Working for Illinois Caucus

ROMEOVILLE, IL — State Rep. Natalie Manley is continuing an ongoing luggage drive so that kids who are removed from their homes, and/or who may travel between homes, retain dignity by having proper suitcases, rather than carrying their belongings in garbage bags, according to a news release from her office.

Manley delivered nearly 20 new suitcases to the CASA of River Valley office, a nonprofit organization of court-appointed special advocates who work directly with foster care kids. The organization had requested luggage in colors appropriate for older boys, without cartoons.

“These children who are already troubled by life challenges that brought them to the foster care system deserve to be treated with respect,” Manley said in a release. “Making kids carry their possessions in trash bags is insulting and undignified. They deserve better, and a simple suitcase makes a difference.”

Manley has had ongoing partnerships with not only CASA, but also the Department of Children and Family Services where she has coordinated hundreds of suitcases for children over the years.

DCFS reports that more than 500 children are in foster care each year, and CASA of River Valley supported more than 447 children last year, according to www.casaofrivervalley.org.

“Thanks to the Village of Romeoville, we are able to keep dozens of suitcases in storage at the village hall, ready to deliver to either CASA or DCFS whenever they need them,” Manley said in a release. “After people have donated suitcases, the logistics of storing them in advance of getting them to the kids has been a challenge that the Village of Romeoville has helped solve.”

Manley’s district office is located inside the Romeoville Village Hall. Over the years, Manley has collected and donated hundreds of suitcases for children in foster care.

“It’s important to thank the countless community members who remember these children and call us when they have unused, new luggage,” Manley said. “We are hoping the community can take advantage of upcoming Black Friday and holiday sales to find new luggage to donate.”

Anyone interested in donating a new suitcase can contact Manley’s office to make arrangements at 815-725-2741 call or text; or email repmanley@gmail.com.

About 18,200 Bureau, DeKalb and La Salle county residents impacted. State Rep. Amy “Murri” Briel is working to connect residents with available food resources. About 18,200 Bureau, La Salle and DeKalb county residents stopped receiving life-saving food when Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits ended Nov. 1 due to the federal government shutdown. 

For a list of food pantries serving the region, please visit this link: tinyurl.com/foodresourcesin76thDistrict

 In addition, Briel encourages residents to utilize 211, which is a comprehensive referral system that connects people to assistance and resources. 211 is a 24/7 service that is free and confidential. Every call is answered by a real person who provides a listening ear and who is an expert at connecting people to vital services. 211 can help with food, housing, utilities, mental health, healthcare and more. Call 211 or text your zip code to 898211

To reach Briel’s office, email contact@staterepbriel.com or text or call 815-587-7912.

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – State Rep. Sharon Chung, D-Bloomington, is pushing for affordable housing growth by encouraging residents working in real estate development or finance to apply for the 2026 Next Gen Capacity Building Initiative. Hosted by Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), the program will inform developers about the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) industry, and how to build both their career and affordable housing.
“A lack of affordable housing is an ongoing challenge in our community,” said Chung. “The Bloomington Normal Economic Development Council estimates we have a housing shortage and we need between 4,500 and 10,000 units to correct it. That’s an intimidating goal, but I’m confident we can accomplish it.”

LISC Central Illinois aims to invest capital and resources to help communities overcome economic roadblocks, such as limited affordable housing, so they can begin to thrive. Encouraging the construction of affordable housing by educating builders and working with local developers empowers communities to grow their businesses, job opportunities and supports generations of future families.

“If you work in real estate development, apply for this program. Its goal is to educate up-and-coming developers on how low income, affordable housing can be built,” said Chung. “We need you to gain that knowledge and bring your talent back to your community–our community–and help us end this housing shortage.”

Next Gen is hosting information webinars on Wednesday, Nov. 12, and Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2025. Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 2, 2025. You can find more information about the program here.

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As Illinois lawmakers prepare for discussions on topics like energy and transit funding during the second week of the fall veto session, 84th District State Rep. Stephanie Kifowit says she wants to see effective discussion and hopefully action on the state’s tier 2 pension program.

Kifowit. who is on the House’s Pensions and Personnel Committee and chairs a pension appropriations committee, says lawmakers will need to address the tier 2 pension system after the topic was not finalized during the spring session.

"Our tier two pensions fail federal law, and so we need to fix it because our pensions is a Social Security replacement plan. So those that are in the pensions do not get Social Security, and thus is why we are subsequently failing the law with regards to the Social Security replacement plan. So we are working with regards to that."

Kifowit also says energy has been a major talking point for discussions during veto session, as one major sticking point is creating storage for renewable forms of energy like wind and solar.

"We have a lot of renewables, which is good, but we also don’t have quite the amount of storage to be able to store the energy that the renewables, the wind, and the solar produce. And so we definitely need to look at the storage bill. So we are looking at that in veto, potentially in veto session."…

Lawmakers are expected to begin the second week of veto session in Springfield on Tuesday.

FAIRMONT CITY, Ill. – State Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea, joined Gov. J.B. Pritzker and local officials Tuesday to highlight a new round of Rebuild Illinois infrastructure funding that is going to invest millions in integral road corridor improvements around the Metro East.

“These projects will make our roads safer, reduce congestion, support jobs and better position our region for economic investment,” Hoffman said. “I appreciate the support from local officials, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and Gov. Pritzker as we look to get shovels in the ground right away.”

Projects located within Hoffman’s district receiving state funds include:
– Bissell St. expansion in Venice ($700,000 in IDOT funding),
– Longacre Dr. in Fairview Heights ($1 million in IDOT funding),
– Madison Ave. corridor, from 23rd St. to 27th St. in Madison ($1.4 million in IDOT funding),
– N. 42nd and N. 44th St. in Fairmont City ($670,000 in IDOT funding),
– West Chain of Rocks Bridge in Madison ($3.8 million in IDOT funding), and
– W. Main St., from 28th St. to 49th St. in Belleville ($1 million in IDOT funding).

Additional local projects are highlighted at https://ift.tt/he4OQtR.

For more information, please contact RepJayHoffman@gmail.com.

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