SE Illinois News

Republican state Rep. Darren Bailey (R-Louisville) was slated to be released from Memorial Medical Center late Monday, one day after he collapsed on the House floor and rushed to the hospital.

“All the tests have come back clear,” Bailey said in a release on Jan. 11. “We give God the glory for His healing touch. I look forward to returning to the Bank of Springfield Center to continue doing the people’s work.”

Bailey was down for several minutes before standing and ultimately taken out of the Springfield Center on a gurney.

Late Sunday night, Bailey released a statement indicating that he had tested negative for COVID, the local Patch.com site reported. Earlier in the day, the Republican lawmaker issued a statement that he experienced a “minor medical issue” during proceedings causing him to faint.

“Thank you to absolutely everyone who has lifted me up in prayer, called, and messaged Cindy and me with words of encouragement and kindness,” he said in the statement on his website.

Republican House Leader Jim Durkin (R-Burr Ridge) said Bailey had also recently suffered “gastrointestinal issues over the past few days” and may have passed out because he hadn’t eaten all day on Sunday, Patch.com reported.

Soon after a group stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Bailey told Politico he and his wife were embarking on a 21-day fast “because our nation needs prayer now.”

Earlier this year, Bailey became a household name in the world of politics after taking on Gov. J.B. Pritzker over his executive orders shutting down much of the state as a way of mitigating the spread of the virus. Initially, a downstate judge ruled in his favor regarding Clay County, but in December, a Sangamon County judge moved to erase that decision. 

On Sunday, Pritzker took to Twitter to wish Bailey a speedy recovery.