As Madigan Corruption Trial Begins, Legislators Still Won’t Address Ethics
Political corruption undermines and erodes public trust in government. There should be no place in our political landscape for those who would use their elected position for personal gain. On this, there should be full bipartisan agreement. This week, the highest profile political corruption trial of our time will take center stage in a federal […]
Key Takeaways from Seven Community Connections Meetings in Northwest Illinois
At a recent series of town-hall-style events I hosted across the 45th Senate District, residents took advantage of the opportunity to voice their opinions on various topics. Events were held in Genoa (DeKalb County), Rockton (Winnebago County), Machesney Park (Winnebago County), Savanna (Carroll County), Freeport (Stephenson County), Elizabeth (Jo Daviess County), and Oregon (Ogle County). […]
Chesney Survey Results Reaffirm Traditional Values of Northwest Illinois
As the State Senator representing the 45th District in Northwest Illinois, it is important to me to seek input from my constituents on a regular basis. Several weeks ago I mailed a fall survey to households across the 45th Senate District. The survey was mailed without regard to political affiliation. Republicans, Democrats, Independents, and others […]
Democrats Deliver, It’s Just Not in the Way they would Like People to Believe
In a remarkable turn of events last week, Republicans and Democrats were aligned on supporting police and using fences and walls to keep people outside of spaces where they’re not supposed to be. No, pigs weren’t flying, and the underworld had not frozen over. Last week, the Democratic National Convention (DNC) was hosted in Chicago. […]
How the Sausage is Made in Springfield
Most of us know the process of how a bill becomes a law. While that process directs the flow of bills that are filed, just how do thousands of policy ideas each year become bills in the first place? As of this writing, just under 3,000 Senate and House bills have been filed this year […]
The Good Bills of 2024
My advocacy for the constituents of the 45th District is three-fold. It includes bills I file, bills I co-sponsor, support, and help get passed, and those I fight against. The column two weeks ago highlighted some of the more egregious bills I fought against this year. This week I would like to focus on some […]
The Really Bad Bills of 2024
Of the 500 or so bills that passed this year, several good ones are headed to the Governor for final action, and I will write about some of them in an upcoming column. This week, however, I want to highlight some really bad bills— those that make you scratch your head and wonder what in […]
The Democrats’ Grocery Tax Sham
Session has ended and legislators are back in their home districts until the Fall Veto Session. On the heels of passing a record-high $53 billion budget that includes nearly $1 billion in tax hikes, there is no doubt that Democrats will spend this time patting themselves on the back and bragging about the new entitlement […]
The Life-Changing Power of Mentorship
Those of us who grew up in stable homes with solid role models are very fortunate. While most of us probably did not know or appreciate it at the time, we were taught from an early age the difference between right and wrong, the proper way to treat people, respect toward others, and the importance […]
Northwest Illinois Values on Full Display and Represented at the State Capitol
As your Senator of the 45th District, I am privileged to be the legislative voice of about 220,000 citizens in Northwest Illinois. I gauge opinions and priorities by reaching out to the public through mailed surveys, town hall meetings, telephone town hall events, conversations at coffee shops and other places where people gather, or by […]