Madigan out, Welch in, as Illinois Speaker of the House

Legislative history has come to an end in the Illinois state capitol of Springfield on Wednesday with the end of the speakership of Michael Madigan as he ended his 36 year tenure, or as some would call it, reign, with the election of Emanuel ‘Chris” Welch as the new Democratic Speaker of the House.

A longtime ally of  Madigan, Welch who is Black, has made history as the first in this role, and while federal headlines have dominated the local scene, as elsewhere, over the last several months, Madigan’s tenure began to crumble when reports surfaced that he was the central figure in a variation of the old “pay to play” plan when ComEd the dominant public utility provider, for most of Northern Illinois, gave a series of benefits to the speaker, so that they could enjoy greater profits, most notably through legislation that would give them greater profit, at the expense of consumers, and paid a $200 million fee as a penalty.

As is widely known, scandals and bribery in the Land of Lincoln have long been a staple in Illinois political life, most recently with the sentencing, and jailing, of Gov. Rod Blagojevich who tried to sell the vacated senate seat of Barack Obama, when he was elected U.S. president, joining the list of four of six previous governors convicted, with only Blagojevich removed from office.

There have also been a slew of Chicago aldermen who have been charged and convicted of  using public funds for home improvement, mink stoles, and luxury travel, to name but a few crimes; and, almost  nearly as common as the annual dyeing of the Chicago River green for St. Patrick’s Day.

Madigan’s departure is welcomed by many, but also raises some questions about Welch’s past that includes credible allegations of the abuse of women, and the eight term lawmaker was charged with allegedly pounding an ex-girlfriend's head, in 2002, on a kitchen counter, repeatedly, when she called him a loser; charges she later dropped after speaking with one of his relatives, reported The Chicago Tribune..

Asked Wednesday about his past treatment of women, Welch described it as one “incident (that) was over 20 years ago” and, to the Tribune, added, “People mature, they look back and would do things differently, handle situations differently,” said Welch, who didn’t directly answer a question about concerns Democratic women raised about the past allegations,” they noted.

One of the more prominent state reps, Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) Democratic Rep. voted present on Welch’s nomination for speaker.

“I did so because, at the same time that we’re ending years of scandal over allegations of sexual harassment and corruption, we have also just been made aware of troubling allegations from Speaker Welch’s past,” said Cassidy, who added she has a “great deal of respect for Speaker Welch and believe him to be a good man.”

“I have reconciled with the individual since that night,” a Welch spokeswoman said in a responding statement. “In fact, after our dispute we sought out the authorities ourselves. “Their family lives in my district and are proud supporters of my public service and work. However, I must convey my dismay over the lack of decency displayed by the GOP politicians and their urge to use this report against me.”

“It is my fervent wish that these allegations will be vigorously reviewed so that we can move forward as a unified caucus embracing this historic moment,” Cassidy said.

Avoiding this stumbling block as well as political survival proved to be tough for both, and nearly a train wreck for him to get the 60 votes needed for nomination, and the trust of a liberal core of state legislators, including Anne Williams, also of Chicago, who had thrown her name in the hat for nomination.

What was said to Williams and Cassidy is unclear, but the time for significant change has come, but there are those who doubt if it will be done. Among them House Republcan minority leader, as local public radio station, WBEZ said: ““His legacy leaves broken promises to Illinois taxpayers,” Durkin said, telling Democrats to “listen” and “this is my time to talk'' as they began to stir at the direction he was headed in his speech. “A legacy driven by absolute power and control so much that his business model forced the largest public utility in the state to enter into a deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s office in Chicago.”

Welch spearheaded the investigation into the ComEd deals, and there was no concluding result found, leading some in the GOP to see this as a form of protection for Madigan, so that he could bow out gracefully, without results or being charged.

The former speaker was gracious in his remarks, and said in a statement, ““I wish all the best for Speaker-elect Welch as he begins a historic speakership,”. [and]“It is my sincere hope today that the caucus I leave to him and to all who will serve alongside him is stronger than when I began. And as I look at the large and diverse Democratic majority we have built—full of young leaders ready to continue moving our state forward, strong women and people of color, and members representing all parts of our state—I am confident Illinois remains in good hands.”

For his part, Welch has several items on his agenda, and said,“There are some things I would like to continue but there are some things that I would do differently. I think those things that I would do differently are going to show up and I’m going to distinguish myself,” according to media reports.

The formation of the Rules Committee will be a direct contrast to Madigan because that was the arena he held to kill bills that he did not like.

There is also pressure from the Black caucus to hold fast to an agenda, that besides the usual equity issues in education and employment, also as the Tribune noted about his predecessor, added, “Madigan is under increasing pressure from the Black Caucus to deliver on a multipronged package that includes controversial changes in policing, including restrictions on collective bargaining rights over discipline that are opposed by more moderate members.”

Racial and gender diversity is also sought as a mainstay, as is the uphill drive at legislative redistricting to maintain the power of the Democrats.

While suspicion remains about Welch, as a legacy pick by Madigan, Illinois faces a $4 billion deficit, (much from a bruising series of mistakes on pensions), along with job loss, stemming in no small part, from former governor, Bruce Rauner; but, also now, reeling from the effects of COVID; along with health care disparities and challenges, amongst the foremost.