* Jim Dey last week…
When state Rep. Carol Ammons was suddenly replaced on new Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch’s legislative leadership team in late May, the demotion included a roughly $18,000 pay cut for the Urbana Democrat.
But a few weeks later, Welch eased Ammons’ financial pain by appointing her chairwoman of a newly created Small Business, Tech Innovation and Entrepreneurship Committee, a post that restores more than half of the money she lost.
Records in the House clerk’s office, however, show that Ammons, who receives a $10,574 stipend for her role as chairwoman, is the only member of the new committee to which “at this time, no legislation has been assigned.” […]
The date of Welch’s appointment — the last day of June — allowed Ammons to be paid her stipend as if she had held the position for the entire month.
By tradition, members with her seniority are either put in leadership or given a committee to chair. She was kicked out of leadership, so she was given a committee. The timing is a bit odd, of course, but the appointment itself really isn’t. And the fact that nobody else was appointed to the committee surely sparked some interest. Ammons didn’t show up for June’s special session or participate remotely. A little “member management” may have been in order.
* Today…
Local state Rep. Carol Ammons’ new Illinois House committee no longer has no members or pending business.
Following last week’s report about the June 30 appointment of Ammons, D-Urbana, as chairwoman of the new House Committee on Small Business, Tech Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Speaker Chris Welch appointed nine Democrats to serve on the panel, including state Rep. Sue Scherer of Decatur. […]
“The caucus was contacted July 1, long before any of your inquiries, to get in touch with our chief of staff if they’d like to be on the committee. Time must be allowed for that, and as already mentioned, there was a lot of interest,” said [said Speaker Welch’s spokesperson Jaclyn Driscoll], who contended that “appointing members to a committee takes longer than one day.” […]
So far, no Republicans have been assigned to the committee by House Republican Leader Jim Durkin, who wrote a letter Monday to Ammons that expressed surprise about the committee’s sudden creation and sought advice on the kinds of people best suited to serve. […]
“Without a clear definition of what the work of your newly created committee will be, it is difficult to appoint members that can bring their expertise to this topic … whatever it may be,” he wrote to Ammons.
That was one snarky letter, so click here and read the rest. Leader Durkin vowed not to appoint any Republicans to the committee until he hears back.
- DTAG - Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 3:23 am:
Jim Dey should no better. It’s like he has some personal vendetta against anyone with the name Ammons.
- Basic - Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 6:58 am:
This fraudlent appointment is at least less illegal than petty theft from a charity.
- Perrid - Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 8:06 am:
Anonymous, to my memory she was mean in a committee hearing about some DCFS thing. She was acting as the chair, and she opposed some legislation, and she asked Rep. Flowers to “question” (by which I mean attack) the bill sponsor, and Flowers was even more abrasive than normal, and Ammons didn’t do anything to rein her in. So basically she showed she was incapable of even pretending to be neutral, fair, or professional. That’s my memory/interpretation at least, I’m sure someone will correct me if I’m wrong.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 8:31 am:
To the post,
The letter? Snarky fun, biting, quite a few “ouches”
But…
… like the hearings to oust Madigan, in the end, Durkin is making noise that’ll be lost, even if “all of it” wins a news cycle or 3.
Winners make policy, they even create committees.
But, I enjoyed the letter.
- JS Mill - Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 8:42 am:
@ Perrid- That is my recollection as well. Oddly, Flowers retained her leadership position which I will NEVER understand.
Durkin refusing to appoint members to an irrelevant committee from an irrelevant seems to fully sum up the plight of the ILGOP in a just manner.
- Just Me 2 - Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 9:09 am:
Why are we hating on Durkin for not appointing any members when the House Democrats have done the same thing? Why hasn’t the Speaker appointed members to the same committee that he himself created?
- JS Mill - Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 9:12 am:
=Why are we hating=
Finding amusement is not the same as hating. Hyperbole much?
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 9:15 am:
===Why are we hating on Durkin===
When a letter that’s snarky good and tasty is all you have to be relevant… that’s a mockable thing in of itself.
Not unlike the committee to oust MJM, in the end Durkin made
Demmer look ridiculous and made the whole committee seem farcical.
A letter is *literally* a paper tiger
- Rich Miller - Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 9:43 am:
===Why hasn’t the Speaker appointed members===
Can you not read, or did you just come here to whine?
- Dave Dahl - Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 10:02 am:
@Perrin - iirc it was a House session in which Ammons was the presiding officer
- duck duck goose - Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 10:24 am:
This is a committee that was created after the legislative session ended. Are there any committees that have assigned legislation or are currently working? When I scroll through the list of House committees on the ILGA website, it appears that none of them have any assigned legislation. This seems like an odd criticism of Ammons’ committee.
- Annonin.' - Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 10:28 am:
Durkie, Dey and now Dillard all clear reminders of how GOPies got to where they are and remain.
- Team Spirit - Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 10:32 am:
The appointments to this committee speaks to the team sprit of several members. This issue threatened to tear the party apart and put the new Speaker in a terrible position. Leaders going after members in the peoples house is exactly how you destroy a team.
- PublicServant - Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 12:18 pm:
=== Durkin threatens to withold Republican appointments to new Ammons committee ===
LOL…ok. Deal.