>> BRANDIS BACK TO YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
>> ARE YOU TIRED OF POLITICS AS
USUAL?
A PAIR OF LAWMAKERS SAY THERE IS
A WAY TO KEEP OFFICIALS ON THEIR
TOES.
ALLOWING VOTERS TO RECALL THEM.
AMANDA VINICKY JOINS US NOW TO
EXPLAIN.
>> ILLINOIS ACTUALLY ALREADY
DOES HAVE THE ABILITY TO RECALL
AT LEAST ONE ELECTED OFFICIAL
MIDTERM AND THAT OF ILLINOIS
GOVERNOR.
VOTERS IN 2010 APPROVED AN
AMENDMENT TO THE STATE
CONSTITUTION THAT GIVES THE
PATHWAY TO RECALL A SITTING
GOVERNOR IT WAS AT THE URGING OF
PAT QUINN WHO HAD TAKEN OVER
AFTER ROD BLAGOJEVICH WAS
ARRESTED AND IMPEACHED AND
REMOVED FROM OFFICE.
JASON BARICKMAN SAYS THAT RECALL
PROVISION IS TOOTHLESS.
>> IT IS IN NAME ONLY.
NO ONE WOULD BE ABLE TO USE ITS
IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO USE.
WE'RE PROPOSING TO CHANGE THAT
AND AGAIN, THE EQUIPPED CITIZENS
WITH THE TOOLS THEY NEED TO HOLD
PUBLIC OFFICIALS ACCOUNTABLE.
>> THE RECALL PROCESS ILLINOIS
IS COMPLICATED IT REQUIRES A
SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF ILLINOIS'
ELECTORATE TO SIGN ON AND VOTERS
MUST HAVE A PERMISSION SLIP THAT
HAS TO BE SIGNED OFF ON BY A
BIPARTISAN GROUP OF SITTING
STATE REPRESENTATIVES AND
SENATORS.
NOW, SENATOR JASON BARICKMAN AND
REPRESENTATIVE MARK BATINICK OF
PLAINFIELD REPUBLICANS SAY THEY
WANT TO MAKE IT EASIER AND WANT
TO CHANGE THE CONSTITUTION TO
ALLOW FOR ALL OTHER STATE-WIDE
ELECTED OFFICIALS TO BE RECALLED
AS WELL AS ALL STATE LEGISLATORS
AND LOCAL OFFICIALS.
MARK BATINICK SAYS HE CAN THINK
OF SITUATIONS AT EVERY LEVEL OF
GOVERNMENT WHERE THERE'S
CORRUPTION BUT WHAT IS GOING ON
NOW WITH HOUSE SPEAKER MICHAEL
MADIGAN IS MOST SALIENT.
>> THE POLITICIANS NEED TO START
LOOK OVER THEIR SHOULDER AND
WHEN YOU HAVE SOMEBODY LIKE THE
SPEAKER WHO IS NOT ACCOUNTABLE
TO THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE AND
HE HAS A LOT OF CONTROL OVER I
THINK THAT IS A PROBLEM.
THIS RECALL PROCESS AT LEAST
GIVES THE VOTERS AND THE
CITIZENS OF ILLINOIS A TOOL TO
CHANGE THE DIRECTION OF STATE
GOVERNMENT WHEN IT'S CONTROLLED
BY SOMETHING LIKE SPEAKER
MADIGAN WHETHER IT BE NOW OR IN
THE FUTURE.
>> WE KNOW THE BROAD PARAMETERS
OF THE PROCESS THEY WANT TO MOVE
TO BUT IT IS UNCLEAR HOW IT
WOULD WORK.
WHETHER IT IS LEGAL AND IT'S
UNLIKELY IT'S EVER GOING TO GET
TO THAT POINT.
LAWMAKERS ARE NOTORIOUSLY
RETICENT TO PASS ANY MEASURE TO
COULD IMPERIL THEIR OWN
POLITICAL FUTURES.
AND ILLINOIS' GUBERNATORIAL
RECALL PETITION WAS DESIGNED TO
BE STRICT AND NARROW SO IT WOULD
NOT BE TOO EASY TO THROW
GOVERNMENT INTO UPHEAVAL OR
PROVIDE ENTICE.
FOR OFFICIAL TOSCOER WITH TO
PUBLIC OPINION DURING HARD TIMES
LIKE NOW.
WHILE THERE ARE THOSE WHO
BELIEVE THAT GOVERNOR J.B.
PRITZKER HAS DONE A COMMENDABLE
JOB NAVIGATING ILLINOIS THROUGH
THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC OTHERS
ARE FURIOUS ABOUT THE HEAVY HAND
THAT HE HAS TAKEN AND THE
RESTRICTIONS HE HAS IMPOSED.
A REPORTER ASKED A QUESTION OF
ONE OF PRITZKER'S DAILY
CORONAVIRUS BRIEFINGS ABOUT
WHETHER HIS JOB IS IN JEOPARDY.
>> YOU RECENTLY TALKED ABOUT
MIDWEST GOVERNORS AND NOW THE
GOVERNOR OF OHIO IS FACING
POSSIBLE IMPEACHMENT IN ORDERS
TO YOURS HOW CLOSE ARE YOU TO
BEING IMPEACHED?
IS THAT A REAL QUESTION.
I DON'T KNOW HOW TO ANSWER THAT.
LOOK, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A STRONG
APPROVAL RATING IN THE STATE.
I THINK I'VE DONE A GOOD JOB.
I KNOW THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO RUN
AROUND EVERYDAY TRYING TO FILE
LAWSUITS OF THE SNAKE OIL
SALESMAN THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT
BEFORE.
AND TRYING TO GIN UP OPPOSITION
TO OUR EFFORT TO FIGHT COVID-19.
AND ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT WE'RE
DOING THE RIGHT THING.
THE COURTS AFFIRMED THE THINGS
WE'RE DOING.
>> MARK BATINICK AND JASON
BARICKMAN SAY THEIR PLAN IS
DESIGNED TO RECALL WOULD BE
POSSIBLE BUT HARD TO DO.
SO IT WOULDN'T BE TRIGGERED BY
ANYTHING TRIVIAL THERE HAS TO BE
REAL ABUSE.
I DID REACH OUT TO SPEAKER
MADIGAN'S SPOKESPERSON AND HE
SAID HAVING NOT SEEN THE
PROPOSED LANGUAGE HE CANNOT
COMMENT ON THE RECALL PLAN.
IN THE PAST MADIGAN HAS BEEN
DISDAINFUL OF A RELATED EFFORT
THAT IS FORMER GOVERNOR RAUNER'S
PLAN TO INSTITUTE TERM LIMITS ON
LEGISLATORS.
MADIGAN SAID THAT TERM LIMITS