With Gov. Bruce Rauner in the Executive Mansion in Springfield, could this really be the beginning of a new, cooperative era in Illinois politics?
Reboot Illinois' Madeleine Doubek writes:
There was the inaugural order to freeze non-essential spending. Then came the order to block the revolving door on government employees cashing in as lobbyists. Next was the move to post on the Internet information about employees under Rauner's control who are hired for political positions.
Lost in the flurry was the fact that Rauner had a couple of House Democrats standing behind him as he signed those second and third orders. State Rep. Scott Drury, a Highwood Democrat, has been pushing for an end to the so-called revolving door from public service to lobbying since he first went to Springfield two years ago. State Rep. Jack Franks, a Marengo Democrat, has been vocal about the need for more transparency in government since his first campaign in 1999.
Clearly, Rauner's other message in the display, and in several of his Cabinet appointments, is that he will woo and work with Democrats, from veteran House Speaker Michael Madigan to relative newcomer Drury. Madigan is playing nice in the early going and Franks and Drury were happy to comply and join in the stagecraft.
"I like that he listened and we worked on it and he made it his executive order," Franks said. "That never happened with Quinn. He (Rauner) didn't care where the idea came from. It was a good idea so he implemented it."
Read the rest at Reboot Illinois to find out how else Republicans and Democrats might be working together over the next four years.
Another change that might be on the horizon in the next four years? Legislative term limits. State Rep. Jack Franks, a Democrat from Marengo, has introduced House Bill 257, which would place a question on the next statewide ballot asking Illinoisans if they are in favor of imposing term limits for legislative leaders in the General Assembly. Find out what Franks thinks the bill's chances are at Reboot Illinois.
