One of the subjects at the Springfield mayoral candidate forum Wednesday was far from new. People have been debating the proposed Hunter Lake for more than fifty years.

“We have to have a backup water source,” said Mayor Jim Langfelder. “The cities that grow in the future have to have a quality, reliable source of water. We have no backup plan. Our backup plan is damming the Sangamon River, and that would be catastrophic for the region.”

Buscher prioritizes recreation: “The only way this lake should be built would be if it is deep enough for sport fishing, has horseback riding trains, walking trails, camping – in addition to being the secondary water source.”

Buscher says she is running because the city needs change, and she can’t effect enough of it from the treasurer’s office. Langfelder says he’s accomplished a lot – including navigating the pandemic without layoffs – and he wants to finish the job in what would be a third and final term.

The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce put on the forum Wednesday at the Hoogland Center. The election is April 4.

Once again, Mike Madigan’s (D-Chicago) ears must have been burning.

The powerful House Speaker and Democratic Party of Illinois chairman is now facing calls to drop one or both of those positions in light of two of his political underlings being caught up in the #MeToo allegations. Those aides, Shaw Decremer and Kevin Quinn, have been dismissed from Madigan’s organization.

“He’s been there too long,” said State Sen. Daniel Biss (D-Evanston) during a debate in Springfield Wednesday evening. “Mike Madigan’s too powerful. He’s been a problem in the state of Illinois for quite some time, and he’s been a problem for the Democratic Party for quite some time. We have an important choice to make in this election. I have a record of independence of Mike Madigan, but J.B. Pritzker is Mike Madigan’s candidate in this race.”

Calling Biss’ remarks “utterly ridiculous,” Pritzker responded, “This is a (former) state representative who got elected with Mike Madigan’s help, who accepted tens of thousands of dollars from him, who elected Mike Madigan’s super PAC, who accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars from Springfield insiders.”

A third candidate, Bob Daiber, said the question is moot. “When I become governor, Mike Madigan’s going to sit across the table from me, and we’re going to get on with business in the state of Illinois, and we’re going to put this nonsense aside. That’s what it is; it’s political nonsense! There’s going to be no independent investigation of this guy. He’s not going anywhere!”

Former CeaseFire Chicago director Tio Hardiman assured the audience at the University of Illinois Springfield that he’s not involved with Madigan or any of his people, and Burr Ridge radiologist Dr. Robert Marshall promised he knew even fewer of those players. Marshall reiterated his plan to divide Illinois into three states.

Chris Kennedy skipped the debate, citing doctor’s orders not to travel following a back injury suffered while exercising earlier Wednesday.

The State Journal Register was among the sponsors of Wednesday’s debate.

The primary election is March 20.