GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Illinois House Republican Caucus Elects State Rep. Tony McCombie as Leader. The Illinois House Republican Caucus elected Tony McCombie as the House Republican Leader for the upcoming 103rd General Assembly. The vote took place on Tuesday, November 15 at an internal caucus meeting in Springfield. 

CORRUPTION & ETHICS REFORM

Former House Speaker Michael Madigan pleads not guilty to latest federal corruption charges. The Chicago politician, who was Speaker of the Illinois House and head of the Illinois Democratic Party for decades, has since been indicted by federal law enforcement. Charges against former Speaker Madigan include taking bribes and participating in federal racketeering. The charge sheet against Madigan began with allegations involving himself, his senior aides, the utility company ComEd, and the state laws that govern the consumer bills that ComEd is allowed to send out to electricity customers. The federal charge sheet has since been lengthened with additional new charges. The new charges constitute a superseding indictment, a new indictment that supplements and replaces the first one.