SPRINGFIELD – After leading the Illinois Senate Republicans for eight years, Senate Minority Leader Chris Radogno (R-Lemont) announced Thursday that she would retire Saturday.
The senator expressed frustration that the "grand bargain" state budget she had worked on with Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago) was not supported by several in her caucus, and that Illinois financial crisis continues.
"It was my initial hope that my natural break point would be sending the grand bargain over to the House," Radogno told reporters. Then with a more ominous prediction she said, "I'm not sure there's another natural break point coming soon."
Without a state budget supported by at least four Republican votes in the Illinois House, the state's bond could drop to "junk" status – the worst in the nation. The drop in status will cost Illinoisans more and more to repay, and could be a point of no return.
Radogno says she supports the governor's goals to reform the state's political system – one dominated fully by the Democrats for decades.
"I feel strongly the governor has the right agenda, but it's not that easy getting there. We need fundamental change in this building, but we need to compromise in order to get there," she said.
Radogno's 20-year voting record showed her as a moderate Republican on social issues, but conservative on budget and fiscal issues.
Sources say that the top three contenders to succeed Radogno as the Republican leader include Senators Bill Brady of Bloomington, Karen McConnaughay of West Dundee and Mike Connelly of Naperville.
Comment below on who you prefer of those three to succeed Senator Radogno …
