Illinois State Senate To Get Two New Members

Will Stevenson -- Illinois Radio Network

A member of the Peoria City Council gets the chance to move to the Illinois Senate.

Chuck Weaver is the man tapped by a committee made up of Republicans to replace Darin LaHood in Springfield, now that LaHood is replacing Aaron Shock in the U.S. House.

"It takes a thick skin to go to Springfield and work in the process," says Jan Weber, selection committee chairperson.  "We just felt that [Weaver] brought the best offering to the table of the people we met with, and is a highly-qualified candidate.  I'm sure we would have been happy to have any of the people who applied, or who were interviewed by us."

Weber says Weaver's experience in agriculture and in business made him ideal.  Weber says ten people applied for the seat, but she declined to specify how many actually were interviewed.

Meanwhile, It's now State Senator Laura Murphy.  Murphy -- of Des Plaines -- has just taken her oath to replace Dan Kotowski in Springfield, after Kotowski stepped down to run a not-for-profit, and is already using a word other more veteran lawmakers have used before her in describing how the budget impasse can be broken.

"We're all going to have to compromise," says Murphy.  "That's what we did in city government.  Everybody has to give a little -- but not too much -- that it's distasteful to anyone."

Murphy is a former Des Plaines Alderman and chair of the Maine Township Regular Democratic Organization.