Opinion

Abolish legislative impeachment power

Posted August 06, 2008 11:00 pm

Until the final form of our Constitution was written, our president was to be elected for one seven-year term by Congress, and Congress had the power to impeach and convict the president. When eleven delegates wrote the final form of our Constitution, they replaced this method with the Electoral College but failed to give the power to impeach and convict the president to the electors.

The people who hire should be the people who can fire you. The power that Congress now has to impeach and convict the president should be abolished.

The Illinois Constitution gives the House of Representatives the power to impeach the governor and be removed by the Senate. The governor is elected by the people and should only be removed by the people, through elections.

The Illinois Legislature is not a club. Members of the legislature should not decide who stays or does not stay in office.

Article IV, Section 14 of the state Constitution, which gives the House of Representatives the power to impeach the governor, which can lead to his removal from office, should be abolished.

Chuck Coletta

Lombard

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