Lake County Gazette

Jim Walsh sees Mike Madigan ending his legislative career as a step toward the state finally putting itself back on the course.

"We've still got a lot of work to do when it comes to all the corruption, but it's about time for this," Walsh told the Lake County Gazette. "To have any chance of Illinois moving in the right direction, Mike Madigan needed to be gone."

Just weeks since being replaced as House speaker after nearly a 40-year run, Madigan said on Feb. 18 that he would resign from his District 22 seat by the end of the month.

However, the state's longest-serving lawmaker's resignation comes with increased pressure after being linked to a federal Justice Department corruption probe that involved ComEd. The utility company paid a $200 million fine related to the case but did not admit any wrongdoing.

Madigan, the former Chicago legislator, has not been charged and admitted to no wrongdoing.

Walsh, who lost his House bid to a Democrat, said it's clear to him where Springfield needs to go from here.

"I think we should look at what Republicans have proposed in putting power back in the hands of voters," he said. "The GOP measures to change the state constitution so that people in the district can recall their own representatives and voters across the state can remove leadership from the General Assembly with a majority vote are really needed."

Walsh said having Madigan out doesn't guarantee that all will now be right in Springfield.

"I expect Democrats to be less obvious about things, but I'm not sure they'll necessarily behave any differently," he said. "I see where last year 94% of all incumbent democrats were reelected. In short, they have no incentive to change or be better."