Greetings Joel —
I hope you are well! This edition of my newsletter is primarily a brief recap highlighting the end of the spring session. We spent lots of time in Springfield this year, and what you find below is nowhere near a full listing of the various matters we looked at. If you have a specific issue or concern that you want to dig a bit deeper into, please let me know by dropping an email reply.
Late on Saturday night, the Illinois General Assembly passed the Fiscal Year 2026 Illinois budget, a $55.2 billion budget that increases state spending by $2 billion more than last year and includes $1 billion in tax hikes. This year, we saw the first glimpse of the budget the day before.
In a mere six years under Governor Pritzker and with the assistance of gerrymandered Democrat majorities in the legislature, the state budget has ballooned from $40 billion to more than $55 billion. That $15 billion increase amounts to a 38% increase in spending. 38% increase in just six years! But all that extra spending has done virtually nothing to improve services for the families, seniors and most vulnerable in our society. When we look at Meals on Wheels, senior living support, adults with disabilities, the PUNS backlog, domestic violence shelters and victims of crime – we see them ignored in favor of spending programs that don’t help those most in need.
Yet, Democrats are again doubling down on the same failed economic and budgeting strategy that has caused our state to fall behind all our neighboring states for years. This budget takes from the road fund, funds more pet projects for Democrats, gives legislators a pay raise – while working families are struggling to make ends meet, and adds insult to injury with $1 billion in tax hikes.
Government doesn’t have its own money; what it spends, it takes from the people. The people deserve a budget that puts families and economic opportunity first, not another budget crafted behind closed doors with tax hikes that will only drive more people out of Illinois.
For more on the budget, click here.
Below are additional updates from the past couple of weeks and some other news. As always, thank you for reading!
State Budget, Taxes, Legislation & More
Federal prosecutors seek 12.5-year sentence for Madigan.
The federal government is seeking a prison sentence of 12.5 years and a fine of $1.5 million for former Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, Michael J. Madigan, who was convicted on corruption charges earlier this year. Madigan will face sentencing on June 13.
“The crimes charged and proven at trial demonstrate that Madigan engaged in corrupt activity at the highest level of state government for nearly a decade,” federal prosecutors argued in their sentencing memo. “Time after time, Madigan exploited his immense power for his own personal benefit by trading his public office for private gain for himself and his associates, all the while carefully and deliberately concealing his conduct from detection.” Read More Here.
Bill improving school safety passes unanimously.
In the final days of the spring session, both the House and Senate unanimously passed legislation I was proud to carry in the House to improve school safety. Senate Bill 71 is in response to a hazardous material spill that revealed a gap in how schools handle their emergency and disaster plans.
This legislation arose following a chemical spill near a school in Ohio. The school administration wasn’t sure what to do, and there was some conflicting information about whether they should evacuate students, lock the school down, shut off the HVAC systems, or what.
While the chemical spill occurred in Ohio, the event prompted Illinois officials to review emergency guidance for schools in Illinois, only to realize no such guidance existed. Through SB 71, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and the Office of Homeland Security will develop guidance for Illinois schools to incorporate into their emergency plans in the event of a hazardous waste spill or explosion that happens near a school. Read More Here.
Bill reducing barriers for senior drivers ready for Gov’s signature.
House Bill 1226, which was introduced in partnership with the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office, raises the age for mandatory road tests for older drivers renewing a driver’s license. The bipartisan effort builds upon a proposal I introduced in 2024 to end the discriminatory practice of requiring behind-the-wheel tests for seniors based on age as the sole factor. Having passed the Illinois House earlier this spring, the legislation is now ready to be signed into law by the Governor.
Illinois is the only state in the country that requires driving tests based solely on age, even though data has consistently shown older drivers are actually some of the safest on the road. Passing this bill is a long-overdue action to respect our seniors, reduce barriers and annual costs for them to maintain their driving privileges, and see each person as an individual instead of making assumptions about them because of their age.
I still believe we need to do more so that road tests are determined based on more appropriate factors like driving record and ability to safely operate a vehicle, regardless of age, but this legislation is a critical step forward. I want to thank the Secretary of State’s Office, Sen. Don DeWitte, Reps. Jay Hoffman and Joyce Mason, and all the bipartisan supporters who helped us get this legislation passed through the General Assembly. I look forward to the Governor signing the bill into law this summer. Read More Here.
Scam Alert: Watch out for new DMV text scam.
The Secretary of State’s Office is warning Illinoisans to keep on the lookout for text message scams claiming to be from the “Illinois State Department of Motor Vehicles” that threaten to suspend vehicle registration and driving privileges.
The text messages are phishing attempts designed to trick residents into giving up personal or financial information. Recipients should not respond to or open any links found in unsolicited texts and emails.
The Secretary of State’s Office only sends text messages to remind residents about scheduled DMV appointments. It does not send text messages regarding driver’s license or vehicle registration status. Read More Here.
Government-backed investment pool is slippery slope.
Last week, I spoke on the House floor against a bill (SB 246) to create a state-run investment pool for some types of non-profits. That seems ok on its face until you take a closer look.
The State Treasurer’s Office will be hosting investment accounts for organizations that engage in political activism, implying state government endorsement of these organizations. Non-profits involved in social advocacy, climate policy, anti-business campaigns, and even labor unions engaged in lobbying would be eligible for this government-backed investment pool.
It is a very slippery slope that creates direct government participation in helping organizations raise more money that could be used to lobby the very government that invested the money for them. That’s not a proper use of government resources, especially when there are already private investment options out there for non-profits. Watch the Video Here.
Making the case for TIF reform, again…
Abuse of TIF districts has exploited taxpayers and stripped funding that should go to our schools. The heart of my objections has always been about the abuse of the property tax system that is saddling taxpayers with burdens, while cities often enjoy a slush fund at the expense of underfunding our schools.
Despite these realities, many in Springfield don’t seem bothered and passed legislation to extend several current TIFs anyway. We have TIFs right now that go back all the way to 1990, we should not be extending these and allowing them to be bastardized.
To be clear, I’m not suggesting the elimination of TIFs. When truly blighted areas in need of assistance are turned around, as intended, I support the use of TIFs. St. Charles’ downtown is a perfect example of a well-executed TIF plan that has helped grow and enhance the city. We must reform TIFs if we want to reform school funding in the state of Illinois. Watch the Video Here.
Additional legislation updates:
Below are some more updates on several pieces of legislation, some of which I supported, and a few concerning bills I did not support.
Bills I have sponsored or supported:
- House Bill 2521: This bill improves protections for our student-athletes by requiring all sports officials for school athletics to pass a fingerprint-based background check, as well as a check against the state’s sex offender registry and violence against youth database. It also requires these checks to be run every five years on officials to ensure that our students remain safe from potential predators. The bill previously passed the House, but was approved with an amendment in the Senate. However, at the end of session, there was additional information from IHSA that was not taken into account in the language and we didn’t have the time on the calendar to make the appropriate fix before the May 31 spring session adjournment. I thank my peer Rep. Joyce Mason for handing this important piece of legislation off to me last month.
- Senate Bill 191: This bill establishes a process to start equipping our school buses with seat belts. There have been various reasons why this has not happened in the past, but it’s an obvious safety concern for our children. It has language that is “as replaced,” so there is no need to retrofit what is existing on current buses. This has been an issue for me as a member of the insurance industry. The bill has passed both Houses and is ready to be sent to the Governor for his signature.
- Senate Bill 407: Absenteeism in our schools was a problem before covid, but the pandemic has exacerbated this problem, and we’re still not back to pre-pandemic levels. In discussions with teachers and administrators, this has grown to be a significant issue, especially in our underperforming schools. This legislation creates a task force to study the root causes, analyze the problem and offer solutions. The bill has passed both chambers and is ready for the Governor’s signature.
- Senate Bill 1605: Vocational education opportunities have helped many students find an education and career path that suits them better than the traditional classroom. Through this legislation, we are adding agricultural programs (“Ag”) to satisfy the vocational education requirements and open more opportunities for students. This bill has also passed both chambers and is ready for the Governor to sign into law.
- House Bill 2774: Rather than relying primarily on a hodgepodge of referral services, as we do now, this legislation directs the Department of Human Services to establish a single, easy-to-use statewide Domestic Violence Hotline system to provide vital assistance to anyone facing domestic violence. The bill is now ready for the Governor to sign into law.
Concerning bills:
- Senate Bill 26: This is a deeply troubling piece of legislation for a state like Illinois that is trying to attract more jobs and opportunities. This bill would expand lawsuit jurisdiction to allow for companies that operate in Illinois to be sued for violating Illinois law, even if the “action” occurred in another state where it is not against the law. Basically, Illinois is trying to enforce its laws beyond our borders and sue companies for actions in other states. This would raise serious concerns about violating the interstate commerce clause in the U.S. Constitution. Fortunately, the bill did not pass the Senate before the spring session deadline.
- Senate Bill 1950: Physician-Assisted Suicide. This is one of the most difficult subjects, emotionally, we’ve taken up during my time in the General Assembly. The bill allows for patients given a diagnosis of six months to live to be prescribed lethal medication. After thoughtful consideration, taking into account the opposition of the majority of Illinois physicians, and receiving many requests from concerned residents, I voted against this legislation. I am deeply concerned about the strength of safeguards in the bill to ensure that a person is fully able to make this decision in a sound mind and with proper information, as well as concerns about the unintended consequences of lethal drugs being prescribed and taken at home. The most basic function of any government is to protect the people from harm. Legalizing physician-assisted suicide flies in the face of that responsibility and I believe denigrates human dignity. The bill was held up on an amendment concurrence vote in the Senate, so it did not pass before the spring session was adjourned.
Kids Fair.
Rep. Dan Ugaste and I are hosting our annual Kids Fair on Saturday, June 21, at Chapelstreet Church in Geneva. The event will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Chapelstreet Church is located at 3435 Keslinger Road.
This family-oriented and activity-filled event includes free admission, refreshments, and giveaways. Demonstrations will be given by the Kane County Sheriff’s K-9, Traveling World of Reptiles Show, DancEncounter School of Dance, and World Martial Arts Academy. A medical helicopter from Superior Air Medical will be landing at 10 a.m., and a drawing for a bicycle is scheduled for 11:15 a.m.
Kids will have 27 options for Touch-A-Truck activities, and there will also be face-painting stations. Information and activities include a fire safety puppet show, I-Cash, transportation, tutoring, child ID’s, childcare assistance, and more. Click Here for More.
This spring, we were able to stop a lot of bad legislation that did not move forward. It was a year that I will look back on more for the things that could have happened but didn’t.
I head down to our state Capitol each session day to return Illinois to a place people want to come, not flee. We have tremendous opportunities, we sit at the center of the country, we have abundant resources and world-class companies. We need to do more to attract job creators by reducing the barriers to entering this state, creating jobs and growing.
If Illinois had grown at the average rate of the 6 states we border between 2010 and 2020, there would be an additional 722,000 people who call Illinois home. Of that, we’d have an additional 451,000 people in jobs generating $26,609,000,000 in household income…that’s if we were AVERAGE. But as it sits now, we have 55,400 people underemployed because our unemployment rate in Illinois is higher than AVERAGE. We need to stop digging the hole we find ourselves in and grow our way out.
I hope you’ve found this update helpful. I’m honored to serve you as your State Representative. As always, please feel welcome to call or e-mail me with any questions, concerns, or feedback on these or any other issues. Over the summer, we will have a robust schedule of events and activities to share. Continue to follow this newsletter to be the first to know about those.