Sangamon Sun

The BossMadigan.com website has featured another Democratic member.

Comptroller Susana Mendoza was added to website in the GOP effort to expose the ties between House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) and elected officials.

“Susana Mendoza this week refused to accept independent legal counsel to fight for state employee pay," Illinois Republican Party spokesman Steven Yaffe said. "Instead, she chose to work with the Madigan family as part of a blatant effort to shut down state government and cause a crisis to force even higher taxes and more unbalanced spending with no reforms. Susana Mendoza promised us she’d be an independent watchdog, but instead she’s become a Madigan minion.”

Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Mike Madigan's daughter, petitioned the St. Clair County Circuit Court late last month to lift its 2015 order that ensures state employees receive their paychecks. She sought to have the order lifted on Feb. 28 so legislators, Gov. Bruce Rauner and Mike Madigan would have “additional time to enact appropriations legislation and thereby ensure that state employees will continue to receive their wages.”

American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31, which represents approximately 38,000 of the affected workers, is conducting a strike vote. If approved, the vote would give the bargaining committee the authority to call a strike.

While the committee plans to continue bargaining in good faith, if Mendoza stops issuing paychecks to state employees, Illinois risks a statewide strike that could close down most services.