Four GOP Lawmakers Seek to End Lame Duck Sessions

Decatur Republican Adam Brown unseated Democratic incumbent Bob Flider in the November election for the 101st Illinois House District seat. But Brown said that didn't stop Flider from voting for the state income tax hike in the lame duck session, the day before the new General Assembly --- including Brown --- was sworn in.

"He as a lame duck voted for this tax increase, this $7 billion increase on our district, when we have the fourth highest unemployment in the entire state of Illinois," Brown said. "He campaigned that he wouldn't vote for another tax increase, and these lame ducks really turned their back of the people of Illinois."

Now, Brown and three other central Illinois Republicans have filed a bill in the Illinois House that would do away with controversial lame duck legislation --- by doing away with the lame duck session.

The measure would amend the Illinois constitution to have the new General Assembly sworn in on Dec. 1, instead of in January, creating a shorter window for the old legislature to hold a lame duck session. Lawmakers could only convene such sessions to consider emergency legislation responding to natural disaster, terrorist acts, or other imminent threats to public safety and security.

The other Republicans backing the measure are Chapin Rose of Mahomet, Jason Barickman of Champaign and Bill Mitchell of Forsyth. They say their proposal would stop the passage of bills by lame duck lawmakers who do not have to answer to voters. Because their measure would change the state constitution, it would also require approval by voters.

The four Republican lawmakers note that 12 lame duck Democrats voted in favor of the income tax hike in the House, where the measure passed with no votes to spare. But Mitchell said their move to end lame duck sessions isn't just a jab at Democrats. He said it would prevent either party from passing bills that might fail once new lawmakers take their seats.

"No political party has a monopoly on integrity," Mitchell said, noting the convictions of two former governors, Republican George Ryan and Democrat Rod Blagojevich.

"What we as four members wanted to do is preclude future legislatures, whether they be Republican or Democrat, to go through the shenanigans that we went through this week," he said.

Mitchell thinks their proposal will win the support of most Republicans. But none of the four sponsors would predict its chances with Democrats. However, they say that the measure could be helped by a voter backlash against the income tax increase. They noted those Democrats that voted against the income tax hike, including ten in the Illinois House.

Because it would change the Illinois constitution, the anti-lame duck measure would ultimately need to go before the voters as a referendum. It was filed on Thursday as HJRCA 4.