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If reelected, Halpin said his top priority will be to pass "a responsible budget that supports our commitment to K-12 education, higher education, our infrastructure and our support programs here in the state of Illinois. When I first got elected, we had gone almost three years without any budget. The clamor from voters to do our job and pass budgets is something I took seriously then and I continue to take seriously (now)."

Halpin said he plans to guide existing capital projects, such as repairing and resurfacing Andalusia Road, using $20 million in funding he helped secure for the project; and continuing the effort to bring passenger rail to the Quad-Cities. 

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"Another local issue that’s been around for many years is the safety problem with the low head dams on the Rock River, particularly the Steel Dam and the Sears Dam," he said. 

To improve safety on the Rock River, Halpin filed House Bill 5838, which would appropriate $8 million from Illinois’ general fund to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for the creation of a series of rock ramps, which will decrease the danger created by the dams. 

"It will be a difficult budget year to get that money appropriated, but it’s an expense I think will save lives and is well-worth the investment," Halpin said.