Chesney Hosts Two More Successful Community Connections Meetings in 45th District
The Community Connections meetings I have been co-hosting with local officials in the 45th Senate District continue to be very successful, with packed rooms in Rockton on June 24 and Machesney Park on June 26. I appreciate that so many people took time out of their busy days to learn about the recent legislative session and to ask questions and offer opinions.
I also want to thank Rockton event co-hosts, Rockton Mayor John Peterson, South Beloit Mayor Tom Fitzgerald, and Roscoe Village President Carol Gustafson (shown above), and Machesney Park co-hosts, Machesney Park Mayor Steve Johnson and Trustee Aaron Wilcon, and Loves Park Mayor Greg Jury (shown below), for joining me at these events.
We had engaged audiences at both events, and I am looking forward to the next events, scheduled for July 31 in Savanna, August 28 in Freeport, and September 12 in Oregon.
Laws Taking Effect July 1
Several new laws took effect on July 1, including measures allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain official Illinois driver’s licenses, protections for the children of social media influencers, additional safeguards for independent contractors, and changes to school assessment tests.
Undocumented Immigrants Drivers’ Licenses: Public Act 103-0210 allows non-citizens to obtain standard driver’s licenses. This replaces a previous system in which they were allowed to obtain licenses that indicated they were not citizens. Now, they will be able to get the same licenses as Illinois citizens.
Underage Professional Vlogger Protections: Public Act 103-0556 seeks to protect children from exploitation by requiring influencers to set up a trust fund for their child if they earn income from their child’s likeness.
Regulation for District-Administered Assessment in Schools: Public Act 103-0393 requires school boards to hold a public vote before approving a new contract for district-administered assessments.
Freelance Worker Protections: Public Act 103-0417 creates the Freelance Worker Protection Act to create protections for independent contractors.
$613.225 Million Coming to 45th District in New IDOT Multi-Year Plan
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has released its updated Multi-Year Plan for transportation improvements, and I am pleased to announce that $613,225,000 is coming to the 45th Senate District. Of this, $568,132,000 is slated for state highway improvements within the district, and $45,093,000 is allocated toward improvements to local highways. The plan has designated $102,656,000 in IDOT funds to be spent on state and local projects in the 45th District during the current fiscal year.
The 45th District is receiving a large investment of capital funding toward important transportation improvement projects in the new IDOT Multi-Year Plan. These projects will improve safety on our local and state roadways and strengthen the integrity of several bridges. All seven counties in the 45th District will benefit from improvement projects in the plan.
Click here to view the list of projects that are coming to the 45th District between Fiscal Year 2025-2030, with projects slated for the current fiscal year noted in red. A total of 193 projects that cover 142.35 miles of state highways, and an additional 28 projects that span 42 miles of local highways are included for this area in the updated plan.
IDNR Offers Free Camping Near State Fairgrounds with Purchase of 2024 Admission Booklet
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is offering free camping near the fairgrounds during the Illinois State Fair. To be eligible for this promotion, interested fair campers need to purchase a 2024 Illinois State Fair Admission booklet from June 26 to July 3 and plan to camp within the dates of August 11 to 16.
With the booklet purchase, campers and fair attendees can receive up to two complimentary nights at one of the Springfield-area State Parks. The three parks available for this free stay include Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site, Sangchris Lake State Park, and Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area.
For more information, visit the fair’s website at https://dnr.illinois.gov/.
