McHenry Times

State Sen. Craig Wilcox (R-McHenry) reflected on his Wednesday swearing-in ceremony in a Facebook post published on Thursday.

"It was somewhat surreal being sworn into office for the 103rd General Assembly at the Old Illinois State Capitol in Springfield, where Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous 'House Divided' speech in 1858," Wilcox wrote. "Thank you to the people of the 32nd District for allowing me the privilege of serving you for the next four years."

Wilcox is a McHenry resident who was first elected to the Illinois Senate in 2018. His legislative experience includes serving on the Agriculture, and Appropriations committees. In the November 2022 general election, Wilcox defeated Democratic challenger Allena Barbato to retain his seat, receiving 44,183 votes (56.8%) to Barbato's 33,587 (43.2%).

On Tuesday, Wilcox issued a statement following the conclusion of the 2022-23 lame-duck session, focusing on legislation that passed during that time.

"With the help of Democratic legislators who either did not seek re-election or who were unsuccessful in their re-election bids, Illinois’ Majority Party has pushed through some damaging legislation that places our state squarely on the wrong path," Wilcox wrote. "While all Illinoisans are getting clobbered by inflation at the grocery store, gas tax hikes, and exploding energy costs, Democrats snuck through an 18% pay raise for themselves and for Pritzker agency heads. Raises of that magnitude are unheard of, and their brazen action shows how out of touch they are with everyday Illinoisans who are really struggling. This 18% comes on top of the more than 2% cost of living adjustment that was received in July. It’s disgusting."

“While refusing to strengthen penalties for those convicted of violent gun crimes, Democrats saw no problem going after law-abiding gun owners with a massive gun ban that has the potential of making felons out of lawful citizens while doing absolutely nothing to address the root causes of gun violence," Wilcox continued. "This bill, like so many coming out of the Illinois legislature lately, will end up in court, where I am confident it will be ruled unconstitutional."

“A bill also passed that stripped away local control from municipalities and counties with regard to wind and solar zoning and permitting. Additionally, we still expect to see legislation that further erodes local control by forcing every Illinois public school district to teach radical sex ed standards and a bill that expands abortion rights and protects those who would perform these procedures,” Wilcox concluded.