Prairie State Wire

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker acknowledged during a press conference last week the growing frustration among state residents due to House Speaker Mike Madigan's (D-Chicago) alleged involvement in a ComEd bribery scandal.

"Let me begin by saying there is genuinely a problem that needs to be addressed with ethics legislation in this state," Pritzker said during the news conference. "There is no doubt about it. I’ve been very clear about the many pieces of that legislation that I will be advocating. I put those out months ago."

Pritzker said he wants there to be a focus on ending the "revolving door" in which people are in the state legislature one day and then become corporate lobbyists or consultants the next.

Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) | File photo

"We need to move on ethics legislation, no doubt about it," he said. "I am concerned overall that there is a history in Illinois among Republicans and Democrats of corruption. We need to address this. I think there's cynicism that abounds among voters and rightfully so when you hear about what Commonwealth Edison did and what anybody that was engaged in it may have done. Those are things I worry about all the time and I will pay very close attention."

The governor conceded that the current climate of voter cynicism in Illinois is affecting state politics, but he also deflected some of the responsibility toward the White House.

"I think it affects the politics in Illinois, of course, and I think the swamp in Washington, D.C. that the president has created is another thing that plays a role in the cynicism in Illinois," Pritzker said. "I think we have got to address that too."

He was also quick to separate the issue of corruption and voter cynicism from his biggest personal agenda since the 2018 campaign for governor, that being the graduated income tax initiative that will be on the November ballot.

"I know there are people who would like these things to be related but they’re not," Pritzker said. "The truth is that we have an unfair tax system in Illinois in which the wealthy people pay the same rate as the people who are middle class or working class and that’s not fair. There ought to be a higher rate for millionaires and billionaires and a lower rate for people who are working- and middle-class families trying to make ends meet. That’s what this is about."

When asked specifically about Madigan, Pritzker said he has been very clear about the fact that if Madigan was involved he should resign.

"While I’ve been clear about when there is a raid or an indictment, I have called for people to step down or resign," Pritzker said. "I have said the same thing differently here where I’ve said if these allegations are true the Speaker is going to be required to resign, in my view."

The Democratic governor also claimed he has publicly expressed the same views regarding Madigan as state Republicans have.

"That’s the same thing that the Republican caucus leaders in the General Assembly have said," Pritzker said. "There have been a variety of reactions to this. This is the standard that I think is reasonable and it’s the standard that the leaders of the opposition have said as well."