SE Illinois News

State Rep. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) can fully understand Democrats’ apprehension about convening in Springfield, given the way he sees things being right now.

“If I were a Democrat, I wouldn’t want to show up either because I wouldn’t want to talk about all the ethics problems, the failed governor destroying our state, or the disastrous policies my party has promoted to totally mess up the state and divide everything into all these different factions," saif Bailey. 

Bailey’s outrage comes in the wake of Illinois legislative leaders recently announcing the cancellation of the fall veto session, due to rising COVID-19 concerns.  

| Stock Photo

While a recent email from House Speaker Mike Madigan’s office contends he has the backing of a “strong majority” of House Democrats in making the move, Bailey said he’s not so sure.

“I don’t think this is about COVID concerns at all,” he said, “I think Speaker Mike Madigan and Gov. Pritzker are just hiding behind COVID and allowing Illinois to become more and more destitute in hopes of a federal bailout coming from the government. Madigan and Pritzker will do whatever it takes to save face," said Bailey.

The state’s longest serving lawmaker, Mike Madigan, now finds himself at the center of an ongoing federal corruption probe involving ComEd and a pay-for-play scheme where all the perks are alleged to have been steered to him in exchange for favorable legislation.

“Madigan doesn’t want to have to talk about any of this stuff because he knows he doesn’t really have any answers that are suitable,” said Bailey,  “He wants to put as much separation between himself and all this that he can.”

The new session was slated to commence on Nov. 17 for the first day of a scheduled six-day session. The next General Assembly is due to be inaugurated Jan. 13.