Lake County Gazette

Republican Illinois House candidate Chris Bos of Lake Zurich has thrown his support behind growing calls for lawmakers to return to Springfield to deal with issues like criminal and social justice reform.

“They’re just so many issues on the table right now that we need to be dealing with,” Bos told the Lake County Gazette. “The last special session we had ended so early many vital issues were left untouched.

With protests across the country still bubbling by the day in the wake of the police killing in Minnesota of unarmed black man George Floyd, Democratic Reps. Kam Buckner, Curtis Tarver and Lamont Robinson recently sent a letter to longtime House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) calling for a special session, the Chicago Sun Times reported.

“We really need everyone back beyond a special session,” Bos, an Ela Township trustee running against incumbent Rep. Mary Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville) in the 51st District, told the Lake County Gazette. “It bothers me that I don’t see my representative advocating for this when there’s so clearly a real need.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has kept lawmakers out of Springfield since March, with the exception of a recent four-day session to hammer out a new state budget, where Bos said it was almost like lawmakers were there in name only.  

“Everything was so quick and what Democrats were going to do on the budget was already predetermined,” he said. “They were going to ram that through no matter what and there was little concern about what constituents might want.”

Bos said he’s hoping to see lawmakers back in a regular capacity, as opposed to just another special session.

“In a special session, the House Speaker gets to decide what’s talked about, whereas in a regular session anything can be on the table,” he said.