Ill. Sen. Jones: Limit appointment powers
Jones
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - State Sen. John Jones, R-Mt. Vernon, wants to remove the governor’s power to make executive appointments if arrested or during impeachment proceedings.
”If we’re going to clean up government, these kinds of appointments need to be halted,” Jones said in a statement Friday.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich appointed state Rep. Kurt Granberg, D-Centralia, to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Secretary post on Jan. 16, after he had been impeached by the state House.
Blagojevich’s state Senate impeachment trial begins Monday.
”We are receiving a tremendous amount of calls and e-mails concerning Mr. Granberg’s appointment,” Jones said. ”With the timing of the governor’s appointment…I have great reservations about this.”
Jones has not decided if his legislation will seek to limit gubernatorial appointments to vacant U.S. Senate seats or if it will only target statewide offices.
Heck, why stop with appointments? There are a host of other gubernatorial powers that should be curtailed in the context of an impeachment trial: executive orders, pardons, etc. This legislation needs to be forward thinking and cast a wider net instead of worrying about whether to limit Senate seats or statewide offices.
If constituents are outraged over the Senate appointment, imagine the outcry if Blagojevich starts pardoning some of his convicted buddies.
Because I don’t understand the whole process, it seems that they House didn’t take as long to impeach him. What is going on with the Senate? Shouldn’t there be something in place to halt all functions when you are under impeachment processing?
Will Blago approve this? He might cry and whine again…maybe even bring up Pearl Harbor…
Once this is done, 5 years from now, What is Blagojevich going to be doing? Is anyone going to hire him to do anything?