Lake County Gazette

Rep. Chris Bos (Lake Zurich) credits voters for Mike Madigan's decision to resign from his seat in District 22.

"Without the public keeping the pressure on and insisting they've had enough of Madigan, I don't think we'd be having this moment," Bos told the Lake County Gazette. "I think it's a great day for the state and the House that there is no more Mike Madigan, and hopefully, it can lead to real changes in Springfield."

After almost four decades of being in power, the state's longest-serving lawmaker said earlier in February that he is walking away from state politics effective immediately.

Madigan's resignation from his District House seat and as chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party comes just weeks after he was replaced as House Speaker by state Rep. Emanuel "Chris" Welch (D-Hillside), after nearly two dozen lawmakers from his party vowed not to back his reelection campaign.

The veteran lawmaker was recently linked to a federal bribery probe that involved ComEd and an alleged pay-for-play scheme. The utility company paid a fine but didn't admit to wrongdoing. Madigan has not been charged and continues to proclaim his innocence.

Thus far, at least four individuals with known ties to Madigan have been indicted in connection with the ComEd probe, including longtime confidante Michael McClain.

While welcoming Madigan's departure as a major change to politics in Illinois, Bos said he doesn't know what it'll mean for Springfield over the short term.

"Democrats still have the supermajority and can push things through," he said. "On the flip side, Speaker Welch has talked about understanding the need for change and wanting to have more bipartisanship. It's up to them what all those words and promises will really come to mean."