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Going Beyond "Rod's Recall"

A Chicago-area lawmaker has been pushing for a measure that would allow the city's mayor to be recalled. Now come efforts to take it a step further.

Illinois allows recall of elected officials -- or one of them anyway. It's a cumbersome process that only applies to the governor. Voters approved that in 2010 after the Rod Blagojevich scandal.

New proposals include one that would only apply to Chicago's mayor. A lawmaker introduced it following an uproar over Mayor Rahm Emanuel's handling of the delayed video release of a black teen repeatedly shot by a police officer.

Democratic State Sen. Napoleon Harris of Harvey says that doesn't go far enough. He's introducing a plan to "make sure that everyone was held accountable, no matter what level of government that you're in. This goes for county, township, alderman, everyone."

A Republican lawmaker, Rep. Mark Batinick of Plainfield, is also sponsoring a similar plan.

Voters would have the final say on any expansion of recall or change to the state constitution.

Amanda Vinicky moved to Chicago Tonight on WTTW-TV PBS in 2017.
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