News

The start of the New Year brought about the beginning of Illinois controversial minimum wage hike. Effective Jan. 1, Illinois minimum wage increased from $8.25 per hour to $9.25 per hour, putting additional cost burdens on small-business owners across the state. Wages will continue to increase incrementally to $15 per hour by 2025...

In the midst of ethical probes into the Illinois Statehouse, Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza recently announced that her office will no longer assist municipalities in collecting fines for violations caught by red-light cameras...

Following a public outcry about the investigation released by the Chicago Tribune and ProPublica detailing the use of isolation rooms throughout the states public schools, lawmakers held their first hearing about the controversial practice...

Illinois entered the new decade with nearly 160,000 fewer residents than in previous years, underscoring the need for lawmakers to address the continued outmigration...

As temperatures drop, the Office of the State Fire Marshal encourages residents to have their furnaces checked and to make sure carbon monoxide and smoke detectors are working properly...

As people throughout Illinois prepare to ring in a new year, the Senate Republican Caucus is continuing to highlight new laws that will take effect as the clock strikes midnight on January 1. The new laws kicking off 2020 cover everything from protecting children under DCFS care to safeguarding individuals’ privacy and personal information. 

As 2019 comes to a close and we prepare for a new year, several notable laws take effect January 1 that Illinois residents may want to know about. The new laws kicking off 2020 cover everything from transportation safety and increased traffic penalties, to supporting our military personnel.

With winter weather approaching and holiday travel beginning, the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Illinois State Police and the Illinois Tollway are reminding Illinois drivers to prepare for winter driving conditions with “Winter Weather – Get it Together.”

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) data, cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries. On average, 166,100 home fires, per year, involve cooking equipment. Thanksgiving Day is the leading day for home fires involving cooking equipment.

With the holidays around the corner, the Illinois State Police (ISP) wants to remind drivers to exercise extra caution to arrive safely at their destination. The ISP will be using a combination of enforcement mechanisms to help reduce serious crashes. They will be highly visible on the interstates and heavily-traveled state routes and will be aggressively enforcing the “Fatal Four” violations: speeding, DUI, distracted driving and seat belt violations.

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has its own recommendations for Thanksgiving celebrations to prepare and keep your food healthy and safe.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration recently issued a Regional Emergency Declaration due to a shortage of propane in Illinois. Illinois is one of seven states to receive this declaration, which makes it easier to transport and deliver propane to areas in short supply.

If you’re planning to travel during the Thanksgiving weekend, you should expect to have plenty of company on the roads and in the skies.

State Senator John Curran (R-Downers Grove) has officially been named to serve on the Joint Commission on Ethics and Lobbying Reform. The group is tasked with studying state ethics laws and issues, and to make recommendations for new legislation. Its obvious from even a cursory read of state news that the General Assembly is in dire need of better and stronger ethics rules with strong enforcement mechanisms to make them stick, said Curran. This cant be just another blue ribbon panel that offers up little more than window dressing...

The Weaver Team could not be more proud of the young emerging leaders who presented their 1000# Project outcomes recently before hundreds of registrants at the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem and Convergence Conference in Peoria.

Crystal Lake, IL Residents looking for a convenient way to obtain services from the Secretary of States Office are encouraged to stop by their Mobile Unit at Algonquin Township on Tuesday, December 3. State Senators Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods), Don DeWitte (R-St. Charles), and Craig Wilcox (R-McHenry) are teaming up to bring the SOS Mobile Unit to Crystal Lake as a convenience to residents ...

It was a great thrill to host my first Youth Advisory Council. Students from throughout my district participated in this days-long event, which provided them with a unique, hands-on opportunity to learn about and experience state government and public policy. It was encouraging to see so many students interested in making a difference in their community.

During the final hours of the fall Veto Session, the Senate Republican Caucus united in support of real ethics reform, standing in opposition to House Joint Resolution 93 a measure that would create a Democrat-controlled commission to consider ethics reform.

Continuing redevelopment efforts in downtown Quincy is the goal of legislation sponsored by Senator Jil Tracy and approved November 13 by the Illinois Senate.

A strong advocate for K-12 education, Senator Chuck Weaver has developed a program to honor the men and women whose efforts are key to the success of students.

On November 14, the Illinois Senate took a major step in addressing the pension crisis by passing legislation that would consolidate Illinois 650 downstate and suburban police and fire pension funds. State Senator Don DeWitte (R-St. Charles) supported Senate Bill 1300 and released the following statement.

State Senator Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington) released the following statement after his no vote on Senate Bill 1784: "Illinois has some of the worst funded pensions in the nation. In 2011, reforms were put into law to slow the growth of the unfunded liability. While I believe pension consolidation is a good idea, this legislation includes irresponsible proposals which reverse key aspects of those 2011 reforms and increase pension benefits...

People who rely on vital doses on insulin each day will benefit from new legislation that caps increases in costs, according to State Sen. John Curran (R-Downers Grove), a co-sponsor of the bill. Insulin is literally a life or death necessity for millions of people regardless of its price, said Curran. This legislation ensures that it will remain affordable, so no one will have to choose between paying for their insulin or being able to buy groceries...

The Illinois Senate has advanced important legislation to protect at least 150 local high-paying jobs and the number of flights into and out of Champaign-Urbana, according to State Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet)...

As political corruption and scandals linger under the Capitol Dome, the Democrat-controlled Legislature pushed through a partisan measure in the final hour of the fall veto session giving them more power in the ethics reform process.