In this issue:
- Senior driver’s license bill passes House
- What’s happening with the Homeschool bill?
- Lots of visitors to the Capitol last week
- Tour of Janie’s Mill
Senior drivers license bill passes House
A bill to remove the requirement that seniors under the age of 87 take a driving test to renew their license has passed the Illinois House. I was one of the many co-sponsors of the bill.
House Bill 1226 changes the driving test requirement for seniors, who under the current law must take a driving test to renew their license beginning at the age of 79. If the bill passes the Senate and becomes law, that requirement will not kick in until the age of 87. Those over 79 will still need to renew their licenses in person.
An immediate family member of the driver can submit information to the Secretary of State relating to the medical condition of the driver if that condition interferes with their ability to safely operate a motor vehicle. The bill, which would take effect on July 1, 2026, passed the House 114-0.
What’s happening with the Homeschool bill?
Last Friday was the deadline for House bills to be passed over to the Senate. Almost 400 bills passed, but one which did not get called for a vote in time was House Bill 2827, the Homeschool bill. This is a very bad bill which puts intrusive and heavy-handed mandates on homeschool families. If it had come up, I would have voted No.
I was happy and relieved to see the sponsor decline to call the bill for a vote on Friday. I am cautiously optimistic that the voices of the more than 50,000 Illinoisans who filed witness slips against the bill were heard.
But in Springfield, anything can happen, so I am encouraging those who have worked so hard to stop this bill to please not let down your guard just yet. The sponsor of the bill gave an angry speech on the House floor Friday morning, saying the bill was only “a very simple form” and blaming “misinformation” for its unpopularity. So this matter may not be fully closed just yet.
We are back in session next Tuesday and will be at the Capitol for each of the next six weeks until the scheduled adjournment date of May 31.
Lots of visitors to the Capitol last week
Because Friday was the bill passage deadline, there was a lot of activity at the Capitol. We had a few late evening sessions and also a lot of visitors to Springfield during the week.
I enjoyed having Trent Schmid visit the House chamber on Friday as a House Page for a Day. Trent is a junior at Cissna Park High School and is the vice president of the Cissna Park FFA chamber. He is active in the school’s musicals, scholastic bowl and was the manager of the basketball team.
Last week we also had Ag Day at the Capitol, a great opportunity to talk about the importance of agriculture to Illinois’ economy and to our communities. As part of the festivities there were several FFA chapters from the 106th District who made the trip to Springfield. I was glad to spend some time with these outstanding local students. They have very bright futures!
Tour of Janie’s Mill
On Monday we toured Janie’s Mill in Ashkum with Harold & Sandy Wilken!
Janie’s Mill was an idea of Harold’s that took years of research and planning before they began stone-grinding grains from Janie’s Farm in the spring of 2017. They worked with bakers to get their input and feedback and by fall, they were milling consistent high-quality flours. Their business really took off when COVID hit and you couldn’t find flour on the shelves at the store. They have added products to their inventory based off recommendations from their customers!
To find out more about Janie’s Mill, find recipes or products, you can check out their website!
Happy Easter!
I hope that you and your family have a very happy Easter celebration this weekend. If you are traveling, please be safe, and enjoy this season of hope for new beginnings!
Our current bill backlog
When a vendor provides the state with goods and services, they submit the bill to the Illinois Comptroller for payment. The Comptroller processes the paperwork and pays the bill when funds are available in the state’s checking account. Currently the total amount of unpaid bills is $2,360,323,060. This figure changes daily. Last year at this time the state had $1.7 billion in bills awaiting payment. This only includes bills submitted to the Comptroller for payment, not unfunded debts like the state’s pension liability, which is well over $100 billion.
Illinois headlines
Always deadly Chronic Wasting Disease found in four more Illinois counties
Route 66 turns 100: Illinois gears up for 2026 centennial celebration
Feds warn of damage by invasive pests in Illinois