Inside:
- “Decoupling bill” passes in final night of fall session
- November is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month
- Local students were House pages
- Busy weekend around the district
“Decoupling” bill passes in final night of fall session
A bill to “decouple” Illinois’ tax code from the federal tax code passed the House in the middle of the night at the end of the fall session.
Governor Pritzker argued that decoupling from the federal tax code will produce enough revenue from Illinois taxpayers to continue his big spending programs. State government spending has increased by 43% (approximately $16 billion) since he took office in 2019. Illinois already has the third highest corporate tax rate in the country, and now the state is about to block families and businesses from benefits passed at the federal level. In total, this action could mean over $200 million in new taxes on Illinoisans.
I voted against this bill because decoupling amounts to a tax increase on Illinois businesses. It will put Illinois businesses at a competitive disadvantage against businesses in every other state in the country. Taxes on job creators in every other state will go down, but they will not do so in Illinois. This is yet another bad policy which will make it harder for those seeking to attract jobs and businesses to Illinois.
The bill passed both houses before dawn and has been sent to the Governor.
November is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month
Alzheimer’s disease affects more than 230,000 Illinois residents and their families. It is the most common cause of dementia, leading to memory loss, confusion and the gradual loss of independence. The impact extends far beyond those diagnosed — millions of family members, friends and neighbors share in the challenges of providing care and navigating a complex healthcare system.
In Illinois, more than 300,000 caregivers provide unpaid care each year. The responsibilities they shoulder are immense, often requiring round-the-clock attention, patience, and compassion.
Early detection can make a tremendous difference. Identifying the signs of Alzheimer’s early allows individuals and families to plan for the future, seek treatment and access community-based support. Though there is no cure, advances in treatment and new therapies are offering hope and improving quality of life.
Residents can learn more or find resources by visiting the Alzheimer’s Association Illinois Chapter at www.alz.org/illinois or by calling their 24/7 Helpline at 1-800-272-3900.
Local students were House pages
I had the honor of introducing three local students who served as House Pages for a Day during the last week of the fall session.
Max and Sully Weaver attend Creative Christian Homeschool, Sully as a 7th grader and Max an 11th grader. They are the sons of Chris and Andrea Weaver. Both are active in Bible study, bicycle maintenance repair, writing letters to pen-pals, doing tours with the Prairieland Conservancy Group and education programs at the Lakeview Nature Center. Both also participated in the World War II live history exhibit hosted by Western Illinois University.
In addition, Sully is a club-level chess player, participates in horticulture, Spanish, culinary arts, pre-algebra and public library reading programs. Max is active in computer science, robotics, Japanese history and culture, and distance running. He is a professional-level computer programmer and is involved in a CSS contest for redesigning the way websites look and behave.
Demetrius Williams III is the son of Rebecca Hinman and the late Demetrius Williams, Sr. He was accompanied to Springfield by his mom and his grandmother Kathleen Ahrens. He is a drill instructor for the UTHS Marching Panthers band, where he plays the baritone. He is in the International Thespian Society and the Tri-M Music Honor Society, as well as the brass ensemble and the hand bell chorus at St. John’s Lutheran Church, where he also volunteers at the food pantry.
Demetrius is looking forward to participating in ROTC in college before going into cyberwarfare engineering in the military.
It was great having these outstanding future leaders join me in Springfield. They got to meet other members of the General Assembly, tour the Capitol and see the House of Representatives in action during a very busy legislative week!
Busy weekend around the district
Friday night we started out at the Kiwanis fundraiser at HyVee on East Main enjoying pancakes, sausage and a cup of coffee. The pancakes were a perfect golden brown. After some grocery shopping we went to the Artisan Vault to enjoy a Howl at the Moon event celebrating all the great Thrive employees that provide awesome services to those in need. Always a fun event with music and dancing. Thank you to everyone who came out to help support these events!
On Saturday I spent an hour volunteering to help collect food and cash for Fish of Galesburg. Galesburg radio stations led the efforts collecting at Wal-Mart and both HyVees. I learned it was one of the largest collections in Galesburg. Thank you, Galesburg community for helping fill cupboards for so many in Galesburg.
I left there to watch the 4th quarter of the Monmouth Fighting Scots’ game as they won the game and the conference championship. Next week they play host to Knox College. I left the game and went to Tres Cafe to help raise funds for United Filipino American Association of Galesburg and Central Illinois (UFAAGCI). Shirley served some great traditional Filipino food. After that, I traveled to Oneida American Legion to purchase a couple catfish dinners and thank the veterans for their service. Tammy went to the Sherrard Fire Department and brought home oyster stew, potato soup and cornbread. I went from Oneida and enjoyed chili at the Oxford Fire Department’s annual soup supper.
It was a fun weekend listening and meeting with so many great people of the 71st District.
More news
Urban legislators gain new farm experience at harvest
Workers report benefits of mail scanning at Illinois prisons as state faces rules deadline
Illinois’ oldest living resident, Wenonah Bish of Sherman, dies at 113
Legal group says Illinois law on student screenings violates parental rights