UPDATED: Durkin Isn't Sold on Welch's Unity Talk
House Republican Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) speaks on the makeshift floor of the Illinois House at the BoS Center in Springfield Wednesday. (Pool Photo/Justin Fowler)
House Republican Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) probably has a little bit of a sour taste in his mouth after spending the past six-plus years constantly fighting with then-Speaker Michael Madigan.
And when Durkin launched a Special Investigative Committee into Madigan’s role in a bribery scheme by energy giant Commonwealth Edison, it was Madigan ally Chris Welch who stymied, in Republican eyes, the work of the group.
“The way that I’ve seen things happen from the beginning of the Special Investigative Committee until today, Mr. Welch is very close to Speaker Madigan,” Durkin told media Wednesday.
“I was very disappointed with the way that committee was handled. It was an embarrassment to the process, it was an embarrassment to their own rules,” Durkin said. “At the time, Chairman Welch did a disservice to this body. I hope that won’t be an indication of how this legislative body is going to operate.”
He and other Republicans have argued Welch will just be an extension of Madigan’s reign over the chamber.
“This is a time to break from the past,” Durkin said.
Durkin and Welch are quite familiar with each other. Their districts border each other in western Cook County and the two men live less than five miles apart.
Welch says, even though the two have had squabbles, their familiarity should go some distance in repairing the relationship.
“He’s so conditioned right now to just fight and punch and do things like that. When I first moved to my community where I live now, my state representative was a guy named Jim Durkin. We worked together,” Welch said. “We have a history and I hope he will see by my actions that this is a new day, a new opportunity to develop a new relationship in this space, and we go from there. It’s hard to just flip the switch when you’ve just been doing something for so long.”
While Welch made multiple declarations for unity and bipartisanship Wednesday, Durkin wasn’t swayed.
“Time’s gonna tell,” he said. “A lot of people [have made] a lot of bold statements over the years of what they’re going to do and they’re going to bring in the minority party for collaboration and it’s empty rhetoric.”
Durkin says the first sign of good faith would be including Republicans in discussions changing House rules that have allowed former Speaker Madigan nearly unchecked authority on the chamber.
“I think that would be the first sign of good faith that we have rules that will be different,” Durkin said. “The rules that they will offer to the Republicans to actually have some suggestions. That, to me, will be a defining moment for how this new Speaker is going to manage the chamber.”
Welch said he would be making multiple changes to House rules and would take many suggestions, but did not indicate how, or if, Republicans would be involved.
Durkin repeatedly bashed the Democrats Wednesday for cutting off debate on issues and refusing to answer questions from his side of the aisle. At one point, he left his seat and shouted in the direction of Rep. Kelly Burke (D-Evergreen Park), who was presiding over the chamber.
“I’m gonna be critical when I see it, and that’s not gonna stop,” Durkin said.
Welch said he hopes Durkin will come to see the two sides can work together.
“I hope in his subsequent speeches that he gives on the floor that there’s a little more civility and compassion and that’ll be based on how I treat him,” Welch said.
Durkin, though, for his criticisms, says he wants to work with Welch.
“I am not the person who comes from the party of ‘no.’ I’m from the party that wants pragmatism, the party that wants results,” he said. “This is an opportunity for Speaker Welch to live up to the statements that he made. If there is a desire to reform state government, there’s a willing partner in the House Republicans.”
UPDATE (2:22 P.M.):
Shortly after the House gaveled in Thursday morning, Durkin could be seen on a camera feed approaching the makeshift Speaker’s rostrum, shaking Welch’s hand and speaking for a few minutes. After the interaction, Durkin said on the House floor “the reset button has been pushed.”