Alexander Custodio will be attending the inauguration of President Barrack Obama. Congratulating him are Superintendent Patrick Martin, Language Arts teacher Mary Bohm and Illini Central Middle School/High School Principal Ed Jodlowski.

Both spoke at the annual meeting of the Mason County Farm Bureau, held in Havana Saturday.

“We are going through difficult times at the moment in Springfield,” Sullivan admitted.

He noted that it will only take a simple majority vote of the State House of Representatives to pass the articles of impeachment, and send the process along to the Senate where a 2/3rds vote will be required to impeach the Governor.

“The House acts as prosecutor, and the Senate acts as jury,” he explained. “I will act as a juror in the impeachment process – one of 59 jurors sitting on the jury, so to speak, if it comes over, which I believe it will.”

Sullivan added that the Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court, Thomas R. Fitzgerald, will preside as the judge.

The Senator stressed that the process of impeachment was “purely political” and neither criminal or civil, although Blagojevich is expected to face both criminal and possibly civil charges separate from the impeachment process.

“If he is removed from office Pat Quinn will become governor and we will move forward from there,” Sullivan said.

Myers told the crowd that there was no question in his mind that the House will send articles of impeachment to the Senate.

“It only needs a simple majority, 60 votes. All 107 members voted for the impeachment resolution,” Myers said. “There is very strong sentiment to vote for it.”

Myers said he expected the House to act either Wednesday or Thursday, commenting that the time they are being called into session, 4 pm, is unusual.

“Once we receive the report that the committee is supposed to bring forward on Tuesday, we will proceed with the rest of the week,” Myers said.

He added that the General Assembly was looking forward to the coming year with optimism that they will see things get done.

“We will start the year with a big budget deficit, but with a little cooperation in the House and Senate and having a change in the Governor’s office, we look forward to more cooperation from all parties involved, with reasonable legislation and a reasonable budget,” Myers said.

He added it wouldn’t be easy, as the state will need to either increase taxes or cut expenses.

“Either one of those will be painful. It will be very difficult,” he said.