Dale Righter

Dale Righter (born August 23, 1966) is a Republican member of the Illinois Senate, representing the 55th district since 2003. The 55th district includes Clay, Clark, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, Edwards, Effingham, Jasper, Lawrence, Richland, Wabash, Wayne and White counties in the southeastern corner of the state.[1] He was previously a member of the Illinois House of Representatives from 1997 through 2003.

Dale Righter
Member of the Illinois Senate
from the 55th district
Assumed office
January 8, 2003 (2003-Jan-08)
Preceded byFrank Watson (redistricted)
Member of the Illinois House of Representatives from the 106th District
In office
November 1997 (1997-Nov) – January 8, 2003 (2003-Jan-08)
Preceded byMike Weaver
Succeeded byKeith P. Sommer (renumbered)
Personal details
Born (1966-08-23) August 23, 1966
Mattoon, Illinois
Political partyRepublican
ChildrenTwo
ResidenceMattoon, Illinois
Alma materSaint Louis University (J.D.)
Eastern Illinois University (B.S.)
ProfessionAttorney

Early life, education and career

Righter was born and raised in Mattoon, Illinois. He attended Mattoon High School and in 1988 graduated from Eastern Illinois University with a bachelor of science in accounting. In 1991, Righter earned his law degree from the Saint Louis University School of Law. After law school, he took a job as a drug crimes prosecutor with the State's Attorney's Appellate Prosecutor's Office.[2]

Illinois General Assembly

In September 1997, Righter was appointed to represent the 106th district in the Illinois House of Representatives after Mike Weaver resigned to accept an appointment to the Illinois Industrial Commission (since renamed the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission).[3] In 2001, he announced he was running for state senate in the newly redistricted 55th district which included Lawrence, Crawford, Clark, Cumberland, Edgar, Coles, Douglas and Piatt counties as well as parts of Champaign, Effingham, Shelby and Wabash counties.[4]

Legislative Initiatives

During his time in the Illinois General Assembly, Righter has spearheaded legislative initiatives on a wide variety of issues, including economic development, school funding, health care and governmental accountability. Additionally, he sponsored legislation expanding newborn screening in Illinois to better utilize current medical advances for the health of infants and their families; measures to expand the Freedom of Information Act so taxpayers better know how their tax dollars are spent; and laws promoting the use of ethanol and other renewable fuels.

Committee Assignments

Righter currently serves as Republican Spokesman for the Appropriations I Committee, Executive Appointments Committee, and the Assignments Committee. Additional committee assignments include Human Services, Appropriations II, and Veterans Affairs.

Personal life

Righter lives in Mattoon and has two children.

References
  1. "Illinois Senate District 55" (PDF). Illinois State Board of Elections. 2011-05-18. Retrieved 2015-11-24.
  2. "Biography". Illinois Senate Republicans. 2012-01-01. Retrieved 2015-11-24.
  3. Davis, Jennifer (1997-11-30). "People: Shifts at the Top". Illinois Issues. Northern Illinois University Libraries. Retrieved 2015-11-24.
  4. Schaefer, Michael (2001-10-04). "Righter to run for Senate". The Daily Eastern News. Retrieved 2015-11-24.
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