In an effort to save the state money, legislation has been proposed in both the Illinois House and the Senate to combine the state comptroller and treasurer offices. This would save the state an estimated $12 million a year.
The Senate has already unanimously passed the legislation but the House bill remains stuck in committee. House Republicans took to the floor earlier this week to ask that the measure be brought out of committee for debate, but under current House rules, it only takes one member to object to kill the request. That is what happened when Democrat Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie objected.
On Wednesday, House Republicans requested that the Senate Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment be brought out of committee for debate and once again, Leader Currie objected.
The idea has broad support not only in the Senate but also in the House where 13 Democrat members have signed on as co-sponsors. When a roll-call vote was taken on the House Floor to override the chairman and bring the measure forward, not one of the 13 voted to do so.
The reason is because House Speaker Michael Madigan is blocking a vote.
Lawmakers must approve a constitutional amendment this week for it to appear on the November ballot, so unless the Speaker has a change of heart by the end of the week, the measure won't go to Illinois voters for their approval.
State Representative Jil Tracy (R-Quincy) said she doesn't understand why her colleagues would not want to give voters a chance to decide.
"It truly would be a cost saving measure," Tracy said. "The beauty of this resolution is it doesn't impact vital services. They comptroller and the treasurer agreed to this and campaigned on this to save the state $12 million."
