Will County Gazette

State Rep. Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield) frets over how he thinks lawmakers keep setting the state up for failure.

“It’s clear we need a new direction in Illinois, but all you see are the same things happening again and again,” Batinick told the Will County Gazette after House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) was easily re-elected to his position of leadership for the new legislative session.

The favorable vote assures Madigan of continuing his run of being in power in Springfield for 34 of the last 36 years, with Illinois Policy Institute reporting his latest installation comes despite him holding just a 21 percent approval rating from voters across the state.

“As a rule of thumb, I think leaders should be termed-limited out,” said Batinick, who narrowly won a second term in the 97th District with roughly 52 percent of the vote against Mica Freeman, his Democratic rival, in November. “As for Speaker Madigan personally, you can look at how things have gone on his watch and easily gauge the kind of job he and Democrats have done. Illinois is a whole different state from when he took over.”

Madigan, who also is chairman of the state Democratic Party, wields powers that include the ability to decide what bills are called to the floor for a vote and the leverage to influence which of them genuinely have a chance of passage.

 “He’s long been in control, and now Democrats are going to have even more power when it comes to implementing their policies,” Batinick added.

Still, he vows to keep fighting.

“We, as Republicans, have to keep advocating for good policy and making sure voters are aware of what’s going on,” he said. “At some point, you hope the public will become more engaged in the process and we can truly start to move this state forward.”

The 97th District includes all or part of Oswego, Plainfield, Troy and Wheatland.