Chambana Sun

Illinois State Rep. Dan Caulkins (R-Geneva) says he isn’t surprised that longtime Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) is still determined to still be Mike Madigan through all his mounting troubles.

“It’s always worked for him,” Caulkins told the Chambana Sun. 

“I give him credit for standing up now and saying the things he knows democrats want to hear. Raising taxes is what democrats do, and he’s standing up for those principles by vowing to work with the governor for an income tax increase. He’s not talking about addressing spending or our pension problem because that’s not what democrats stand for," Caulkins said. 

Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) | File Photo

With talk that his nearly four decades long reign of power may soon be over, Madigan is vowing to do all he can to bag the 60 votes he needs for another term, including working with Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker to (D) to secure another tax hike.

“My pledge to the caucus, on state finances and also on redistricting, is to provide the same type of strong leadership that I provided to our caucus when we were fighting against Gov. [Bruce] Rauner,” Madigan told members of the House Black Caucus. 

“The strong leadership I provided against the Rauner program is the same leadership that I pledge to provide to the caucus on state finances and on redistricting," Madigan said. 

The state’s longest tenured lawmaker, Madigan now finds himself at the center of a still unfolding federal corruption probe involving ComEd where he is suspected of pocketing bribes in exchange for favorable legislation.

Caulkins said it remains to be seen what it all comes to mean in Springfield.

“I know democrats say they won’t support him, but they haven’t really put any alternative on the table,” Caulkins said.

Caulkins also said that he is he at least one of the 19 democratic lawmakers that have vowed not to support his reelection campaign. 

“It’s the same response we’ve gotten from democrats every two years for as long as I can remember. You have to think it’s by design; they know their political careers would have ended without voting for him," Caulkins said. 

This time around, with the state saddled with a nearly $4 billion budget hole and the job of a map redistricting looming, Madigan is selling himself as the sole person able to deal with the issues.

“It’s a shrewd move on his part,” Caulkins said. 

“I think he put his best foot forward and is offering his experience and willingness to work with the Governor to raise taxes by using all that experience to draw the new map next year. In the end, who on the democrat side is going to stand up to that? We talk about all his faults, but you can’t question his savviness when it comes to doing what he does," Caulkins said.