We don't write papers, we build scrapbooks
We don't write papers, we build scrapbooks
Sorted by date Results 51 - 75 of 95
To say the Democrats “have taken Illinois families for granted in the past” is the understatement of the year. But now, they have openly declared war on families. Taxpayer funding of abortion was just the start a few years ago. Now, late at night in the second week of the Fall Veto Session of the Illinois House, Democrats passed legislation and sent it to the Governor to allow young girls, 17 and under, to be provided an abortion without ever telling their parents (Senate Bill 1169, House Ame...
It seems that politicians often forget that the money they are spending comes from you, the hardworking families of Illinois. The process by which legislators negotiate how to spend finite taxpayer resources should be based on public policy outcomes and not political considerations. Illinois residents can see evidence their state government is operating unethically by simply reading their newspaper. With that in mind, I proposed legislation to tackle unethical behavior and ensure our elected...
Purveyors of puppy mill pets have come unhinged. They are in full “freak-out” mode, furious about Illinois’ new policy focus favoring rescue pets. Many in our region may have seen their ridiculous propaganda filling their mailboxes as they launched a Chicago-machine-style smear campaign against me for the simple act of putting puppy mills out of business. That’s right! I’ll admit it. I sponsored, built a coalition around, and ultimately passed legislation to help put puppy mills out of busine...
Governor Pritzker announced new COVID mitigations this week, due in part to the spread of the “Delta variant”. New mitigations will include masking in schools. Without a doubt, the COVID-19 virus continues to infect Illinoisans while policies aimed at addressing the spread continue to divide Illinoisans like few other issues in our modern era. The coronavirus is serious, especially for the unvaccinated, and common-sense steps should be taken by those at increased risk of transmission or inf...
I LOVE a good County Fair! Nothing screams Summer in the Heartland more than this nostalgic American pastime. Northwest Illinois values will again be on full display through the tractor pulls, the demolition derbies, the hometown enjoyment of musical acts and displays of local excellence in desserts, fruits and vegetables and livestock and show animals. The subtle aroma of manure covered by the overpowering smell of deep-fried delights. The lights of carnival rides reflecting in the eyes of...
A recent poll conducted by Issues & Insights and Tippinsights found that 64% of young people age 18-24 are NOT proud to be an American. Young adults (18-24) were the age group least likely to say they were proud to be an American, the poll found, with increasing rates of American pride in each age bracket, up to 86% of adults over age 65 being proud to be an American. Included in this at-risk age groups are many of our active-duty military, the next generations of community leaders, and many...
While Alice Cooper’s School’s Out may not have been blaring on the steps of the State Capitol in the wee hours of the morning of June 1, Democrat legislators still delighted in their wins while turning in sloppy homework and asking for extra credit before leaving town for Summer Vacation. Due to an insistence by House Democrat legislators to reinsert legislative pay raises removed from state spending plans by Senate Democrats and panned by Republicans in both chambers, last minute changes wer...
You’d be hard-pressed to find a coach of any sport who will not echo the sentiment, “nothing good ever happens after midnight.” Doing anything in the wee hours of the morning is usually not a good idea. Coaches know that the phone calls they get after midnight are a harbinger of a bad day to come. Usually someone’s been arrested, been in an accident, or been in a fight. When it comes to legislating after midnight, it is usually the harbinger of really bad days to come. But, unfortu...
Over the past few weeks, the Illinois Democrats currently in charge of the State’s redistricting process have been holding mostly virtual, and a few hybrid and in-person, hearings throughout Illinois to garner resident feedback on the redistricting process following the decennial census. Many of the narrative testimonies provided by groups representing ethnic minority populations protected by the federal and state Voting Rights Acts have focused on the need for better representation of m...
Only a few issues get under my skin more than animal misuse, abuse and neglect. I believe our Northwest Illinois values recognize it is a moral imperative for Illinoisans to demand an end to puppy mills in favor of driving the pet market to more humane sources like shelters, and RESPONSIBLE breeders. I am the Chief Sponsor and fighting to pass House Bill 1711 in the Illinois House to end the market for puppy mills by ending the sale of commercially bred puppies in retail outlets. Many retailers...
After months of planning, I was pleased to join the Illinois House Republican caucus in announcing our comprehensive Reimagine Illinois public policy platform. In the same way the Contract with America helped Congressional Republicans communicate a leading vision of conservative values in 1994, the Reimagine Illinois platform makes it clear the Illinois House Republicans will not simply be the party of “no”, but rather we are turning words into action with over 80 plus meaningful reform bil...
Local health departments, medical groups, news media and many constituents have contacted my office recently frustrated by deficiencies in the rollout of the Coronavirus vaccination effort in Illinois. Limited supplies of vaccine paired with increased government-sponsored mass advertising encouraging vaccination have led to crashed sign-up websites, insufficient supply to meet demand, and sometimes long travel times to get to nearest vaccination sites. Sites have been set up only to be canceled...
Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle made history as one of the first committee witnesses to testify before the General Assembly via video stream during the lame-duck session in opposition to House Bill 3653, a purported police reform omnibus bill which instead threatens public safety in all of our communities. VanVickle opposed the unfunded mandates included in the bill as well as the process which forced this legislation through the lame-duck session and insufficiently solicited public input....
Without a doubt, 2020 has been a doozy! No one could be blamed for being tired and woozy. Just in case you’ve run out of holiday spirit and need to be reminded of what’s good that is near us, pick up your local paper and revel in these three stories from here which bring holiday cheer: Fully aware of 2020’s effect on all things, the annual Festival of Giving Toy Drive for Salvation Army in Freeport rolled with the changes it brings. Last year they collected over 1,300 toys to help area kids-...
The holiday season reminds us of all the blessings for which we are thankful and filled with gratitude. If there is one group of people that stand tallest in deserving our gratitude in 2020, it is frontline healthcare workers. The first responders, nurses, doctors, mental health professionals, public health administrators and many others deserve our sincere thanks and praise. They report to work every day, understanding the risks to themselves and their families, to help us and our families. We...
Voters’ rejection of the Tax Hike Amendment on November 3rd has brought into full focus the terribly unbalanced budget passed by the Democrat majority during the height of the pandemic in May of this year. You see, Governor JB Pritzker and democrat leaders were counting on at least $3.4 billion in new revenue generated by passage of the “Tax Hike” Amendment, about half of which they anticipated being available for this fiscal year. Their strategy failed and they now find themselves deali...
While Election results from Tuesday’s General Election will not be certified for several weeks, it certainly appears that voters have summarily rejected an effort backed by Governor JB Pritzker and Illinois Democrats to change our State Constitution to allow for a progressive income tax increase, which they believed would annually raise $3.7 billion in new taxes. It is not surprising that voters are sick and tired of the games played by Springfield politicians with continual and broken p...
The way the citizens of Illinois have been inundated these days with paid advertising, you would almost be led to believe that Illinois Democrats have not had unfettered power over our State Government for the past fifty years. Many progressives would have you thinking the top of every agenda at every unit of government should be expanding abortion, socializing healthcare, or all about “fairness”. All of this distracts from the truly unfair reality that the largest group of disenfranchised Ill...
We are now well into Governor Pritzker’s latest shutdown of the Northwest Illinois economy, purportedly because of “science and data”, regardless of whether that science and data contradicts the mitigation measures he has placed on Region 1 residents. First, the regions are arbitrarily designated, as I have pointed out in the past. Their boundaries were not built from hospital catchment areas, but rather regions drawn for other emergency protocols and ill-suited to fit the modern threat of co...
This past week, I enjoyed hosting my third TeleTownHall Meeting since the COVID pandemic set into Illinois this Spring. Many of you may have received a call from my office asking you to hold on the line on Tuesday (8/25) to go live with me via phone for this event. Much like my “Pizza and Politics” events hosted throughout 2019, these TeleTownHall Meetings allowed me an opportunity to provide a 20 minute legislative update and then allowed for at least 20 more minutes of direct questions and...
It seems the “thought police” are at it again, this time attacking the “power of positive thinking”. No doubt, it is exceptionally easy to get stuck in the mire of negativity that is part and parcel with political rhetoric in 2020. The empty calories of negativity have us all letting out our belts and feeling sluggish from the weight of it all. Some mainstream media commentators are attacking even the notion of positivity during times of adversity. How unfortunate for them. We are all product...
Northern District US Attorney, John Lausch, recently announced a US District Court filing which disclosed a deferred prosecution agreement for corporate bribery involving a “high-level official” he named as Public Official A. This is a continuation of their ongoing investigation into public corruption in the State of Illinois. Lausch went on to announce a high level, largest-ever settlement for the largest Utility provider operating in the State of Illinois, while making it clear that there was...
State Representative Andrew Chesney (R-Freeport) called on Speaker Michael Madigan to “resign from the General Assembly or be removed.” In the wake of ongoing federal investigations surrounding state and municipal governments that ultimately saw the resignation of several legislators, Rep. Andrew Chesney led the charge in sponsoring a package of bills aimed at ensuring Illinois has among the most stringent ethics laws in the nation this Spring. Chesney proposed fining members of the Ill...
Illinois hospitals serve a critically important role in Northwest Illinois communities. Not only is healthcare delivery one of the largest industries representing thousands of jobs in our region, they are also our frontline healthcare heroes in the fight against COVID and other communicable diseases. On July 7, Governor JB Pritzker signed into law a bipartisan piece of legislation which I was proud to support for our hospitals and the communities they serve. Senate Bill 2541 renewed the...
As the State of Illinois, as one unit and not regionally, moved into Phase 4 of Governor Pritzker’s Restore Illinois Plan, businesses across Illinois are working towards reopening but still under restrictions for many. As with each phase of the Governor’s Restore Illinois Plan, employers fueling our economy are finding inconsistencies and needs for improvement to allow them to operate their business without losing money by doing so. I recently sent a letter to Governor Pritzker regarding sig...
