McHenry Times

State Rep. Steve Reick (R-Woodstock) apologized for remarks to another legislator who incorrectly accused him of not wearing a mask on the House floor.

State Rep. Lakesia Collins (D-Chicago) was the sponsor of a resolution to remove nine legislators from the floor, including Reick, for breaking the chamber rules requiring face masks, 5Chicago reported.

The episode last month came after Collins sponsored a resolution that resulted in nine Republicans being voted off the House floor for flouting chamber rules that require face coverings, 5Chicago reported. She corrected her mistake before the resolution came to a vote, the station reported.

However, Reick confronted Collins, pointing his finger at her and saying, “Keep my f—— name out of your mouth,” Collins told  Politico, according to 5Chicago.

"I was raised poor," Reick said in his apology to legislators. "I’ve achieved things I never  thought I would.  What happened on Thursday probably was to some extent the sum total of my upbringing as well. I was taught you don’t take an insult – something that is wrong – lightly. When I heard my name being mentioned as one who was violating the mask mandate, I took umbrage at that. Because I'm also a rules guy."

Reick said he attempted to apologize to Collins 10 minutes after he confronted her, but Speaker of the House Emanuel Welch told him it was not the right time for an apology.

"I’m offering up an apology but it's no different than the apology I would have offered up had she been willing to listen to me 10 minutes after this happened and this never would have had to occur," Reick said. That's how you do these things in my world. You're honest. You take  care of  business. You clean up your own mess and you move on. It’s what  I intend  to do with this."