Larry Bomke (born 1950) is a former Republican member of the

Illinois Senate The Illinois Senate is the upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly, the legislative branch of the government of the State of Illinois in the United States. The body was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. Under the ...

, representing the 50th district from 1995 to 2013.

Early and personal life

Bomke was born June 6, 1950, in

Springfield, Illinois Springfield is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Illinois. Its population was 114,394 at the 2020 United States census, which makes it the state's List of cities in Illinois, seventh-most populous cit ...

. He attended

Lincoln Land Community College Lincoln Land Community College is a public community college in Springfield, Illinois Springfield is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Illinois. Its population was 114,394 at the 2020 United States ...

. He married Sally Jo and has one son Wulf and one daughter, Natalie, who works as a reporter and anchor for

WFLD WFLD (channel 32) is a television station in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is owned and operated by the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox network through its Fox Television Stations division alongside Gary, Indiana–licensed WPWR-TV (channe ...

Political career

Bomke was a member of the Sangamon County Board for nineteen years. Bomke was appointed to the

on July 1, 1995, to succeed fellow Republican Karen Hasara after she became the Mayor of

. The 50th district, centered on the Springfield metropolitan area, included Sangamon and

Menard Menard may refer to: Places Canada *Menard River, a tributary of the Wawagosic River in Quebec, Canada United States * Menard County, Illinois ** Menard, Illinois * Menard County, Texas ** Menard, Texas * Menard–Hodges site, archaeological si ...

counties as well as the eastern half of Cass County. During the 2001 decennial redistricting process, the 50th legislative district was redrawn to include

Logan County Logan County is the name of ten current counties and one former county in the United States: * Logan County, Arkansas * Logan County, Colorado * Logan County, Idaho (1889–1895) * Logan County, Illinois * Logan County, Kansas * Logan County ...

and remove Cass County. Bomke considers his major accomplishments to be the improvement of fairness within the state pension system, fighting for Rule of 85 which allows state employees to retire before age 65. His accomplishments also include the expansion of property tax grants, and discounted prescriptions to senior citizens. He also cites his sponsorship of a bill requiring health plans to cover 48-hour stays for newborns in hospitals, and advocates comprehensive crime legislation and ending 'excess privileges' for prisoners. Senator Bomke fought for comprehensive crime legislation, including public notification of a known sex offender moving into a community. In February 2009, shortly after Governor

Rod Blagojevich Rod R. Blagojevich ( ; born December 10, 1956), often referred to by his nickname "Blago", is an American politician who served as the 40th governor of Illinois from 2003 to 2009. A member of the Democratic Party, Blagojevich previously worked ...

was removed from office and in the midst of the state's financial crisis, Bomke, announced a bill which targeted William Ayers for removal from his teaching position at the

University of Illinois at Chicago The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) is a public research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its campus is in the Near West Side community area, adjacent to the Chicago Loop. The second campus established under the Universi ...

. The proposal states that anyone "who has committed an act of violence against the governments of the United States or Illinois cannot work at a public university."Rueff, Ashle
State legislator wants William Ayers fired from UIC
''The Chicago Tribune'', February 5, 2009

Committee assignments

Committees on Transportation, (minority spokesperson); Appropriations II; Financial Institutions; State Government and Veterans Affairs; Alzheimer's Disease Task Force; State Employees Suggestion Award Board, (chair); Legislative Printing Unit; Legislative Research Unit, (co-chair).

Early and personal life

Political career

Committee assignments

References

External links