We don't write papers, we build scrapbooks
We don't write papers, we build scrapbooks
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Some of my favorite childhood memories involve trips to the county fair, and this time of year counties across Illinois are continuing their traditions of bringing people together for celebrations of community spirit. From hot dogs, lemon shake-ups, cotton candy, and funnel cakes, to livestock exhibits, carnival rides, concerts, and pageants, county fairs offer something for everyone. The centerpiece of county fairs is livestock exhibits and judging. In the months and sometimes years leading up...
The State of Illinois lost a great legislator last year when Republican State Representative and Floor Leader Mark Batinick retired. He was a fiscal hawk who was a true problem-solver. He did not promote a partisan agenda, but instead viewed policy ideas, regardless of who sponsored them, through a comprehensive lens of cost-benefit-consequence. Mark and I had a conversation the other day about the dangers of unintended consequences, and how sometimes legislation that looks and sounds good can a...
There is no denying Illinois has an outmigration problem. And it is not just retired people leaving Illinois for warmer climates. The most recent data available show that Illinois is losing residents of all age ranges and income brackets. Census estimates claim Illinois’ population shrank by over 104,000 people between July 2021 and July 2022. These numbers are the second worst in the nation. It is especially disheartening when states all around Illinois are experiencing an increase in p...
No one likes paying taxes. And in Illinois, we pay some of the highest property taxes in the nation. The headlines proclaiming Illinois has one of the worst overall tax burdens in the United States have become so prevalent, that people have become desensitized to it. Rather than accepting it as “normal for Illinois” we should be asking “Why is this normal in Illinois?” Tax bills are arriving, and in Northwest Illinois families everywhere are scratching their heads, wondering why it costs s...
Many say the only constant in life is change. We see this as businesses continually adapt to remain competitive and profitable, and schools respond to economic trends to produce graduates that can succeed at jobs many of us never thought would even exist when we were young. While the rate of change can be dizzying, one thing that will never change is the value and importance of the Illinois farmer. I was born and raised in Northwest Illinois, home to several of the more than 70,000 farms in...
A primary responsibility of state government is to protect those who otherwise cannot protect or take care of themselves. Sadly, in too many cases, the State of Illinois is failing these most vulnerable citizens and their families. In Northwest Illinois, we are far removed from the atrocities that have been uncovered at the Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center in the southern Illinois community of Anna. But with the state-run Mabley Developmental Center located nearby in Dixon, you...
We all have an internal compass that guides our decisions and our behavior. And for those who seek public office, their ethical standards should be beyond reproach. Most people enter politics for the right reasons. They want to give back to their communities. They want good schools, or good parks or library systems. They see a problem and want to be part of the solution. These community leaders go about their work honestly, ethically, and with little fanfare. In Springfield, I work alongside...
Friday, February 10 marked the 2023 bill filing deadline in Springfield, and at the end of the day there were 2,442 Senate Bills and 2,000 House Bills filed. Almost all are bills of substance seeking a legislative change. About a dozen of these bills are mine, and they address a variety of issues that those living in Northwest Illinois have said are important to them, like protecting Second Amendment rights for lawful gun owners, supporting law enforcement officers, and strengthening the...
I hope this finds you and your family well and wish for you the best of the holiday season. As we approach the year’s end, I want to take a moment to thank you for the privilege of representing your interests in Springfield. I am humbled by and grateful for the trust you have placed in me. On your behalf, I cast votes on hundreds of pieces of legislation this year and on January 1 more than 180 of those bills will go into effect as new state laws. Some of those include: - The cost of license p...
I hope this update finds you enjoying the holiday season with family and friends. The Illinois House and Senate recently convened in Springfield for the second week of Veto Session, concluding December 1. The session dealt with major issues of State policy on which action was required prior to the end of the year. Illinois Democrats passed changes to the so-called “SAFE-T” Act during the final hours of Veto Session. The SAFE-T Act legislation, HB 1095, passed with the minimum required number of...
The holidays are a time to reflect and express appreciation to the people who enrich our lives with the gift of their friendship and service to others in our community. This year, I am exceptionally proud of my friend and colleague State Representative Tony McCombie, who has been elected by her peers to serve as the new House Republican Leader when the new General Assembly takes office in January. This is history-making, as Tony will be become the first woman ever to lead a legislative caucus...
Keeping people safe is one of the basic responsibilities of government. Tragically, under a new law set to go into effect on January 1 here in Illinois, criminals including violent offenders will have a lot more rights and police and prosecutors will be severely undermined in their ability to do their jobs, putting families across Illinois at-risk. How did we get here? During the final hours of the 2021 lame duck session, Illinois Democrats rammed through anti-police, pro-criminal legislation...
August 27 marks the anniversary of the historic debate between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas held in Freeport in 1858. Douglas, a Democrat and a powerful U.S. Senator, was challenged by Lincoln, a lawyer from Springfield and a member of the new Republican Party. Freeport hosted the second of seven debates between the two candidates that year, who were to face each other again just two years later in the presidential election of 1860. According to the Lincoln-Douglas Society of Freeport,...
Ever wonder who to contact when you have a question or concern relating to government? Before picking up the phone or sitting down in front of the computer to send an e-mail to your elected officials, take a moment to consider what level of government your issue applies to. Doing so can help you save time and get a quicker response from the right person or agency. We understand that navigating the maze of government can be confusing for even the most well-informed citizen. That’s why my staff a...
Every year in Illinois, thousands of families lose a loved one to the preventable tragedy of opioid addiction and prescription drug abuse. Unused or unwanted medicine needs to be disposed of properly to help prevent accidental poisoning, substance abuse, and contamination of water resources. Let’s take a quick look at the statistics and then get specific about what each of us can do to make a difference. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, there were 2,944 Opioid Overdose D...
As your State Representative, I take my responsibility to fight for the best quality of life for our senior citizens here in Northwest Illinois seriously. Our state owes a great deal of gratitude to retired Americans, and those about to retire, who have contributed so much to our community. I am determined to do everything I can to help provide security in your retirement years. My role is to be an advocate and connection to the resources and services that you deserve from your state...
Illinois Democrats passed a new state budget on April 9 full of election-year gimmicks and self-congratulations. With the federal spigot set to stop flowing, Illinois has to get serious about getting our budget right. Democrats’ priorities are out of whack. The so-called ‘higher than expected state revenues’ exist because of inflation, not because of real economic growth. It isn’t surprising when the state gets more sales tax dollars when the price of gas, groceries and consumer goods goes up...
Public trust in Illinois state government is at an all-time low following the recent indictment of former House Speaker Mike Madigan on 22 counts of federal racketeering charges that detail how he used his official simultaneous positions as Speaker of the House, Chicago’s 13th Ward Democratic Committeeman and Chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois to run a criminal enterprise for more than a decade. I was one of the three original petitioners to begin the process of investigating the c...
Last January, Illinois Democrats passed the Safe-T Act during the final hours of the lame-duck session of the last General Assembly, in one of the final acts of Speaker Michael Madigan. Since that time, a crime wave was set in motion throughout Illinois which threatens public safety as well as led the countless retirements of more experienced law enforcement officers and exodus from Illinois of many officers toward the beginning of their career. Over 40 of the 102 Illinois County Sheriffs have...
As the science shifts on masking and mask mandates, Governor JB Pritzker is stubbornly and sadly sticking to his voracious appetite for unchecked power at all costs. Late last week, Sangamon County Judge Raylene Grischow placed a temporary hold on the Governor’s mask, vaccine, testing, and quarantine mandates at 170 Illinois schools involved in a lawsuit against the mandates. The judge’s decision prevents schools involved in the lawsuit from implementing those kinds of mitigations. The jud...
According to the U.S. Department of Justice (USDOJ), a hate crime is a “crime motivated by bias against race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability. Hate crimes have a broader effect than most other kinds of crime. Hate crime victims include not only the crime’s immediate target but also others like them. Hate crimes affect families, communities, and at times, the entire nation.” Hate crimes are heinous acts of crime committed with a bias...
The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board published an editorial about a month ago titled, “The Fleeing Young of Illinois”. It’s worth a read and a hard look in the mirror for all Illinoisans, but especially for our progressive democrat friends. The editorial discusses the reasons people, particularly young people, flee Illinois at such an incredible rate. Illinois is one of only three states, including West Virginia and Mississippi to have lost population since 2010. I do not think the edito...
As we usher in 2022, many Illinoisans turn our thoughts to accomplishments and challenges of the past year and look forward to the hope delivered by a new year. Like many, the end of the year found me reflecting on the past year. Let’s hope 2022 is not reflective of 2021. Just under one year ago, the Illinois General Assembly entered what proved to be one of the most eventful lame-duck Sessions in decades. The Illinois House met for the Lame-Duck Session in the Bank of Springfield Center a...
I love the Christmas season and the goodness it brings out in people throughout the world. As we celebrate the most glorious gift given us by God, I am always impressed at the benevolence and kindness of our neighbors and our shared Northwest Illinois values. I often get asked what I mean when I say, “Northwest Illinois values”. I first wrote about my definition of this in a Guest Column back in July 2019. At the time, I wrote the following: Living within one’s means. An honest day’s pay for...
The second week of Veto Session was marred with partisan rancor over issues which the Democrats swung the pendulum, again, too far to the left due to overzealousness to their progressive ideals over addressing the issues families care about. Their actions speak for themselves. I wrote in my last column about what Democrats perpetrated during Veto Session, but now I want to bring everyone up to speed on some of the bipartisan actions taken since August which do run up the scoreboard for Illinois...
