Results tagged “jessewhite”

Never one to make a fuss about anything, impeached Governor Rod Blagojevich will today make his first appearance at the State Capitol since his arrest on December 9. Blago is on hand to preside over the swearing in of newly elected state senators, something he is required to do by law. Still, we're expecting him to receive a chilly reception at the high noon ceremony. Also occurring at noon will be the swearing in of new House members by Secretary of State Jesse White; the House will then re-vote on the impeachment of Blago, a technicality because of the newly sworn-in members. After the new senators are sworn in, Blago will then preside over the roll call vote for the Senate President, who we already know will be Chicago's John Cullerton. Cullerton will then address the senate and it's expected Blago will exit stage left, though without the traditional escort of senators.

The ongoing drama to appoint The Lord's Senate Appointee™ Roland Burris as the junior senator from Illinois may finally be resolved this week. Burris has stayed behind in Chicago while his attorneys have traveled to Washington, D.C. to clear up the "paperwork issue" that has prevented Burris from officially being seated. While senior Illinois senator Dick Durbin said it's likely Burris would be seated this week, with a decision possibly by this afternoon, but he also added, "This thing changes by the day." Well, that's the kind of certainty we like to hear from our elected officials. On yesterday's edition of CBS's Face The Nation, Durbin tried to put to rest rumors of efforts by members of the Senate to delay the appointment until Gov. Blaogjevich's impeachment trial concluded with a possible removal from office, thereby allowing an appointment by Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn. Said Durbin, "To wait until Gov. Blagojevich is removed could be a matter of weeks. I think Roland Burris' future and fate will be decided before then."

Photo by Katie Scully
• In case you missed any speeches today, WBEZ has you covered. Listen to Blago's press conference, The Mighty Quinn's response, and Illinois Sec. of State Jesse White's statement.
• Bob Benson, director of internal audit for the City of Chicago, and who came on after the Hired Trucks scandal, has been fired.
• Two Park Ridge teenagers have been arrested over a series of drive-by BB gun shootings that have left two people hospitalized; the teens have cited "boredom" as a motive.

Senator Dick Durbin (of our great state of Illinois) has announced Roland Burris won't be seated without the signature of Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White. This proclamation comes in spite of the assertion from both White and the Illinois Supreme Court that White's signature is symbolic and not necessary to seat Burris in the U.S. Senate. Durbin maintains that while the situation as is may meet state standards, it doesn't meet the standards of the U.S. Senate. He added, "I think it's best to suspend activities the filling of that vacancy, until this impeachment trial in the Illinois state senate is concluded."

The Illinois Supreme Court has rejected Roland Burris's writ of mandamus to force Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White to sign paperwork making Burris's appointment to the U.S. Senate official. While U.S. Senate leaders have said the lack of a signature is the reason they won't seat Burris, White himself has already said that his refusal to sign is purely symbolic and not legally required. The State Supreme Court agreed.

Because the secretary of state had no duty ... to sign and affix the state seal to the document issued by the governor appointing Roland Burris to the United States Senate, petitioners are not entitled to an order from this court requiring the secretary to perform those acts. Under the secretary of state act, the secretary's sole responsibility was to register the appointment, which he did.

Poor Jesse White. No matter what he does, Roland Burris is going to be seated as Illinois' junior senator. White himself admitted that his signature - or lack thereof - is more ceremonial than anything. Speaking to WGN Radio's John Williams, White said today, "They could have seated him without my signature; my signature is not required...My signature is mostly ceremonial, rather than a point of law." For the record, White said he no personal issue with Burris but that his gesture was one of protest against Blagojevich, fulfilling his promise to reject any appointment made by the embattled governor. Click here for the entire interview [mp3].

Roland Burris heads off to Capital Hill today and the fireworks have already begun. The secretary of the senate, Nancy Erickson, today rejected Burris’s appointment certification because it didn’t include Secretary of State Jesse White’s signature as required. Without the certification, Burris will be barred from entering the Senate floor. Burris yesterday said he hoped his appointment would go smoothly as he spoke to hundreds gathered at New Covenant Baptist Church. “I am now the junior senator from the state of Illinois,” he said, only this time not referring to himself in the royal we. He added that he hopes critics won’t get in the way of what the “Lord ordained.”

The battle to seat the new U.S. Senate appointee is getting more interesting and more confusing by the day. Following the appointment of Roland Burris to the vacant U.S. Senate seat by embattled Gov. Rod Blagojevich earlier this week, Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White claimed he would refuse to approve the appointment, saying, "He's a gentleman of impeccable credentials...However, I'm standing by my previous statement that I will not certify any recommendation coming from the governor's office...I'm not a rubber stamp. I'm also the keeper of the seal of the State of Illinois." Now, Burris is fighting back as his lawyers have filed a motion to force White to approve the appointment.

The filing is an official request to the Illinois Supreme Court to accept jurisdiction over the mandamus action, that is, action which compels a lower court or a government officer to perform mandatory or purely ministerial duties correctly.

Continue reading "Burris And White Lock Horns Over Senate Seat"

For the dipshits among us planning on getting absolutely 'faced and cruising home a couple nights from now, here's another thing to consider before you pour yourself into the driver's seat and hit the highways. Whereas a DUI on December 31st would be terribly expensive, time-consuming and have negative legal consequences on your life, a DUI on January 1st is even worse. How could that be, you say?

Our Esteemed Governor, Rod Blagojevich, has announced a press conference this afternoon to discuss the possibility of a commission to discuss who might possibly take over for YESHECAN when he takes office in January. Rather than handicap all the possibilities for the vacant seat, here's a quick list of "maybes" and we'll leave it to you to virtually wager your digital matchsticks or Halloween candy miniatures on who's going to get the nod. Here's some of the people who've been mentioned:

On Tuesday, Secretary of State Jesse White unveiled a program that allows Illinois motorists to recycle old or obsolete license plates. For a few weeks now, license plate recycling bins have been available outside each of the 136 Secretary of State vehicle facilities, but the recycling program was officially announced on Tuesday, in order to coincide with Earth Day.