While the recent killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has escalated fears of political violence, Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch has been on high alert since June 14, when Democratic former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband were killed in their home.
Since then, he said his caucus has been briefed regularly by the Illinois State Police and other groups about potential threats.
Speaking with reporters at the Bloomington Public Library ahead of a community town hall with State Rep. Sharon Chung, D-Bloomington, Welch said legislators have become very mindful of their surroundings.
"But we also have constituents to serve We’re going to continue to do our jobs, and we're going to continue to represent the people of Illinois to the best of our ability," he said.
Chung noted she's had security measures installed at her home and office — something she hadn't considered before.
Since Kirk's shooting, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has said there's been a spike in violent threats, including against Pritzker himself.
Chung said she's concerned that an atmosphere like this could deter people from entering politics, or cause incumbents to reconsider seeking an additional term.
"I think it might deter some people from doing what we do," Chung said.
If security was heightened at the town hall event, it wasn't immediately visible.
Welch added a call to lower the temperature.
"Be kind to people and be mindful of the rhetoric that we use. I think that's very important. What we should be trying to do is calm things down and help people — not inflame and incite, and I think that's a very important part of this discussion," he said.
"We can't control what other people do. But we can try to control what we can control."
Town hall themes
"Control what we can control" was a central theme of the evening, along with the sentiment that legislation has to be accompanied by funding.
Welch and Chung fielded questions from a friendly crowd of about 35 people, touching on issues, including legislative priorities and achievements and dealing with budget cuts stemming from the cancellation of federal grants and overall financial uncertainty.
Chung said President Trump's promise to bring down prices on "Day One" has gone unfulfilled.
"Illinoisans all across the state are hurting, and we are trying to figure out ... we are trying to find constructive solutions," she said.
"We can't control that nonsense in Washington right now," Welch added.
Chung touted legislative successes, including allowing the Bloomington-Normal Water Reclamation District to sell treated waste water — something that will allow the district to sell that water to data centers for cooling needs.
She also cited formation of the Cost of Living Task Force and the University Civil Service-Employee RTS that helps secure bargaining rights for those employees.
Future priorities include creating a Household Hazardous Waste Stewardship Act to help other communities form groups like McLean County's nonprofit Ecology Action Center, and reforming Illinois Estate Tax rules to ease the burden on farmers.
One audience member asked for regulation of marijuana alternative Delta-8. Welch said there was consensus in Springfield that alternatives need to be regulated, but no agreement on how.
The statement drew some applause from the crowd, and Chung agreed with the need for regulation, saying she had once ingested Delta-8 when she thought she was taking something else.
"I did not realize what I had taken," she said.
On the state level, Welch touted success passing another balanced state budget in June, along with a continuously improving credit rating for Illinois.
Priorities on the state level include solutions that improve the transit system for the state — not just Chicagoland — that faces an end-of-year shortfall that could lead to layoffs in 2026. Welch again noted that fixing the funding needs to move ahead of any legislated solution, adding any funding solution couldn't be downstate paying to prop up the Chicago area.
Other priorities for the October veto session include state pensions and university funding — again, issues Welch described as requiring "a revenue conversation."
For help with funding, Welch proposed a surcharge of millionaires, something voters have twice approved in non-binding polls. He noted it was different from the graduated income tax rejected by voters in 2020.
The proposal drew applause, with Welch adding that a similar measure has worked well in Massachusetts.
Welch said something like that would require a resolution by May in order to appear in front of voters on a 2026 ballot.
