SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois House voted 114-1 on Friday to impeach disgraced Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

A spokesman for the 52-year-old Democrat said the governor will not resign, despite becoming the first Illinois governor to be impeached.

The lone "no" vote came from state Rep. Milt Patterson, D-Chicago.

For now, Blagojevich's future as chief executive lies in the hands of the Illinois Senate, which has tentatively set Jan. 26 as the day they will begin a trial to determine if he should be removed from office.

Blagojevich took office in 2003 and was re-elected in 2006. Although he fought with lawmakers throughout his tenure, it was his Dec. 9 arrest on federal corruption charges that triggered the House's action.

Blagojevich, always a prodigious fundraiser, is charged with plotting to sell Illinois' vacant U.S. Senate seat, as well as attempting to shake down individuals for large campaign contributions.

A special House impeachment committee said Blagojevich's governing style also was cause for his removal. The panel, which met over the course of three weeks, reviewed evidence that Blagojevich tried to expand government without legislative approval. He also was criticized for alleged hiring improprieties.

The vote in the House came after a number of speeches by lawmakers, who said the governor betrayed the trust of the people of Illinois.

"The governor has failed to uphold his oath of office," said House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie, a Chicago Democrat who oversaw a special committee that investigated the governor's actions.

"He's failed in his responsibility as governor," added House Minority Leader Tom Cross, R-Oswego. "You ought to be mad as hell. I am mad. I am angry. This is an embarrassment. This is about as bad as it gets."

If Blagojevich is removed from office by the Senate, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn will take over as governor.

Quinn, 61, is in his second term as lieutenant governor. He also served as Illinois treasurer.

This story will be updated.

kurt.erickson@lee.net|789-0865

What's next for impeachment

Who presides over an impeachment trial in the Senate?

Thomas Fitzgerald, the chief justice of the Illinois Supreme Court. Fitzgerald, a native Chicagoan, was elected to the court in 2000.

How many votes does it take to convict?

It takes a two-thirds majority, or 40 of 59 members of the Senate.

What is the process?

A special Senate committee on impeachment procedures will recommend rules for the trial. The committee chair is incoming Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago. Other panel members include Sens. James Clayborne Jr., D-Belleville; Bill Haine, D-Alton; Don Harmon, D-Oak Park; Ira Silverstein, D-Chicago; Dale Righter, R-Mattoon; Dan Rutherford, R-Chenoa; Matt Murphy, R-Palatine; and Kirk Dillard, R-Hinsdale.

Who was the last person impeached in the state of Illinois?

Circuit Court Judge Theophilus W. Smith, Smith was charged with selling a clerk's office , suspending a lawyer for requesting a change of venue away from his court, and "for tyranically committing to jail in Montgomery County a Quaker who entertained conscientious scruples against removing his hat in open court." Smith's trial lasted from Jan. 9 to Feb. 7, 1833. The Illinois Senate acquitted him of the charges. Smith served as a judge until 1842.

Who was the last governor impeached in the United States?

Evan Mecham, governor of Arizona, was impeached in 1988. Mecham, who died last year, was charged with violating campaign finance laws as well as obstruction of justice. The Arizona House impeached him in February 1988 and he was removed from office that April.

Other states which have impeached and removed governors include Kentucky, Louisiana, Nebraska, North Carolina, New York and Oklahoma.

-Source: Illinois Historical Society, 1970 Illinois Constitution, Connecticut General Assembly

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On the Net:

- Committee report: http://tinyurl.com/94n5fo

- Impeachment resolution: http://tinyurl.com/83zera