State legislature headed for unusual turnover
By CHRIS WETTERICH
The State Journal-Register
Posted Nov 20, 2011 @ 11:00 PM
Last update Nov 21, 2011 @ 07:38 AM
At least 20 members of the Illinois General Assembly are not running for re-election, a once-a-decade development that will bring new faces to the legislature’s new chambers.
When other lawmakers who retired before the 2010 elections or resigned to run for other offices are thrown into the total, there will be more than two dozen new members serving in the legislature starting in 2013 compared with four years ago.
In the Springfield area, Rep. Wayne Rosenthal, R-Morrisonville, and Sen. Sam McCann, R-Carlinville, replaced longtime Democratic incumbents after the 2010 elections.
Barring a shakeup of the new legislative map by the courts, Sen. Larry Bomke, R-Springfield, will not run in his revamped district in 2012. McCann, Springfield Park Board member Gray Noll and Springfield Ward 9 Ald. Steven Dove are vying to replace Bomke. McCann’s district will see a new senator, and the 96th Illinois House District, composed of Decatur and parts of Springfield, is an open seat and will produce a new member.
The Illinois Senate will see the most significant facelift. Ten of its 59 members are retiring — five Democrats and five Republicans. In the House, 10 of its 118 members are retiring — seven Democrats and three Republicans.
‘Not that fun’
Kent Redfield, emeritus professor of political science at the University of Illinois Springfield, said it’s typical to see a lot of retirements in the election after districts are redrawn following a new U.S. Census.
Because Democrats dominate the General Assembly, the new map they drew heavily favors their members and puts many Republicans in demographically difficult districts or pits them against each other in the same districts.
“I suspect that this is probably higher than 10 years ago because of the combination of things,” Redfield said. “The legislature is more centralized than it used to be. This is a particularly difficult map for the Senate Republicans.”
The reasons for leaving vary. Some members are moving on to private-sector jobs. Others, such as Sen. Dave Koehler, D-Peoria, are running for Congress or another higher office. Still others cite family concerns. And some are just retiring, period.
Democrats make up 12 of the 20 retirees. Redfield said that is not surprising given the top-down management style in the General Assembly, where the four leaders set the legislature’s course.
“Clearly there have been people leaving because it’s not that fun to be in the General Assembly,” Redfield said. “I think if you’re ambitious and it’s not clear you’re ever going to be Speaker (of the House) — there’s certainly some of that (as a factor).”
Budget frustration
Democrats also tend to want government to do more and have ideas for more programs that cost more money. Redfield pointed to the retirement of Democratic Sen. James Meeks, a minister from the South Side of Chicago and an advocate for more funding for education
“If you’re Senator Meeks, you fought the good fight and tried to advance your agenda,” Redfield said. “I think it’s very frustrating. There are people who (like to) cut ribbons and announce grants. You can’t do that in a budget crisis.”
Sen. Jeffery Schoenberg, D-Evanston, announced his retirement earlier this month to work for two people with money to spend — Chicago billionaires J.B. and M.K. Pritzker.
Schoenberg will help manage their early-childhood philanthropy efforts. While Schoenberg, a member of Senate President John Cullerton’s leadership team, said he still enjoyed his legislative work, he mentioned the heightened partisanship when asked what has changed since he has been in Springfield.
“Increasingly the tone has become more intensely partisan,” Schoenberg said. “But I also understand that there’s a great deal of not just anxiety, but genuine fear that people have over the current economic situation and worrying about the stability of their employment, the ability to stay in their homes and provide for their families.”
Of all the caucuses, members of House Minority Leader Tom Cross’ caucus are retiring in fewer numbers than the other three.
“We have a lot of young men and women. I think that’s part of it,” Cross said.
Geography is another factor. One of the reasons Bomke has cited for his probable retirement is that his vast, new district extends to the Mississippi River and includes a lot of unfamiliar territory.
“They’re kind of willing to be legislators,” Redfield said, “but they’re not willing to work hard at winning an election.”
http://www.sj-r.com/thedome/x45851857/Legislature-headed-for-unusual-turnover
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