Macon Reporter

Frustration is boiling over for House Republicans as Democrat-led General Assembly continues to stonewall GOP-driven bills from being presented for debate. 

On May 3, state Rep. Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur) gave WAND TV News a perspective on how little the Democratic majority lets conservative legislation into the pot. 

"For every 12 or 15 bills that the Democrats pass, they allow one Republican bill on the House Floor," Caulkins said. 

The problem is more than just the Democrat hold on the House, though, according to Lisle Township Republican Organization Chairwoman Becky Rudolph. In March, she told Dupage Policy Journal that the whole system needs to be torn down and reworked after former House Speaker Michael Madigan spent decades creating a Legislature snarled with inefficiencies. 

"Unless we dismantle the whole system he's built over all these years, it won't make a difference," Rudolph said. "I think it was genius the way he's set up this system to keep putting Democrats in office."

It is not uncommon that the party controlling a state house or senate determines the bills that get a floor vote. 

Madigan stepped down out of his 50-year-long political reign. He had been facing pressure to resign after reportedly being linked to a federal bribery investigation. However, the Chicago Democrat has not been charged, and he has not admitted to any wrongdoing.  

Rep. Tom Bennett (R-Pontiac) was agitated with the Democrat-led Legislature after it has neglected much-needed ethics reform this legislative session in the wake of Madigan's departure surrounded by controversies.

"The House has so far failed to act on any major ethics reform legislation or anything to reduce the tax burden on Illinoisans, or to improve our jobs creation climate," Bennett said. 

Republicans have introduced several ethics-related bills this session that have failed to get a floor vote. 

The House GOP started an "End the Silence on Illinois Corruption" petition calling for a special session dedicated to ethics reform after it was apparently placed on the back burner this session. 

"Madigan or no Madigan, Democrats still have a supermajority and all the power," Rudolph said.