Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Big Tobacco’s least favorite lawmaker spun some tales during what was billed as a “farewell speech” to a joint session of the Illinois General Assembly Wednesday.

Years after his father died from smoking, retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) was late for a plane. The gate agent gave him the only ticket left. “This is a middle seat in the smoking section? Isn’t there something you can do? And she said, ‘No, but there is something you can do.’ So I got on the plane and sat in that center seat between two chain-smoking sumo wrestlers. I thought to myself, there’s got to be a better way.”

Durbin drew a connection between Presidents Lincoln and Trump – in that the current climate around elections evokes, to Durbin, the “House Divided” speech. “One of the fundamentals of constitutional democracy is the integrity of elections; that losers will accept results. Debates in Congress and contests in our courts indicate that this next election (Nov. 3, 2026) may be challenged in ways we have never seen before in our history.”

The joint session was meant to celebrate Durbin’s 44-year career on Capitol Hill.

“My life has been genuinely enriched by helping people from our great state and nation,” concluded the senator. “I hope yours will be as well.”

Members of the Illinois Freedom Caucus urged Republicans to boycott the speech. Said a caucus news release: “Many have not forgotten Senator Durbin comparing American interrogators to Nazis during debate over Guantanamo Bay detainee policies, an outrageous attack against Americans who simply believed in protecting national security.“