Chicago City Wire

Rep. Tom Morrison (R-Palatine) says it is time to move on from speculation about the state’s Lottery Control Board chairman, Blair Garber, who has resigned following a tweet disparaging East St. Louis. 

Garber’s resignation was announced by Gov. Bruce Rauner’s office following a tweet by the chairman that called East St. Louis “the sh**hole of the universe.”

Morrison, who represents the 54th District, said he agreed with how the governor’s office handled the situation. 

“It seems like the Rauner administration responded properly to the situation; Blair Garber apologized and resigned,” Morrison said in a statement to the Chicago City Wire. 

Morrison also said Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) campaign responded by condemning the comment and called for Garber’s resignation. 

“Ives further alluded to the fact that Illinoisans across the state, in East St. Louis and plenty of other cities from Cairo to Antioch, Rock Island to Danville, and of course, Chicago and collar counties, have suffered under Democratic policies for too long,” Morrison added. 

“Those kinds of statements from a person in a position of service to the state of Illinois cannot be tolerated,” Ives said in a statement according to the State Journal-Register.

Following the post on Twitter, leaders on both sides of the aisles lined up demanding Garber’s resignation including Rep. David McSweeney (R-Barrington Hills), Sen. Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago) and Sen. James Clayborne Jr. (D-Belleville).

Morrison agreed that Garber's comments were out of line.

“Individuals, and especially public officials, should be careful about the kind of language and attitudes we exhibit both publicly and privately,” he wrote.

Garber had been appointed to his position with the Lottery board by Rauner in May 2016. 

Morrison's district includes Inverness and Palatine.