Poor Mr. Speaker Mike Madigan

Gee, I almost feel sorry for Speaker Mike Madigan, of the Illinois House of Representatives. In the House of Representatives since 1971. A lawyer. Almost 70 years old. A father and a grandfather.

And he has no email address.

At least, that's what his Chicago office told me today, as I finished compiling my list of the 53 members of the House who had voted NO on HB 0148, the concealed-carry bill. Of the 53 who voted NO, 40 email addresses are published in their House of Representatives profiles.

I called all 13, and in 12 cases the office email was pleasantly furnished without question.

When I called Speaker Madigan's Chicago office, the young woman who answered the phone was pleasant enough, and I'm sure she'll keep her job, because she said exactly what she must have been trained and ordered to say, "The Speaker does not have an email address."

Of course, that is not what she should have said, had she been permitted to speak the truth. Of course, he has an e-mail address. So, to tell her to tell callers that he does not, is to order her, a State employee, to lie.

What she should have said is, "The Speaker does not have a public email address."

My thanks to the Representatives who publish their e-mail addresses on their webpages and to those who allow their employees to give them out when requested.

And to Speaker Madigan? Thumbs down!