Appeals Panel Favors Ill. Governor Firings

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Gov. Rod Blagojevich had the right to fire dozens of people appointed to state jobs by his predecessor in the final days of his administration, a state appeals court has ruled.

A three-member panel of the Illinois Appellate Court ruled Friday that the four-year appointments made by former Gov. George Ryan in 2002 were illegal because Ryan did not follow guidelines for eligibility and veterans' preferences.
``When the defendant employees were discharged, they were within the probationary period in effect previously, which was either four months or six months,'' Justice Michael Gallagher wrote in the 2-1 decision.

Sixty-one days before the end of his Republican administration, Ryan gave 60 friends and political allies state jobs and changed the rules so they would only have 60 days of probation instead of the usual four to six months.Blagojevich, a Democrat, fired 27 appointees after he took office in January 2003. But the state's Civil Service Commission and the Cook County Circuit Court ordered that they be reinstated.

Blagojevich spokeswoman Abby Ottenhoff said Friday the ruling shows that the positions should be filled ``by the most qualified people, not the most well-connected.''Ryan declined to comment on the ruling.An attorney for the 16 Ryan appointees still employed by the state said they will try to appeal to the Illinois Supreme Court before they are removed from their jobs. The employees have also filed a federal lawsuit. ``I feel terribly for my clients 'cause they're very good, hardworking people and this has been a long fight for them,'' said attorney John Kerley.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Illinois-Fired-Workers.html