Kendall County Times

Veteran state Rep. Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield) recently rose on the House floor to salute his 17-year-old nephew who recently joined the National Guard.

“Today of all days, my nephew Jack Batinick as a junior signed up for the National Guard and is on his way to Fort Benning as we speak,” the lawmaker said in a video posted to YouTube. “I had to give him a shoutout.”

Batinick is all about saluting military members, recently coming out in support of a proposal that would lead to a length of Route 59 being renamed after Private First Class Andrew Meari.

“He protected some of his squad members in Afghanistan and he lost his life,” Batinick recently reminded lawmakers in a passionate plea in favor of the move. “The story is quite amazing, but what’s amazing to me is he grew up in the same subdivision as I live with my children and they played in the same park. Just a wonderful man who gave his life for the country and I think we realize how special that is after this last year.”

An Army PFC, Meari was killed in Afghanistan in November 2010. Nearby Mayfair Park has already been renamed in his honor and Plainfield Park Commissioners recently moved to enact a flag pole and plaque at Mayfair, the park Meari grew up in as a child.

Batinick’s bill has now been referred to the House Rules Committee.

Now in his sixth year of serving in the 97th District, Batinick also serves as House GOP floor leader and has earned a reputation for being a dogged advocate for property tax and pension reform.

“Good policy is good politics, and we need to get back to that focus,” he said at the time he was installed in the position in a post to his website. “When we produce good legislation to support policies, it’s in the best interests of our state and our residents. As floor leader I hope to help make this happen.”

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