Hey, Mike Madigan: You’ve got mail

Sunshine Week brought some interesting revelations about Illinois’ state lawmakers which may help explain some of our state’s current tribulations.

Transparency makes for good government, but Illinois was that last state to adopt an open records law. When state lawmakers did decide government should allow the public access to public records, they weren’t talking about their own records.

The Associated Press sought lead lawmakers’ e-mails and daily planners. They were denied.

Legislators do not consider their individual records to be open because they are not “public bodies.” They only become a public body when grouped as the state House or Senate.

The other revelation was that House Speaker Michael Madigan uses neither e-mail nor a planner.

Lack of a planner might that explain why we are 263 days into the 2016 budget year and still have no spending plan. No day planner, no calendar, Madigan simply doesn’t realize the budget is overdue.

Lack of a planner might explain why the House took off a month when there were so many issues left hanging. Without a planner, how is Madigan to realize that budget and pensions and overdue payments and college expenses all need attention.

Lack of e-mail might explain why there is no movement on reforms or the budget or anything else of substance. All those Google calendar invites from Gov. Bruce Rauner’s office have been evaporating into cyberspace because mike.madigan@il.house.gov just doesn’t exist.

Only the Unabomber was farther off the grid than Madigan, and he, arguably, did less damage.

This story was originally published March 18, 2016 at 2:00 PM with the headline "Hey, Mike Madigan: You’ve got mail."