In this issue:
- Facebook Live with Sen. Balkema and Rep. Tipsword on Monday night
- Summer reading program deadline coming up soon
- Drivers reminded to be safe around the tall corn
- Ford-Iroquois Farm Bureau hosts adopt-a-legislator event
Facebook Live with Sen. Balkema and Rep. Tipsword on Monday night
I will be joining with Senator Chris Balkema and Representative Dennis Tipsword for a Facebook Live town hall on Monday night at 6 p.m.
We will be taking your questions and discussing the recently-concluded spring session of the Illinois General Assembly.
This spring the General Assembly passed a $55 billion state budget, and dealt with numerous other issues, while leaving some issues unresolved. There is a lot to talk about from the spring session.
You can click here to submit a question for the discussion.
I hope you are able to join us!
Summer reading program deadline coming up soon
Thank you to everyone who has participated in my Level Up at Your Library summer reading program!
The deadline for 106th district kindergarten through fifth grade students to turn in their entry forms is coming up on Thursday July 31. Forms can be mailed to either of my district offices in Watseka or Dwight, dropped off in person, or submitted online.
I will be treating those students who complete eight books this summer to ice cream at the end of summer vacation!
Drivers reminded to be safe around the tall corn
There’s an old saying that corn should be “knee-high by the 4th of July,” but thanks to modern farming practices, many cornfields now grow much taller by Independence Day.
Depending on planting time, some Illinois cornfields may have plants reaching well over seven feet tall by early July.
This can create reduced visibility at rural intersections, as tall corn blocks the view of oncoming traffic.
Drivers are urged to be extra cautious during the summer and fall months. Please “look twice” before proceeding through intersections on rural roads and highways.
Stay safe!
Ford-Iroquois Farm Bureau hosts Adopt-a-Legislator event
Thank you to the Ford-Iroquois Farm Bureau for hosting the Adopted Legislator Event this month!
This is a long-running Farm Bureau program which invites legislators from districts in the state’s urban areas to visit a rural district and see agriculture up close.
It was a great opportunity to tour Heritage FS, Inc. in Gilman and One Earth Energy in Gibson City. I hope Senator Meg Loughran Cappel enjoyed her time learning more about agriculture and the hardworking people of the 106th District!
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 $2,059,104,406. This figure changes daily. Last year at this time the state had $832 million 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
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