Kane County Reporter

Former state House candidate Ben Bierly thinks House Speaker Mike Madigan can see the handwriting on the wall in Springfield.

“There are more and more calls for his resignation and if he holds session he knows that issue can be brought up for further discussion,” Bierly told the Kane County Reporter. “There could actually be a no confidence vote. By blocking the Veto Session from happening, he’s trying to keep himself in power as long as he can. I don’t think it’s about COVID-19 numbers at all.”

Citing rising infection rates, Illinois legislative leaders recently moved to cancel the Veto Session scheduled to commence later this month. Not long after that, staffers from the office of House Speaker Mike Madigan sent out an email insisting the move has the backing of a “strong majority” of House Democrats who support it in light of the circumstances. Bierly, who lost his 43rd District run to Democrat John Connor with nearly 36% of the vote, isn’t buying it.

“The truth is he’s concerned about what could happen if he’s forced to have to answer all the questions people have while in Springfield,” he said. “It’s clear to everyone this is more about self-preservation than anything else. It’s another example of Springfield’s business as usual nature and how it works for Mike Madigan.”

The state’s longest-tenured lawmaker, Madigan now finds himself at the center of an ongoing federal corruption probe involving ComEd and a pay-for-play scheme where all the perks were allegedly steered to him in exchange for favorable legislation.

“It’s all bad for Illinois and the people of the state because every time things like this happen it’s the taxpayers that are still here that are left paying the price,” he said.