Search

Working for Illinois Caucus

House Downstate Democrats work for the good people of Illinois

Open Search
Category

Uncategorized

Newsradio WJPF interview with Jay Hoffman | October 14, 2021

https://ift.tt/2YHSemt

Medical Director of the Emergency Department at SIH Herrin Hospital Dr. Josh Miksanek joins The Morning Newswatch….

Michael Zalewski is the State Representative of the 23rd District. He spoke with Tom Miller about House Bill 2343, which would define and regulate fantasy sports services in Illinois….

Brent Gentry is a commissioner for Williamson County. He joined Tom Miller in the studio to discuss the lawsuit filed this past December against the state of Illinois by Williamson County for salary reimbursements, and whether that…

Shows,Politics

via Episodes – Newsradio WJPF https://www.wjpf.com

October 14, 2021 at 09:30AM

0

Rep. Bob Morgan (IL-58): You shouldn’t lose your job for smoking medical marijuana on your own time

https://ift.tt/3lDziOF

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration announced Wednesday that it will help develop up to seven offshore wind farms on the East and West coasts and in the Gulf of Mexico as it moves to deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030 — generating enough electricity to power more than 10 million homes.

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said at a wind power conference in Boston that her department hopes to hold lease sales by 2025 for projects off the coasts of Maine, New York and the mid-Atlantic, as well as the Carolinas, California, Oregon and the Gulf of Mexico.

Shows

via John Williams https://wgnradio.com

October 13, 2021 at 02:52PM

0

Palatine community organizer announces campaign for 51st District House seat

https://ift.tt/2X0LXBN

Nabeela Syed, Palatine resident and community organizer, announced over the weekend she will run as a Democrat for the 51st District seat in the Illinois House.

“At a time where state legislatures across the country are moving backwards on critical issues, including health care and reproductive rights, we need strong leadership in our state to keep Illinois on a path of progress,” Syed said in her announcement. “My top priorities are ensuring that we have excellent public education and affordable health care while also reducing our reliance on high property taxes that disproportionately impact working families.”

Under the electoral maps signed off on by Gov. J.B. Pritzker last month, the new 51st District will encompass parts of northwest Cook County and southern Lake County, including all or parts of Palatine, Inverness, Hoffman Estates, Lake Zurich, Deer Park, Kildeer, Long Grove and Hawthorn Woods.

The 51st District seat currently is held by Lake Zurich Republican Chris Bos.

Syed’s prior political involvement included serving as campaign manager for Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 board member Tim McGowan and organizing Asian American voters in the U.S. Senate election in Georgia, according to her announcement.

Syed said she graduated from of the University of California, Berkeley, with a degree in political science and business administration, and now works for a nonprofit organization in digital strategy.

In the community, she has served as a high school debate coach and is active in her religious community at the Islamic Society of Northwest Suburbs, she said.

Syed noted that if elected, she would be the first Muslim and South Asian woman in the Illinois legislature.

“I know how important diverse representation is to making policy that works for everyone,” she said. “I’m hoping to use my lived experience as a young woman of color to elevate the voices and concerns of underrepresented communities.”

Feeds,Region: DuPage,Local,Region: Suburbs

via DailyHerald.com > news_county_news https://ift.tt/2LEP0I7

October 11, 2021 at 12:41PM

0

Some IL teachers would be reimbursed for tuition in Scherer bill

https://ift.tt/3Ape5MF

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) – Illinois teachers could have their tuition paid for under a bill introduced by State Rep. Sue Scherer (D-Decatur). 

Scherer’s plan is to require the Illinois Student Assistance Commission to establish a teach reimbursement grant program with the hope of addressing Illinois’ teacher shortage crisis. It would be used for tuition and mandatory fees that would be paid to a public institution of higher learning in Illinois. 

Eligible Illinois teachers would potentially get grants for reimbursing up to eight semesters of tuition for up to 10 years in the program. 

Scherer said she believes this program will encourage more people to pursue an education career and also give educators "benefits and resources they deserve for the service they provide to our state and their communities." 

“Teachers are one of the most critical occupations to our society, yet they are critically undervalued for the work and skill set they provide for our education system,” said Scherer. “Many teachers have to go the extra mile financially for their students and lesson plans to have an effective and successful year of instruction, the reimbursement program will relieve some of our teachers of the financial burden of paying such high student loan debt when they give their services to Illinois schools.”

A press release from Scherer’s office cited the Illinois State Board of Education, which in 2017 reported Illinois had 1,000 unfilled teaching positions. That number grew to nearly 1,700 in 2021, with 77 percent of Illinois school districts reporting teacher shortages or difficulty hiring substitute teachers. 

via WAND-TV

October 7, 2021 at 07:24PM

0

Stuart named to college funding panel

https://ift.tt/3FrkxX0

SPRINGFIELD — State Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, was recently appointed as a member of the Illinois Commission on Equitable Public University Funding.

“This measure will help us to build the research and work of the House Higher Education Working Group,” said Stuart. “From the working group we will bring recommendations for the adequate and equitable funding model for higher education. It will allow universities to have stable funding to provide their students with academic and financial support.”

The Commission on Equitable Public Funding was created by Senate Bill 815, which passed the General Assembly this spring and sets guidelines for the commission’s goals. As a member of the commission, Stuart will help provide the General Assembly with recommendations and criteria to adequately fund public universities.

“As an educator who taught on the collegiate level, it has been my goal in Springfield to address the lack of funding and resources for our schools and universities,” continued Stuart. “Lacking fair funding for our universities impacts their ability to best serve their students. I look forward to being a part of the commission and helping to find solutions to provide fair funding for all our public universities to give them the best tools to help our students succeed.”

Region: Metro East,City: Alton,News

via News RSS Feed https://ift.tt/2GriCHc

October 6, 2021 at 03:32PM

0

Rockford lawmaker files bill incentivizing electric vehicle manufacturing – WREX-TV

https://ift.tt/3or1ciL

ROCKFORD (WREX) — A Rockford-area lawmaker has filed a bill that provides tax incentives for auto producers that make electric vehicles.

Rep. Dave Vella (D) filed House Bill 4155 earlier this week. 

The legislation provides tax credits to auto producers who add or retain at least 1,000 jobs in an electric vehicle-producing plant. The tax credits can be used for various costs that support the plant, such as job training and construction costs.  

“With electric vehicles becoming more and more popular, we have an opportunity to bring thousands of jobs to the Rockford area and Illinois as a whole by making our state more attractive to auto manufacturers,” said Vella. “This legislation rewards manufacturers that invest in their Illinois-based plants and employees. With an auto plant in our community, this bill would create a major investment in our local economy.”

Currently, the auto industry is being impacted by a global shortage of microchips. 

In January, CNN reported carmakers across the world are facing a shortage of semiconductors, which are used in a growing number of applications, including driver assistance systems and navigation control. The average car has between 50 to 150 chips.

The shortage has impacted car manufacturers across the world, including in the Stateline at the Stellantis assembly plant in Belvidere.

The plant has been temporarily shut down on several occasions since late March and has moved from three shifts down to two. 

Feeds,News,State,Politics

via “Illinois Politics” – Google News https://ift.tt/2TO8iP3

September 30, 2021 at 03:11PM

0

Rock Island County Board member Jeff Deppe to run for state representative

https://ift.tt/3m9yH6m

On Tuesday, Sept. 28th at 5 p.m., longtime Rock Island County Board member Jeff Deppe will gather outside his union hall, Laborers Local 309 (2835 7th Ave., Rock Island), with family, friends and supporters to announce his run for Illinois State House Representative in the 72nd District.

Deppe has spent the past 27 years as a laborer with Local 309, building local infrastructure like the Moline Public Library, the TaxSlayer Center, UnityPoint Health hospital, and the John Deere Road corridor. Deppe has also been a member of the Rock Island County Board for the past seven years. During that time, he led the committee to downsize the County Board, enacted ethics reforms to promote good governance, and led the effort to make it easier for seniors to freeze their property taxes so that their housing could remain affordable, according to his annoucement.

Deppe has lived in East Moline for most of his life, graduating from United Township High School in 1998. Deppe joined the Laborer’s Union before graduating high school and eventually became secretary, treasurer, and a field representative. As a state representative, Deppe would like to focus on making it easier for young men and women to enter skilled trades, which are in great demand now as older workers retire, his release said.

Deppe brought the Black Hawk College Highway Construction Careers Training Program to the Rock Island County Forest Preserve, which he oversaw as a County Board member. Students from that program built a handicapped accessible boat ramp and ADA-compliant bathrooms. These students have gone on to enter our local trades, where they have been able to obtain secure, well-paying jobs while contributing to the community, he said.

Deppe is currently the vice chair of the Rock Island County Democrats, the Illinois vice president for the Quad Cities Federation of Labor, and a member of the Bi-State Regional Commission. Deppe has also served on the board of Project Now and Arrowhead and is a member of the Rock Island County NAACP and LULAC Council 10. Deppe has enjoyed giving back to our community by building wheelchair ramps for veterans and pouring concrete for Habitats for Humanity.

"Deppe looks forward to helping our community realize its great potential by retaining and attracting new residents to our district. Deppe says that we can do that by fixing our roads, improving our public schools, and supporting businesses that provide great jobs for our workers," his release says. "Deppe looks forward to accomplishing these goals in Springfield as the 72nd District’s next state representative."

Current 72nd District Rep. Mike Halpin (D-Rock Island) is running to become state senator, to succeed state Sen. Neil Anderson (R-Andalusia).

City: Quad Cities,Feeds,News,QC,Northern,Region: QC

via WHBF https://ift.tt/30DRD1T

September 28, 2021 at 09:49AM

0

Illinois’ Deputy Governor meets with local non-profits during luncheon hosted by State Rep. Gordon-Booth

https://ift.tt/3ztiwpn

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) – Wednesday, Illlinois’ Deputy Governor made a stop in Peoria to hear from local non-profits.

The luncheon was hosted by State Representative Jehan Gordon-Booth, 92nd District (D), on ICC’s Peoria campus.

Representatives from local non-profits organizations shared what challenges they’ve faced during the pandemic.

Gordon-Booth says by meeting Deputy Governor Sol Flores, it gives the governor’s office a better understanding of the work being done in Peoria.

"It truly is a wonderful collaborative community in terms of supporting one another, lifting each other up, trying not to duplicate services, and really trying to find out what’s missing in this community. Folks [are] trying to step into that unique space," Gordon-Booth said.

She also said the luncheon allowed state officials to see what they can do to help.

"What I’m most impressed with is the depth in which everyone was able to articulate the pain of the constituents they are serving to Deputy Governor Flores so that she and I can work together in a legislative and executive fashion to be able to bring some resolution to some of these issues," Gordon-Booth said.

Some topics addressed included transportation, education, housing, and COVID-19 testing. Gordon-booth said many of these issues fall under the portfolio of Deputy Governor Flores.

Feeds,News,City: Peoria,Peoria,Central

via CIProud.com https://ift.tt/2s35vpI

September 22, 2021 at 06:31PM

0

Clean energy bill will provide economic boost to Zion

https://ift.tt/3lviOHi

ZION, Illinois — The passage of the energy bill in Springfield will mean a financial shot in the arm for residents of the City of Zion thanks to the efforts of a team working on behalf of the City led by Zion Mayor Billy McKinney and Zion State Representative Joyce Mason.

Language in the bill, which was approved by both houses and is on its way to the Governor’s desk, will go a long way towards restoring the tax base that Zion lost when the Zion Nuclear Power Plant closed. And most importantly, it will reduce the tax burden on struggling Zion families.

The Zion Nuclear Power Plant was permanently shut down on February 13, 1998, and the decommissioning of the plant started shortly thereafter. Prior reports provide that the plant employed nearly 700 employees, indirectly supporting many of the local businesses. These jobs and many of the businesses disappeared after the closure and decommissioning. It is reported that the plant had a market value of $693,233,992 and paid $19,639,319 in property taxes in 1996 to Zion and the other local taxing districts. In 2016, tax income from the plant was about $1.6 million and it gradually reduced after that time.

"Zion had to eliminate fourteen police officers, eight public works employees and five jobs in the building department," former Mayor Al Hill has been quoted as saying. In short, the plant’s closure gutted Zion and Zion’s business community financially.

Zion Mayor Billy McKinney saw the residual financial effects of the plant’s closure as a challenge for him, his administration, and his hometown and began building off the efforts of his predecessors by contacting state and federal elected officials and regulators. Known for being resilient, a hard worker, and an enthusiastic leader, McKinney tapped City Administrator Dave Knabel and Zion’s State Representative Joyce Mason and put together a team at City Hall to solve the problem of Zion’s financial straits.

Representative Mason and her colleagues in the Lake County House Delegation ran with an idea that Knabel had previously raised and McKinney championed— essentially make Exelon restore the tax base and money that left Zion when the plants abruptly closed. Mason, State Representative Sam Yingling, and their colleagues in the Lake County delegation inserted language in the Energy Bill that reflected the goals of the plan and would ensure that Zion and the Zion-area taxing districts receive funds equivalent to the taxes received during the final years of the plant’s operation.

The blend of tax relief and direct funds from the bill could mean as much as $2.25 million annually for Zion and would alleviate the tax burden on the City residents, who are still reeling, years after the plant’s abrupt closure.

Zion Mayor Billy McKinney thanked Zion State Representative Joyce Mason and other Lake County elected officials for supporting Zion residents in the Bill.

"It was clear front the outset that Representative Joyce Mason wasn’t going to be stopped," McKinney said. "She committed wholeheartedly to getting this bill passed for the people of Zion. She drove it, and she delivered. She was calling, texting, and emailing at all hours of the day and night to get this done. We in Zion are lucky to have her as our state legislator." McKinney continued, "Along with Joyce, Representative Sam Yingling and the other members of the Lake County House Delegation worked tirelessly to get this done for the people of Zion. Seeing the State legislature act so fast in approving the bill shows what is possible when good, elected officials put their constituents first. I am confident that Governor Pritzker will sign this historic Bill and put this into law like he said after it passed the House. I am eternally grateful to all of you for doing this for the people of Zion."

McKinney commended the team at City Hall for their efforts in getting this legislation passed as well. "Zion has great Commissioners that both support what we are trying to do and hold us accountable in getting it done. We brought in our lobbyists — Dan Shomon, Inc. and Strategic Partnership Alliance — to increase Zion’s presence in Springfield. Their efforts were proven today. The staff at Zion City Hall is second to none. They are as committed to the and the people of Zion as I am. We have the best City Administrator and City Attorney around. Dave Knabel is a creative wizard with a fervid imagination when it comes to finances and came up with the idea for the bill several years ago. Dave’s knowledge about spent nuclear fuel rods and how this issue is handled elsewhere was absolutely necessary to get this done.

"Dave Knabel was essential in bringing this huge win to Zion." Mayor McKinney continued, "City Attorney Jimmy Vasselli is as they say, "’the hardest working man in show business.’ We brought in him and the Del Galdo Law Group and they have far exceeded my expectations. I am proud of the team that has been assembled. Without them, this doesn’t get done."

"In my mind, this is tantamount to winning an NBA Title or a National Championship," said McKinney, who played in the NBA for seven years before moving to the Chicago Bulls front office in 1985. "I never thought that I would get into politics, but I did. I never thought that I would run for Mayor, but I did. When I did run for Mayor, I made a commitment to the people of Zion– I would build relationships with other branches of government to better the City, fight to reduce property taxes, and expand economic development in the City. We did that today. Today was a significant step forward for Zion’s future." McKinney continued, "I am very happy, but there is much more to do, a lot more. We have projects in the works that will further improve public safety and expand economic development. Today was a big win, but there is more to be done, and we will get it done. We will make Zion stronger for all."

via Grayslake, IL Patch

September 15, 2021 at 08:38PM

0

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑