SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – As the legislative session for the 101st General Assembly comes to a close, state Rep. Natalie Manley, D-Joliet, reflects on legislation passed by the General Assembly to help people in her district.  

“My job in Springfield is to make tough decisions that are going to benefit our community and the state as a whole. After years of feeling like we were just taking on water, this year we finally passed significant reforms that will help build a stronger middle class across the state,” said Manley.  “We passed a realistic, balanced budget that will absolutely control spending while paying down the enormous backlog of unpaid bills racked up by the previous administration.  This progress will allow for greater investments toward health care, education and services for our most vulnerable citizens.”

Manley’s focus this legislative session was to provide financial relief to middle class families. She was able to accomplish this by raising the minimum wage, taking steps to seriously overhaul the state’s property tax system eliminating double taxation on residents who live in Illinois and work out of state, working to close the wage gap for women and minorities, and passing a balanced budget that will address the backlog of unpaid bills that the failed Rauner administration’s left us to deal with. Manley also voted for the Fair Tax amendment which will provide tax relief to 99% of taxpayers in the 98th District if it’s enacted.

Manley also sponsored and passed legislation recommended by her very active legislative advisory committees. House Bill 3503, suggested by her Retirees Legislative Advisory committee will help make hearing aids more affordable by requiring insurance companies to help cover the cost. House Bill 2188, advocated by her Women’s Legislative Advisory Committee, to change the school physical form to include questions that will provide doctors with the opportunity to educate parents about the mental health of their children.

“While lawmakers passed legislation to address many issues facing our state, I am incredibly proud to have led efforts to pass legislation that came from members here in our community,” continued Manley. “Their expertise and input helped me to be a strong advocate for our local families while in Springfield.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – As the spring legislative session concluded, state Rep. Maurice West II, D-Rockford, backed a responsible state spending plan that funds critical services like education, senior resources and health care, and highlighted his continuing effort in Springfield to address concerns facing Rockford families.

“After years of uncertainty, I am optimistic at the willingness to pass a responsible, balanced budget that invests in our community and prioritizes services that residents depend on,” West said. “This session emphasized our commitment to put Illinois back on track by working for the middle class and most vulnerable.”

The spending plan backed by West invests $375 million in new funding for public schools, while committing more than $1 billion to address old bills inherited by Bruce Rauner’s budget crisis. The budget also makes the state’s full scheduled pension payment, while protecting funding for lifesaving services such as breast cancer screenings and Meals on Wheels.

West also worked to pass a variety of pieces of legislation aimed at building a stronger Illinois by strengthening the middle class. He supported a Fair Tax amendment that would bring tax relief to 97% of Illinois taxpayers (SJRCA1, SB 687), voted to expand tax credits to provide access to career and apprenticeship training to prepare residents for high-wage jobs (SB 1591) and worked to ensure that all residents could receive affordable health care by stopping insurance companies from excessive rate increases (HB 471) while focusing on efforts to rein in prescription drug costs (HB 156).

“I hear regularly from families who are concerned by the rhetoric in Washington by those who are willing to slash health care protections for those who need it most,” West said. “I am encouraged by our vigilant action here in Illinois to make sure that protections are in place for our residents regardless of what happens in Washington.”

West also took action to address violence, supporting the “Fix the FOID” bill (SB 1966) that closes loopholes in the Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card system that allowed the Aurora factory shooter to obtain a gun they should not have had access to.

Personally, West worked to pass legislation to encourage state agencies to purchase food products grown locally (HB 2505), highlight how schools are providing workplace experience for students (HB 2822) and ensure that educators receive training to address mental health issues they notice students facing (SB 1731). 

“While we made significant progress on a number of issues, it will take more hard work and tough decisions to get our state back on track,” West said. “I look forward to having continued conversations with local residents and community leaders about how we can lift up the Rockford community and Illinois as a whole.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – As the spring legislative session concluded Friday, state Rep. Will Davis, D-Homewood, helped pass a balanced budget that prioritizes investment in education, health care and critical services, while highlighting his work to put Illinois back on track.

“Throughout this session, I’ve worked with my colleagues to build a stronger Illinois by building a stronger middle class with a fair tax system that puts the middle class first, lowering health care costs for families and creating a growing economy with high-wage jobs,” Davis said. “By moving beyond the tenure of failed former Governor Bruce Rauner, we are poised to make important investments in education and economic development while protecting the health care of Illinoisans.”

Davis sponsored the Fair Tax Amendment, a measure to make the wealthy pay their fair share while providing tax relief for 99.7 percent of households in his district. With the revenue from a Fair Tax, Illinois can invest in education to prepare children for careers and college while also providing much needed property tax relief for homeowners.

Davis also supported measures to expand career, technical, and vocational education to help prepare and train people for high-wage jobs. The Davis-backed Senate Bill 1591 invests in businesses that invest in Illinois by providing a tax credit for apprenticeships directed toward young people entering the workforce. Additionally, the Davis-backed House Bill 2868 will facilitate relationships between schools and businesses in order to expand work-based learning in Illinois.

To lower health care costs for middle class families, Davis backed reforms to bring transparency to prescription drug costs and prevent unfair health insurance rate increases. House Bill 156 would mandate that drug companies disclose information about their pricing in order to be held accountable for price increases. House Bill 471 would give the Illinois Department of Insurance the power to review health insurance rate increases and reject rate increases that are discriminatory, excessive or unfair.

“Illinois’ tax system is one of the most unfair in the country, but with a fair tax system that puts the middle class first, we have the chance to change that,” Davis said. “And by fighting to expand vocational and technical education and lowering health care costs, we can build a stronger middle class and a stronger Illinois.”

Davis also sponsored critical criminal justice reform and sustainable investment measures. The Davis-authored House Bill 2987 creates a task force to offer recommendations to ensure fair treatment of individuals with disabilities in the criminal justice system. The Davis-introduced House Bill 2460 directs public agencies to establish a sustainable investment policy integrating environmental and social impact, as well as innovation and human capital into their investment plans.

Davis represents the 30th House District, which contains all or part of the south suburban communities of Blue Island, Country Club Hills, Dixmoor, Dolton, East Hazel Crest, Flossmoor, Harvey, Hazel Crest, Homewood, Markham, Midlothian, Oak Forest, Phoenix, Posen, Riverdale, Robbins and South Holland. Davis maintains a full-time district office to assist constituents with any concerns or questions about state-related issues located at 1912 W. 174th St. in East Hazel Crest, and his staff is available at 708-799-7300.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Jonathan Carroll, D-Northbrook, is highlighting his legislative accomplishments this year that protects middle-class families, his priorities for property tax relief, holding local governments accountable and the balanced budget proposal that will help stabilize and control state finances.

Carroll’s top priority is fighting for property tax relief for middle-class families. That’s why he sponsored the Property Tax Reduction Task Force, Senate Bill 1932, that will study and make recommendations on reducing property taxes across Illinois. Additionally, Carroll’s Senate Bill 1236 worked to hold local government accountable by allowing for the removal of unelected county board chairs and preventing double dipping in pensions by county officials.

“Nothing is more important than providing tax relief for the families I represent,” said Carroll. “They are drowning in property taxes that are being inflated by local taxing bodies, and my Property Tax Reduction Task Force will address those problems head on. By holding local government officials accountable, we can also ensure taxpayer dollars are being properly spent and that local officials are serving the people, not themselves.”

Carroll supported a balanced budget that commits more than $375 million in needed funds to public schools. His budget also commits $1 billion to pay off bills that accumulated during the budget impasse and fully meets pension obligations for this year.

“This balanced budget shows our commitment to reducing spending, paying back our debts, and keeping our promises while investing education, health care and senior services,” said Carroll. “These plans are exactly how we will build a stronger Illinois and middle-class.”

Carroll also fought for better protections for people with severe food allergies. He introduced House Bill 2123, which would require proper labeling of foods containing sesame, with misbranding and mislabeling posing a serious concern for people with rare food allergies. Carroll also spearheaded House Bill 3435 that would require health insurance companies to cover the cost of medically necessary epinephrine injector pins (EpiPen) for anyone aged 18. Both of these instrumental bills successfully passed the Illinois General Assembly with bipartisan support and awaits approval from Governor J.B. Pritzker.

“While there is much work to do, I am proud of the work my colleagues and I achieved for Illinois families this session in Springfield,” said Carroll. “I look forward to the challenges ahead along with the great work to build upon the successes of this year, and strengthening the middle class and Illinois.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Fred Crespo, D-Hoffman Estates, worked to ease the tax burden on middle-class families, protect access to health care for Illinois’ most at-risk children and seniors, provide $350 million in new funding for local schools and pass monumental government transparency legislation which revealed billions of dollars in fiscal mismanagement by Gov. Bruce Rauner during the spring legislative session.

“At a time when access to health care is being threatened by out-of-touch politicians in Washington and skyrocketing property taxes are devastating middle-class families, we should be working together to find real solutions,” Crespo said. “Time and time again, Governor Rauner has chosen to play partisan games rather than work with us on solving the issues facing our families.”

Crespo worked to lessen the tax burden on middle-class families by voting to pass Senate Bill 1437, which extends a $2,175 personal income tax exemption that was scheduled to sunset at the end of the fiscal year. As part of the budget working group, he worked to ensure the budget plan cut wasteful bureaucracy and had no new taxes put in place. Crespo voted to pass an overwhelmingly bipartisan, balanced budget that will pay down the state debt, which was tripled during the Rauner budget crisis.

Crespo passed House Bill 4736, which will ensure that children with severe medical conditions continue can be covered by Medicaid, and not moved into programs with decreased care and high denial rates. He also supported legislation to address the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs by supporting House Bill 4900, which would ensure big pharmaceutical companies do not price gouge seniors living on fixed incomes.

He also worked tirelessly to provide millions in additional state funds to local schools, lessening the property tax burden on middle-class families. As chairman of the Elementary & Secondary Education: School Curriculum & Policies Committee, Crespo was focused on putting children’s education and well-being above all else. He passed legislation to implement the Every Student Succeeds Act, replacing No Child Left Behind and providing greater accountability and supports to struggling schools.

Crespo led the effort to pass the Debt Transparency Act, House Bill 3649, which transformed the way state agencies manage their finances. This monumental measure revealed that Illinois incurred more than $1 billion in late payment interest fees, and $2.3 billion in unappropriated debt during the governor’s two-year budget crisis. Crespo’s bill has been labeled the top-rated reform of the year by the Better Government Association, as it is assisting legislators as they work to put the state’s finances back on track. Additionally, he was the lead sponsor of the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act, which will ensure that all state grants are subject to the same regulation and scrutiny of federal ones.

“These reforms and a bipartisan budget that holds government accountable, will bring about much needed stability to our state,” Crespo said. “More work remains to be done to move Illinois forward, but this compromise budget shows yet again that when Governor Rauner’s extreme demands are not preconditions to negotiation, Democrats and Republicans in the Legislature get the job done on time.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Following the adjournment of the legislative session on Thursday, state Rep. Camille Y. Lilly, D-Chicago, is highlighting her progressive agenda to lift up middle class families in Illinois.

“The legislature approved a balanced budget that cuts state bureaucracy while investing in the services important to our communities, including schools, universities and colleges, affordable child care, in-home care for senior citizens and domestic violence programs,” said Lilly. “This bipartisan budget begins to repair the damage caused over the last three years by Governor Rauner and his budget impasse that tripled the state debt and slashed vital programs in our community. Our plan does not include any new taxes and affords us the ability to responsibly pay down some of the state’s old bills.”

Following last year’s historic education funding formula reform bill, Lilly continues to fight to improve community schools, provide better resources to student’s mental and social well-being, and reduce local school districts’ reliance on property taxes to provide middle-class families with property tax relief. Lilly has also been fighting to democratize the Chicago Public Schools’ school board, which remains the only school district in Illinois whose members are unelected and are instead appointed by the mayor.

“The education funding reform that we passed last summer is bringing more state money to CPS, but we cannot just stop there and say ‘mission accomplished,’ because education is our number one priority,” said Lilly. “The CPS board should listen to parents and students directly, and that will be an ongoing fight until people can choose community leaders to modernize CPS.”

In an effort to continue providing relief for middle class families, Lilly backed House Resolution 1025 to urge Illinois to adopt a fair tax structure. The proposal suggests eliminating the current flat and regressive tax that unduly burdens middle-class families and asking the wealthiest in Illinois to start paying their fair share.

After Trump’s tax plan took effect late last year, critical tax deductions that the middle class relied on were cut, once again allowing the wealthiest to benefit from tax policies above the middle class. Lilly backed House Bill 4237 to allow residents to donate to a charity fund to claim additional income tax deductions.

“The president and this administration’s policies are not fair to people,” said Lilly. “The two are most concerned about increasing the amount of money they have but not ordinary taxpayers. The president’s tax plan eliminated tax deductions for the middle class which makes more of their income taxable and resulting in paying more taxes, whereas Trump and the wealthy don’t feel that. The middle class cannot afford huge tax hikes that pay for tax cuts that only the wealthy enjoy.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – With the legislature’s adjournment from spring session on Thursday, state Rep. Deb Conroy, D-Villa Park, is highlighting the balanced budget approved by the General Assembly and her work to strengthen gun safety measures, invest in affordable healthcare and protect the middle class.

“The General Assembly passed a bipartisan, balanced budget that invests in local schools and restores some of the state funding that goes to local governments, both measures that will help pave the way for local property tax relief,” said Conroy. “Our budget does not contain any new taxes while creating a surplus that will help to pay down old bills and ensure that the state lives within its means.”

The budget approved by the House and Senate invests an additional $350 million into public schools and funds critical services for domestic violence survivors, higher education, opioid addiction prevention programs and affordable in-home care for senior citizens. The budget does not contain any new taxes, and Conroy successfully helped to block proposals to create a new retirement tax to balance the state budget.

As chair of the House Mental Health Committee, Conroy has advocated strongly for addressing the lack of mental health care in the state. She has worked on a number of measures, including House Bill 3502, which creates an advisory council to develop recommendations to address the barriers to early and regular screening to identify mental health conditions in children and adolescents.

To reduce the escalating incidents of gun violence across the country, Conroy supported measures to ban bump stock devices that turn semi-automatic weapons into fully-automatic weapons, require a 72 hour waiting period for all handgun purchases while closing the gun show loophole, raise the age to buy an assault weapon to 21 years of age, require Illinois gun dealers to obtain a license, and allow family members to petition the court to temporarily take away a person’s weapons if they pose a danger to themselves or others.

“In the past few years, we have seen more and more cases of senseless gun violence,” said Conroy, a member of the Legislative Public Safety Working Group. “I now hear from children who tell me they are scared to go to school. That is never acceptable, and as a mother, this pains me to my core. This year, I worked with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass commonsense gun safety measures that will help to keep our communities and schools safe from senseless violence. I am hopeful that the governor will join our efforts and will put politics aside to work with us to keep our kids safe.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Ahead of the upcoming adjournment of the spring legislative session for the 100th General Assembly, state Rep. Sue Scherer, D-Decatur, issued the following statement:

“There are multiple initiatives that I spearheaded here in Springfield to try to get our state back on track following Governor Rauner’s three-year, budget impasse. One effort that I am proud to have sponsored is a measure that will ensure that no legislator gets an automatic pay increase.  One of my top priorities as state representative is promoting good government and cutting perks for politicians.

“I am proud to have supported a bipartisan, balanced budget for our state that includes no new taxes. Rauner’s budget crisis tripled our state’s debt, but the budget that I supported today will create a surplus that will help us to pay down old bills. A bipartisan coalition of legislators worked to cut wasteful bureaucracy and red tape, while protecting funding to invest in critical services like domestic violence shelters, breast cancer screenings and $350 million in new funding for schools.

“I took action to address the teacher shortage in our state and fought for fair wages for teachers.  As a former teacher of 34 years, I truly believe that investing in good teachers is an investment in our future. I also recently voted to restore wages that have been owed to our state employees since 2011 because no worker’s wages should be withheld from them for any reason.

“I stood up to Washington insiders and a tax plan that would devastate our local communities.  Our family, friends and neighbors need tax relief, not a bigger tax bill from the federal government, so I passed a bill that would create a new tax exemption to fund our schools.

“I also proudly supported and voted to protect our local mom and pop pharmacies by changing the way Managed Care Networks reimburse small pharmacies, allowing them to be more competitive with larger corporate stores. I am proud to support our local small business owners.

“While there is still much work to be done to get Illinois back on track and in a healthier fiscal state, I am proud to have been a part of several legislative efforts that will make life better for families in central Illinois and throughout the state.”

JOLIET, Ill. – Continuing her effort to reduce state spending, state Rep. Natalie Manley, D-Joliet, is calling on Gov. Rauner to sign a measure sent to him that would stop a pay raise for lawmakers and freeze other perks.

“For over two years, social service providers, colleges, universities and school have been forced to do more with less,” Manley said. “When their budgets are being cut, it is only right that lawmakers do the same to their own pay.”

Manley is a co-sponsor of House Bill 643, which prohibits an automatic lawmaker pay increase slated to take effect in July. The measure also freezes General Assembly member reimbursements for Springfield session days. The bill is waiting for final approval with the governor’s signature.

“A lot of difficult choices were made in order to pass a balanced budget,” Manley said. “However, cutting pay for lawmakers was not one of them. To make this right, the legislature passed HB643 and now we must have Gov. Rauner’s signature on this bi-partisan bill to make prevent elected officials from taking a pay raise.”

For more information, please contact Manley’s constituent service office at 815-725-2741 or RepManley@gmail.com.