The Tribune’s editorial page, which doesn’t carry the political punch it did when newspapers ruled the roost, demands today that Senate President Emil Jones allow a vote on House Bill 1. The legislation, according to the synopsis…
Prohibits a business that makes a State contract bid or proposal from making contributions to the officeholder responsible for awarding the contract, or a political committee established to promote the officeholder’s candidacy, during the period from the date the bid or request for proposals is issued through the date the contract is awarded, if the bid or proposal exceeds $25,000 or the aggregate bids and State contracts of that business exceed $25,000.
The Tribune sees the bill as a chance to clear up some of the questions surrounding his recent past…
He’s had to defend himself against published reports about lucrative state jobs held by his wife and son, and a utility company contract given to his stepson. He shocked and undermined some of his fellow Democrats by pulling a rare parliamentary maneuver to stymie a statewide electric rate freeze.
The paper also sees the vote as an important opportunity to show that he’s not completely beholden to Gov. Blagojevich this year…
“The one person who has an interest in bottling this ‘pay-to-play’ legislation up is the governor, because this would be unilateral disarmament for the governor’s fundraising operation,” said the chief House sponsor, Rep. John Fritchey (D-Chicago).
Gov. Rod Blagojevich has raked in hefty campaign contributions from vendors that do business with the state. Federal investigators are scrutinizing the practice.
So what’s known as House Bill 1 will serve as an important loyalty test: How wedded is Jones to the governor’s interests?
I noticed in Friday’s Question of the Day that Jones may be more unpopular with commenters here than Rod Blagojevich, which is really saying something. Some of that is way overblown, but there’s no doubt that Jones’ public reputation has been damaged by all the revelations this year and his closeness to Blagojevich.
The bottom line, though, is that the perception questions won’t go away if this one bill passes, despite the Tribune’s framing. (It may have even been sent across the hall by Speaker Madigan to deliberately put Jones on the spot.) But it is certain that the worst will continue to be assumed by editorial writers, columnists and pundits if he continues to bottle up the legislation.
Thoughts?