 11 new seats and hold on to what they have in order retake the House and oust Mike Madigan from Speaker.  It would be doubly great if Bill Brady beats Quinn AND the GOP take back the House.  Then, maybe we can get something done in this state - like attracting businesses and jobs, reducing our debt, and real campaign/ethics reform for starters.