Dupage Policy Journal

Lisle Township Republican Organization Chairwoman Becky Rudolph said removing the now-former long-serving House speaker is only potentially the first step in igniting Springfield's reform movement.

"Unless we dismantle the whole system he's built over all these years, it won't make a difference," Rudolph told the DuPage Policy Journal. "I think it was genius the way he's set up this system to keep putting Democrats in office."

After approximately four decades of leading the Illinois House of Representatives, Madigan stunned many in mid-February when he resident his District 22 House seat and as chair of the Illinois Democrat Party.

Madigan had represented the district for 50 years.

In January before his February resignations, the Chicago Democrat was replaced as House Speaker by Rep. Emanuel "Chris" Welch (D-Hillside) when nearly two dozen lawmakers from the Democratic Party elected not to support his bid.

Madigan's departure comes as the Democrat has been linked to a progressing federal Department of Justice pay-to-play investigation that also reportedly involves the state's largest utility, ComEd.

Madigan has not been charged and maintains his innocence. ComEd was fined $200 million as part of the alleged pay-to-play scheme, however, did not admit to wrongdoing.

Even in the face of the scrutiny, Rudolph said she doesn't expect to see much change in Springfield anytime soon.

"Madigan or no Madigan, Democrats still have a supermajority and all the power," she said.

While Rudolph said some of the things Welch has had to say since taking over made sense, she added she doesn't know the Hillside Democrat well enough to trust his comments.

"I guess we'll have to wait and see," she said. "One can only hope."