The freshly charged Far South Side state senator gave up his committee chair and vice chair posts, plus his position as a deputy Democratic majority leader, at the request of Senate President Don Harmon.
have quickly proven enough to force state Sen. Emil Jones III out of his committee and party leadership positions — but not out of his legislative seat.
That position came along with a $11,098 annual stipend for Jones on top of his annual salary, which amounted to $80,700 last year before taxes, according to the state comptroller’s office.Jones also agreed to step down from his positions as vice chair of the Public Safety Committee — which handles red-light camera business — and Senate deputy majority leader. Those titles were unpaid.
Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin said in a statement Wednesday that Jones III "should absolutely resign. How is the public supposed to trust its government when the Democrats who control the laws repeatedly break them?" During a Wednesday campaign stop, Pritzker characterized the charges against Jones III as a "terribly disappointing" case of "somebody who got caught … under current laws."So the question is what else is there to do? And there are absolutely some things that we ought to go after" with additional ethics legislation, Pritzker said. "I’ve been dedicated to that."