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(The Center Square) – Lost amid the national headlines of a second impeachment pf President Donald Trump last week was a transition of power at the state level that deserved barrels of ink and far more pixels – not only in Illinois, where it occurred, but across the country.

Illinois state Rep. Michael Madigan lost his bid for what would have been 40 years in legislative leadership when Emanuel “Chris” Welch (D-Hillside) on Wednesday was voted in by his peers along party lines and became the first Black Speaker of the House in Illinois history.

The Madigan story is a cautionary tale that should be written into U.S. history books to inform future generations about how absolute power corrupts absolutely.

On his way to establishing a U.S. record for tenure by a legislative leader, Madigan, an old-school Chicago Democrat, ruled with one-sided leadership that, over 38 years, ran a once-proud state – unchecked – into irreparable financial ruin.

Madigan was a king who steamrolled the state’s solvency for the benefit of the cogs in his machine and to retain his power. His reign was ended only after Illinois House Democrats no longer could risk supporting him. And even then, Madigan hung around in contention to retain his role last week with 50 of the 60 supporters he needed for another turn at the wheel.

A federal corruption probe into ComEd isolated Madigan as the dealmaker who traded patronage jobs for favorable legislation and rate increases to help the energy producer survive its struggling nuclear power plants. Two of his cronies, and two former ComEd executives have been indicted.

Madigan, who neither has a cell phone nor an email account, hasn’t been charged with a crime. A grand jury continues to investigate. If anyone benefited from the chaos wrought by COVID-19, it was Madigan, who shaved off about 70% of the legislative calendar in 2020 and kept the entire legislature at bay and off the job arguably to shield himself from public scrutiny.

But, even here in Illinois, news of Madigan’s ouster from leadership barely registered with most people – and in some markets didn’t even make the front page of newspapers.

Therein lies a fundamental problem that isn’t on its way to being repaired. We don’t teach civics in our public schools. Kids don’t know the difference between a state representative and a U.S. representative let alone know who represents the districts where they live. These same people grow up and become adults who complain about government but cannot connect the dots between government expansion and the fundamental reasons their tax burdens are twice the size of neighboring states.

We have raised generations of mopes who are barely equipped to rage against their washing machines let alone bad government.

There are no term limits in Illinois. Madigan became chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois and became not only the pivot in Springfield but the kingmaker who funded campaigns and sent a steady stream of lackeys there to do his bidding.

His House rules called for him to unilaterally call the bills that were to be voted upon and none that he didn’t want. That made bipartisan legislation impossible and effectively neutralized the minority party Republicans for nearly four decades.

The Madigan Rules were akin to playing basketball against the Harlem Globetrotters with one exception: In basketball, the team that is scored upon, by rule, gets the ball and the chance to in-bound it after each basket. Here in Illinois, the game is make it, take it.

And Madigan did of plenty of taking, mostly from taxpayers who will feel the pain of his leadership long after our children’s children are eulogized by their children.

Under his leadership, the state’s finances cratered. Costs exploded. Billions of dollars were borrowed at crazy, near-junk rates. Pension systems were raided to pay for anything and everything except pensions. Estimates of the unfunded pension obligations created under his leadership range between $137 billion and $250 billion – a hole that may never be filled and continues to grow deeper despite tax increase after tax increase.

The truth is that all government is local, and local government has far more influence on the lives of Americans than the federal government. Worse, state government is a murky mystery for far too many.

The Center Square has written more than 600 stories about Madigan over the past three years alone. Our reporters chronicled his unbalanced budgets, the #MeToo scandals that were unresolved by an inspector general (because he cleverly omitted having one and the claims expired), the gerrymandered maps that he drew, and a litany of other political shenanigans that would require a forest of trees to lay out in full.

Some of that drama finally ended last week. But rest assured there will be decades of drama here still to come.

When asked if his plans for his new role, the newly ordained Welch, whose committee passed on an opportunity to investigate Madigan in December, said that he’d, “possibly make a lot of changes.”

Welch also praised Madigan's tenure.

After all, Illinois is still Illinois.

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ILLINOIS

New Illinois House Speaker Emmanuel “Chris” Welch is the first Black speaker in Illinois House history, taking the gavel away from Michael Madigan, the state's most powerful politician. Until Wednesday, Madigan held the spot for all but two years since 1983. In a statement closing out the 101st General Assembly, his last as Speaker of the House, Madigan wished Welch “all the best.”

Policing in Illinois could look different after a sweeping criminal justice bill was passed by lawmakers in Springfield. House Bill 3653, which passed by a 60-50 vote, will change use-of-force guidelines, require body cameras for every police department in the state, end cash bail, and strip collective bargaining rights relating to discipline from police unions. The Senate passed the bill in the early morning hours of Wednesday by a 32-23 vote.

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Elsewhere in America...

TENNESSEE

Tennessee will be the first state in the nation to receive federal Medicaid funding in a lump sum. Gov. Bill Lee signed a 10-year TennCare block grant authorization into law Friday after the Tennessee Legislature passed it last week, giving the state more autonomy on administering its Medicaid program. The federal government currently funds a portion of TennCare’s costs, regardless of fluctuations each year. Under the block grant, however, the state would receive federal funds in a lump sum, providing for more flexibility in managing the funds. State officials believe the block grant also will result in cost savings for the program.

NORTH CAROLINA

Wilmington residents David and Peg Schroeder sued the city after it enacted a short-term rental ordinance that capped the number of properties that can operate as rental homes in the same area. The couple sought legal help from the Institute for Justice and won its case when a New Hanover County Superior Court judge declared the ordinance "void and unenforceable." Wilmington officials, however, have continued enforcing the policy and delayed revisions to it by at least three months.

FLORIDA

State Sen. Danny Burgess, R-Zephyrhills, filed legislation last week that would require social media websites to provide individual and business users notice that the website has suspended or disabled a user’s account with some recourse available to restore the account. Burgess characterized the bill as an “innovative and timely piece of legislation” that “originated from numerous constituents facing issues by these monopolized monster social media companies right in our own backyard.”

VIRGINIA

A Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy poll released last week showed a majority of Virginia residents supported measures to provide financial support for parents who opted to enroll their children in alternative education systems while the state's schools remain closed. The poll found that 61% of registered voters would support giving parents a portion of the state’s K-12 funding to use for home, virtual or private education if public schools remain closed for in-person classes. And 51% of respondents supported Gov. Ralph Northam giving new federal relief funding for education directly to parents for purchasing education technology and materials, private school tuition and home education.

PENNSYLVANIA

Pennsylvania lawmakers dismayed by Gov. Tom Wolf’s apparently limitless power following his declaration of a state of emergency are moving closer to amending the state constitution to put a check on that power. Lawmakers tried other tactics to constrain Wolf in 2020, including passing bills targeting specific orders, but he vetoed those bills – even when they passed on a bipartisan basis. Now, if the Legislature approves the constitutional amendment, voters will get a chance to weigh in on the issue.

NEW YORK

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo delivered a State of the State address spread over the course of four days and capped it with a proposal to spend tens of billions of dollars on infrastructure building in what he called a “new New York.” Among his goals are revamping Penn Station, Pier 76 and the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City in a $51 billion investment that he says would create 196,000 jobs.

NEW JERSEY

State lawmakers in the Garden State are moving toward the creation of a commission that would focus on the high number of rules and regulations in the state that can serve as a drag on the economy. The New Jersey Business and Industry Association has come in favor of the creation of the commission, saying it would make the state “more responsive to its residents, more accessible to people and small businesses that do not always have the opportunity to impact government, and more transparent to all taxpayers.”

OHIO

Ohio took a step toward criminal justice reform when Gov. Mike DeWine signed a bill into law that favors treatment over jail time. The legislation, applauded by both Republicans and Democrats, requires judges to hold a hearing if a defendant applies for intervention and claims drug or alcohol abuse was a factor leading to the crime.

INDIANA

Overflow crowds of concerned citizens filled the hallways of Indiana’s Capitol as the legislature held a hearing on a bill that would stop employers from making people get a vaccine as a condition of employment. The bill, introduced by Sen. Dennis Kruse, R-Auburn, adds a freedom-of-conscience provision to Indiana law, affirming the right of citizens to opt out of vaccines for pretty much any reason.

KENTUCKY

A special committee created to review an impeachment petition against Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has given him until Jan. 22 to respond in writing to the claims against him. Meanwhile, the committee has also received a similar petition against a state lawmaker. Committee Chairman state Rep. Jason Nemes, R-Louisville, sent the formal invitation to Amy Cubbage, Beshear’s general counsel, in a letter dated Thursday.

LOUISIANA

A New Orleans social worker has sued Louisiana Department of Health leaders, arguing that denying her a license violated her constitutional rights. Ursula Newell-Davis, founder of Sivad Home and Community Health Services, is not challenging the need for the license itself, but the state’s “facility need review” policy, which requires certain types of providers to show their services are needed before they can get a license to practice and receive taxpayer dollars through the state’s Medicaid program.

TEXAS

Texas state lawmakers convened last week to begin the 87th Legislative Session. The legislature is expected to address the state’s $1 billion 2020-2021 biennial budget shortfall, police funding, and a long list of other measures in less than five months.

ARIZONA

In the wake of a ballot initiative giving Arizona one of the nation's highest top marginal income tax rates, Gov. Doug Ducey announced in his state-of-the-state address that he plans to ask lawmakers to cut income taxes. The lame-duck governor said he wants to "think big" in terms of lowering the state's tax burden and restore Arizona's reputation as a destination for people seeking an affordable place to live.

COLORADO

Colorado lost its bid to be the permanent headquarters to U.S. Space Command on Wednesday, a move the state’s leaders say is politically motivated and will cost taxpayers. Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs – where the Space Command has been temporarily headquartered – was one of the six locations being considered, but Redstone Arsenal in Alabama was selected “based on factors related to mission, infrastructure capacity, community support and costs to the Department of Defense.” Space Command would have accounted for an estimated $104 million in earnings and $450 million in economic activity in Colorado.

WASHINGTON

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee unveiled his latest capital gains tax proposal as part of his 2021-2023 proposed budget last month, which would tax the sale of stocks, bonds, and other assets at a rate of 9% on capital gains above $25,000 for individuals and $50,000 for joint filers. Opponents of a capital gains tax argue that it stands little chance of holding up in court and note that new taxes are unnecessary when state revenue is forecast to be relatively strong for the near future.

Chris Krug is publisher of The Center Square. Executive Editor Dan McCaleb and regional editors J.D. Davidson, Derek Draplin, Cole Lauterbach, Delphine Luneau, Brett Rowland, Jason Schaumburg and Bruce Walker contributed to the column.

(The Center Square) – Almost everything Wisconsin Democrats are hoping to accomplish this spring is tied to the coronavirus.

The budget, their long hoped-for Medicaid expansion, and just about everything else will be tied to the virus.

“At this critical point in our state’s history, we must get to work to ensure people have access to the support they need to get through the pandemic,” Rep. Gordon Hintz, D-Oshkosh, told reporters in a pre-session news conference Monday. “Every legislative session we are sent here to take on the biggest issue of the state. We don’t get to choose the issues. The challenges facing the state are the ones that really require legislators act seriously.”

For legislative Democrats, that all comes down to the coronavirus.

Rep. Sara Rodriguez, D-Madison, said Democrats will champion their own coronavirus relief effort.

“We need to make protecting the health and safety of Wisconsin families and economic recovery a priority,” Rodriguez said.

The Democrats’ plan is almost identical to Gov. Evers’ proposal, with the addition of hazard pay and guaranteed paid sick time for health care workers.

But the so-called "Healthcare for Heroes" aspect of the Democrats’ coronavirus relief plan is actually part of their old proposal to expand Medicaid in the state.

“There are many reasons to expand Medicaid, and there are many reasons to expand Medicaid during the pandemic,” Hintz explained. “But in this case it gives us the opportunity to utilize some of the $300 million in annual savings by taking the expansion and making sure we are covering the new costs associated with hazard pay and other pay coverage.”

Wisconsin lawmakers will craft a new state budget this spring, and Democrats are looking at that through the lens of coronavirus as well.

“We are at a time where, while our revenues held-up better than some previous estimates, we will be waiting for the January revenue estimate from the Fiscal Bureau to set the table for the remaining six months of this [state budget] and what we can expect for the next [state budget].”

Hintz once again held-out hope that the federal government will provide a bailout to the states, including Wisconsin.

“If trouble must come, let it come in my time, so my children can live in peace.”

– Thomas Paine

It was Christmas December 1776 in America. The Colonial army had lost New York and retreated to Pennsylvania. Desertion was rife. The weather was ghastly. It looked like the last stand for the Colonial army. In desperation, George Washington turned to the patriot who scribed the pamphlet, “Common Sense,” to inspire the colonies to revolt. He asked him to re-spirit his discouraged army.

Thomas Paine promulgated: “These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph!”

Something magical happened that Christmas Eve that would change world history. Against all odds, the Continental military reversed course and marched on to victory! Historians still wonder what made this rag tag army carry on in the face of certain defeat. What instilled them to keep fighting?

Was it pride? Humiliation? Was it their families? Or was it returning home as defeated cowards?

As we look back at Christmas Eve 1776 and recall Paine’s words that motivated these distraught patriots to keep fighting, we know why they kept battling. “It was for God and for Country.” When Thomas Paine rose to the occasion, they rose with him: “Tyranny, like hell is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.”

After eight years on the battlefield, George Washington needed a decisive victory to convince the nations in Europe working to end the conflict to ordain American independence. When General Cornwallis surrendered to Washington at Yorktown on Oct. 19, 1781, it was much more than a victory. It was an event that would change the world. It led to the creation of the greatest nation on earth.

When our victorious soldiers in the Continental Army returned to their towns, villages and hamlets, they were optimistic America would always remain “the home of the brave and the land of the free.”

When it was time to create a more perfect union, many of these soldiers attended the Philadelphia Convention in 1787. Although Paine was not there, Ben Franklin brought stacks of Paine’s “Common Sense” to be used in forming a new government. Under Washington’s leadership, they spent the summer writing what became the longest surviving Constitution in the world.

“The result of our experiment will be that men may be trusted to govern themselves.”

– Thomas Jefferson

When the delegates returned home with the new Constitution, the colonies showed apprehension and mistrust for a document that created a powerful central government. They wanted one they could control, not one that controlled them. Many of these same soldiers who fought for our liberty refused to ratify any document until they had a right to dissolve a government if it became abusive.

They had learned valuable lessons living under British authoritarianism. They were determined to have the right to speak out freely against the government if they had grievances. They knew that any type of censorship would restrict their power over government and empower government over the people.

“The evil which results from censorship is impossible to measure.”

– Jeremy Bentham

The colonies witnessed repression by British soldiers in the colonies who restricted the possession of guns and ammo in many cities and towns following the Boston Massacre of March 5, 1770. British soldiers killed several people who were speaking out against British abuse. In the weeks following the incident, a battle waged between the Patriots and Loyalists over gun control in major cities.

The colonies knew if they approved a government that restricted gun ownership, they’d not be able to stop tyranny or abuse of their God-given rights. They refused to ratify any Constitution without a guarantee they could always posses weapons to defend themselves against federal tyranny and abuse.

“Every man with a gun is a citizen. Every man without a gun is only a subject.”

– Allen West

On June 21, 1788, the Constitution was ratified by the colonies, but only after it had been amended to contain a bill of rights that addressed the two most important concerns of the colonies: The First Amendment was the right to free speech and the Second Amendment was the right to bare arms.

Historians credit Paine for the success of the American Revolution. He turned a gruesome defeat into an ultimate victory. He inspired colonial patriots to fight for independence. When “the going got tough for our soldiers he encouraged them to get tough and keep going” when defeat was inevitable. He convinced them that the cause was far greater than they were.

“The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection.”

– Thomas Paine

According to The Heartland Institute, progressives and socialists won more seats in state and federal legislatures than any time in history last election. Socialists, progressives and leftist members of the Democratic National Committee have invaded every branch of federal and state government. They won 266 races in 29 states and Washington, DC. They lost just 24 races. Socialists, progressives and leftist pseudo Democrats who hide behind the veneer of the DNC won 90% of their total races.

In January, we will be entering unchartered waters; more turbulent than any in history. We’ll face challenges we’ve never met on American soil. Our right to free speech is being abridged. Healthy debate in the press and on internet forums has been cut from under us by the swords of liberal hit squad fact-checkers. Socialists are demanding gun control as a priority when President-elect Joe Biden takes office. Their socialist agenda will transform America into a clone of the failed Soviet USSR in four years.

The greatness of Thomas Paine saved America then and that greatness can save it today; only if we wish. Our nation plunged into a crisis led by new age socialists who have openly infiltrated our governments at the will of the people. Millennials welcomed their anti-American zealotry, believing they offered something better than free market capitalism. The future of the republic is in jeopardy. This makes Paine’s spirited words even more insightful 244 years later than they were in 1776.

As Paine told us, “We have the power to make the world over again,” and that is what we must do to save the greatest nation in the world from unmitigated destruction at the hands of socialists! The chapters of Marxism are a bible for socialists to turn liberty into government dependence so they can control us instead of us controlling government. This is totally foreign to the teachings of Paine, who inspired the creation of a nation to be governed by the governed. Thomas Paine is not around to bail us out. Will we do it ourselves?

“Tyranny, like hel, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.”

– Thomas Paine

(The Center Square) – The U.S. House and Senate late Monday approved a $900 billion stimulus bill that, if signed by President Donald Trump, will provide more aid to struggling small businesses and send a second round of direct payments to Americans.

The measure includes $600 in direct payments to qualifying Americans, half of the $1,200 approved in the CARES Act in late March, more than $280 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses through a renewed Paycheck Protection Program, and $300 a week in extended federal unemployment benefits on top of state benefits.

Both chambers of Congress passed the measure, which was attached to a $1.4 trillion spending bill to keep the federal government operating.

The vote was 91-7 in the U.S. Senate, and 359-53 in the House.

"I expect we'll get the money out by the beginning of next week – $2,400 for a family of four," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told CNBC of the $600 in payments to individuals before the votes occurred.

The legislation also includes about $25 billion in rental assistance and an extension of an eviction moratorium put in place earlier this year, which is was set to expire this month. An additional $82 billion would be set aside for schools and colleges to prepare to safely reopen classrooms.

"Millions of families are on the verge of eviction and this legislation addresses the rental needs and a short term moratorium," U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said before a vote. "We can accept the short term because we'll have a new president during the length of that moratorium to extend it further when necessary."

The bill also would help pay for the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. Moderna's vaccine was approved for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Friday, a week after Pfizer's vaccine also received emergency use authorization.

Not in the bill was about $160 billion in funding for state and local governments, a bailout sought by Democrats but opposed by most Republicans.

Trump is expected to sign the relief bill.