William “Bill” Haine, former Illinois state senator from Madison County, dies at 77
Retired state Sen. William “Bill” Haine of Alton died Monday. He was 77 years old.
Haine’s son, Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine, announced his father’s passing.
“In this time of great sorrow, we feel great joy in knowing that Bill, our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, died peacefully,” Tom Haine said in a statement Monday. “He was to the end a man of deep and committed Faith in Jesus Christ, surrounded by the songs and prayers of his family, to whom he had offered every ounce of his care and devotion.”
He is survived by his wife, Anna, and many children and grandchildren.
William and Anna Haine marked their 50th wedding anniversary at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Alton with a public mass earlier in August.
Haine was born in 1944 in Alton and attended St. Louis University Law School. He later earned his doctorate from the law school.
Haine went on to serve on the Madison County Board and as the Madison County State’s Attorney for 14 years, the office his son now holds.
Tom Haine was sworn into office as state’s attorney by his father after being elected in 2020.
In 2002, Haine, a Democrat, was appointed to fill the seat of retiring Senator Evelyn Bowles. He served as the 56th District’s senator for five terms. The 56th Senate District covers most of Madison County — including Alton, Wood River and Edwardsville — and stretches south to Interstate 64 to include parts of O’Fallon.
Haine announced he would not seek re-election in 2017. Earlier that year, he had been diagnosed with blood cancer. The year he retired marked his 40th as an elected official.
During his time in the state Senate, Haine aided in the passage of a plan to update and fix the levee system in the metro-east, obtained money to expand Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and Interstate 255, and helped craft the state’s medical marijuana law.
“It has been my honor to represent the people of the metro-east region,” Haine said in an interview with the News-Democrat on his retirement in 2017. “They are my neighbors, my friends, the people of the communities of my life. I have always tried my best to serve them, and I hope I have done a good job.”
The Illinois State’s Attorneys Association awarded him the Outstanding Legislator Award in 2009, in recognition of his advocacy for public safety.
After retiring from the Illinois Senate, Gov. J.B. Pritzker nominated Haine for a position on the Illinois State Board of Elections in 2019. He was confirmed unanimously by the Illinois Senate.
Madison County Democratic Party Chair Randy Harris described Haine as a “tireless advocate” for working families and the metro-east in a statement Monday.
“Bill had a passion for helping and making a difference in people’s everyday lives,” the statement read. “His dedication to both his faith and family was to be admired and celebrated. Bill was a true warrior and champion for our Region, and we will all sorely miss him.”
Third Circuit Court Judge William “Bill” Mudge described Haine as a friend and mentor to many and said his work as Madison County’s State’s Attorney, a county board member and state senator, was “exemplary.”
This story was originally published August 16, 2021 at 3:08 PM.