LOUISVILLE…State Rep. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) is opposed to the decision this week to cancel the Illinois House Fall session by Speaker Madigan. This decision appears to be more about a political strategy than a health concern.
“I am always ready to show up to work for the people of my district and the people of Illinois,” commented Rep. Bailey. “We were able to meet in May in Springfield and to my knowledge nobody in the House nor any of our staff contracted the coronavirus from that session. We can conduct the work of the people in a safe manner.”
Since August 2019, four Illinois lawmakers have faced federal charges for corruption (Senators Tom Cullerton, Terry Link, Martin Sandoval, and Representative Luis Arroyo) and Speaker Mike Madigan could be next. As of Sunday, eight Democrat State Representatives have stated publicly they won’t cast their vote for Madigan as Speaker, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth also said Madigan should be replaced as Speaker of the House.
In July ComEd agreed to pay $200 million to resolve a federal criminal investigation into a bribery scheme which implicates Speaker Mike Madigan. The Special Investigating Committee has only met once with only one witness testifying. There are many more people, including Mike Madigan, who could help answer questions about the role Speaker Madigan played in this bribery scheme.
“The House of Representatives can’t sit back and wait any longer,” added Rep. Bailey. “We need to meet to address the state’s budget and the coronavirus policy as it effects real people who need real paychecks to feed their families and pay their bills.”
