Jack Franks Still Running for State Rep. – Part 36

This billboard showed up during the Jack Franks-Steve Reick campaign in 2014.

This billboard showed up during the Jack Franks-Steve Reick campaign in 2014.

House Speaker Mike Madigan dropped off the fundraising invitations sent out by State Rep. Jack Franks in 2015.

My guess is that Franks understood the negative aspect of being associated with the House Speaker for whom he voted nine times.

Even before that, in 2015, Franks was trying to disassociate himself from Madigan.

Now Franks is running for McHenry County Board Chairman…and State Representative.

Why both?

Reporter Pete Gonigam found out when he asked Franks right after local Democrats slated him:

“Franks qualified that saying he’d give up the Rep. race if the Committee can pick another candidate who’s both ‘electable’ and holds a political outlook consistent with his own.”

You will remember that Gonigam was the only reporter in the room when the local Democratic Party slated Franks for the county office.

So far Franks hasn’t pulled out of the race.

Has Jack Franks filed a Withdrawal of Candidacy statement yet?

Check whether Franks has filed the form yet, by clicking here.

In June of 2014, publicity about Jack Franks’ latest “headline bill” did not win rave reviews.

Capitol Fax headlined its article,

Voted “least likely to succeed”

"Term Limits for Legislative Leaders, 1800-SHAKE-UP"reads the sign used in Cal Skinner's 2002 Libertarian Party campaign for Governor.

“Term Limits for Legislative Leaders, 1800-SHAKE-UP”reads the sign used in Cal Skinner’s 2002 Libertarian Party campaign for Governor.

It was a proposal to ask voters in the 2015 non-partisan elections if term limits should be imposed on leaders in the state Legislature.

It sounded a lot like my 2002 proposal for a constitutional amendment to impose Term Limits for Legislative Leaders.

Franks’ proposal was but a poor imitation of my constitutional amendment idea.

But it turned into a big page 3 article in the Northwest Herald.

Rich Miller, who writes Capitol Fax Blog, concluded,

But, c’mon, unless he’s willing to say he’d vote against MJM for Speaker next year, this ain’t exactly a serious proposal.”

Here are some of the comments:
Franks Reick sign anit Franks + Madigan

“Jack Franks is among the most shameless grandstanders of the caucus.”

“How many members of Illinois General Assembly would grandstand as much as Jack Franks if they were as good at it as Franks?”
“Jack is more interested in making headlines than he is in making good policy. Im not sure he has ever enacted any meaningful legislation that would call for real media press.”
“For all the political criticisms remember we all get the government we deserve.”

“And while we are on the topic of who is brave and who is not…

Jack Franks at Milk Day Parade.

Jack Franks at a Milk Day Parade.

“Bravery is voting for things like pension reform and the tax increase…Jack likes to rail and rail against ideas supported by a majority of his party and then enjoy the benefits of his colleagues work when the lights go down.

“He is the least bravest in that caucus.”

“People should stop defending Jack as some knight of courage when he is the exact opposite.”

“Is this the same Jack Franks who pledged to serve only three terms when he was running in 1998?”

“I doubt if Madigan cares, because Franks will still vote for him.”

“I had to laugh when Jack got himself in all the papers railing on about how seats on boards and commissions shouldn’t be paid because they’re part time jobs… without seeing the hypocrisy that he isn’t giving up *his* salary for *his* part time job.”

Steve Reick sign says, "A vote for Jack Franks is a vote for Mike Madigan."

Steve Reick sign correctly predicts, “A vote for Jack Franks is a vote for Mike Madigan.”

“This is typical Jack Franks grandstanding.”

“If he could combine the bill with yet another Franks Fundraiser, that would be perfect.”

“If Jack Franks had any testicular fortitude, he would have ran against Randy Hultgren in 2012. He would have won with the Obama wave.”

= = = = =

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Comments

Jack Franks Still Running for State Rep. – Part 36 — 5 Comments

  1. Do you ever get tired of cutting, pasting and writing the same thing over and over, Cal?

    Journalism actually requires reviewing information without preconception first and then distilling a conclusion, not manufacturing hysteria with retreaded demagoguery.

    Move to Florida and play some golf, call em straight, without your take at all, or start calling out all the dirt on your side too.

    Walkup’s questionable fealty to the GOP would be a good place to start and is love to hear your thoughts on Ms Salgado’s double dipping.

    Oh wait whoops!

    You can’t poo poo double dipping without taking a dump on your own head!!!! (and Schaffer’s, Provanzano’s, Prim’s.

    Which of your puppet pastels am I leaving out?)

  2. House Bill 6281 in the 98th General Assembly, Legislative Leader Term Limit Referendum, was phony legislation.

    After a first reading it was referred to the infamous House Rules Committee controlled by the House legislative leader, where it died.

    Here is the exact language of the bill as introduced by Democrat State Representative Jack Franks.

    “Synopsis as Introduced.

    Creates the Legislative Leader Term Limit Referendum Act.

    Requires the State Board of Elections to cause a statewide advisory public question to be submitted to the voters at the April 7, 2015 consolidated election asking whether there should be term limits for the offices of Speaker of the House of Representatives, President of the Senate, Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, and Minority Leader of the Senate.

    Provides that if the provision of the Act conflicts with any other law, the Act controls.

    Repeals the Act on January 1, 2016.

    Effective immediately.”

    “The question shall appear in the following form:

    ‘Should there be term limits for the offices of Speaker of the House of Representatives, President of the Senate, Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, and Minority Leader of the Senate?’

    The votes on the question shall be recorded as ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.”

    +++

    HB 6281 was sponsored by 63rd District Democrat State Representative Jack Franks (Woodstock office), with 59th District Democrat State Representative Carol Sente (Lincolnshire office) & 14th District Democrat State Representative Kelly Cassidy (5533 N Broadway, Chicago office) as co-sponsors.

    5533 N Broadway is a notable Democrat 48th ward stronghold office shared by 8th District US Representative Jan Schakowsky, 7th District State Senator Heather Steans, 14th District State Representative Kelly Cassidy, 10th District Cook County Commissioner Bridget Gainer, and 48th Chicago Ward Alderman Harry Osterman.

    +++++

    Here is why the bill was phony.

    Jack Franks votes for Michael Madigan as Speaker of the House of Representatives.

    Then Jack Franks introduces legislation which would limit the term of Michael Madigan.

    Then Jack Franks votes again for Michael Madigan as Speaker of the House of Representatives.

    That would be the Michael Madigan who is no the longest serving state legislative leader in the United States.

    +++++

    The Democrats and Jack Franks still have not named anyone who might replace Jack Franks on the November 8, 2016 ballot as 63rd District State Representative.

    Even though Jack Franks said he was not seeking re-election for that position, but he did add a qualifier to that statement when speaking to First Electric newspaper publisher Mr. Peter Gonigan.

    Who might be named by the Democrats and Jack Franks as a replacement for 63rd State House District?

    Does Jack Franks believe Democrat Jeffery Lichte is electable and holds a political outlook consistent with his (Jack Franks) own?

    After all, Democrat Jeffery Lichte received a lot of votes while running as a Republican in the smear campaign to oppose Republican Steve Reick for Republican candidate for 63rd State Representative in the primary election that was held March 15, 2016.

    Jeffery Lichte switched from Democrat to Republican for the primary election.

    Someone has mentioned on the blog that Jeffery Lichte can’t then switch from a Republican primary candidate to a Democrat general election candidate for that same 63rd District State Representative office office.

    So even if Mr. Lichte is electable and holds a political outlook consistent with Jack Franks, Jeffery Lichte can’t run as a Democrat for 63rd State Representative Republican in the November 8, 2016 general election.

    Who is the top Democrat candidate for 63rd District State Representative, other than Jack Franks?

    Has even 1 Democrat been named?

    To get a lot of Democrat party money, one has to vote for Michael Madigan as Speaker of the House, just as Jack Franks has done since elected to office in 1998.

    Democrat Jack Franks, a key to State House Democrats retaining a super majority power, began serving that first term in 1999.

    That’s a lot of years and terms.

    1999 – 2000, 91st General Assembly

    2001 – 2002, 92nd General Assembly

    2003 – 2004, 93rd General Assembly

    2005 – 2006, 94th General Assembly

    2007 – 2008, 95th General Assembly

    2009 – 2010, 96th General Assembly

    2011 – 2012, 97th General Assembly

    2013 – 2014, 98th General Assembly

    2015 – 2016, 99th General Assembly

  3. Jack Franks also introduced phony legislation in the 99th General Assembly to limit the term limits of state legislative leaders (not the rank and file legislators).

    House Bill 0257 (HB 257).

    Legislative Leader Term Limit Referendum.

    First Reading January 23, 2015.

    Referred to House Rules Committee January 23, 2015.

    Where it sits today.

    Jack Franks is the only sponsor.

    More phony Franks legislation.

    Has Michael Madigan ever targeted Jack Franks for extinction?

    No.

    Yet we are supposed to believe Jack Franks is introducing legitimate legislation to ask voters whether they would like to limit the term of legislative leaders including Michael Madigan?

    ++++++++++

    The bills were only advisory, not binding.

    They do nothing but ask for the opinion of voters on the issue.

    +++++++++

    Each of the bills to limit legislative leader term limits had language to repeal the act.

    For example if HB 257 passed the General Assembly, an advisory question would be on the ballot November 8, 2016.

    The act would be repealed January 1, 2017.

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