DuPage County board votes to remove Henry Hyde name from judicial office facility after hours of public comment

WHEATON, Ill. — The DuPage County Board voted 10–5 (with two abstentions and one absence) on Feb. 11 to rescind a 2010 decision that had named the county's judicial office building for former U.S. Rep. Henry J. Hyde.

The measure, introduced by Vice Chair Michael Childress, rescinds County Board Resolution CB5510 and directs that the building be known as the DuPage County Judicial Office Facility. ‘‘It is my belief that our judicial office facility should be known simply as the DuPage County Judicial Office Facility,’’ Chair Deborah A. Conroy said when presenting the resolution on the floor.

Why it matters: Supporters of the rescission argued the courthouse should be nonpartisan and welcoming to all users; opponents called Hyde’s long public service and local projects central to DuPage history. The debate highlighted national and local divisions over Hyde’s association with the federal Hyde Amendment, which restricts use of federal funds for abortion services and was a central grievance cited by several board members and public commenters.

Public comment: More than two hundred submissions were logged through the board’s online portal and dozens of residents spoke in person. Anthony Hyde, who identified himself as the congressman’s son, urged the board to ‘‘consider who my father was broadly and not 0 in on just 1 particular issue’’ and asked the board to reject the change. ‘‘Please vote no,’’ he said. Supporters of the change pointed to written public comments and online submissions that, according to several board members, included more messages favoring removal than retention.

Board debate: Members expressed sharply divergent views during roughly two hours of discussion. Member Ozog said she believed ‘‘this building should never have been named in the first place, named after anyone’’ and favored a neutral name for the judicial facility. Member Zay, by contrast, called Hyde’s record a benefit to DuPage, saying ‘‘his fingerprints are all over this county’’ and urging colleagues to respect the 2010 unanimous decision that originally approved the naming. Member Tonatori cautioned, ‘‘just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should,’’ and said the vote risked deepening partisan divides.

Vote and next steps: The roll call produced 10 ayes, 5 nays, 2 abstentions and 1 absence; the chair declared the motion carries and the board moved on to other business. The resolution does not specify an effective date beyond the board’s action; county staff recorded the vote and will implement the board’s direction to remove the honorary name from the judicial facility signage and references. No implementation timeline or budget for changing signage was provided during the meeting.

Context and background: The 2010 resolution naming the judicial office facility for Henry J. Hyde sparked little public opposition at that time, several speakers said. Opponents of the naming in 2025 focused on Hyde’s association with the Hyde Amendment and its impact on access to federally funded abortions for low-income residents; supporters and several longtime residents and former staffers recounted Hyde’s congressional work on issues such as foreign aid, flood mitigation projects that benefited DuPage, and other local investments.

What was not decided: The board did not place any restrictions on future naming policy county-wide, and it did not vote on changes to other county building names. No formal timetable for physical changes to signage or records was given at the meeting.