Photo – Mark Weyermuller
CHICAGO – Looks like President Obama's one-time chief of staff Rahm Emanuel – who is desperately in need of millions in state-funded taxpayer aid and who the Chicago Teacher's Union is threatening to strike – is ending 2015 on a very sour note.
Protesters are calling on Emanuel to resign, as well as State's Attorney Anita Alvarez and anyone else in City Hall they can get to step down. But Emanuel told the City Council Wednesday he was sorry, and that it was time for mutual respect.
It didn't work. Now even Democrat members of the state legislature are aggravated.
State Representative La Shawn Ford, a Democrat, introduced a bill Wednesday that would set into place a state law allowing Chicago voters to recall the mayor, who was re-elected earlier this year. State Rep. Mary Flowers, also a Democrat, signed on as a co-sponsor.
Their bill would amend a 1941 law to create “a procedure for an election to recall the Mayor of Chicago,” and the bill proposes that change would be “effective immediately,” if passed by the legislature. Legal experts say there is no current mechanism under state law to recall a mayor. A 2010 referendum does allow Illinois voters to recall a governor – that process includes voters and a request from multiple members of the legislature.
It's quite an embarrassment to the Black Caucus within the Chicago City Council, who quietly agreed to the $5 million lawsuit with the 17 year old slain Laquan McDonald's family. McDonald was shot and killed by Chicago police in October 2014.
