A July 24th press release from State Rep. Mike Tyron:

State Representative Mike Tryon Announces he will Retire at Conclusion of 99th General Assembly

CRYSTAL LAKE…..State Representative Mike Tryon, who has served in the Illinois House of Representatives since January of 2005, has announced he will retire at the conclusion of the 99th General Assembly.

“I have always felt strongly that term limits allow for a healthy turnover of leadership and representation,” said Tryon. “I believe 12 years allows a lawmaker to become comfortable with the Springfield legislative process, develop the bipartisan relationships required to be successful, and approve meaningful legislation that benefits the community and state. It would be disingenuous for me to support 12-year term limits and serve beyond that in the General Assembly. Upon my retirement, I look forward to spending more time with my family, including a new grandchild that is arriving this summer, and plan to refocus my energy on my business and other personal pursuits.”

As a freshman legislator in the 94th General Assembly, Tryon authored a pivotal rewrite of the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (PTELL) that saved property taxpayers millions through revisions to the tax cap as it relates to the passage of referenda. “Right after taking office I immediately went to work on closing a loophole in the tax cap,” Tryon said. “Especially for the taxpayers in Huntley’s School District 158, which had just passed a large referendum, the bill that became Public Act 94-0976 saved those taxpayers a combined millions of dollars.”

In the 96th General Assembly, Tryon earned the nickname “Mr. Transparency” after he authored the legislation that created the Illinois Transparency Portal.  House Bill 35, now known as Public Act 96-0225, created an easy-to-use, searchable online database where taxpayers can see how their tax dollars are being spent. Over the years additional legislation, much of it sponsored byTryon, has expanded the portal to the point where today, all salaries, contracts and other state expenditures are available for public viewing online. “The Illinois Transparency Portal was one of the first in the nation and it serves as a model for other states wishing to promote transparent government,” Tryon said.

Also in the 96th General Assembly, Tryon penned legislation that created one of the nation’s first veterans’ court systems. Through his House Bill 4212, which was signed into law as PA 96-0093, veterans facing non-violent criminal charges while suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) or other service-related disabilities can now receive treatment for those issues and eventually have charges dismissed. “This law really put Illinois at the forefront of the movement that recognizes that veterans face unique challenges based on their experiences while serving our country,” said Tryon. “The law has been incredibly successful, in that we can now offer veterans a therapeutic sentence rather than a criminal sentence if their offense is non-violent, and if they are willing to cooperate under a court-ordered treatment program.”

In the 98th General Assembly, while serving as the ranking Republican on the Mass Transit Committee, Tryon helped write key reforms that addressed corruption, waste and inefficiency within the mass-transit boards in Northeastern Illinois. “Public Act 98-1027 was the result of almost a full year of negotiations with representatives from the RTA, CTA, PACE and METRA,”Tryon said. “The provisions of this bill added much-needed transparency and accountability measures that are helping turn things around at the RTA and its service boards, and are helping to restore public trust in those agencies.” The law places new requirements for public posting of financial and safety data, addresses “revolving door” policies for employees, requires RTA board review of employee bonuses that exceed 10% of an employee’s salary, requires RTA approval of severance agreements in excess of $50,000 or settlement agreements in excess of $200,000, and sets guidelines for RTA review of contracts in excess of $100,000.

Tryon, the only State lawmaker with a degree in Environmental Health Science ever to serve in the Illinois General Assembly, has also sponsored several bills that address the environment, and food and water quality issues. Over time he has passed 16 different clean water bills that have been signed into law, including PA 96-0801, which helps prevent wastewater pollutants from being absorbed into ground soil, where they can affect water quality. The law prohibits the installation of surface discharging septic systems without a proper permit, ensuring discharges are safe and properly treated.

Tryon said he considers the Algonquin Western Bypass and the full interchange at Route 47 and I-90 in Huntley as his two greatest transportation and infrastructure achievements. The Algonquin Bypass, a project that was 25 years in the making, spanned Tryon’s entire public service career, from his days as a county board member, as McHenry County Board Chairman, and as a State Representative. “This was an enormous undertaking, with intergovernmental cooperation, assistance and support provided at the federal, state, county, township and local levels,” said Tryon. “That bypass was a priority throughout my career and I will always remember the day in September of 2014 when the cones were removed and the 2.2-mile stretch of new road was opened to the public.” While the Algonquin Bypass project had a price tag of $88.5 million, Tryon has successfully secured more than $315 million in state money for key road projects in McHenry and Kane Counties over the last 10 ½ years.

In 2013, in recognition of leadership shown in the General Assembly, Tryonwas named to the House Republican Leadership Team under House Republican Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs). As Assistant Minority Leader, Tryon has a key role in helping to set the Republican agenda for each session year. “I enjoy working with Mike Tryon and am proud to have him on my leadership team,” said House Republican Leader Jim Durkin. “As a lawmaker, Mike is a leading advocate for tax relief and greater government accountability through transparency. Mike is a true champion of local government as evident by his tenure on the McHenry County Board and also is a leading voice in Illinois for the environment. I am happy for Mike and his family, but it will be a loss for the Illinois General Assembly and McHenry County when he retires at the end of his term in 2016.”

Diagnosed with Type II Diabetes in 2005, Tryon helped create the nation’s first Legislative Diabetes Caucus in 2011. As a founding member and current spokesperson for the caucus, Tryon and the other members seek needed legislation that helps those diagnosed with Type I and Type II diabetes and their caregivers, and actively promote diabetes awareness and education. In addition to hosting diabetes testing events each year in his legislative district, Tryontravels nationally to discuss the successes of the Illinois Diabetes Caucus and to help other State legislatures form their own diabetes caucuses. Through this national outreach, ten states have used the Illinois model as the template for legislative diabetes caucuses.

With 1 ½ years remaining in the 99th General Assembly, Tryon has currently served as Chief Sponsor of 59 bills that have become Public Acts, has served as the Chief Co-Sponsor of 90 Public Acts, and has served as a co-sponsor of hundreds of other Public Acts.  Tryon still has several bills pending in the 99th General Assembly, and said he will spend the remaining months of his term focusing on bills that address college affordability, the need for property tax relief, pro-business measures to help the Illinois economy grow, and on transportation projects in Northern Kane County (Longmeadow Parkway) and in Huntley (rail transit service).

“It has truly been the honor of a lifetime to have been able to serve as a public official for the last 28 years, first as a member and as Chairman of the McHenry County Board and then as a lawmaker in the in the Illinois General Assembly,”Tryon said. “I feel good about my legislative accomplishments and will step down next year knowing I had a role in creating policy that has improved the lives of the citizens and constituents I have represented.”

Biography: State Representative Michael W. Tryon

Michael Tryon won his first election to the Illinois House of Representatives in November, 2004. He has served as a member and Republican spokesperson for several different House committees, and currently serves as the Republican Spokesperson for the Environment Committee and the Juvenile Justice & System-Involved Youth Committee, and as a member of the Executive, Labor & Commerce, Revenue & Finance, and Renewable Energy & Sustainability Committees, and on the Sales and Other Taxes, and Workforce Reconciliation Subcommittees. He is also a member of the Education Funding Task Force.

Within the 47-member House Republican Caucus, Representative Tryon is part of the 9-member Leadership Team, where he serves as Assistant Minority Leader under House Minority Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs).

Representative Tryon was born in Terra Haute, Indiana, on July 31, 1955. He graduated from North Vigo High School in 1973 and from Indiana State University in 1978 with a degree in Environmental Health Science. He is married to his wife Cathy, and together they have three adult children. They are expecting their first grandchild this summer.

Mike has been active in the region ever since he first moved to McHenry County in 1977. He first came to the area to take a job with the McHenry County Health Department after graduating from college. While working for the county, he not only fell in the love with the area but also met his future wife Cathy, who at the time worked in the building and zoning department.

Mike worked for McHenry County until 1980 when he left to take a job as an environmental consultant in Roselle. He then bought and became a principal in a small business, Raber and Associates, an environmental consulting firm. In 1986, he formed McHenry Analytical, a water and wastewater testing lab.

Mike’s public service in governance started with the McHenry County Board in 1989. During his tenure on the board he served as leader of numerous committees. He served as the county’s finance committee chairman, chairman of the public health committee and chairman of the personnel committee. From 1992 to 1994 he served on the McHenry County Board of Health. In 1994, he served as a member of the Mental Health Board.

In 1998 he was elected unanimously by his colleagues on the county board to serve as their chairman. Mike served as McHenry County Board Chairman until his election to the State Legislature as a State Representative in November, 2004.

Representative Tryon has been honored with many awards and recognitions during his time in the General Assembly, including the Champion of Free Enterprise Award, the Environmental Council Award, the Outstanding Environmental Leadership Award, the Friend of Agriculture Award and the Legislator of the Year Award from the Staffing Services Association of Illinois, from the IL Public Health Association, and from the IL Association of Community Mental Health Authorities.

An advocate for diabetes awareness, Representative Tryon is a founding member of the Illinois Legislative Diabetes Caucus and speaks openly about how he balances a demanding career and his Type II diabetes. RepresentativeTryon lives in Crystal Lake.