Governor JB Pritzker regularly deflects questions about House Speaker Michael Madigan's future by saying he wants to let the investigative process work.

But during an interview with me to mark his one-year anniversary in office, the governor pointed to his reaction after Senator Tom Cullerton (D-Villa Park) was indicted, now-former Senator Martin Sandoval's (D-Chicago) Statehouse office was raided, and now-former Representative Luis Arroyo (D-Chicago) was arrested. In every instance, he said, he called on the legislators to step aside or resign.

Senator Steve Landek (D-Bridgeview) and other Senate Democrats have been meeting since the 2018 session as part of a loosely-affiliated group that calls itself the "X Caucus." They apparently didn't know what to call themselves, so "X" filled in the blank.

The oddest political couple in the state's Democratic Party is teaming up again.

Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan is backing yet another young protégé of progressive US Representative Chuy Garcia (D-Chicago) for the Illinois House at a time when other people appear to be distancing themselves from or even challenging the powerful House Speaker.

The Chicago Tribune recently reported that Mike McClain, the most prominent insider connected to House Speaker Michael Madigan, sent a blind-copied e-mail to what he called the "Most Trusted of the Trusted" asking for help raising money in the closing weeks of the 2018 campaign.