Illinois State Representative Tony McCombie was sworn into a second term on Wednesday, January 9, 2019, at a ceremony held at the University of Illinois Sangamon Auditorium, in Springfield, IL.
The House of Representatives of the new 101st General Assembly includes 36 freshman members. McCombie will represent approximately 110,000 residents from northwestern Illinois Counties: Carroll, Henry, Rock Island, and Whiteside.
“I want to thank the people of the 71st District and express just how proud I am to continue serving them,” said McCombie. “Their endorsement is one that I truly take to heart. I have already begun drafting a legislative package to solve problems effecting our region….[It] includes a bill, in honor of slain DCFS worker Pam Knight, to close a loophole that fails to provide legal protections to DCFS and adult protective service workers when they are attacked.”
During the inauguration ceremony, McCombie nominated Representative Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs, IL,) to be Speaker. She pointed to his leadership and ability to compromise without compromising values.
“Jim is a kind yet fierce leader, who advocates for our families, for our most vulnerable, for our businesses, and for the overall growth and success of Illinois,” Representative McCombie stated. “As a downstate member, the population of my District has been dwindling, because the rural economy has been declining. Children are not returning to their hometowns to work and raise their families. Families are being socially, financially, and geographically torn apart, because of the state of our State. It is all so unnecessary. We have a responsibility to do better. We need growth….In order to grow, we need to change how we have been conducting our business for the last four decades.”
Michael J. Madigan (D-Chicago, IL,) was re-elected Speaker of the House of Representatives for his 19th term, by a party-line vote of 72-44-1.
Residents of the 71st can learn more about legislation sponsored by McCombie during the spring legislative session on her website or by signing up for her email list at www.repmccombie.com.
McCombie will visit every community in the 71st District, during traveling office hours, to hear the needs of constituents.
