Session Update for the week:
Happy Monday! Last week is recognized as both Alzheimer’s Week of Action and National Work Zone Awareness Week. Both are important and we highlighted these important topics in Springfield.
If you would like to help us spread awareness, I have included some facts below.
Alzheimer’s Week of Action
Everyone knows someone impacted by Alzheimer’s and the number of Illinoisans living with dementia continues to grow. Last week I was glad to see so many advocates come to Springfield to share their stories. I am proud to be a leader in the fight to #ENDALZ as we work together to make our state dementia capable.
Work Zone Awareness Week
With the weather warming up, we are experiencing the beginning of construction season in Illinois. In 2020, 857 people were killed and more than 44,000 were injured in work zone crashes throughout the country. You can stay safe while traveling through work zones by following a few tips:
- Research your route to prepare for work zones
- Stay focused and avoid distractions whenever you are driving but especially in work zones
- SLOW DOWN
- Give road workers plenty of room and be prepared to stop when entering a work zone
- Keep your distance from other vehicles to avoid rear-end crashes
Legislative Update:
The Illinois House was away from Springfield for the last two weeks but reconvened this week from Tuesday through Thursday. With just five weeks of legislative session in Springfield remaining on the calendar this week we took up many Senate bills in our House committees. Next week will also be a week full of committee hearings, as next Friday is the deadline for Senate bills to be passed out of House Committees.
There has been little progress on a budget, however, we in the Illinois House Republicans have laid out our priorities and identified some places where we believe there could be cost savings realized.
Last week, my colleagues held a press conference to draw attention to close to a billion dollars of spending we believe should be reexamined and put on hold. On a partisan vote, Illinois Democrats recently expanded medicaid coverage in Illinois to undocumented immigrants living within Illinois. Initially, the program was estimated to cost around $220 million a year and ended up actually costing taxpayers close to one billion dollars.
This is just one example of government spending, that if left unchecked will balloon to staggering levels. It is important as we go through this budget process that we look at each line item and know how our taxpayer dollars are being spent and we must make sure they line up with our priorities.
Honoring our Women Leaders
I was glad to honor and welcome Dawn Mushill, Executive Director of the Troy/Maryville/St. Jacob/Marine Chamber of Commerce and Louise McMinn from the Bond and Clinton County Health Departments to the Emerging Women Leaders brunch held at the State Capitol. The event honored the contributions of emerging female leaders from throughout the state.
Dawn Mushill and Louise McMinn are two leaders making a positive impact in our region. Dawn is working to promote job creation and expansion in our communities and Louise strives each day to keep our community safe and healthy, she served in a critical role to help guide our region during the pandemic. I appreciate their contributions to our region and appreciate their dedication as two emerging leaders in the Metro East.
Dawn Mushill and Louise McMinn joined 50 female leaders from across the state who are each taking bold steps to make Illinois a better place to live and work. In addition to the recognition brunch, the group participated in a discussion about what issues are important for Illinois women, and how the General Assembly can create policy that reflects their priorities.
Murray Developmental Center is Hiring!
The Murray Developmental Center is holding Job Fairs to hire for multiple open job positions. There are over 93 positions available and the Department of Human Services has committed to job offers being extended as soon as a week after applying! If you have applied in the past, you will need to reapply.
The first job fair will be held:
April 25th
11am-2pm
1535 W. McCord Street
Centralia, IL 62801
More details are on the flier below or you can contact dhs.Recruitment@illinois.gov.
This Week n the Farm:
Potatoes have been planted! And, here is a picture of one of the recent storms on the farm.
The Week Ahead:
- This week, the Illinois House is scheduled to be in Springfield from Tuesday, April 25th through Friday, April 29th.
- Friday, April 29th marks the deadline for Senate bills to be passed out of House committees.
- I try to make it to as many local events as I can. If you have an event coming up in your community that you’d like for me to attend, please let my office in Highland know: 618-651-0405.
Stay Up To Date:
Was this update informative or helpful? Please share this newsletter with your friends and family. If someone forwarded this e-mail to you, please sign up for my newsletter or send me a message by clicking here: http://www.ilhousegop.org/contactmeier. With this weekly newsletter, I aim to give you a quick update on what is happening at the State Capitol, the top issues in our area, and how you can get involved.