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Former Illinois Lawmaker Dies at 48

ilga.gov

Services are pending for former west-central Illinois state lawmaker Mike Smith.  

Oak-Hines Funeral Home in Smith's hometown of Canton says the 48-year-old Democrat died Saturday morning at his home of a suspected heart attack.  

The (Peoria) Journal Star  reports Smith served 16 years in the state Legislature before losing his 2010 re-election bid.  

He later was named by Gov. Pat Quinn to the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board. That appointment drew criticism over whether Smith was qualified for the $94,000 position. Quinn called Smith ``a friend'' with a long record of working on education in the statehouse.  

Quinn says Smith ``set an example for what service to the people of his district and the people of Illinois should be.''  

Oak-Hines Funeral Home says funeral arrangements should be finalized Monday.
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Bill is a former general manager, economy reporter, Harvest correspondent and Statehouse Bureau Chief for NPR Illinois. He has won several awards including the Associated Press Best Investigative Reporter.
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