Stephens Resigns After 27 Years in Illinois House

Republican Ron Stephens is resigning from the Illinois House seat he's held for 27 years.

Stephens has been the senior GOP member of the House. The Greenville Republican says he's stepping down for personal reasons.

Stephens has represented the 102nd House District, which covers all or parts of Bond, Clinton, Madison, St. Clair, Effingham, Fayette and Shelby counties. His term would have expired in January 2013.

His resignation means that Republican Party chairmen in his district will pick someone to serve the remainder of Stephens' term.