Sangamon Sun

State Sen. Steve McClure (R-Jacksonville) recently voted against appointing Daniel Beiser as a member of the Illinois Racing Board. 

"I’ve got nothing against this former representative to be on the racing board, except that while we were in the executive appointments committee, I asked him if he had any reasonable knowledge of horse breeding and he said he did not," McClure said regarding his decision on the Senate floor on Feb. 22. "I followed up and gave him a chance to clean up his answer, and to his credit, he was honest and said he did not."

"By statute, there are very few requirements for this position, one of which, by statute, is required that they have a reasonable knowledge of horse breeding. So, I don’t want to vote against this appointment, but based upon what the statute says, he has given me no choice based upon his answers in committee. For that, I urge a no vote. It’s nothing personal against the appointment. I think he’s very qualified in every other capacity, except for the fact that one of the two requirements he doesn’t meet."

According to the Illinois General Assembly website, the Senate rejected the appointment 29-16 on Feb. 22. However, the Senate confirmed the appointment 54-0 on Feb. 23 after McClure filed a motion to reconsider the vote.

Beiser previously served as a Democratic member of the House of Representatives from 2004 until he resigned in 2017.

He has a bachelor of science in mass communication and parks and recreation management from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, which he earned in 1978. Beiser also has a master's of science degree in special education from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, which he earned in 1986.