If ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich wants his portrait to hang in the "Hall of Governors" at the state Capitol, he may have to pay for it himself.
Oil paintings of every Blagojevich predecessor from Shadrach Bond to George Ryan occupy a wing of the statehouse and are viewed by thousands of visitors every year.
But the slot awaiting Blagojevich's painting may stay empty for a while after the House voted 85-23 Friday to forbid the state from allocating funds toward a portrait of an impeached governor.
The Senate-bound bill does not ban an ousted governor from bankrolling the project out of pocket, which could cost as much as $25,000, the bill's top backer said.
"I have no desire nor intent to revise history. I also have no desire nor intent to see to it that someone who is impeached and convicted of impeachable offenses gets into the taxpayers' purse for anything," said Rep. Bill Black (R-Danville), the bill's chief sponsor.
But agreement among Democrats was far from unanimous. "I think actually having a portrait of all the governors is a great opportunity for young people to learn what is good and what is bad, and hopefully to guard against those things that have happened in our history that weren't so enlightened," said Rep. Mike Boland (D-East Moline).
