Senator Chesney’s Guest Column: Spend, Spend, Spend
What would happen to your family budget if you doubled your spending over a six-year period? I think we all know it would be an unsustainable and irresponsible path that leads to a lot of credit card debt and an eventual fiscal cliff. Yet that is exactly what your state government has done with the […]
The Value of County Fairs
Some of my favorite childhood memories involve trips to the county fair, and this time of year counties across Illinois are continuing their traditions of bringing people together for celebrations of community spirit. From hot dogs, lemon shake-ups, cotton candy and funnel cakes, to livestock exhibits, carnival rides, concerts, and pageants, county fairs offer something […]
Unintended Consequences
The State of Illinois lost a great legislator last year when Republican State Representative and Floor Leader Mark Batinick retired. He was a fiscal hawk who was a true problem-solver. He did not promote a partisan agenda, but instead viewed policy ideas, regardless of who sponsored them, through a comprehensive lens of cost-benefit-consequence. Mark and […]
The Next Generation of Leaders in Illinois
There is no denying Illinois has an outmigration problem. And it is not just retired people leaving Illinois for warmer climates. The most recent data available show that Illinois is losing residents of all age ranges and income brackets. Census estimates claim Illinois’ population shrank by over 104,000 people between July 2021 and July 2022. […]
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly in the Fiscal Year 2024 Budget
Legislators left Springfield toward the end of May with a record-high budget in place for the fiscal year that begins July 1 of this year. The budget and its implementation document, commonly known as the BIMP, are two of more than 500 bills that now await final action by the Governor. He can sign them, veto them in part […]
Clean energy and lower utility costs. So why is Senate Bill 76 stalled?
Illinois families continue to struggle with rising costs tied to inflation, high property taxes, and other budgetary pressures. It is said that through inflation alone, the average Illinois family is spending approximately $300 more each month on the items needed to stay fed, healthy, comfortable, and clothed. Energy costs are also rising, but luckily, lawmakers […]
Chicago’s problems are everyone’s problems. So what are we going to do about crime?
In the spring, when temperatures rise in Chicago, so does crime. And when crime spikes in Chicago, we feel it in other parts of the state too, including here in Northwest Illinois. When the Cook County State’s Attorney chooses not to press charges or hold offenders when crimes occur, most are back on the street […]
Senator Chesney’s Column: An End to the Emergency Proclamations
More than three years after they started, it appears the COVID-19 disaster proclamations are finally coming to an end. It was on March 9, 2020 when Governor Pritzker issued his first disaster declaration in response to COVID-19, allowing him to impose sweeping emergency powers free of legislative input and oversight. At the time, most Illinoisans […]
Senator Chesney’s Guest Column: Thank You, Farmers
Many say the only constant in life is change. We see this as businesses continually adapt to remain competitive and profitable, and schools respond to economic trends to produce graduates that can succeed at jobs many of us never thought would even exist when we were young. While the rate of change can be dizzying, […]
Guest Column: Dignity and Proper Care for Our Most Vulnerable
A primary responsibility of state government is to protect those who otherwise cannot protect or take care of themselves. Sadly, in too many cases, the State of Illinois is failing these most vulnerable citizens and their families. In Northwest Illinois, we are far removed from the atrocities that have been uncovered at the Choate Mental […]