SPRINGFIELD – Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch announced the creation of a new House working group designed to look more closely at the Illinois’ public transit system and provide recommendations on how it can better serve the communities that rely on it. 13 House members were named to the group, and every one of those named comes from the Democrat side of the aisle.
Following the Speakers announcement, House Minority Leader Tony McCombie (R-Savanna) issued the following statement in response:
“It’s telling that Speaker Welch touts the creation of a ‘diverse group of lawmakers’ to address public transit issues but fails to include a single Republican voice. Our caucus represents parts of all 102 counties in Illinois, including districts with critical public transit needs that serve families regardless of political affiliation. The Speaker’s actions show a blatant disregard for bipartisan cooperation that is necessary to serve our communities effectively. It’s deeply disappointing to see Speaker Welch continue to dismiss the concerns of millions of Illinoisans by pushing a self-serving agenda that disregards the voices of the Republican caucus and the woman who leads them. The people of Illinois deserve better than this one-sided approach.”