CHICAGO (CBS) — In a stunning development amid ongoing negotiations to end the budget crisis in Springfield, Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno has announced she is stepping down July 1.
Radogno’s announcement came after a private meeting with GOP Senate colleagues, on the heels of a meeting of the four top state lawmakers at the Illinois State Capitol.
The top Republican in the Illinois Senate since 2009, and a senator since 1997, represents parts of DuPage, Will, and Cook counties, Radogno was an author of the so-called “grand bargain” in the Senate, which got the ball rolling on months of budget talks this year, in hopes of ending a now two-year budget stalemate.
“I have done everything I can do to resolve the state’s budget crisis. I will continue to do so for the coming days. But if the solution will not come on my watch, I hope and pray that the Governor, other legislative leaders, Democrats and Republicans in the Senate and House can find a path to solve the state’s problems,” Radogno said in a written statement.
Republican state senators said they already have begun the process of selecting Radgono’s successor as Senate Minority Leader.
“We are now in process of choosing a new leader,” said Sen. Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods).
It will be up to party leaders in Radogno’s district to appoint someone to fill her seat until the 2018 election.
“Though I leave political office with a sense of sadness and some disappointment, I leave with no regrets. I did my best – that’s all I could do. It has been a privilege to serve. But now I am looking forward to returning to private life and spending time with my family, especially my five grandchildren,” Radogno said.
Developing…
from CBS Chicago http://ift.tt/2srnS1I
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