Progress Illinois

In the 24 hours since Speaker Madigan proposed a constitutional amendment to do away with the lieutenant governor's office, several readers and friends have asked me how the line of succession would work if a sitting governor died or left office.  The answer: Under Madigan's plan, the attorney general would be second-in-command.

That would seem like a logical choice.  But among the five states that currently do not have a lieutenant governor position, not one designates the AG as next in line.  In Oregon, Wyoming, and Arizona it's the secretary of state.  And Maine and New Hampshire hand the reins over to their state senate president.  (CORRECTION: This post originally stated that the Arizona attorney general is second in line.  Apologies for the error.)

How bad is the state's fiscal crisis? The lawmakers who set the budget can't even get reimbursed promptly to pay rent and medical bills. Late last week, the Daily Herald reported that Sen. Dan Duffy (R-Barrington) is facing eviction because he's four months behind on his office rent payments. Illinois Statehouse News finds that Rep. Mike Bost (R-Carbondale) is having similar problems. The Herald made a sensible suggestion in an editorial Tuesday, urging officials to use office space in buildings the state already owns or leases. Lawmakers could just pass a reasonable budget too, saving themselves -- as well as other state vendors, schools, and service providers -- the trouble.