Impeachment: The House might do it twice
SPRINGFIELD - Friday's Illinois House vote marked the first time in the state's more than 190-year history that a governor had been impeached. Soon, Gov. Rod Blagojevich might soon have the added distinction of being the first governor impeached twice by the Illinois House.
The terms of the current crop of lawmakers are about to end. New members will be sworn in Wednesday. At that point, the Illinois Constitution says all pending actions by lawmakers are wiped out and the process starts anew.
That would include the impeachment proceedings and vote because the Senate has not yet taken up the case.
The odd situation prompts two questions:
What are House leaders going to do?
Why didn't they just wait until next week and have one vote?
As for the first question, House Speaker Michael Madigan, a Chicago Democrat, said there will be a vote next week to recognize and validate the actions lawmakers have taken in recent days. That action will include re-creating the impeachment investigation panel should it need to continue its work and to have new House members reaffirm the impeachment vote of old House members.
Whether it will occur Wednesday immediately following the House swearing in ceremony at the University of Illinois at Springfield or during a Capitol session the following day has not been determined, Madigan said.
Similarly undecided is whether there will be a specific second vote on impeachment or an all-encompassing piece that rolls the impeachment committee, report, recommendation and House vote into one piece.
As to why the House didn't wait a few days, Madigan said lawmakers and the public are demanding action.
"There is a growing sense to move along with this," Madigan said. "The people of the state want us to move forward."