Rep. Paul Jacobs (R-Carbondale) supports legislation addressing term limits for House and Senate leadership roles. | Photo Courtesy of Paul Jacobs website
Rep. Paul Jacobs (R-Carbondale) supports legislation addressing term limits for House and Senate leadership roles. | Photo Courtesy of Paul Jacobs website
Illinois House members passed a bill with bipartisan support April 22 that puts a consecutive years cap on legislative leadership terms to 10 years.
The approval comes in response to a more than three-decade run by former House Speaker Mike Madigan, who resigned from the House in February and lost his reelection bid to the leadership post in January. The new speaker, Emanuel "Chris" Welch (D-Westchester), pledged to push for rules changes to limit leadership terms.
"The IL House passed HB 642 [April 22]," Rep. Paul Jacobs (R-Carbondale) said in a Facebook post the same day. "This bill term limits all legislative leaders to 10 years. This is a good reform that had bipartisan support."
The new bill impacts the individuals serving as House speaker, Senate president and the minority leadership posts.
When Welch became the House speaker, he vowed not to serve more than 10 years. In contrast, Madigan served 36 years during his 50-year career representing voters in the state Legislature. The former power-broker was the longest-serving legislator in state history.
House Bill 642 passed with 115 representatives voting "yes" and one absentee.
The bill advances to the Senate floor for further consideration.
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