Two of the state's new constitutional officers, Treasurer Dan Rutherford and Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka, are the first Republicans to hold a statewide office in four years. They are also in charge of the state's financial offices, and they say in charge of carrying out the new spending discipline voters chose last fall.
Topinka is already piping-up, declaring that she's going to pay the state's bills and stop playing games. University of Illinois at Springfield political science professor Kent Redfield said that's exactly what her job is going to be.
"We saw with Dan Hynes what the Comptroller's Office can become, another voice on the budget. The Republicans now have a new voice, and one that carries some weight on fiscal issues.
Redfield adds that the beleaguered Illinois GOP should be very pleased with winning two statewide seats.
Redfield's comments were featured in a January 10, 2011, article by Illinois Statehouse News.
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