A lawmaker would only be allowed to serve in the powerful role of Illinois House speaker for a maximum of eight years under a proposed constitutional amendment recently introduced in the General Assembly.

On Jan. 29 the Illinois House of Representatives voted on new House Rules, but none of the new rules addressed the unparalleled power the Speaker of the House is given over the legislative process.

A glut of $10,000-a-head committee chair positions has been a key tool for House Speaker Mike Madigan to maintain power over members.

The longtime speaker has held the gavel for 34 of the past 36 years, and maintains procedural powers unheard of in other states.

After sweeping victories for Illinois Democrats in November, Mike Madigan is all but assured an 18th term as speaker of the House of Representatives when new members are sworn in Jan. 9. Madigan has already broken the record for longest-serving state legislative speaker in U.S. history.

Andrew Hamilton and his consulting firm have collected more than $2 million from eight regional development authorities since 2010.