State Representative Joe Sosnowski, R-Rockford, issued the following statement today following the election of a new Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives:
“This is an historic day for Illinois, as the long reign of Michael Madigan has come to an end after serving 50 years in the General Assembly; including 36 of the last 38 as Speaker of the House. His departure will hopefully lead to more power bring restored to the people of Illinois through their elected representatives in the people’s House. We need to become a less partisan, more collaborative body that works together to meet the challenge of leading Illinois through these turbulent times.”
Representative Michael J. Madigan was first elected to the Illinois House in 1970. He served as Speaker of the House from 1983-1995 and again from 1997-2021. He served as House Minority Leader from 1981-1983 and again from 1995-1997.