Jan. 24--Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner announced late Friday that he would keep Rocco Claps, the first openly gay state agency director, as head of the Illinois Department of Human Rights.
Claps was first appointed to the post in 2003 under now imprisoned ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich, and remained in the position under Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn. Rauner faced criticism from Quinn on the campaign trail for refusing to detail his position on gay marriage.
Rauner said gay marriage should be decided by voters through an advisory referendum on the ballot, but later said he would have vetoed the same-sex marriage bill passed by lawmakers and signed into law by Quinn in 2013. Rauner contended that he had no "social issues agenda," and he argued that Quinn's focus on gay marriage was a distraction from the state's economic problems.
Claps was among a half-dozen top level appointments made by Rauner on Friday evening, and comes after the new governor earlier named Rev. James Meeks to head the State Board of Education. Meeks, who heads Salem Baptist Church, was a staunch opponent of the gay marriage law.
Other agency directors named Friday include Chicago attorney Hugo Chaviano, a Cuban immigrant who will serve as the head of the Illinois Department of Labor. Chicago Police Deputy Chief Leo Schmitz will head the Illinois State Police, while Bryan Schneider, an attorney for Deerfield-based Walgreens will head the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, which oversees licensing of various industries.
Tom Tyrrell will lead the Illinois Department of Central Management Services, having previously served as chief operating officer of Chicago Public Schools. There, Tyrrell helped managed the closings of nearly 50 schools.
Rauner also named former U.S. Attorney Rodger Heaton to act as the state's public safety director. Heaton served as the federal prosecutor in Springfield from 2005 to 2009. Before that, Rodger was an assistant U.S. attorney prosecuting a major state corruption case involving Management Services of Illinois Inc., a state contractor that federal authorities said used political connections to then-Gov. Jim Edgar to win business.
Edgar was never accused of wrongdoing, but became the first sitting governor to take the witness stand at a criminal trial in 75 years.
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