Illinois House speaker: Fire Ryan, Blagojevich appointees

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- As many as 3,000 people appointed to state jobs or commission posts by two disgraced former Illinois governors would be removed under a plan to "fumigate" government presented Thursday by House Speaker Michael Madigan.

That's the word Gov. Pat Quinn used in January when he promised change from his impeached and ousted predecessor. But Madigan said Thursday he's impatient.

"I'm not satisfied with the pace of change. We have to move faster, we have to move more dramatically," Chicago Democrat Madigan said in introducing his legislation. "It clearly will be the type of fumigation of the Ryan and Blagojevich appointments that I think the people of Illinois are demanding."

Agency directors, their high-ranking staffers and members of 90 boards and commissions hired since 1999 -- by Republican Gov. George Ryan and Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich -- would be relieved within 60 days.

Political corruption sent Ryan to federal prison; in a separate case, Blagojevich faces a 16 federal counts for allegedly trading government action for personal favors in a scandal that involved several boards.

Lawmakers are contemplating other ethics reforms, such as limiting the amount of money donated to campaigns and imposing term limits for legislative leaders that have been suggested by a Quinn-appointed reform commission headed by former federal prosecutor Patrick Collins.

Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, said he and other leaders will determine which proposals to push within the next 10 days. During a meeting with Collins and reporters, Cullerton said the reform ideas leaders rejected would still get a Senate committee hearing where commission members could push them.

State employees affected by the Madigan legislation make up a handful, among tens of thousands, whom a governor may hire or fire at will. Quinn could evaluate their performance and rehire them if he wants.

Madigan said he isn't intending to "impugn the integrity" of people doing their jobs, and pointed out that the measure wouldn't affect anyone named to a post by Quinn, who was sworn in as governor Jan. 29. Cullerton supports the concept, a spokeswoman said.

Quinn also supports the idea and doesn't feel repudiated in his reform efforts.

"It's one that we need to use to reassess everything in state government and if we see something that isn't proper, we can act accordingly," the Democrat said.

Spokesman Bob Reed said Quinn has been moving with "deliberate speed" to evaluate the performance of his predecessors' choices, but has had to juggle it with trying to balance the budget and push ethics reform.