Will County Gazette

A new trio of state lawmakers “joined” the GOP’s watch list via its BossMadigan.com website: state Reps. Anna Moeller (D-Elgin) and Natalie Manley (D-Joliet), and state Sen. Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill).

Manley, Moeller and Manar are featured among a cadre of like-minded Democrats on the site, which the Illinois Republican Party launched “to shed light on those that empower House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago)."

Natalie Manley is “a classic Madigan politician,” according to the website. The Illinois Republican Party faults her for perceived duplicity, noting that what she tells her jurisdiction’s residents differs from the way she votes in Springfield.

Manley twice voted to keep Madigan as speaker, working alongside him in efforts to pass an out-of-balance budget. Additionally, she rallied behind Madigan during efforts to pass the controversial Chicago Public Schools pension bailout bill, and she was among the legislators who fought to get paid ahead of vendors ranging from state agencies to small businesses in Illinois who have been waiting to get paid for by the state during the budget impasse.

“Manley voted to make sure she gets paid in case of a government shutdown,” the state GOP said. “It’s no surprise Manley is so close to Madigan -- she’s accepted over half a million dollars in his special interest money. It’s time for Manley to finally show some independence from Madigan.”

“Andy Manar, Natalie Manley and Anna Moeller have taken over a million dollars from Mike Madigan, and in exchange, they have backed his tax-hiking, reform-free Chicago agenda,” Illinois Republican Party spokesman Steven Yaffe said.  “Manley … (has) supported Madigan at every turn, repeatedly voting him as speaker and rubber-stamping his unbalanced budgets."