Quinn’s final battle: governor calls special session for comptroller special election, minimum-wage hike
We have yet to see the full schedule for Quinn’s special session, but one thing is for sure, the governor is gearing up for one last battle on very important issues less than a week before a change of leadership.
Gov. Pat Quinn is making a stand on his way out of office in an effort to permanently fill the vacancy in the state comptroller’s office – after the passing of Judy Baar Topinka – with his appointment of longtime aide Jerry Stermer. He also intends to make a final push on raising the state’s minimum wage, despite having recently failed to move the issue during veto session.
Quinn announced Dec. 18 that he is calling Illinois legislators back to Springfield for a special session on Jan. 8, just four days before Governor-elect Bruce Rauner takes office.
The issue of filling the seat of the state comptroller is an important one. And on Dec. 19, Quinn appointed Stermer to fill the position until Jan. 12. The move was necessary, as the comptroller pays the state’s bills. Until a new comptroller was appointed, none of the new bills coming to the state were being paid.
The question that lies ahead is what will happen after Jan. 12, when Stermer steps down on the day Rauner takes office. Over the past week, many have voiced their opinion on how the state constitution addresses the issue of filling the vacancy of a statewide elected official between the time they are elected and the time they are sworn into office. Recently, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan told CBS Chicago there was legal basis for Quinn to appoint a new comptroller until Jan. 12, when Rauner would assume that authority; Madigan also offered the idea that a special election should be held. That’s exactly what Quinn plans to ask legislators to consider during special session.
While the move may be politically viable with a Democrat supermajority in both houses of the Illinois General Assembly, the effort may be premature, as Rauner claims he has the right to make an appointment without a special election being held. The issue will be hotly debated over the next few weeks.
The true final battle for Quinn lies with the minimum wage. The governor has been the leading advocate for raising the minimum wage across the state and is expected to ask legislators to take up the issue one last time. Unfortunately for Quinn, a statewide minimum-wage hike holds little support. House Speaker Mike Madigan has shown no interest in the hike and has repeated that it is an “executive” issue; claiming he has nothing new to report. This leads one to believe the votes are nowhere close to what’s necessary for passage of such a measure.
We have yet to see the full schedule for Quinn’s special session, but one thing is for sure, the governor is gearing up for one last battle on very important issues less than a week before a change of leadership.
