Inside:
- Chair of the Veterans Affairs Committee
- How to stay engaged with the General Assembly this spring
- Friend of Agriculture Award
- Free showing of ‘Glory’ in Galesburg on February 15
Chair of the Veterans Affairs Committee
I was honored to be named the new chairperson of the Illinois House Veterans Affairs Committee.
Supporting our veterans is a non-partisan issue. It is an honor to lead this committee in the new General Assembly. I am appreciative to Speaker Welch, the Republicans and Democrats who serve on the committee, and all those who have made improving services and public policy for our veterans a priority. I look forward to getting to work in this spring session.
Though committee chairs traditionally go to members of the majority party, the Veterans’ Affairs committee has been an exception in the past, with a Republican chairing the committee from 1999 until 2013. My predecessor, Rep. Don Moffitt, chaired the House Fire Protection Committee from 2007 until 2011.
I have been a member of the Veterans Affairs Committee since I first took office in 2017, and I served as the Republican Spokesperson on the panel beginning in 2021.
I am really looking forward to getting started with the important work of the committee in the upcoming spring session.
How to stay engaged with the General Assembly this spring
We will be heading back to Springfield for session on January 28, and then will be in the Capitol for most of the next four months. Our scheduled adjournment date is May 31.
The House will have much to consider during that time. The state is facing an over $3 billion budget deficit for the next fiscal year, so our top priority will be figuring out how to balance the budget without raising taxes, while protecting important priorities. Part of the problem over the past several years been that the Republican caucus has not been included in any budget discussions, meaning many good ideas were left on the table. We will continue to work to be a part of the budget process so that your voices are heard. Ethics reform is also a must for this session, as well as several other important issues.
Illinois citizens have an important role to play in this process too. We need to hear from you about the issues we are debating, and the issues we should be debating in Springfield. I do my best to travel around the district, be accessible, and hear from as many people as I can, but there are additional ways you can keep up with what is going on in the Capitol and express your opinion.
Keep in touch with me through my website, contact my office or follow the proceedings in Springfield live online through the General Assembly website when we are in session. You can even engage in the process by filing a witness slip in support or opposition to a bill being heard in committee. I want to hear from you!

Friend of Agriculture Award
Wednesday morning, I had the honor of being named a Friend of Agriculture by the Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association during their meeting in Peoria.
As a sixth-generation member of the agriculture community it is an honor to be recognized by agriculture industry leaders. Agriculture is Illinois’ largest and most important industry, and we need to do all we can to support our family farms and agribusinesses.
Thank you to the IFCA for this recognition, and thank you to all the farm families of Illinois for putting food on our tables and supporting our communities.
Free showing of ‘Glory’ in Galesburg on February 15
February 15 at 7 p.m. the Orpheum Theater in Galesburg will be hosting a free showing of the 1989 film Glory; starring Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman; about the heroes of the 54th Massachusetts during the Civil War. This famous regiment included 12 African Americans from Galesburg who enlisted and fought for freedom.
Much of the history of these twelve heroes was compiled by the late Dr. Hermann Muelder of Knox College for his book A Hero Home From The War. In November I presented a resolution in the Illinois House honoring these heroes and their sacrifice. It was an honor to have Galesburg City Councilman Dwight White, Mayor Peter Schwartzman, Jim Jacobs and Pastor Tony Franklin join me in Springfield for the presentation.
The showing of the film is made possible through a grant from the United Way of Knox County to promote the initiative of creating a permanent monument to honor these local soldiers.
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