Will County Gazette

Former 11th Congressional District Republican candidate Rick Laib is all for giving Illinois voters the power to recall elected officials.

“I am in favor of greater accountability from our elected officials,” Laib told the Will County Gazette. “To simply respond that ‘elections are our recall device’ is not satisfying. An actionable path for voters to pursue would increase accountability.”

Laib is throwing his support behind a GOP proposal, reported on by WTTW, that would give voters the authority to initiate the recall of elected officials. Illinoisans have had the ability to recall the governor for more than a decade, but Laib argues that recent corruption in Springfield demands that state residents be given an even greater voice.

Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) | File photo

“We are now seeing, played out on a national stage, fraud that exists in elections,” Laib said.

In Illinois, longtime House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) is at the center of a federal corruption probe involving Commonwealth Edison and a pay-for-play scheme in which bribes were allegedly steered to Madigan in exchange for favorable legislation. At the same time, whispers of dissent about Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis are becoming more audible by the day.

“Illinois lawmakers should be held accountable for whatever role they play in legalizing violence against human life, instituting higher taxes and placing greater restrictions on freedom,” Laib said. “I have no reason to believe that the corruption in Springfield is limited to what the larger media outlets have elected to share with the public.”

The proposal, put forth by Illinois state Rep. Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield) and Illinois state Sen. Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington), would require voters from at least 25 counties across the state to sign off on a recall petition. In addition, a bipartisan group of current state representatives and senators must also endorse the action.

Finally, to start the recall process against statewide lawmakers, the plan would require signatures from 12% of the voters who cast votes for governor in the prior election. An actual recall would require the support of at least 60% of all voters.