In this issue:
- Safely celebrating America 250
- New state fiscal year began this week
- Many seniors no longer required to take driving test
- Free senior expos coming up August 3 and August 5
Safely celebrating America 250
This weekend is the celebration we have been building up to all year long – America’s 250th birthday!
As we gather with friends and family, I hope that you have a joyous celebration of American independence. From a ragtag band of colonies to the greatest nation in the world, America has much to celebrate and be proud of.
It is also important to be safe when celebrating this weekend. No one wants to spend the holiday in the emergency room!
The State Fire Marshal’s office is reminding everyone to be safe around fireworks – and to let the professionals handle them. Fireworks started an estimated 32,000 fires nationwide and caused over $100 million in property damage. Sparklers account for most fireworks injuries because they burn at more than 1200 degrees.
There’s nothing quite as American as a 4th of July cookout, but everyone needs to stay safe around the grill as well. Only use grills outdoors and keep them far away from the side of the house, or any eaves or overhanging tree branches. Never leave the grill unattended and keep a close eye on children and pets while the grill is hot.
Have a wonderful, safe and happy 4th of July!
New state fiscal year began this week
July 1 marked the beginning of the new state fiscal year. With it came the largest state budget in Illinois history and nearly $800 million in new taxes to cover the additional spending.
State leaders were warned that Illinois cannot keep taxing and spending more and more each year – it is an unsustainable cycle. But the Governor ignored the warning and proposed an even bigger budget than last year’s record-setting spending bill. Democrats in the legislature then rammed the budget through in the middle of the night, and raised taxes to make up the difference.
This year’s budget is 3,703 pages long and spends $55.9 billion. The final draft of the budget was revealed late on a Sunday night and was called for a vote before dawn on Monday morning.
These tactics are unfortunately common in Springfield. I voted No on this budget and its higher taxes. This cycle has to stop.
Many seniors no longer required to take driving test
I supported a bill to raise the age for seniors to take the driving test from 79 up to 87. There are about 350,000 Illinois drivers between the ages of 79 and 86 who will no longer be required to take this test because of this new law which went into effect this week.
Illinois seniors have been shown to be among the safest drivers on the road, which made this outdated requirement in the law unnecessary. The new law still keeps several other safety measures in place.
Drivers 79 and older must still pass a vision test when renewing their license, and drivers over 80 must renew their license every two years.
Free Senior Expos coming up August 3 and August 5
Please join me along with other local legislators for a pair of FREE senior health expos on Monday August 3 in Morris and Wednesday August 5 in Pontiac.
On August 3, I will be at Saratoga Elementary School, 4040 N. Division Street in Morris from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. along with Senator Sue Rezin, Senator Chris Balkema and Rep. Jed Davis. On August 5, I will join Senator Balkema and Rep. Dennis Tipsword at the Pontiac Rec Center, 900 N. Elm Street, from 9 a.m. until noon.
More than 30 nonprofits, government agencies and other vendors will be sharing information about their services for seniors. There will be blood pressure screenings, utility information, assistance for veterans, driver services information and much more.
Admission is free, and so are refreshments. I hope you will stop by!
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 $606,418,534. 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
High schoolers could soon be able to swap 2 years of foreign language with technical education
Illinois surpasses 2024 tornado record amid severe weather surges
Cocktails-to-go, new state agency among laws taking effect July 1
Cook County sheriff says dedicated CTA police force may be needed for safety improvements