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| IL Senate President to Retire; Replacement Search Already in Full Gear |
Just hours after word leaked out that Illinois Senate President Emil Jones (D-Chicago) was planning to retire, some Senators started making phone calls to see what their chances are to replace him.
Sen. Mike Jacobs (D-East Moline) said he received 27 phone calls from colleagues who want to become the next Senate president, or from Senators lobbying for them. Jacobs says he doesn't want the top spot, but does want a leadership post.
Sen. Rickey Hendon (D-Chicago) does want the post. He says he's been a loyal member of Jones' leadership team, but stresses that he'll be pushing his own views rather than Jones' if he's elected president of the Senate. He insists that he'll take Downstate Illinois seriously, which is a priority for some Senators, like Gary Forby (D-Benton). He laments that Downstate Senators agreed to a Chicago-area mass transit bailout because of promises of help in passing a building and construction plan, then that plan failed. Forby says Downstate was "slapped in the face," and he says he wants a president who won't let that happen.
In a statement, Gov. Rod Blagojevich said, "Emil Jones is a man with a big heart and a man of action. He is a true champion of the people. He didn't just do the talk, he did the walk. All of us in Illinois owe him a great debt of gratitude." Blagojevich is making reference to his criticism of House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago), who the governor claims has talked about a lot of plans, but didn't get them accomplished, like the 25-billion-dollar building and construction program.
Jones has been in state government for 35 years. He was first elected to the Illinois House in 1972 and to the Illinois Senate in 1983. He's been the Senate president for five years.
(Source: Illinois Radio Network) |
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| 08 18 08 by Newsroom |
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