I’ve been keeping busy in Springfield and around the district and would like to update you on some stuff you should know. Last week was an eventful deadline week, and I passed some bills through the house, worked to stop some bad ones on the floor and before they got to the floor, and fought for our Southern Illinois values.
BILLS
A bill I’m very proud to have passed was HB2196 – a bill that makes it easier for small poultry farmers to farm and sell poultry with less regulation from the State.
Our small-scale farmers oftentimes find themselves knee deep in red tape. This bill eases the burden on them and will give our communities farm-fresh poultry at our farmers markets and farm stands. I’m sick of seeing small farms and processing facilities shut their doors because they can’t keep up with Illinois regulations.
Current law states that poultry producers are exempt from the costly regulations that large poultry farms must follow if they possess no more than 5,000 chickens annually. This bill raises that threshold to 7,500 poultry, meaning small farmers can expand their operations. The bill has safeguards for safety, including labelling requirements, food safety certifications, and notice to customers that their poultry is exempt from continuous USDA or IDOA inspection.
I worked with several stakeholders to pass this legislation, including the Illinois Department of Agriculture, the Illinois Stewardship Alliance, the Illinois Farm Bureau, health departments, and others.
Ed Dubrick from the Illinois Stewardship Alliance had this to say about the bill finally passing the House:
“Representative Meier’s leadership on this bill was instrumental to its success. As a farmer himself, he understood our members’ needs firsthand. His ability to identify and work with additional stakeholders helped us negotiate bill language that has no known opposition. His knowledge of the legislative process was key to its success. This bill not only passed out of the House Agriculture and Conservation Committee unanimously, but also passed on the floor of the House with a vote of 116-0. None of this would have been possible without Representative Meier’s leadership, knowledge, and desire to improve the viability of farms of all sizes, all across Illinois. We’re thankful for his continued service and leadership on behalf of Illinois farmers.”
The Vonder Haar family from St. Rose testified in committee in support of this bill. “This bill will allow us to increase our pastured poultry numbers and allow more sales avenues,” said Jill Vonder Haar, who was joined by her two youngest children Lauryn and Evan. The Vonder Haar family operates Main Street Pastures, a family farm.
Pictured is me with the Vonder Haar family.
HB 2196 awaits further legislative action in the Senate.
I also passed HB1108, which exempts live-in caregivers from electronic visit verification requirements who provide personal care services under the Adults with Developmental Disabilities waiver and the Support Waiver for Children and Young Adults with Developmental Disabilities authorized under the Social Security Act.
HB2142 is a bill that passed unanimously that would increase parity between the powers of an emergency service district and fire districts and give these newly created districts authorization to serve areas of fire districts through agreements, without the chance of double taxing residents for one service.
More to come on these bills as they progress through the legislative process.
THE HOMESCHOOL ACT
THANK YOU to everyone who took the time to advocate for our homeschool families. Because of the overwhelming opposition from the public, the sponsor could not muster up the votes to get this bill passed through the House. She held the bill on third reading, which means it could still return, but my colleague State Representative Amy Elik did a great job explaining where this bill stands and why we should all be thrilled in a Facebook video.
DHS
I joined State Representatives Jeff Keicher (R-Sycamore), Patrick Sheehan (R-Homer Glen), and Brad Fritts (R-Dixon) to discuss the failures and mismanagement at several Illinois agencies. Agencies under Governor J.B. Pritzker’s leadership have been riddled with controversy among reports of abuse, neglect, and improper procedures.
I focused on the disasters that have happened at the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS). I pointed to several reported incidents of abuse at Community Integrated Living Arrangements (CILAs), that are not properly reported or investigated.
Without DHS acknowledging their lack of oversight and the tragic abuse that happens at CILAs and SODCs as a result of their negligence, these tragedies of abuse will continue to be allowed to occur with no responses. I am glad to help fight abuse anywhere, and it should all be stopped. It seems strange that we don’t follow up on our small CILAs.
I pointed out that there are significant backlogs in investigating abuse at State-Operated Developmental Centers (SODCs) and CILAs due to bureaucratic delays. I also highlighted a recent audit by the Auditor General, which revealed that many CILA agencies failed to report emergency incidents properly, with DHS unable to determine what constitutes an “emergency.” This lack of accountability, he stressed, allows problems to go unchecked.
It’s common sense that if a facility receives a high number of emergency calls, it should be flagged and reviewed immediately. But far too often, nothing is done.
I urged DHS to take immediate action to ensure that those responsible for the care of individuals with disabilities are held accountable.
We must focus on what is best for the residents of CILAs and SODCs, not the interests of the state or organizations who have vested interests that do not focus on individual needs. The people we serve deserve better.
Watch the press conference here.
AROUND THE DISTRICT
I attended the Clinton County CEO Trade Show. I enjoyed looking at everything and we certainly have some talented young people out there. Very impressive!
I spoke at the 2025 Ag Legislative Day breakfast. I love welcoming hundreds of Illinois’ Future Farmers of America to the Capitol every year.
FFA Day at the Capitol – one of my favorite days of the entire session. I love meeting with all these smart, young students from across my district. I went through about 4 cases of Ski yesterday, but expected I’d need to restock!
NASCAR Xfinity Cup Champion and Illinois native Justin Allgaier stopped by the House!
Another successful chicken dinner fundraiser for St. Teresa’s in Marydale.
I enjoyed the pork steak dinner by St. Paul’s UCC in Lebanon.
Always a great breakfast by the Highland American Legion. Their breakfast fundraiser is the first Sunday of each month.
I was happy to attend the Grand Opening of the Railside Creamery in Irvington. Delicious ice cream and I hope you will support them when in the area.
Some pics from Springfield.
DOWN ON THE FARM
New to the farm
Storm over the farm. It’s been a rainy month!
Thank you for taking the time to read my Catch-Up. If you ever need assistance with a state agency, please reach out to my office. We are not in session this week, but return to Springfield next week. It’s an honor to serve you!