U.S. Sen. Richard Durbin, a Springfield attorney, has introduced a proposal to subsidize law student loans for graduates who commit to serving as assistant state's attorneys or public defenders for at least three years.

A similar bill passed in the U.S. House on May 16 would retire up to $60,000 of an individual's debt, with a cap of $25 million annually.

The Senate version has been approved by the Judiciary Committee and is awaiting action on the floor. The ISBA has supported such a proposal for several years.

Durbin is serving fellow Democrats in this session as assistant majority leader, the Senate's second highest ranking leadership position.

“Our party is a diverse one, as is my home state of Illinois,” he said. “The lessons I have learned representing my state will help me to serve as assistant leader of this extraordinary caucus.”

Sen. Durbin serves on the Appropriations Committee and Judiciary Committee, and several subcommittees of each. He is also a member of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee.

Also known as majority whip, the assistant majority leader is responsible for counting votes and monitoring legislation in day-to-day action on the Senate floor.

The appellation is derived from “whipper-in,” a fox-hunting term for the person in charge of preventing dogs from straying during a chase.

Four other senators from Illinois have held leadership positions, beginning with Shelby Moore Cullom, who was Republican Conference chair from 1911 to 1913. J. Hamilton Lewis became the first Democratic whip in 1913.

Scott W. Lucas served as Democratic whip from 1947 to 1949, and majority leader until 1951. Everett McKinley Dirksen was elected Republican whip in 1957, and was minority leader from 1959 to 1969.