West Cook News

Many Illinois legislators are pushing for political reforms this election year, with the intention of restoring citizen control over the state government.

"The General Assembly is in desperate need of balance, but unfortunately, that cannot come until we reform our political system," State Rep. Jim Durkin (R-Dist. 82) said. "Term limits and Fair Maps are the surest ways to overcome the lopsided power structure in each statehouse chamber and return control of state government back to the people of Illinois. Powerful special interests will fight these reforms, but an overwhelming majority of Illinoisans -- Democrat, Republican, Independent, you name it -- support the term limits and Fair Maps initiatives."

A poll conducted at Southern Illinois University Carbondale's Paul Simon Public Policy Institute found that 4 out of 5 Illinois residents support term limits, and Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Dist. 22) has been the state's legislator for more than 30 years. When a citizens group obtained nearly double the required 300,000 signatures to put a term-limits amendment on the ballot in November, they were silenced due to a lawsuit filed by a longtime Madigan associate.

"Illinois needs term limits, plain and simple," State Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Dist. 38) said. "For decades, we have seen corruption and waste from career politicians. They have gone on a spending spree and raised our taxes to pay for it. Enough is enough. It's time to enact term limits and bring sanity to state government."