State Sen. Robert Martwick (D-Chicago) represents the 10th District in the Illinois Senate, which includes much of Chicago’s Northwest Side.
When legislators returned to Springfield last week after more than two months away because of the coronavirus pandemic, Martwick was not among them – at least at first.
Martwick originally planned to skip the session due to concerns about exposure to COVID-19; he has several preexisting conditions that could make him more susceptible to the virus.
“Sen. Harmon told me the Chicago casino bill was at risk of failure, and he asked me if I would consider coming down to cast that one vote,“ he said.
The Senate ended passing the bill 42-14, more than enough votes to secure its approval.
“There’s so much that rides on [the casino]. The City of Chicago is suffering massive loss of revenues. We’re in a precarious financial condition,” Martwick said. “This money would go to secure our pension systems for our first responders. And that would help the overall finances of the city, and protect our homeowners from large property tax increases.”
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