Metro East Sun

Rep. David Friess (R-Red Bud) said the new House rules do little to bring about the level of harmony needed in Springfield.

"I don't believe the new rules go far enough to bring true reform," Friess told the Metro East Sun. "The only real substantive change was the adoption of rules to hold committee meetings via zoom."

New House speaker, Emanuel "Chris" Welch (D-Chicago), provided changes such as a 10-year limit on the time an individual can serve as the speaker or as minority leader and a policy that the Rules Committee will now be required to refer all House bills "to a substantive committee" before the deadline for committees to act on them expires.

Welch replaced Madigan as House speaker, making him the first black legislator to hold the high-profile power position.

Though Democrats have supported those changes and others from Welch, Friess said the policies are more of the same bad rules the state was dealt with when Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) was the speaker for nearly 40 years.

"To get the state headed in the right direction and clean up corruption, I believe, at a minimum, three rules need to be adopted," he said. "First, notice should be given to the members and to the public on what actions will be taken up in each committee and on the House floor. Second, there should be a waiting period before floor amendments, and budgets are considered. Third, members should be given adequate time to debate legislation."

Still, with Madigan no longer the speaker, Friess holds out hope that things could be better.

"I am an optimist, and I believe people in Illinois are demanding change," he said. "Change, however, will not come easy given Madigan's 40-year rule in the House and his ability to control campaign funds for Illinois Democrats as the chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party."