Lisa Madigan Avoiding Conflict

By Kevin Robinson in News on Oct 5, 2007 1:50PM

In what what was quite possibly the most anti-climactic letter ever, Attorney General Lisa Madigan's office announced yesterday that it would stay out of the legal dispute between her dad, House Speaker Mike Madigan, and the Illinois Property Tax Appeals Board.

In July, the Board, headed by Blagojevich ally Ron Messina, asked her office to rule on the possibility that the Speaker's second job as a property-tax appeals lawyer might disqualify him from taking a leadership role in the debate over whether to extend or to cut an existing 7 percent annual limit on tax hikes on residential property in Cook County. The 92-19 vote in the House yesterday to override the Governor's amendatory veto opens the possibility that tax bills, and therefore crucial local revenues, may be delayed this year. While the political games in Springfield leave localities looking for short-term cash, the decision from the Office of the AG leaves Lisa Madigan with more time to issue consumer warnings about bogus Cubs playoff tickets.