Greetings —
I hope you are well! Thank you to everyone who participated in my Tele-Town Hall at the end of last month with State Rep. Steve Reick. More than 3,000 constituents participated in the call and we were able to discuss a range of important topics affecting Illinois.
Friday of last week was the deadline for members of the House of Representatives to advance bills out of committee for consideration by the full House. At the deadline, 643 House bills had been passed out of committee. Unfortunately, only 64 of the 643 bills advanced through the committee process were Republican-sponsored bills. That’s a dismal 10% and a reflection of how one-party rule has gotten out of hand in our state. Millions of Illinoisans are represented by Republican Representatives and there is no justifiable reason to so aggressively limit the minority party except outright partisanship, which I think we should all find frustrating regardless of where we stand on the issues. I’d also point out that the numbers above could be the same EVEN IF THEY GAVE CONSIDERATION AND VOTED DOWN the bills they do not like. Good bills, bad bills, Democrat or Republican…give serious bills a chance to be heard in committee and given an up or down vote. Democrats have the majority, and they can vote “no” on the committee level as well as on the House floor.
Sadly, this is just one facet of how decorum has been falling by the wayside in Springfield as the majority party continues to shut down opposing views. As I was trying to make this point on the House floor and call for improved decorum this week, my microphone was unceremoniously cut off by the Democratic Speaker. Only after strenuous objection was I allowed to finish my remarks. There is more on this below, but I hope such an incident does not happen again. You can watch the video interaction at the link below.
The additional frustration we’ve seen in Springfield this year is the attempt by many Democrats to ignore the real problems Illinois is facing. Instead, they’d much rather debate national issues that we cannot impact or change. All the while, Illinoisans are being ignored as they implore us to make their lives better. For that, I’m sorry. I am attempting to move the needle and solve Illinois’ issues by pointing out the work you all sent us to the Capitol to do.
As we are coming out of the long, cold days of winter in our area, I want to implore you all to put your smartphones aside, grab a family member or the dog, and go outside to enjoy the beautiful world we call home. We are alive at the most incredible time in human history. Be happy and optimistic about where we are in time because we’ve only got so long on this Earth.
Below are additional legislative updates, as well as some updates for local transportation projects and local news. Thank you for reading!
Committee Deadline, Legislation, Road Work & More
Eliminating the franchise tax.
The franchise tax only hits a small handful of mostly mom-and-pop small businesses, doesn’t generate much revenue for the state and keeps other employers from investing in Illinois. It was supposed to be phased out as part of a bipartisan agreement for the Blue Collar Jobs Act in 2019, but Democrats walked back that commitment. Now is the time to eliminate it, as promised, and offer a more welcoming environment to potential job creators. To that end, I filed House Bill 2846. Read More Here.
Economic growth is essential to solve state financial problems.
In many facets of our state all I want is for Illinois to be “average,” let me explain. Illinois’ unemployment rate (4.9%) is nearly a full percentage point higher than the rest of the country (4.1%), while almost all of our neighboring states have unemployment rates below the national average. If we were average, we would have nearly 60,000 more employed Illinoisans working, contributing to our economy, and pumping millions more tax dollars into the state and our local communities, according to an analysis conducted by the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability. (If you factor in potential jobs lost due to out-migration since 2010, we’re talking about half a million more employed people contributing $1 billion to the state alone.)
If the state is serious about digging out of our financial hole, then creating opportunities for economic growth is by far the most effective thing we can do. That means rolling back the burdensome red tape that is holding us back and encouraging the development projects that position our state as a leader in growing industries, like data centers. Read More Here.
Leading the fight against human trafficking.
Victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation, especially children, represent our most vulnerable, and we need to do everything we can to hold traffickers accountable and provide support for victims to heal.
I’ve been proud to have multiple pieces of legislation passed into law over the past couple of years to support victims. However, as traffickers and abusers keep evolving their methods, we need to keep up the pressure to prevent them from continuing these heinous crimes. I want to extend my thanks and appreciation to the State’s Attorney’s offices in Kane, DeKalb and McHenry Counties for the work they do with local and regional law enforcement officers to root out trafficking by helping victims find a way out.
My colleagues and I will keep up the pressure in Springfield (see here), and I’m also pleased to see Kane County has stepped up and created a Human Exploitation Unit to investigate and prosecute human trafficking cases. Read More Here.
Balance is needed for AI regulation to ensure beneficial innovation.
As the development and use of AI technologies continues to grow, it’s important that we have a balanced approach that protects us from potential harms without stifling beneficial innovation.
From the Chicago Tribune: Like other state legislatures around the country, the Illinois General Assembly in the last couple of years has grappled with how to address a rapidly evolving technology that replicates human intelligence and, everyone seems to agree, has potential benefits as well as the ability to cause significant harm…
State Rep. Jeff Keicher, a Republican from Sycamore, said there’s no question the technology has benefits, noting the ways it might be used to provide accurate diagnoses through medical testing. But educators, for example, will need to be careful about any AI used in the classroom. Read More Here.
Reliable energy is vital for economic development.
There is a direct correlation between access to reliable energy and economic development. Ensuring our state’s energy policies and portfolio help us achieve our goals to grow jobs and opportunities is vital to that success.
Unfortunately, an outdated Illinois law is preventing us from ensuring our long-term goals for energy demand and economic growth are aligned. With advances in nuclear technology that have improved safety, now is the moment to end the moratorium on large-scale nuclear projects. It is the reliable, carbon-free energy source to help us seize this moment and meet our future needs that other forms of energy simply cannot provide.
I’m proud to be a lead sponsor on the House version of the bipartisan bill that was recently discussed in a Crain’s Chicago Business op-ed, and I hope to see it move forward to position our state as the leader it should be for advancing safe, clean nuclear energy. Read More Here.
Call for decency met with a cut off microphone.
There has been a growing frustration over the deterioration of basic decorum and feigned anger taking place on a daily basis from the other side of the aisle in the House Chamber. It is unlike almost anything we have seen in years. The people of Illinois are frustrated at the indifference from this body to take meaningful action that will improve their lives. Screaming about issues the state legislature has no control over while tens of thousands of unemployed Illinoisans want us to do something to make their lives better has to stop.
As I was trying to make this point on the House floor this week, my microphone was unceremoniously cut off by the Democratic Speaker.
We need to get to work for the people of this state. The fact that my remarks were cut off is beyond the pale and demonstrates exactly why a gerrymandered government under one-party rule is wrong. Read More and Watch the Video Here.
DeKalb County transportation projects for 2025.
The following road and transportation improvement projects are slated to be carried out by DeKalb County in 2025:
- Barber Greene Road: Resurfacing between Peace Road & Somonauk Road.
- Barber Greene Road: Construction of a bike/pedestrian trail between Peace Road and Loves Road.
- Glidden Road: Reconstruction of the south leg of the intersection with Base Line Road to improve sight distance.
- Peace Road: Replacement of the bridge over the Kishwaukee River and widening of the roadway to 2 lanes in each direction between IL Route 64 and Freed Road. Construction will take place in two stages to allow one-way traffic to flow throughout the duration of the project. One side is slated for completion in 2025, while the second side will be completed in 2026, and work will continue through the winter as the weather allows.
- Somonauk Road: Resurfacing between Chicago Road and US Route 30.
- Somonauk Road: Cross-road culvert extensions between Perry Road and Keslinger Road.
- Several other smaller paving and resurfacing projects are also slated throughout the county. The full Transportation Improvement Plan can be found in the DeKalb County Annual Budget – Click Here.
- I also want to give a shout out to the City of Sycamore for their continued updates and work on the Illinois Route 64 resurfacing scheduled to start soon.
Additional local updates.
- Kane County Forest Preserve Summer Camps: The Forest Preserve invites kids to cultivate a love for nature with fun-filled day camps. Explore woodland wonders, get your feet wet in local streams, and learn new skills during these five-day nature camps. Click Here for More.
- Murder Mystery Fundraiser for DeKalb Elder Care: Elder Care Services of DeKalb County is hosting a murder mystery dinner called Best Laid Plans on April 5. Click Here for Details.
- Whiskey Acres makes Elite 8: DeKalb’s Whiskey Acres Distilling Co. Blue Popcorn Bourbon was nominated for the Coolest Thing Made Illinois award for the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association’s Makers Madness competition. They have made it to the Elite 8, and you can vote for them to advance until Sunday, March 30. Click Here to Vote.
I hope you’ve found this update helpful. I’m honored to serve you as your State Representative. I am honored in the past few months to have earned the Illinois Chamber of Commerce “Bridge Builder” award reflecting the ability I’ve had to move measures forward through negotiation and hard work. I am also honored to have earned the Illinois Railroad Association “Railroader of the Year” award along with my colleague Rep Margaret Croke (D) in recognition of the work we have done in continuing to improve the freight rail environment in Illinois to foster job growth.
Illinois has the opportunity to be an amazing place with just a few minor tweaks to how things are done. I will continue to push for that change.
As always, please feel welcome to call or e-mail me with any questions, concerns, or feedback on these or any other issues. It has been a busy spring, and we are in the Capitol more weekdays this year than in the past. If you happen to find yourself traveling through Springfield, please let us know, and we will see if we can set aside some time to visit face to face.