Interview: Chris Welch, Speaker of the Illinois House

In January 2021, Democratic lawmakers chose a new Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives: Emanuel “Chris” Welch. He’s a Democrat from the town of Hillside, in the suburbs of Chicago. A lawyer by trade, Welch is also the first African American to be elected speaker of the Illinois House. He is still settling into the job and doing so in the midst of a pandemic.

Speaker Welch joined the The 21st to talk about his new role, the state’s COVID response and more.

Guests:

Speaker Chris Welch (D-Hillside), Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives

Prepared for web by Zainab Qureshi

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