Lake County Gazette

Having a new Illinois House speaker is “exciting times,” Rep. Chris Bos (R-Lake Zurich) said, following lawmakers’ vote to end Rep. Mike Madigan’s (D-Chicago) reign in the post.

“These are exciting times, being able to picture a Springfield without Mike Madigan looking over it,” Bos told the Lake County Gazette.

On Jan. 13, Statehouse lawmakers voted for Emanuel “Chris” Welch (D-Hillside) to serve as the House speaker, ending Madigan’s nearly 40 years in the post. Welch becomes the first Black American to hold the speaker title in Illinois.

“Showing Madigan the door is long overdue,” Bos said. “It paves the way for Rep. Chris Welch to be able to move the state forward like he’s vowed to by putting aside all the partisan corruption that’s kept the state down for so long.”

The dramatic shakeup came with Madigan embroiled in a U.S. Justice Department investigation about alleged bribes that also involved the state’s largest utility, ComEd. The company conceded to having involvement and paid a $200 million fine. Madigan has denied any wrongdoing and has not been charged.

Bos hopes that with the investigation and lawmakers moving in a different direction, Madigan’s fall from leadership will extend to him leaving office.

“Hopefully, the next step for him will be complete retirement,” he said. “As long as he’s still around, you have to worry about him still being behind the scenes manipulating things.”

In the end, Bos said he never wants to see another lawmaker wield the kind of power and influence Madigan long held over all of Springfield.

“I’m hopeful Democrats and House members will start to take some of that control back and start putting in reforms so that this kind of thing never happens again.”