Jason Barickman

Barickman was born May 1, 1975 in Streator, Illinois. Barickman was raised on his family farm in rural Livingston County. He graduated from Woodland High School before going on to Illinois State University, where he served as the student body president, and the University of Illinois College of Law. Following his graduation from law school, he became the Chair of the Champaign County Republican Central Committee. Barickman, a veteran, served in the Illinois Army National Guard as an infantry soldier.[1][2] He is a principal at the Meyer Capel law firm. Barickman lives in Bloomington with his wife and three children.[3]

Following the election of former State Senator Dan Rutherford as Illinois State Treasurer then State Rep. Shane Cultra was selected to fill out Rutherford's remaining term in the Illinois State Senate. Barickman was then appointed to fill Cultra's vacated House seat. Vacancies in the Illinois Legislature are filled by a weighted vote of the Republican Party Chairmen of those counties within the district.[4] As Champaign County GOP Chairman, Barickman voluntarily relinquished his vote for both the senate and house seats, avoiding any perceived conflict of interest. Barickman then served a two-year term as a State Representative from the 105th House District in Illinois, a district that comprised parts of Livingston, Iroquois, Ford, McLean, Vermilion and Champaign counties.[5]

Following Illinois' redistricting process and adoption of new legislative maps, Barickman announced his candidacy for the new 53rd Senate district. The 53rd district consists of all or parts of Ford, Iroquois, Livingston, McLean, Vermillion, and Woodford counties. Barickman was elected to the Illinois State Senate on November 6, 2012.

On February 14, 2013, the Illinois State Senate voted on a gay-marriage bill (the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act). Barickman was the lone Republican senator to vote for the bill.[6]

During the 2014 regular legislative session, Barickman, as co-chair of the Legislative Audit Commission, was heavily involved in the audit of former Governor Pat Quinn's controversial Neighborhood Recovery Initiative (NRI), a program which was hastily implemented by Quinn in the weeks leading up to the election, and was described by many as a wasteful disaster. NRI spent more than $50 million in taxpayer funding in grants to agencies in Chicago. This was followed by multiple criminal investigations and an additional state audit.[7]

Barickman has continued to work with members of both political parties to address the shortcomings in Illinois grant law to prevent future disasters similar to NRI.

On September 18, 2016 following Deputy Minority Leader Senator Matt Murphy's (R-Palatine) resignation from the Republican Leadership, and Illinois Senate, Republican Minority Leader Christine Radogno (R-Lemont) appointed Barickman to Republican Minority Whip for the Republican Senate Caucus,[8] then after the next recent election, Senator Barickman was promoted to one of four Assistant Republican Leadership positions. When the 102nd General Assembly convened in January of 2021, Barickman was elevated to Caucus Chair and is now also serving as the Caucus Floor Leader.[9]

Senator Barickman was heavily involved in the process of reforming Illinois' outdated formula for distributing school funding. He was the first to file legislation establishing an Evidence Based Model (EBM).[10] Through his advocacy, the EBM concept was eventually embraced by lawmakers from both parties and the Governor, and was the basis for a new funding system signed into law in 2017.[11]

• Biography, bills and committees at the 98th Illinois General Assembly
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• Profile at Vote Smart