I am honored, in this historic moment, to take the oath of office to represent the hard working people of Illinois House District 49. Today, on the heels of the passage of historic criminal justice reform, the 102nd General Assembly elected Emanuel Chris Welch, to be the first Black Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives. As Chairman Justin Slaughter said this morning, we went from protest to progress. Together as a General Assembly, and with guidance and support from our communities, we will navigate the challenges ahead with grace, grit, and unity.
I look forward to starting our work in the 49th district to help our constituents lead full, equitable, healthy lives. I am grateful for your continued support. I want to give a special note of gratitude to my family, who joined me on the house floor via zoom. It was lovely to celebrate this moment, that we all worked so hard for, with them, together, although we are apart.
Throughout the course of our campaign I had the opportunity to meet many of you; you were generous with your time at the doors and on the phone. I listened to your concerns about the pandemic, access to healthcare, and our state finances. Above all you expressed the need for honest, transparent, ethical leadership and I promise to provide that.
There is much work to be done, and I will center your voices, ideas, and needs in every decision I make. I look forward to introducing you to our amazing district team. We cannot wait to get to work, helping our communities access the support they need to lead full, equitable, healthy lives. I am grateful for your continued support.Thank you for allowing me to represent you in the 102nd General Assembly.
There is much work to be done, and I will center your voices, ideas, and needs in every decision I make.