Chicago City Wire

The resignation of state Rep. Lou Lang (D-Skokie) on Monday marked the second time in about as many weeks that an Illinois representative who is alleged to have abused a woman got a new gig in a high-powered organization with influence in government.

Unlike Lang, Rep. Emanuel "Chris" Welch (D-Hillside), who has represented District 7 since 2013, did not resign from the legislature before he took a new job in a governmental law firm. A few days after Christmas, Welch announced on his Twitter page "the end of an era" as he was leaving Sanchez, Daniels & Hoffman, LLP, where he became an associate in 1997 and a partner 10 years later.

"Today [Dec. 28] was the last day with my SDH Family as I will begin a new chapter as a partner with the full service municipal law firm Ancel Glink in Jan.," the Twitter post said.

Illinois state House Rep. Emanuel "Chris" Welch (D-Hillside) from his Twitter post announcing his partnership with the law firm partner with the full service municipal law firm Ancel Glink | Twitter

Ancel Glink, which has practiced local government law in Illinois for about eight decades, has offices in Chicago, Vernon Hills, Naperville, Crystal Lake and Bloomington, according to information on the firm's website.

Welch was Proviso Township High School District board president before he became an Illinois state representative.

District 7 includes all or portions of River Forest, Forest Park, Maywood, Bellwood, Broadview, Hillside, Berkeley, Westchester, La Grange Park, Melrose Park, Western Springs and Northlake.

Lang resigned his 30-year House seat Monday to take a job with Advantage Government Strategies, a lobbying firm headed by former Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka's chief of staff, Nancy Kimme. Topinka is a Republican.

Kimme herself served in government for 25 years before she became a lobbyist in February 2015.

Lang, who entered the Illinois House in 1988, lost his post as deputy majority leader last spring over allegations of sexual harassment. The day before he was forced out of that leadership position, his support had been pivotal in making Illinois the 37th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment.

Welch, who was unopposed in his re-election bid during the November midterms and remained largely quiet during last year's #MeToo agitation for change, has faced domestic battery charges in the past.