It cost state taxpayers more than $100,000 to have the House decide on a party line vote that Ray Christensen beat Jerry Weller in the November election for the 85th District House seat. The House Elections Commitee investigated Democrat Christensen's challenge to Republican Weller's four-vote November victory. The House voted to unseat Weller April 2. The committee approved the expenses on June 11.

It voted to reimburse the Chicago law firms who represented Weller and Christensen $87,059.37. Under House rules, Upstate must pay the legal fees of members involved in election contests. Statehouse lobbyist Andrew Raucci was Christensen's attorney; his firm, Kusper and Raucci, will get $47,303.02. Sheldon Gardner and George Pontikes handled Weller's case; their firm, Foss, Schuman, Drake and Barnard,will receive $39,756.35.

The committee also voted to reimburse the clerks of District 85's four counties —Grundy, Kankakee. LaSalle and Will - for various expenses related to the recount, a total of $1,556.56. In addition, the committee racked up $27,407 in bills to court reporters, who recorded the recount hearings.

In all, the House Elections Committee's expenses totaled $116,022.93. One Republican member, Rep. John Countryman (R-76 Dekalb), complained that for that money, "We could have conducted a special election in the 85th District." The committee's expenses were included in an amendment to an appropriations bill for the General Assembly and various state agencies. As the House adjourned for the summer, Christensen (D-85, Morris) said he plans to work his district, covering all the cities and towns. Weller, who dropped his plans for a lawsuit challenging his ouster from the House, plans to continue hog farming and his activities in the Republican party. In June he became acting president of the Grundy County Lincoln Club, a base of support he says for his next campaign — to try to win back the 85th District seat in 1988.

Chris Gaudet