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* Wanna try and guess the odds of this bill’s success?…
An Illinois lawmaker has introduced a proposal to ask voters in 2015 if term limits should be imposed on leaders in the state Legislature.
State Rep. Jack Franks filed legislation on Monday that would put a nonbinding question on the statewide municipal election ballot next April. The Marengo Democrat says that the structure of state government needs to be overhauled.
Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan recently became the longest-serving official in his leadership position in the nation.
Anyone also want to lay odds on how Franks votes when Madigan is up for reelection in January?
Look, I like Jack a lot. Always have. He’s a good legislator with some bright ideas. But he’s far too in love with these press release bills for my taste.
I do suppose, however, that his proposal could spark some debate, particularly when it comes to certain editorial boards. And I would assume that his idea has lots of support. But, c’mon, unless he’s willing to say he’d vote against MJM for Speaker next year, this ain’t exactly a serious proposal.
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 10:56 am
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Hey Rich. Don’t dare him. Jack will do it just for that.
Comment by Walker Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 11:01 am
Somebody’s dying for a big sloppy kiss from the Tribbie edit board.
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 11:08 am
Well said, Rich. I’m a fan of Jack’s, too. But I have to role my eyes a lot when a read his name in the paper. I particularly got a kick out of his recent rant about legislators not taking furlough days this year…not saying he’s wrong, but it’s easy to get on your high horse on such matters and advocate legislative pay cuts when your family owns half of McHenry County.
Comment by J.T. Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 11:09 am
So, we have a Democrat acknowledging that Illinois needs a wee bit of reform?
I call that a win, even if it doesn’t have a chance of happening at this time.
Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 11:11 am
I don’t normally like Franks because of his tendency to propose headline bills. However, someone needed to introduce this idea, because, short of a more comprehensive term limits initiative succeeding, this would be the only way to reign in the out-of-control leadership (or lack thereof) that’s steering IL over the cliff. Not a bad platform on which to run for higher office, either.
Comment by Amuzing Myself Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 11:17 am
I’m not sure why this is such news. There were multiple resolutions filed in both chambers in this GA to put an actual constitutional amendment on the ballot in November regarding this issue, not just an advisory question.
Comment by muon Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 11:23 am
Jack Franks is among the bravest of the caucus….Just think about that for a minute.
Comment by A guy... Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 11:28 am
Jack Franks is among the most shameless grandstanders of the caucus….Just think about that for a minute.
There. Fixed it for you.
Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 11:33 am
=== would put a nonbinding question on the statewide municipal election ballot next April===
Well, unless Rahm and/or a lot of alderman races go to a runoff not many people in Chicago will even be going to the polls.
Comment by Been There Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 11:34 am
=== But, c’mon, unless he’s willing to say he’d vote against MJM for Speaker next year, this ain’t exactly a serious proposal. ===
Good point, although, of course, he can claim he’s not necessarily for term limits for leadership, but that he thinks the voters should have the final say.
=== Well, unless Rahm and/or a lot of alderman races go to a runoff not many people in Chicago will even be going to the polls. ===
A whole lotta people — in fact, the vast majority — all over the state don’t go to the polls in April municipal elections.
Comment by Just Observing Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 11:37 am
47 & Rich, Well said.
Comment by Norseman Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 11:57 am
Here’s the way term limits should work.
Two years before a candidate stands for election s/he stands for retention.
If a candidate gets over 50% “no” votes on retention then s/he can’t stand for election in two years.
This is consistent with moving mediocre (and worse) elected officials to other careers and creating openings.
It’s fair. Allows strong public servants to stay.
Comment by Carl Nyberg Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 11:59 am
How many members of Illinois General Assembly would grandstand as much as Jack Franks if they were as good at it as Franks?
It isn’t that the others are more modest. They just aren’t as good.
Comment by Carl Nyberg Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 12:01 pm
=== 47th Ward - Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 11:33 am:
Jack Franks is among the most shameless grandstanders of the caucus….Just think about that for a minute.
There. Fixed it for you.====
Methinks you mighta missed my point. I agree with your statement about Franks. It was more to highlight the bravery in a particular caucus. If he’s the bravest….
Comment by A guy... Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 12:03 pm
Jack is more interested in making headlines than he is in making good policy. Im not sure he has ever enacted any meaningful legislation that would call for real media press.
All that said, and as much as it pains me to say this, Jack idea isn’t that bad.
Even a broken clock…
Comment by Abe the Babe Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 12:04 pm
Call it what you will but the reality is this is needed. Madigan feels like he is indispensable to the process and the only way to likely get him to move on is to force it on him
Comment by E town Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 12:05 pm
For all the political criticisms remember we all get the government we deserve. We put them there.
Comment by Pensioner Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 12:07 pm
And while we are on the topic of who is brave and who is not…
Bravery is voting for things like pension reform and the tax increase…Jack likes to rail and rail against ideas supported by a majority of his party and then enjoy the benefits of his colleagues work when the lights go down.
He is the least bravest in that caucus.
Comment by Abe the Babe Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 12:08 pm
==For all the political criticisms remember we all get the government we deserve. We put them there.==
about 30,000 people in McHenry county made that decision. not me…
Comment by Abe the Babe Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 12:09 pm
===you mighta missed my point===
Were you being ironical?
Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 12:10 pm
A guy - others in the caucus have filed actual amendments to limit leaders. Doesn’t that count more than an advisory question towards bravery?
Comment by muon Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 12:12 pm
=== the reality is this is needed===
What? A non-binding referendum?
Look, if legislators want to term limit their leaders, they get a chance every two years.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 12:13 pm
Term limits are a great idea. Even if they were watered down to exclude existing elected politicians it would still be an improvement. Whether Jack Franks votes for Madigan again or not, if still takes some courage to talk about it in Illinois when you are an elected politician.
Comment by Steve Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 12:18 pm
The concensus there would be more votes to term limit Jack —to say the 98th GA
BTW could someone tell Jack or the AP rocket scientists that Madigan is not the longest serving Speaker — getting closer, but not yet.
Comment by CirularFiringSquad Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 12:29 pm
E-TOWN
Its not Madigan who thinks he is indispensable.
Its the Dem Caucus that thinks that way, and they are correct.
Comment by MOON Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 12:33 pm
==Look, if legislators want to term limit their leaders, they get a chance every two years.==
That’s the way I feel about any term limit nonsense. Anybody can term limit anybody they want in an election.
Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 12:37 pm
=== Two years before a candidate stands for election s/he stands for retention.
If a candidate gets over 50% “no” votes on retention then s/he can’t stand for election in two years. ===
Or we can just hold regular elections.
Comment by Just Observing Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 12:39 pm
==Whether Jack Franks votes for Madigan again or not, if still takes some courage to talk about it in Illinois when you are an elected politician. ==
No it doesn’t. Anyone can introduce a resolution or bill, even if that bill attacks Madigan directly. Jack and the Speaker know that his bill has to go through rules.
Courage is voting against the speaker. And ba**s is when you try to convince others to do the same.
That vote, unlike Jack’s bill, cant be thrown into the legislative abyss known as the rules committee. People should stop defending Jack as some knight of courage when he is the exact opposite.
Comment by Abe the Babe Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 12:43 pm
Is this the same Jack Franks who pledged to serve only three terms when he was running in 1998?
Comment by Bigtwich Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 12:44 pm
It may be grandstanding, but can anybody doubt that one of the major reasons we are in this mess is that Madigan is so locked into power by his sniveling membership that he is the de facto Emperor of IL. And not a good one at that.
Comment by OLK 73 Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 12:44 pm
Is Jack the bravest? No, Nekritz earned that title the year she voted against Madigan’s rules, something Jack has never had to stones to do.
Comment by Anon Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 1:02 pm
=== 47th Ward - Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 12:10 pm:
===you mighta missed my point===
Were you being ironical?=====
Ironically…I was.
Comment by A guy... Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 1:15 pm
– Whether Jack Franks votes for Madigan again or not, if still takes some courage to talk about it in Illinois when you are an elected politician.–
Meh, it means nothing and gives him some “independent” cover in his district.
I doubt if Madigan cares, because Franks will still vote for him. Didn’t Madigan bankroll anti-Madigan mailers to help Scherer get elected? Who did she vote for speaker?
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 1:40 pm
Well we have a “shadow governor”, so why not have a shadow speaker? I mean do you really think if Madigan wasn’t speaker, he wouldn’t be controlling things by the nature of his chairmanship?
Comment by Jimbo Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 1:42 pm
I had to laugh when Jack got himself in all the papers railing on about how seats on boards and commissions shouldn’t be paid because they’re part time jobs… without seeing the hypocrisy that he isn’t giving up *his* salary for *his* part time job.
Comment by PJ Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 1:50 pm
Not exactly a new idea.
Here’s how it fared in the Senate:
http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=22&GAID=12&DocTypeID=SJRCA&LegId=73908&SessionID=85&GA=98
In case you don’t want to look, Subcommittee death.
Comment by Befuddled Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 2:03 pm
De facto emperor? I think Thompson & Edgar & Ryan & Blagojevich would argue otherwise.
This is typical Jack Franks grandstanding. He’s probably got a PhD in grandstanding because he’s an expert at it. Every 2 years there are a chance to toss out the House membership and the leadership. If the leadership is so bad you can depose them during the term by staging a coup. It happened in NY in 2008 or 2009 in the state senate. Of course it threw the state into utter chaos, constitutional and otherwise, but the end result was a leadership change. If things are so bad Franks should start organizing.
Comment by Precinct Captain Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 3:01 pm
Franks and Trump . What a couple!
Comment by Mokenavince Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 3:07 pm
If he could combine the bill with yet another Franks Fundraiser, that would be perfect.
Comment by Samurai Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 3:24 pm
Not a chance he or Guzzardi votes against Mike Madigan.
Plus if Rauner’s Term Limits referendum gets on the ballot, this will become moot.
Comment by Sbarro McArby's Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 3:52 pm
If Jack Franks had any testicular fortitude, he would have ran against Randy Hultgren in 2012. He would have won with the Obama wave.
Instead, he’s happy to be a loudmouth backbencher for the rest of his career
Comment by Sbarro McArby's Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 3:59 pm
Great idea that would be passed by the people in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, it needs to get by King Madigan, so another good idea for the state will go down in flames at the hand of His Majesty…
Comment by ash Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 7:00 pm
Since the legislators are scared xxxxless of Madigan, then yes, we need to term limit the leaders
Comment by Soccertease Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 9:34 pm
The legislators are scared of Madigan? You don’t think it has anything to do with the fact he has retained the majority (now supermajority) for how many years now?????
Comment by Oh, please.... Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 10:17 pm
==Anyone also want to lay odds on how Franks votes when Madigan is up for reelection in January?==
You’re assuming he’ll be there to cast a vote.
Comment by Steve Reick Wednesday, Jun 11, 14 @ 11:15 pm
=You’re assuming he’ll be there to cast a vote.=
@Steve Reick, you seem like a likeable fellow. But you really have your work cut out for you. Good luck with that.
Comment by Knome Sane Thursday, Jun 12, 14 @ 8:01 am