All roads to law in Illinois pass through House Speaker Michael Madigan. (editorial)

All roads to law in Illinois pass through House Speaker Michael Madigan.

That reality was brought home again on Thursday when House Democrats voted to keep three good government ideas from seeing the light of day.

HJRCA 56 is the GOP Fair Map amendment, a constitutional amendment to allow nonpartisan redistricting. HB 5008 would extend campaign contribution limits to legislative leaders and political parties, not just individual lawmakers. Democratic- sponsored HB 6200 is a similar campaign bill with higher limits.

Republicans tried to move the three bills out of the House Rules Committee, the graveyard for legislative ideas, but Madigan's party loyalists stopped them.