Rep. Paul Jacobs (R-Carbondale) praises legislation imposing term limits on House and Senate leadership roles. | Photo Courtesy of Paul Jacobs website
Rep. Paul Jacobs (R-Carbondale) praises legislation imposing term limits on House and Senate leadership roles. | Photo Courtesy of Paul Jacobs website
A bill aimed at limiting an elected lawmaker's legislative leadership to one decade has crossed a hurdle by passing the Illinois House of Representatives.
House Bill 642 received 115 "yes" votes and one abstention during a vote in the chamber.
"The IL House passed HB 642 [April 22]," Rep. Paul Jacobs (R-Pomona) said in a post to Facebook the same day lawmakers OK'd the legislation. "This bill term limits all legislative leaders to 10 years. This is a good reform that had bipartisan support."
The bill, aimed at preventing a repeat of state former Rep. Mike Madigan's (D-Chicago) "unprecedented power" over decisions made in Springfield, would prevent speaker of the state House of Representatives, Senate president and minority leaders in both chambers from serving more than 10 consecutive years in their position. Madigan's successor, Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch (D-Westchester), had pledged he wouldn't hold the post for more than a decade, but that promise is one step closer to becoming law.
Madigan, who with 36 years as Speaker of the House, was the longest-serving statehouse legislative leader.
The bill now heads to the state Senate.
Alerts Sign-up