Governor Jackass Continues General Jackassery
Blagojevich said he will use his amendatory veto power to re-write the legislation to include restrictions on legislative pay raises and lawmakers who have more than one job. At the same time, he signed an executive order that includes the fundraising restrictions in the bill lawmakers sent him. The order, which takes effect in January, also adds restrictions on lawmakers’ fundraising.
“By using the executive order and by applying it to all of us we will have taken the bill that was passed by the legislature and made it better, make it stronger and make it more meaningful and widespread,” Blagojevich said at an afternoon news conference.
The bill, which passed both chambers of the state legislature with overwhelming majorities in May, sought to prohibit supporters who have or want major state contracts worth at least $50,000 from giving to the statewide elected officials who dole out that business.
The governor has said the bill doesn’t go far enough, but critics – including some good government leaders who helped pen the bill — have questioned the governor’s motives. They’ve said the legislation is the best chance to change Illinois’ infamous pay-to-play system of politics.
“I have waited more than three years to get the Illinois General Assembly to send me a vehicle that I could act on that would reform a system that takes care of itself at the expense of the people,” Blagojevich said in a statement. “We are long overdue for laws that place restrictions on campaign contributions, end the tradition of legislator double dipping, shine a light on legislative pay raises and strengthen disclosure laws.
I’m not sure it even matters if he’s overridden because I think there is a serious question in the courts whether this would even be germane to each other and thus be a different subject–which is limited by the State Constitution. Moving from campaign finance to salary votes may well not be germane in which case it would be invalidated.
But I doubt we even get there. His attack on ‘double-dipping’ where those who work for state or city governments and are Lege Members will kill the bill if the amendatory veto isn’t simply overridden.
Now we’ll get the Blagojevich bleating about how the Lege is killing off real reform and how he is taking on the the real powers and how he is the only one who isn’t corrupt all the while he’s laughing because he thinks he has outsmarted everyone else.
The problem? Emil might have his back, but Halvorson needs this bill to go through and all the better if she gets to give the Governor a whole bunch of hell about it. They will override his veto instead of killing the bill. Emil views Blagojevich as a useful tool to fight Madigan, but he’s not putting Halvorson at risk to save the Governor’s sorry ass one more time.
I’m guessing that you AV the bill while everybody is focused on the Democratic Convention, while most of the major political reporters who are familiar with the story are half a country away, and while stories of Barack’s nomination are taking up most of the media space. I’ll even predict a Thursday or even Friday announcement of his action, so as to provide for maximum story burial potential, under the shadow of Barack’s acceptance speech.
Fritchey and Hynes have been pushing this bill for months, but the Governor has sat on his ass ignoring it the entire time. All of sudden, he has decided he will improve it after ignoring those who put it togther.
And notice, even out of his frustration, Fritchey is willing to put forward the Governor’s proposals, just as separate bills.