We don't write papers, we build scrapbooks
We don't write papers, we build scrapbooks
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 34
State Sen. Brian Stewart (R-Freeport) released the following statement after Gov. J. B. Pritzker delivered his Budget Address to a joint session of legislators Feb. 2 via a virtual broadcast from the Old State Capitol. “How appropriate that this Governor presented his assessment of Illinois and his plan for the upcoming budget on Ground Hog Day. His speech was full of hope for sunshine but did not acknowledge the shadows of more fiscal winter looming. He is proposing to give Illinois families sh...
Oral arguments in the McConchie v. Illinois State Board of Elections federal court case concluded during the week, and a court ruling on whether the Democrats’ legislative maps violated the U.S. Constitution is expected before Christmas, according to State Sen. Brian Stewart (R-Freeport). Also during the week, a new study reveals that Illinois was one of the states hit hardest by identity theft and fraud throughout the pandemic. In other news, the Illinois Rental Payment Program application p...
A late-night bill to repeal the Parental Notice of Abortion Act in Illinois, which was controversially passed through the General Assembly by Democrat legislative leaders late in October, has not yet been acted on by the Governor more than three weeks later. In other news, Illinois is on course to be a leader in the manufacture of electric vehicles and parts with the signing of a new law that received strong bipartisan support. The Illinois Department of Transportation has released a map that...
Despite criticism from Republican lawmakers, good government groups, and community organizations, Democrat legislative leaders rushed to pass new, adjusted legislative maps in a one-day special session, after their original maps were found to be unconstitutional. In other business, the Senate passed a comprehensive energy bill that will have long-lasting ramifications for the state’s energy sector if it were to become law. Also during the week, the Legislative Audit Commission called for full au...
Gov. JB Pritzker continued his go-it-alone approach to governing the state this week by announcing new mask and vaccination mandates — changes to Illinois’ COVID-19 mitigation plan that were made without any input from state or local officials. Also this week, several Republican lawmakers called for immediate action on energy reform legislation that will keep the state’s nuclear fleet online. The Governor signed legislation during the week that opponents say does nothing to fix a burde...
Illinois school districts have regained some local control over COVID-19 protocols within their districts. In other news, three administrators at the Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center in southern Illinois face misconduct charges for allegedly interfering with an investigation into patient abuse. Meanwhile, Illinois is set to receive nearly $800 million from a major opioid settlement. Also this week, it was revealed that the Illinois Department of Employment Security has lost nearly...
Gov. JB Pritzker hailed Illinois’ new credit rating this week as a victory despite the state’s credit score being just two steps above junk status. Also, a new report shows that Illinois is among the nation’s worst at reporting unemployment fraud claims to the federal government. And, despite Illinois now being in Phase 5, the final phase of reopening, the Governor continues to issue Executive Orders with little to no input from lawmakers. Meanwhile, several new bills were recently signed into...
State Sen. Brian Stewart (R-Freeport) is announcing that his District Office staff has set Traveling Office Hours July 7 to help constituents in three Jo Daviess communities. District Office staff will be on hand to assist with state services, as well as answer questions and address concerns for constituents in Warren, Scales Mound and Apple River. No appointments are needed, and office hours are open to all area residents. The first event is set for July 7, from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., at...
While session isn’t scheduled to resume until April 13, Republican lawmakers continued to raise their concerns about Illinois’ legislative map drawing process during remote redistricting hearings held throughout the week. In other news, Senate Republicans are reminding motorists to move over for emergency vehicles as instances of Scott’s Law violations increase. Meanwhile, after weeks of continued calls from Republican lawmakers to improve vaccination access, Illinois is finally seeing signi...
State legislative leaders took a stand this week against Illinois’ longstanding history of gerrymandering, arguing that lawmakers have no business being involved in the drawing of legislative district boundaries. State Sen. Brian Stewart (R-Freeport) says Senate and House Republican leaders came together March 30 to introduce the People’s Independent Maps Act, a proposal to allow Illinois’ legislative redistricting maps to be determined by an Independent Redistricting Commission. Also durin...
Newly-compiled and shocking numbers related to the state’s vaccination rollout warrant the need for a clear explanation from the Pritzker Administration. Meanwhile, Senate Republican lawmakers are hosting a series of Zoom video conference calls with local law enforcement, as part of their continued “call to action” against controversial criminal justice reform legislation that could pose a risk to community safety. In other news, the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) has annou...
Illinois lawmakers are back at work in their districts after a rapid-fire lame-duck session wrapped up on Jan. 13, leaving Gov. J.B. Pritzker with a number of new bills that will soon be awaiting his signature. Controversial bills were rushed through at all hours of the day and night during the last-minute legislative push, including a major criminal justice reform bill that some are calling a backdoor “defund the police” plan. Senators also voted on major rewrites to existing laws, inc...
Residents across Illinois will soon begin receiving invitations to fill out the 2020 census forms. Mandated by the United States Constitution, the census is a count of the United States population that takes place every ten years. The 2020 Census will be the 24th census conducted since 1790. Residents will receive an invitation to respond online to the 2020 census between March 12 and 20. It is important to remember what the census is and why it is essential that people respond. This...
Members of the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association are sounding the alarm about a recent policy change that releases non-citizen felons who have served their sentences back into Illinois communities without federal immigration authorities being notified. Previously, the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) was required to coordinate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to transfer felons with this designation to IDOC in Pontiac where they would begin the deportation process i...
In his second Budget Address to lawmakers, Gov. J.B. Pritzker unveiled a proposal that seeks $1.6 billion in new spending and makes some funding for priorities like education, health care and public safety contingent on the approval of his income tax increase. Let me repeat that. Pritzker’s message is that his tax increase must be approved in order to fund $1.4 billion for priorities like schools, health care and public safety. He is basically holding these programs hostage. For example, I...
A group of bipartisan lawmakers have introduced a new amendment to our state’s Constitution that would take the process of drawing legislative districts out of the hands of sitting lawmakers. Senate Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment (SJRCA) 18 would place a question on the ballot to create a new, independent commission that would handle Illinois’ legislative map-drawing process. The independent 17-member commission would be appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to draw the Con...
The first $50 million of the $420 million dedicated to statewide broadband Internet expansion was released during the week, along with information about how to apply for the grants. Applicants for the grant are anticipated to include Internet service providers, rural cooperatives, nonprofits and local governments. Grant responses for the first round of funding can be submitted through April 3, with up to $5 million available per project. Interested applicants can find more information about the...
Governor J.B. Pritzker painted a rosy picture in his first “State of the State” address January 29, but Senate Republican lawmakers say a greater emphasis should have been placed on rooting out corruption, starting with revamping the state’s process for drawing legislative maps. Senate Republicans reacted to Governor Pritzker’s first official “State of the State” address, delivered to a joint session of Illinois lawmakers January 29 in the House of Representatives Chambers, noting that the Go...
A major issue with the state’s Automatic Voter Registration program made headlines during the week raising questions about the integrity of Illinois’ Elections. According to media reports, more than 500 people who are not citizens and are not legally eligible to vote in elections were registered to vote through the state’s Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) system. The AVR system was signed into law in 2017. The AVR system automatically registers voters when they apply for a driver’s license...
In the wake of federal indictments and raids, and elected official resignations, a special legislative panel heard testimony during the week addressing ethics and lobbying legal loopholes. Representatives from local governments and good-government organizations spent nearly four hours meeting with the bipartisan Senate and House Joint Commission on Ethics and Lobbying Reform on January 15. The witnesses testified about the existing ethics rules and perceived shortcomings in state law. Arguments...
The state’s population decline continues to be a cause for concern as Illinois enters a new decade with nearly 160,000 fewer residents. Our state ended 2019 with the largest population loss in the country, according to newly released census data. Despite being one of the most populous states in the nation, Illinois has continuously declined in population over the years underscoring the need for lawmakers to address the reasons for the continued outmigration of residents and employers, such as I...
As a New Year approaches Illinois residents may want to know about several notable laws that take effect on January 1, 2020. The new laws kicking off 2020 cover everything from transportation safety and increased traffic penalties to supporting our military personnel. Strengthening Scott’s Law 2019 has been a very tough year for the Illinois State Police. With three tragic deaths – including the loss of State Trooper Brooke Jones-Story while on a traffic stop on U.S. Route 20 just outside Fre...
Watchdog group Truth in Accounting has issued a report that ranks Illinois among the least fiscally-transparent states in the nation. Illinois has been ranked ninth-worst, with the state’s score negatively affected by such factors as the late delivery of its annual documents, a failure to have an external auditor look at the numbers, and a distorted net financial position due to misleading and confusing information on its report. The Truth in Accounting group measures each state’s Com...
November is a month of celebrating all that is good about our nation’s freedom and its democracy. The first week of November we typically exercise our right to vote for our state and federal lawmakers – a privilege many take for granted. Millions of people in countries around the world have struggled to win and maintain the opportunity to voice their opinions in free and open elections. Closer to home, civic-minded people have pledged to support our freedoms and work on our behalf on the tow...
With sales of cannabis for recreational use set to begin on January 1, state and local governments, along with Illinois businesses, are continuing to prepare for the new law to take effect. During the just-completed fall veto session, the General Assembly approved follow-up legislation to clear up issues with the legalization process. The new law includes language barring restaurants and bars from allowing cannabis consumption, leaving dispensaries and retail tobacco stores as the only...
