Chesney: Out and About in the 45th District
Last week I spent a lot of time visiting with constituent groups and discussing issues important to those living in Northwest Illinois. These conversations are vital, as they help me understand the priorities and challenges of the people I represent in Springfield.
In the photo above, I’m shown with a group at the Rockton Township Community picnic, and below, I am shown with the new Village President of Shannon, Ryan Shaner, and at a Legislative Lunch & Learn event sponsored by the Oregon Chamber of Commerce.
Illinois Now Ranks Highest in Nation for Property Taxes
Illinois has taken the top spot on yet another list no state wants to be on. Illinois now ranks #1 for the highest property tax rate in the country.
According to the Tax Foundation, Illinois homeowners paid an average effective property tax rate of 1.83% in 2023. By comparison, residents in neighboring states face significantly lower property tax rates, one of many factors driving people to leave Illinois.
This ranking comes just weeks after Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the largest state budget in Illinois history, which included nearly $1 billion in new tax hikes, fees, and one-time gimmicks.
The Governor’s agenda is crushing working families, piling even more taxes onto Illinoisans. Instead of making life more affordable, Pritzker and his allies are choosing to spend more, tax more, and ignore real reforms that could actually bring relief to homeowners.
Gun Bill Opposed by Chesney Signed into Law
Last week, Governor Pritzker signed Senate Bill 8 into law, a measure that targets responsible gun owners instead of addressing violent crime.
Beginning January 1, 2026, the deadline to report a lost or stolen firearm will be shortened from 72 hours to just 48 hours. Anyone who misses that window could face heavy fines and even lose their FOID card, with repeat violations leading to more severe penalties.
Immediately following the signing of this bill and a second piece of legislation also tied to gun rights infringement, I issued this press statement:
“These two bills chip away at personal responsibility and constitutional freedoms under the guise of ‘safety’. Forcing law-abiding citizens to jump through bureaucratic hoops while violent offenders walk free in Chicago is nothing more than virtue signaling. It is certainly not an effort to improve public safety.
“Mandating onerous gun storage rules and forcing cops into a federal tracking scheme like eTrace is just more government surveillance wrapped in feel-good rhetoric. If Democrats spent half as much time locking up criminals as they do harassing gun owners, Illinois might actually be safe.”
This new law punishes people for being the victim of a crime. Many gun owners securely store firearms in safes, cabins, or vehicles that are not checked daily, making a 48-hour rule unrealistic. The new law is just another one-size-fits-all mandate that turns law-abiding citizens into offenders while failing to crack down on actual criminals.
Chesney Encourages Teachers to Opt-Out of Paying Dues to Unions
According to 2024 federal records, Illinois teachers’ unions like the Illinois Education Association (IEA) and the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) are failing to prioritize teachers and students. Last year, the IEA spent only 15% of its budget on representing teachers — the union’s core responsibility. Instead, most dues go toward politics, administration, and leadership expenses that don’t directly support educators or improve classrooms.
This lack of focus harms both teachers and students. When unions don’t advocate effectively for the issues that truly matter, students are the ones who ultimately lose. Teachers pay hundreds in dues each year but receive little meaningful support in return.
Thankfully, Illinois teachers have the right to opt out of union membership, and when they do, they can keep their full salary and benefits while choosing more affordable alternatives for liability coverage and job protection. August is the only month most unions accept opt-out requests, making this month the best time of year for teachers to act.
By opting out, teachers can stop funding a system that no longer puts their needs or their students first, and instead choose representation that aligns with their priorities.
Senate Republicans Call Out Pritzker’s Redistricting Record
As Governor JB Pritzker continues to try and raise his profile in states outside of Illinois, his latest comments on redistricting efforts in Texas are drawing sharp criticism back home. Senate Republicans say the governor has no credibility on the issue of fair maps after breaking a major campaign promise and signing the most gerrymandered political maps in the country into law a few years ago (see photo).
On the campaign trail, Pritzker pledged to support independent redistricting and to veto gerrymandered maps, but once in office, he reversed course. In 2021, he signed partisan maps drawn in secret by Democrats. The maps were designed to protect Democratic control, not ensure fair representation.
Pritzker is now faking outrage over fairness while inserting himself into redistricting debates out of state. After setting the standard for partisan map manipulation in Illinois, his calls for fairness are the textbook definition of hypocrisy. His words ring hollow and appear more focused on political advantage than principle.
If the rules only matter when his party benefits, it was never about voters or fairness. Instead of correcting the damage already done, Pritzker appears ready to double down. Illinois families deserve a transparent redistricting process, not more political games from Springfield.
