Sangamon Sun

Mike Murphy has resigned from the Illinois House of Representatives to become the CEO of the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce.

Murphy started his new role with the Chamber of Commerce on Dec. 1. His priorities include working with the Chamber's board of directors and working with local government officials to improve the permitting process. 

“It is with a heavy heart that I write this farewell message,” Murphy said on his website. “When I entered the Illinois House of Representatives, I could not have imagined  the impact the last few years would have on my life."

Murphy said that doing what is right for the community also means promoting career readiness for the future workforce. 

"I said from the beginning that my goal was to get things done and do what’s right for the people of the 99th District," he wrote. "To me, that’s always meant standing up to bad policy when I had to, but also finding ways to work across the aisle when there was an opportunity to benefit the constituents I was elected to serve. This mentality is why I voted for the 2019 capital bill and 2019 state budget.”

He said he is happy to have been the lead sponsor of legislation to change the math requirement in the state to give students the opportunity to take courses that make them ready for careers. This is through courses for integrated, applied, interdisciplinary and technical education, he said.

“While getting things done in the legislature is often measured by legislation passed, I hope residents will remember my office for the work we did to serve constituents,” Murphy said. “First and foremost, my duty as a Representative was to serve, and this was made even more pressing when the COVID-19 pandemic first hit. Working alongside the Illinois Treasurer’s Office, we were able to institute a low-interest bridge loan program to help small businesses stay afloat as the shutdown began.”

Murphy told the Illinois Times that his first priority as CEO will be to listen to the board of directors about its plans for the future. He said he doesn’t want to make immediate changes but rather hopes to work with local government to have a better permitting process, which he says is a concern of local businesses. 

Murphy's replacement will be chosen by the Sangamon County Republican Party this month.