Lake County Gazette

Wirepoints President Ted Dabrowski is anxious to see what comes next now that Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) is out as House speaker.

“I think for many [the] change is greatly welcome, but the question is what happens after he’s gone,” Dabrowski told the Lake County Gazette. “Madigan’s built a machine. He’s built a machine that is extremely powerful, and it’s likely that machine will stay in place because it’s really hard to think that no one will want to keep using the machine.”

Lawmakers ended Madigan’s nearly 40-year run as House speaker on Jan. 13, when the Democratic-led House elected Rep. Emmanuel “Chris” Welch (D-Hillside) as his successor. With the nod, Welch became the state’s first Black House speaker.

Pressure increased on Madigan to step aside after being allegedly connected to an ongoing federal corruption investigation involving pay-to-play and ComEd, the state’s largest utility company. Federal authorities fined ComEd $200 million. Madigan has denied any involvement and has not been charged. The U.S. Justice Department is leading the investigation.

A special House Committee was also recently convened to look into his alleged role in the scheme, with expulsion from the House being among the penalties he could have faced.

“People have finally had enough,” Dabrowski said of Madigan. “I think [a] critical mass was reached, and the combination of the ComEd scandal, Me Too Movement and younger people getting involved the way they did was the end. At the same time, I don’t think Illinois should celebrate until the new leadership begins to break down his machine.”

Dabrowski said he understands how some still have concerns about Madigan’s influence remaining.

“It’s anybody’s guess how he stays engaged and how much power he still has,” he said. “I think the bigger issue is all the laws that remain that keep the system in place. The rules that allow the Speaker so much power have to be removed, and the state constitution changed so public-sector unions don’t have so much power.”