Daily Herald opinion: A good-government opportunity: Welch changing of the guard opens chance for wider review of ethics reform

A signed no-confidence statement from 26 House Democrats regarding their speaker — released one day after the Nov. 3 election — took pains to stress that no single issue motivated them to seek new leadership.

In calling for the replacement of Hillside Democrat Emanuel “Chris” Welch, the lawmakers noted, “We represent a broad spectrum of our caucus, and each have come to this decision for our own reasons.”

Welch followed by announcing last Thursday that he would not seek re-election. While his tepid handling of sexual harassment allegations against then-state Rep. Harry Benton of Plainfield may well have been the proverbial back-breaking straw that led to his downfall, there were other troubling signs in his leadership. A Chicago Tribune story reporting his announcement cited issues that included scheduling concerns, a rule declaring that bills could not be brought to the floor for consideration without the votes of 60 Democrats and extravagant fundraisers.

We would add concerns of our own contrasting Welch’s foot-dragging on the Benton case with his rush to expel Hoffman Estates state Rep. Fred Crespo from the caucus for developing budget recommendations on his own, as well as — along with other government leaders — allowing action on the Bears stadium proposal to languish for three long years until it has reached a near-crisis point for the state.

Hopefully, Welch’s prompt decision to step aside will lead to what a separate statement following it called a “deliberate and intentional” process for finding a replacement come next January. But it also can and should have repercussions beyond merely a changing of the guard.

Surely, the campaign among potential candidates to replace him — which the Tribune reported could include the suburbs’ own state Rep. Mary Beth Canty of Arlington Heights — will develop around matters of leadership style, policy and long-simmering concerns about a “toxic” environment in Springfield toward women. The timing also can add pressure for lawmakers in both chambers to take up ethics reform, which like so many issues critical to effective Illinois government has been sidelined awaiting a crisis to produce action.

When lawmakers passed a slate of mild ethics reforms in 2024, we and many good-government sources saw it as mere “baby steps” toward what is really needed to improve the culture of state government. We still need stronger rules against retiring lawmakers turning around and coming back as lobbyists. We still need the state’s legislative inspector general to have the power to issue subpoenas and to take up cases without having to get permission from the very lawmakers he or she may want to investigate.

Paired with the departure from the post in September of Legislative Inspector General Michael McCusky, the Welch replacement provides a golden opportunity for the General Assembly to turn its attention next spring to meaningful ethics reform and finish the job it started two years ago.

Yes, lawmakers still have to come together on a proposal that can keep the Bears in Illinois, and, yes, they face some tough budget years ahead. So, it’s not like they don’t have important matters on their plate. But the Benton issues alone, and Welch’s inadequate response, demonstrate the significant problems with Springfield’s political climate that impede efforts toward more productive government solutions to the state’s challenges.

Taking this opportunity to finish the job started in 2024 can be a big step forward toward improving that climate and thus the government actions that flow from it.