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This year has been a whirlwind of activity, and it’s hard to believe it’s already back-to-school time. Since the spring legislative session ended in late May, I’ve been busy working on constituent requests and cases, visiting local organizations and businesses, and meeting with people on local projects and issues. The work in Springfield is just one aspect of being a State Representative. The local district office work continues year-round, and my dedicated staff is here in the office while I attend events and meetings.
Throughout the spring and summer, my staff and I held traveling office hours across the district. I also held a tele-town hall in July to provide updates on the legislative session and to hear from constituents. We are continuously planning outreach events around the district. On September 3rd at 1:30 p.m., I am hosting a Senior Fraud Seminar at Meridian Village in Glen Carbon, where the Attorney General’s office will present on common fraud schemes and ways to protect yourself. On October 5th, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., I will hold a shred event in Granite City, next to the Granite City School District offices. If you have any questions about these events, please call my office at 618-433-8046.
At the beginning of 2024, I was appointed to the House Republican Leadership team by Leader Tony McCombie. This honor comes with additional responsibilities and provides an opportunity to impact ideas, legislation, and strategy as we review bills and plan new initiatives.
The Governor has signed all six bills I passed through both Chambers this past spring. These include:
· HB4255/Public Act 103-0667: Allows tow trucks and certain emergency vehicles to use green lights in addition to amber and white they currently use.
· SB2987/Public Act 103-0771: Requires training for new school board members on student outcomes.
· SB3430/Public Act 103-0997: Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to provide detailed information on the long-term care spenddown and application process.
· SB3566/Public Act 103-1017: Requires that trucks leaving landfills in Madison and St. Clair counties wash their undercarriage to help reduce litter on highways.
· SB3567/Public Act 103-1018: Increases transparency on property tax increases by requiring local taxing bodies to post the Truth in Taxation notice on their website for at least 30 days in a conspicuous location.
· SB3571/Public Act 103-1019: Requires life-saving AED devices to be available for school extracurricular activities, not just during the school day.
Two other bills I filed were incorporated into other legislation that has been signed by the Governor. Additionally, my House Bill 4241, which relates to educator sexual abuse of older students, passed the House and awaits action in the Senate.
The Legislature will return for a veto session for two weeks in November. We have been told to hold dates in early January for a potential lame-duck session. Although the Governor has not vetoed any bills yet, these sessions could be quite busy as any legislative action can be taken in veto and lame-duck sessions.
Although the legislative branch is separate from the judicial branch, I watch for the outcome of cases where the state has been sued over legislation it passed. Last Friday the Illinois Supreme Court published its decision on the lawsuit opposing the new law that bans slating of General Assembly candidates if no one ran in the primary (SB2412/Public Act 103-0586). The decision was to dismiss the appeal because two justices recused themselves and the rest were divided, so no actual decision was reached. Therefore, the decision of the lower court stands, which was that this provision is unconstitutional. The affected candidates will remain on the November ballot.
Federal courts are currently reviewing the Illinois “assault weapons ban” passed in January 2023. This case will be heard by a Southern Illinois judge in September and is will likely be appealed to higher federal courts.
Additionally, a new federal case has been filed by Illinois banks and credit unions challenging the Interchange Fee Prohibition Act included in the revenue omnibus bill passed in late May (HB4951/Public Act 103-0592). Illinois was the first state to enact this type of law related to the fees being charged on the tax and tips portion of credit card swipes. The financial services industry claims it is impossible to implement this new law, and that it would affect interstate commerce. This provision is not effective until July 1, 2025, so there is some time to let the court process play out.
For regular updates on local and state topics, please sign up for my email newsletter. You can call my office at 618-433-8046 or sign up at RepElik.com.
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