A vote was held Tuesday in the Illinois General Assembly on the 100th edition of the body’s rules for the next two years.
Rep. Dan Swanson voted against the proposed rules because they send bills first to the House Rules Committee where critics say Speaker Michael Madigan has the ability to sideline any proposal.
The committee’s purpose is supposed to be to decide what committee a bill will be sent on to for debate and revision.
The house rules were passed on largely party lines, 63 Democrats in favor and 52 opposed.
Rep. Scott Drury of Highwood remained the one Democrat defiant against Madigan, voting no on the House Rules after being the lone Dem to not place a vote for Madigan as Speaker.
Swanson supported a counter-proposal requiring public review and notification and every bill would go directly to committee.
That proposal was promptly sent to to the House Rules Committee where it died without debate.
Swanson says, “We should be able to tell our school children with a straight face that bills are proposed by legislators on behalf of their consitutents” and that those bills are debated and voted on their merits.
