Tom Bennett succeeds Jason Barickman in senate; search on for new 53rd rep
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It was soon after the November General Election that State Sen. Jason Barickman announced he was stepping down. That meant a search was in the offing for a a replacement.
On Jan. 7, a replacement for Barickman, who served as senator of the 53rd District, was agreed upon and State Rep. Tom Bennett accepted the position.
Now, there is a search for Bennett's replacement as state representative from the 106th district.
“I had never really thought about the state senate, I had enjoyed being a state representative,” Bennett said in a phone interview with the Daily Leader.
Bennett said that he been made aware of Barickman's decision before any announcement was made. According to Bennett, the two, who often worked together in their representation of Livingston County, spoke about the situation shortly before Barickman went public with his decision.
“He said basically three things,” Bennett said. “One, he was disappointed in the elections, and I understand that. He was (also) involved in some businesses that were going on and doing well.
“But I think the biggest thing was his children. When COVID lifted, he realized he was missing the kids and the activities. I think it came to a point that he needed to make a change and so that's what he did.”
Two two legislators were often seen together at Livingston County events and both worked together in matters relating to the area, such as the recent Department of Corrections happenings regarding Pontiac Correctional Center.
“Jason has been tremendous to work with, he's been a good partner on a number of things,” Bennett said. “We tried to get together at least once a week face to face.”
The process to find a replacement for Barickman included all 13 county Republican Party chairmen meeting at the Elks Lodge in Pontiac on Jan. 7. They interviewed candidates and made the offer to Bennett, whose experience in state government was unquestioned. There were four other candidates.
Bennett was sworn in as the senator representing the 53rd District on Jan. 11.
There are differences in being a state senator instead of a state representative. One is as simple as where the office is located. Bennett said that he's been getting his staff in place.
Another is having to work with new colleagues under different leadership.
However, the constant is working on legislation and matters the affect his district.
“I'm working on bills that I worked on in the House and trying to get some of them moved to the Senate, as well,” Bennett said. “At the same time, I'm trying to visit some of the things happening in the district, as well.”
Bennett said there are three things he wants to focus on in his new position.
“The first is education, there are a number of issues there,” Bennett said. “We have to find a way to help our schools find substitute teachers. We have to find a way to get our families and parents more involved with the curriculum and more involved with the process. I think we lost some of that in Illinois.”
Given the rising cost of gasoline, issues with other sources and the desire for more green energy, Bennett said that energy is an important subject he needs to address.
“The need for energy in Illinois just continues to increase,” Bennett said. “We have two nuclear power plants in the new state senate district, and we have a third one just a stone's throw away.”
Bennett noted that it is important to have constant energy so Illinois doesn't experience what has happened elsewhere, particularly California. He added that the nuclear power also brings in a lot of tax money and provides a good paycheck for workers.
“We need to be thoughtful about what we're doing and we need to be more thoughtful than what we've done so far. It's critical,” Bennett said.
Another question facing most every community is the pension system.
“I'm hoping to find some common ground with those three categories,” Bennett said. “We will see how this plays out.”
With Bennett moving to the senate, the 106th District is in need of a new representative. The process is the same as for finding a senator, but with fewer county Republican chairmen meeting because the district doesn't cover as much area.
According to a news release from Livingston County Republican Chairman Dave Rice, vacancies in the General Assembly must be made with 30 days. The appointee to the 106th District will serve a two-year term.
Making the decision in deciding a new representative will be Rice, Jeff Orr (Ford County), Eric Werden (Grundy), Lyle Behrends (Iroquois), Larry Smith (LaSalle), Dennis Grundler (McLean) and Tim Ozinga (Will).
The Committee will convene at 2 p.m. on Feb. 4 to review all applicant information, conduct interviews of select candidates, and appoint the replacement for this House of Representatives vacancy. The meeting will be held in Gibson City and is open to the public.
Interested applicants must have lived within the 106th District for two years and submit a resume and letter of reference from a Republican elected official by email or in person to Jayme Siemer (217-553-7743 phone or text; jaymesiemer@gmail.com)
Applicant information must be received no later than Friday, Jan. 27, by 5 p.m. Resumes and letters of reference received after that date will not be considered. For general information or information on how to deliver applications in person, please contact Jayme Siemer at jaymesiemer@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on Pontiac Daily Leader: Tom Bennett succeeds Jason Barickman in senate; search on for new rep
