Deep Dive On IL House Speaker Michael Madigan

House Speaker Michael Madigan
Illinois Speaker of the House Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, walks out of Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner's office during veto session at the Illinois State Capitol Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016, in Springfield, Ill. Seth Perlman / Associated Press
House Speaker Michael Madigan
Illinois Speaker of the House Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, walks out of Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner's office during veto session at the Illinois State Capitol Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016, in Springfield, Ill. Seth Perlman / Associated Press

Deep Dive On IL House Speaker Michael Madigan

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Illinois House speaker Michael Madigan has been a fixture and a major power player in Springfield for decades. In our current budget stalemate, he’s been the point person for the Democrats in negotiations with Republican governor Bruce Rauner, but he’s always been in the room where it happens. Madigan is now believed to be the longest-serving state House speaker in the nation’s history. His political roots go back to the Richard J. Daley mayoral administration, where he got his start in politics as a young lawyer.

Morning Shift talks to Reuters reporter Dave McKinney, formerly of the Chicago Sun-Times, about Madigan’s backstory and his important role in some of the most significant decisions in Illinois state history, including how the state deals with pensions. His recent deep dive on Madigan and his influence is called The Man Behind The Fiscal Fiasco In Illinois.