Fighting Madigan's Iron-Grip of the IL Legislature

John Bambenek - Chicago News Bench

The following is an important message about the Put-Back Amendment in Illinois. It's from John Bambenek, a conservative activist extraordinaire.

I'd like to note (and I'm sure John won't mind) that although he addresses it to "Fellow Republicans," this message is also meant for anybody in Illinois who is sick and tired of the same old corrupt Machine bosses running the show. Libertarians, independents and, yes, even many Democrats are weary of the iron-grip control.

The shameful way in which Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and his accomplice Pat Quinn recently forced a duly elected primary election winner of off the Lt. Governor ticket is just one of many examples of how Madigan and the Machine put their own interests ahead of the People's will.

Whether you love or hate Scott Lee Cohen, he was elected legally by the People. For Madigan to decide, a la Big Brother, that the voters made the wrong decision is, to put it simply, dictatorship.

Fellow Republicans: Now that the primary election is over, we turn our sights towards the Democrats and ending their destructive reign over the State of Illinois. Of these, none is more dangerous and powerful than House Speaker Michael Madigan.

As we all know, he wields complete control over the Illinois General Assembly. Whatever law he does not want considered is dead on arrival. All important legislation he does in a back room free from scrutiny. This needs to end. That is why the Put-Back Amendment was conceived. Despite the fact that over 99% of Illinois citizens do not, nor cannot vote for Mike Madigan, he is in complete control.

We send 177 legislators to Springfield for a reason, so each corner of this state can be represented. It is time to end his iron-grip control. The Put-Back Amendment enacts term-limits of 8 years for Legislators so lifetime Chicago politicians cannot wield power for decades. It ends gerrymandering so Madigan can no longer have complete control over legislative maps. It requires all legislation be public for 7-day before a final vote and that 25 legislators can force a vote on any bill, including reform legislation Mike Madigan doesn't favor.

Imagine Republican legislators forcing spending caps, tax cuts, and transparency for a vote in Springfield. Put-Back does all of this and more. The Put-Back Amendment has been endorsed by prominent Republicans across the state including: Jim Oberweis, Adam Andrzejewski, Dan Proft, Bobby Schilling and many more.

To get this amendment passed, we need 500,000 signatures and that is where you come in. We need people all across Illinois to collect signatures by April 1st so that we can place this on the ballot. Chicago politicians cannot stop this. If we get the signatures, this WILL be on the ballot in November. If the voters say yes, it becomes law. You can download petitions and instructions here.

Together we can bring Mike Madigan's reign to an end. Please join me in supporting the Put-Back Amendment. If you are able, consider making a donation of $100, $50, or $25 to the campaign to bring REAL REFORM to Springfield. [Editor's Note: See below for info about donating.]

Thank you, John Bambenek  — February 9, 2010

P.S. Many of you may have heard of another amendment called the Fair Map Amendment. That amendment is unconstitutional and will be thrown off the ballot as soon as it is filed. Don't be fooled, the only real reform amendment is the Put-Back Amendment. 

IMPORTANT: Petitions need to be sent back to the address at the bottom of the form by April 1, 2010 so they can be filed on time! Listen to this recent interview with the author of the Put-Back Amendment that lays out the entire amendment.

You can help! Download flyers and petitions here for the amendment. NOTE: Be sure to download the petition for your city or county from the list. Here is a copy of the full-text of the amendment in PDF form (please have this with you when you circulate petitions).