State Reps. John Bradley (D-Dist. 117), Brandon Phelps (D-Dist. 118) and Sen. Gary Forby (D-Dist. 59) have one main thing in common — they all do House Speaker Michael Madigan’s bidding, according to a House Republican Organization ad.
“Bradley, Phelps and Forby rubber-stamped Mike Madigan’s phony budget, adding billions in new debt, higher taxes on working families; but for failed Chicago schools —a reckless bailout,” the ad stated.
The campaign ad went on to tag Bradley, Phelps and Forby as “double-talking politicians too loyal to Mike Madigan.”
Madigan’s influence in Springfield cannot be understated.
In 2013 and 2014, Chicago Magazine named Madigan the second most powerful Chicagoan, and an article in the Chicago Tribune referred to Madigan as “boss of the Democrats and boss of Illinois.”
Given his prominence, many have blamed Madigan for lawmakers' inability to come to an agreement to solve the state’s budget impasse.
In July 2015, Gov. Bruce Rauner told the press that if it weren't for Madigan, the budget impasse would have been resolved. (Editor's note: Gov. Rauner signed a stopgap funding bill in late June.)
As Illinois helplessly sinks further into financial quicksand, many believe Democrats in Springfield are simply following Madigan’s lead and holding residents across the state hostage to his plan. That plan includes an income tax hike and a taxpayer-funded bailout for Chicago Public Schools by increasing the district’s subsidies.
Madigan introduced his budget in May, and one by one, House Democrats voted to pass the budget that would force the state to spend $7.1 million more than it receives in revenue.
The plan also proposed an additional $500 million appropriation for poverty-stricken school districts, and an additional $75 million for early childhood education, but the out-of-balance spending plan was killed on the Senate a few days later.
With Democrats and Rauner still at odds over the budget for over a year now, many were outraged when, instead of continuing to work to resolving the budget, Madigan, who sets the session schedule, decided to schedule a month-long break in March as state’s schools and the most vulnerable citizens in Illinois continued to struggle from the impact of the budget impasse.
Since then, Madigan has canceled several House sessions — a strategy intended to twist Rauner’s arm and force a tax hike, the Illinois Republican Party stated in a recent robocall.
"House Speaker Michael Madigan again canceled votes in the legislature, putting public safety, vital services and our schools at risk," the robocall stated. "And State Sen. Gary Forby and State Rep. John Bradley won't go back to Springfield and stand up to House Speaker Mike Madigan to pass a balanced budget."
Although Phelps’s name didn’t come up in the robocall, the House representative has had his share of controversy — his campaign records have revealed questionable spending.
Last year, the Democratic incumbent spent $12,154 on vehicle leases, $2,596 on airfare, $6,299 on lodging and $12,687 on meals, including $1,020 for dinner at TAO, a Las Vegas restaurant, which Phelps justified by stating he picked up the tab for several dinners, the Illinois Times reported.
Phelps also spent $1,106 on “maintenance” at Outlaw Motorsports in November and December. Outlaw Motorsports sells and repairs motorcycles, snowmobiles and ATVs. Phelps reportedly stated that his four-wheeler needed repairs.
Included in his expenditures was a $1,100 donation to the Central Florida Shootout, which is a fishing tournament in Florida. Phelps also went to the Shot Show, a gun expo in Las Vegas. He stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel during the gun show and racked up a $1,340 tab for his stay.
With a little over three months before the November election, voters will have to determine whether their elected officials are serving them, or their own political interests.
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