Sangamon Sun

Veteran state Sen. Steve McClure (R-Springfield) doesn’t hide his glee over the prospect of there maybe being a new Springfield with Mike Madigan now out of power.

“It’s time for new voices to emerge and time to try different ways for tackling all our many problems,” McClure told the Sangamon Sun. “The next few months will definitely be interesting in determining what direction this state comes to move in.”

Just weeks after being replaced as House speaker following nearly a 40-year run, Madigan resigned from his House seat in District 22.

The state’s longest-serving lawmaker departs amid a still-unfolding federal corruption probe involving ComEd. He has been implicated in an alleged pay-for-pay scheme where the perks were steered to him in exchange for favorable legislation. Madigan has not been charged in the federal investigation and denies any wrongdoing.

Prior to Madigan also resigning as chair of the Illinois Democratic Party on Feb. 22, McClure said the world of state politics probably hadn’t heard the last from the veteran lawmaker.

“He’s still head of the state Democratic Party,” he said. “I would say that means he’ll still have some power. Maybe over time, he’ll relinquish that post as well, but right now, he’s still in the mix.”

In the end, McClure said the direction of the state could come down to what path new House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch (D-Hillside) decides to take.

“With the state facing all the issues we have, hopefully things will be different and we’ll have more bipartisanship in working on all these massive problems,” McClure added. “Now is the time to start putting this state back together.”