Madigan Proposes to Fire All Previous Blagojevich, Ryan Appointees

House Speaker Mike Madigan wants to get rid of thousands of people hired by Illinois' two disgraced former governors. He proposes firing state agency directors, board members and other employees hired by George Ryan and Rod Blagojevich.

The Speaker says Governor Pat Quinn has not done enough to remove holdovers from the Ryan and Blagojevich administrations. Madigan's legislation would force them out.

He says the action would be "clearly the type of fumigation of the Ryan and Blagojevich appointments that I think the people of the state of Illinois are demanding so we can move away from the scandals of the past."

Madigan says the measure applies to three thousand people ... including 90 boards and commissions, such as university boards of trustees.

Governor Quinn says it's a good idea. "I think it's one that we need to use to reassess everything in state government and if we see anything that we think is improper then we can act accordingly.," the Governor said.

If it becomes law, the employees and appointees would keep their jobs for 60 days. Anyone not rehired would then be out of work.