Inside:
- Calling for property tax relief
- Speaking out against dangerous fireworks
- Great turnout for IGOLD Day
- Reminder: Autism awareness event in Galesburg
Calling for property tax relief
In the coming weeks many Illinoisans will be seeing their property tax bills arrive in the mailbox. And just like in years past, we will once again be paying some of the highest property taxes in the country.
The time for reform is now. I joined with several House Republicans in creating a Property Tax Relief Conference and stating some conditions which will have to be met in order to earn our support for any “megaprojects” bill which might come forward this spring.
The issue of property tax reform has been ignored for too long in Illinois: Springfield refuses to act while the taxes just seem to go up and up every year. But now that the Chicago Bears are threatening to move out of state, we are starting to see some movement on the issue. We are open to supporting a stadium bill, but we want to make sure that any reforms will help all Illinois property taxpayers, not just the Bears.
Our proposal calls for more transparency and more citizen involvement in property tax decisions, such as requiring that every property tax referendum appear on a November ballot when the turnout is the highest, and that we end the process of the so-called “back-door” referendum, including bond rollovers without voter approval.
Plenty of other property tax reform bills have been introduced, and we would like to see them acted upon this spring. But as one of my colleagues put it: “Our message is simple. No real reform, no votes.”
You can read the full letter here.
Speaking out against dangerous fireworks
Legislation has been filed in the House which would change the definition of fireworks and misclassify them as harmless novelty items without any regulation. We are not talking about ground-based sparklers, but high-capacity fireworks.
This legislation has many dangers: serious injuries, property damage, increased insurance costs and more. One community in New York State made these changes to their local law but then repealed the changes after seeing the harm they caused. Other neighboring states to Illinois have seen fireworks injuries double or triple after making similar changes.
This week the state’s fire chiefs and other first responders and concerned citizens spoke out in opposition to House Bill 2851, the legislation which would make these changes. As a veteran of the Iraq War, I have an additional concern about this proposal. The unanticipated sounds, sights and smell of neighborhood fireworks can easily trigger anxiety and cause painful flashbacks for our combat vets. As a result, the 4th of July season can be very stressful for many veterans, and we don’t need expansion of fireworks sales year-round in Illinois to make it worse.
Great turnout for IGOLD Day
There was a great turnout at the Capitol on Wednesday for Illinois Gun Owners’ Lobby Day (IGOLD) to speak out in defense of Second Amendment rights.
Just like in years past, we have seen several pieces of anti-Second Amendment legislation proposed at the Capitol, and just like those past years we have seen engaged citizens come to Springfield to speak up in defense of their rights. This year, we discussed several bills, but two in particular which have thus far been successfully blocked from passage.
A couple of weeks ago I reported to you on our successful effort to stop House Bill 4414, which would have put a costly mandate on Illinois firearm owners by requiring them to have a serial number stamped on every piece of handgun ammunition. Another piece of anti-Second Amendment legislation which has failed to advance at the Capitol is House Bill 3320, also known as the “RIFL Act,” to essentially make it too expensive for many Illinoisans to own a firearm. This bill also did not make it out of committee this spring.
But, as always, bad ideas never seem to fully go away in Springfield, so I will continue to keep an eye out for proposals like these.
Reminder: Autism awareness event in Galesburg
Next Thursday we will be hosting the 4th annual Autism Awareness Event at the Galesburg Public Library.
There will be people on hand to help answer your questions and provide information about autism. I am very honored and proud to bring this advocacy and awareness together.
The event is on Thursday April 23 from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. at the Galesburg Public Library, 264 W. Main Street. There will be community resources and information, as well as food, drinks and activities.
More news
Voters await Pritzker’s decision on opting Illinois into federal program for school donations
Illinois Republican lawmakers introduced a bill for a 6-month gas sales tax pause
Planting progress all over the board; wheat conditions favorable
Payroll jobs increase, unemployment rate ticks up in January