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House passes appointments bill - Maloney tables home school bill - Risinger resigns 2/28

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Illinois

* The House overwhelming voted today to send the governor a bill which will create new limits on Gov. Pat Quinn’s appointment powers…

The House approved legislation Thursday that would require swift action by Quinn when appointees leave or reach the end of their terms. Quinn would have to nominate a replacement or reappoint the employee.

He could no longer leave agency directors in office after their terms end or give someone a “temporary” job that runs indefinitely.

Lawmakers argue such moves interfere with the Senate’s duty to review appointees and either approve or reject them.

This impacts hundreds of positions, many of them unpaid. Quite a large number of openings will be created if Quinn doesn’t get his act together soon.

* Meanwhile, the home school fracas may have come to an end…

Senator Ed Maloney (D-Chicago) tabled SB 136 on the Illinois Senate floor just a few minutes ago, and was confirmed by a full Senate voice vote. No roll call was taken.

Maloney wanted to force home schoolers to register with the state.

* And state Sen. Dale Risinger will resign at the end of this month…

State Sen. Dale Risinger, R-Peoria, is submitting his letter of resignation today. His last day in office will be Feb. 28.

The news comes despite speculation that Risinger’s resignation would come later rather than sooner. Last week, the 67-year-old, who was first elected to the 37th Senate District seat in 2002, told the Journal Star he will not seek re-election in 2012 and that he planned to step down. He did not say when.

“This is quicker than what we expected,” said Peoria County Republican Party Chairman Rudy Lewis. “I tried to encourage him to stay on through redistricting, but he felt that he couldn’t accomplish what he wanted to accomplish and I think there’s a little bit of frustration there.”

Reasons cited for the resignation include disappointment in the outcome of the November general election and inability to get things done in the minority party in Springfield.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Feb 17, 11 @ 2:36 pm

Comments

Truancy officers across the State are outraged because home school kids will continue to raid parks and ice cream shops right under their noses and they won’t be able to arrest one of them.

Comment by Phineas J. Whoopee Thursday, Feb 17, 11 @ 2:45 pm
I’m hearing rumblings that the homeschool fracas is far from over. I want to know who got Sen. Maloney to throw himself under the bus. I’m hearing he said that he’s going to pursue other “venues”. Anyone know what that means?

Comment by Kara Thursday, Feb 17, 11 @ 3:41 pm
So we still won’t know how many kids are being home schooled, or how many may not be getting taught at all, in which case we can all look forward to greater costs down the road.

Yes let’s all celebrate a big victory for liberty.

Comment by just sayin' Thursday, Feb 17, 11 @ 3:43 pm
Even more important than the homeschool families who are paying taxes to support the public system, yet spending their own money to educate their children, are the woefully undereducated public school students, in my district who are sucking up about $11,000 a year and coming out on the other side of high school reading at a 5th grade level. Check this out -http://southtownstar.suntimes.com/news/3846026-418/sd-218-board-alarmed-by-reading-report.html

Comment by Gina Thursday, Feb 17, 11 @ 3:51 pm
My information says this is just side show and that he will still be introducing a new truancy law.

In Senator Maloneys district many youths entering high school are reading at a 3rd grade level. Perhaps Senator Maloney help homeschoolers do just as well.

“It is better to tolerate that rare instance of a parent’s refusing to let his child be educated, than to shock the common feelings by a forcible transportation and education of the infant against the will of his father.”-Thomas Jefferson

Comment by A Father Thursday, Feb 17, 11 @ 4:01 pm
Look at the bright side, if you homeschool in Wisconsin at least your kids will get to go to classes.

Comment by Phineas J. Whoopee Thursday, Feb 17, 11 @ 4:02 pm
off the subject but state employees win lawsuit in Peoria

Comment by news Thursday, Feb 17, 11 @ 4:05 pm
It is better to tolerate -Thomas Jefferson

One suspects this is a highly fake quote.

Reasons cited for the resignation

At least one of those would not have changed. Really, if he wanted out, he should have got out his last election. Or at least waited til closer to the 2012 election cycle.

Comment by Pat Collins Thursday, Feb 17, 11 @ 4:17 pm
Re resignation, Pat Collins comment:

The GOP has recently replaced several reps and senators via resignations/retirements, perhaps they think it’s easier to keep incumbents in til after the elections, then replace them themselves.

Comment by Knee Jerk Thursday, Feb 17, 11 @ 4:29 pm
That’s a real quote and pretty much speaks directly to the issue by the man himself.

Comment by Phineas J. Whoopee Thursday, Feb 17, 11 @ 4:29 pm
I live in Sen. Risinger’s district. I sent him a letter on Saturday, as soon as I read the article in the Peoria paper. a great disappointment that he is leaving now. I get his frustration in how things are (not)working in Springfield, but geez, he could have figured that out before the election and stepped away then. very disappointed he won’t serve out his term before leaving. very disappointed.

Comment by Suzie Thursday, Feb 17, 11 @ 4:41 pm
Perhaps on his way out the door Risinger could unseal the envelope containing the secret GOP budget cuts.

Comment by piling on Thursday, Feb 17, 11 @ 4:49 pm
That’s a real quote and pretty much speaks directly to the issue by the man himself.

Upon further review, you are right! I’ve just seen so many “timely” quotes like that I assumed it was made up also.

Comment by Pat Collins Thursday, Feb 17, 11 @ 4:50 pm
You sure are right that it sounds so on topic that it must be fake. I guess that’s why he was who he was.

Comment by Phineas J. Whoopee Thursday, Feb 17, 11 @ 4:55 pm
http://www.suntimes.com/news/elections/3734146-418/candidates-blast-political-insiders.html Rich, I made a humorous video about Harry Osterman missing in the debate arena. Please enjoy!

Comment by Patrick McDonough Thursday, Feb 17, 11 @ 4:56 pm
That’s why Jefferson remains my least favorite Founding Father.

Comment by Cheryl Thursday, Feb 17, 11 @ 5:15 pm
Okay Cheryl, I’ll bite, although I know it’s pointless.

Are you saying that, because Jefferson’s quote is as apropos today as it was over 200 years ago, he is your least favorite?

Comment by Phineas J. Whoopee Thursday, Feb 17, 11 @ 5:28 pm
Too many retirements from senators in recent years - among them Sieben, Dahl, Burzynski, and now Risinger. Risinger’s reasons are disappointing. Finish what you started and let the voters choose your successor.

Comment by Tim Thursday, Feb 17, 11 @ 5:42 pm
Jefferson said a lot of things. He was a defender of states’ rights for slavery until his death.

He was also a slaveholder until he died and very likely allowed his own children to live as slaves. Can you imagine that?

But he layed down these most beautiful, powerful and historic words:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

You can’t walk that back, cousin, not even with John C. Calhoun.

Fascinating dude, but more than a little weird, too. Among the founders, John Adams has more resonance to me. Good old solid Yankee.

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Feb 17, 11 @ 6:37 pm
Mayor Ardis wants the seat? PJStar has that on its site.

Comment by MM Thursday, Feb 17, 11 @ 7:47 pm
Gonna be LaHood’s kid

Comment by lost in translation Thursday, Feb 17, 11 @ 7:55 pm
Darin LaHood is the Ethan Hastert of Central IL. He would be primaried out for sure by conservatives and is not viable after his fiasco in Nevada. Check out http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/judicial/2010-12-28-1Aprosecutorpunish28_CV_N.

He was over his head in a job that his famous last name helped him land. And criminals went free.

Comment by Jon Zahm Friday, Feb 18, 11 @ 12:24 am