Working for Illinois Caucus

EAST MOLINE, ILLINOIS (September 12, 2025) — State Representative Gregg Johnson (D-72) has announced $500K in District 72 Community Grants will be awarded to local non-profit organizations serving the Quad Cities region. These funds will provide critical support at a time when demand for services far outpaces available resources.

“This year, we saw an incredible need from nonprofits across our community, with nearly $2.5 million in requests submitted,” said Rep Johnson. “The organizations receiving awards are doing vital work, but the reality is that many more groups also need help. I encourage everyone in our community to consider supporting the non-profits they find most valuable. When we invest in them, we invest in stronger families, safer neighborhoods, and a more vibrant future.”

The grant review process was administered by the Moline Regional Community Foundation.

“With this being an especially challenging time for all non-profits, the Moline Regional Community Foundation was honored to administer the grant review process and did so in-kind. Additionally, the Board has happily agreed to provide a 5% match to all recipients,” said Paul Plagenz, President/CEO of the Foundation.

Award recipients will be notified in the coming days of their awards and formally recognized at a community celebration, with details to be announced once funds are received later this year.

The federal government is choosing to send troops into Chicago rather than focusing on the real threats to our families’ safety and well-being. Our Nation is grappling with the tragedy of yet another school shooting in Minnesota, a cost-of-living crisis and a deterioration of due process. The state of Illinois has worked on Smart crime fighting policies, mental health services addressing trauma and economic strife and that is where the focus of our federal taxpayer dollars should be spent and not wasted on efforts to traumatize families in our communities.

As a former United States Marine, and a proud public servant in addition to having my son currently serving in the United States Navy and other family members and friends who have or are serving, the safety of Illinois is a top priority. Myself and all who have served in uniform took an oath to protect our freedoms and uphold the values of democracy.

My grandfather came to the United States from Poland when he was 17; my stepfather came to the United States when he was six from Czechoslovakia. We are a country that embraces immigration.

I find the idea of the deployment of the National Guard into Chicago without the consent of State leadership and against federal law underscores the fabric of our democracy, providing a false sense of security at the risk of our Constitutional freedoms. Our founders made clear that the military must never be used as a political weapon against our own citizens. I was on active duty during the 1992 LA Riots – and that was a singular coordinated crisis with local law enforcement in conjunction with the governor of the state and the Department of Defense. That is not what we are seeing today.

Yesterday, the official social media handle of the president sent out an AI-generated image and declared that his illegal renaming of the Department of Defense to the Department of War would carry out deportations without due process or regard to the liberties and rights that is sacred in our Constitution. The Constitution that I and every individual who has or is wearing the uniform of our Country took an oath to defend.

—Office of State representative Stephanie Kifowit

Freshman Democratic State Representative Amy “Murri” Briel will be hosting a town hall on September 9 at the International Union of Operators and Engineers Hall, aka Celebrations 150 on Route 6 near Utica.

The Speaker of the Illinois House will be Briel’s special guest at the town hall. Emanuel “Chris” Welch leads the Democrats in the lower chamber and is among the highest-ranking legislative Democrats in Illinois.

Children are welcome at the union hall on September 9. They’ll have activities just for them.

Doors open at the town hall at 5:30. The event kicks off at 6.

84th District State Representative Stephanie Kifowit says lawmakers are gearing up for some big discussions when the fall veto session takes place in Springfield. One major talking point will be energy, including a focus on the energy usage of data centers.

Kifowit says Senate Bill 2181, which was introduced during the spring session, would require data centers across the state to disclose the amount of water and electricity that they use annually to the Illinois Power Agency. She says many of these data center companies are signing non-disclosure agreements with municipalities, which does not allow for transparency with the public regarding how much of their natural resources are being used at these facilities.

"So these data centers are signing non disclosure agreements with municipalities that prohibits the municipality discussing how much water and electricity that they use. And so there is a law proposed in the Senate that I hope we can pass that makes it public knowledge, which I think the public needs to know, how much of our natural resources are going into these data centers."

Other topics, including transit funding, are also expected to be discussed during the session. The fall veto session is scheduled to take place from October 14 through 30.

BELVIDERE, Ill. (WIFR) – In response to the Trump administration’s Big Beautiful Bill, Congressman Bill Foster and State Representative Dave Vella co-hosted a town hall Wednesday night.

More than forty people, some of whom brought their children, spent more than an hour hearing about how local lawmakers are responding to their concerns at the state and federal levels; most notably, healthcare.

“How will the Big Beautiful Bill actually impact people?”

As this question is top of mind for some voters, dozens gathered in Belvidere to look for answers. Local lawmakers said the bill could impact roughly 17 million Americans. Congressman Foster said those without Medicaid will also be affected.

“If you’re not one of them, you’re probably going to see your rates go up as well because when people become uninsured, they show up in emergency rooms,” said Foster.

Vella said changes at the federal level will impact those who are enrolled in the supplemental food assistance program, also known as “SNAP.”

“We did actually cut some stuff out of the state budget. We couldn’t cut enough because we’re going to be losing billions and billions of dollars. What’s going to come from the federal government isn’t anymore,” said Vella. “Overall, just from a macro level, it’s going to hurt the state of Illinois.”

When asked about the progress on the reopening of the Stellantis Plant in Belvidere, Vella said work with the company shifted because funding scheduled to come into the stateline won’t happen.

“The one thing that they tell me and I usually talk to them on a bi-weekly basis, is they love everything, they are ready to go, just they’re trying to figure out if it’s going to be an internal combustion vehicle, hybrid vehicle, electric vehicle,” said Vella.

They also talked about election security

“If they are really paranoid, they can get out their spreadsheets and check the calculation to make sure all the precincts are being added up properly. It’s pretty hard to hack that as long as citizens are paying attention to what’s happening in their precinct,” said Foster.

Vella said the intention for the passenger rail service from Rockford to Chicago should start in 2027. He told residents they’ve run into issues with federal funding and the fact the Chicago Bears are moving to Arlington Heights.

Congressman Foster said he plans to have another town hall about artificial intelligence in the near future.

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