Inside:
- National Guard recruiting, property tax notification, FPD trustee compensation bills advance
- Ammo serialization bill fails to advance
- Quad Cities Chamber visits Springfield
- Summer Reading Club is just around the corner
National Guard recruiting, property tax notification, FPD trustee compensation bills advance
This spring three of the bills I sponsored in the House were approved by committees before the deadline and will now be heard on the House floor.
House Bill 5380 establishes the Joint Enlistment Enhancement Program (JEEP) and authorizes the Department of Military Affairs to make grants for the purpose of incentivizing recruitment into the Illinois National Guard. JEEP would increase recruitment through peer-to-peer referrals. The grants would go to current members of the Guard who are not assigned as recruiters who serve as JEEP lead generators by supporting or facilitating the enlistment or accession of soldiers or airmen into the Guard. The Department would establish eligibility criteria, grant conditions and administrative requirements.
A second bill, House Bill 1150, will help with information flow about filings for tax-exempt property. It would require a chief county assessment officer to notify a taxing district if the county has not received an affidavit which must be filed with respect to exempt property.
Lastly, House Bill 5253, would provide for better compensation for fire protection district trustees. Those who serve on these important local boards could see their annual stipend increase.
All three bills cleared committee unanimously and will now move on to the House floor for more consideration.
Ammo serialization bill fails to advance
One particular bill which has been generating a lot of conversation around the Capitol and throughout the state this spring is House Bill 4414, a bill to require serial numbers be stamped onto every single piece of handgun ammunition in Illinois.
I am pleased and relieved to be able to tell you that this bill did not advance.
As a strong supporter of the Second Amendment, I opposed this bill. All it would have done is create more headaches and more costs for law-abiding citizens in Illinois who seek to exercise their Constitutionally protected rights. Last Friday was the deadline to have bills passed out of committees and sent to the House floor. HB 4414 was not among the bills which made it through in time.
Quad Cities Chamber visits Springfield
It was a pleasure to meet with members of the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce in Springfield this past week and to hear their concerns.
The Chamber was in town as part of their annual visit to the General Assembly. We had a good conversation about our continuing efforts to bring passenger rail back to the Quad Cities. We also discussed ways to improve and expand our region’s workforce and some development incentives.
It was a good visit and a good conversation.
Summer Reading Club is just around the corner
As the weather warms up and the last day of school approaches, it is almost time for this year’s Summer Reading Club.
This is a very special year, as we celebrate America’s 250th birthday. So, this year the summer reading theme is Read All About It: America 250! Students in kindergarten through fifth grade who join the summer reading club and read eight books by July 31 will be invited to an ice cream party at the end of the summer. But because of the special celebration of the 250th birthday, there will be an extra prize awarded to any student who reads a book about American history as part of the program.
To participate, please contact my office, or watch your local library, where we will be distributing entry forms and informational flyers soon.
Read all about it!
Have a very happy Easter!
I hope that you and your family have a very happy Easter this weekend! Please travel safely if you are on the road and enjoy the celebration with family and friends.
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