* Not a surprise…

State Representative Mike Murphy (R-Springfield) will step down from his position representing the 99th House District in the Illinois House of Representatives effective 11:59 p.m. today, following his final constituent services event later this evening. Below is a farewell message from Murphy to the citizens of the district:

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

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. 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.

Besides the obvious need for infrastructure improvements in the 99th District and statewide, the 2019 capital bill has been a catalyst for the $360 million rail relocation project in Springfield to move the tracks from 3rd Street to 10th Street. More than $100 million was included in the capital bill for this project, and once completed in 2025, it will have a transformational impact on Springfield and Sangamon County. Not only will it improve traffic and congestion issues, but it will finally allow the medical district to expand and grow jobs.

Similarly, the 2019 state budget contained a series of compromise provisions to support our businesses, small and large, and help spur job creation. To this day, I carry around the list of the major priorities we achieved: the Blue Collar Jobs Act, data center incentives, eliminating the franchise tax, reinstating the Manufacturer’s Purchase Credit, preserving Invest in Kids, stopping a cap on the retailer’s discount, putting a hold on the Livestock Management Facilities Act, stopping the trade-in cap, stopping the tripling of the real estate transfer tax, and stopping several other taxes. I’m also proud I was able to work on a change to our sales tax structure for brick and mortar businesses to provide a level playing field for them to compete with online retail giants like Amazon.

Doing what’s right for our communities also means promoting career readiness for the next generation. I’m honored I was able to serve as the lead sponsor of legislation to change Illinois’ high school math requirement to give our students the opportunity to take courses for integrated, applied, interdisciplinary, or career and technical education that prepares them for a career readiness path.

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. 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.

After the unprecedented surge in natural gas prices last winter threatened many central Illinois communities, we worked with the Governor and the Illinois Finance Authority to help. The resulting relief program assisted impacted municipalities by allowing them to spread the payments across a more manageable timeframe without placing an overwhelming burden on residents or businesses.

The true credit for constituent services goes to my dedicated staff – my District Director, Ryan Melchin, and my Legislative Aide, Courtney Ausmus. If you’ve ever called my office, you have likely spoken to one, or both, of them. Whether helping constituents through the IDES process, FOID card renewal, coordinating constituent service events, and many other issues, I cannot thank them enough for all their work. Likewise, I have to thank my Communications Director, Joel Sikes, and the entire House Republican Staff. In all my years, I have never been more impressed by the hard work and dedication of these people. They have all worked tirelessly behind the scenes to help me serve the people of the 99th District.

As with everything in life, thank you to my family – my loving wife Cindy, along with my children and their families. I cannot thank them enough for their unwavering love and support.

Finally, I must thank the citizens of the 99th District for trusting and allowing me to serve as your State Representative. This has been the best experience of my life and I sincerely thank you for this opportunity.

With Sincere Thanks,
Mike Murphy

P.S. Feel free to stop by and help us pack up!

He was mapped into the same district as fellow GOP Rep. Avery Bourne, so this takes care of another remap problem for the HGOPs. Still, I hate to see him go. Good guy.

…Adding… Makes sense…

…Adding… Lots of inexperienced legislators these days…