Chesney Leads Republican Voices on Agriculture Committee
With the 2025 spring legislative session in full swing, the Senate Agriculture Committee is meeting regularly to consider legislation that has the potential to affect Illinois’ farming and agribusiness community. As the ranking Republican on this important committee, it is a privilege to have an elevated voice in these discussions.
I take the role of ensuring that the concerns and priorities of the state’s agricultural community are represented effectively very seriously, as it provides an opportunity to advocate for policies that support farmers, businesses, and rural communities that are integral to Illinois’ economy.
Senate Committee hearings are always broadcast so that Illinois citizens can listen to committee activity. If you visit ilga.gov, under the Senate tab, you can click on “Schedules” and “Senate Committee Hearings Scheduled for the Week,” and learn when and where the Agriculture Committee is meeting. From ilga.gov you can then click on “Audio/Video” and connect to the room number for live audio of hearings.
Homeschool Update: Thousands Attend April 3 Rally to Oppose HB 2827
One of the most contentious bills moving through the General Assembly this year is House Bill 2827, known as the Homeschool Act. Despite there being over 51,000 witness slips filed in opposition to the legislation (as of this writing), the bill seems poised to come to the floor of the House of Representatives this week for a vote.
Homeschool families have rallied twice at the State Capitol in Springfield and last week, in an effort to maintain the pressure on legislators who will be asked to vote on the measure, thousands of homeschool families gathered in Chicago to rally in support of parental rights and against efforts by Illinois Democrats to place unnecessary mandates on those who choose to homeschool their kids.
HB 2827 would require families to submit information to their local public school administrators, and failure to do so would immediately cause the kids to be considered “chronically truant.” The bill would also subject parents and guardians to fines, criminal charges, and even jail time if they do not comply. Many believe the legislation is nothing more than a pipeline to the criminal justice system for law-abiding Illinoisans who choose homeschooling for their children.
The House of Representatives is scheduled to be in session all week, and I will continue to watch this bill closely. Friday, April 11, is the deadline by which most bills must receive an up or down vote in their chamber of origin. If the bill receives a successful vote in the House, it will move to the Senate, where you can be sure that I will be a very vocal opponent to the massive overreach by state government into the private lives of Illinois homeschool families.
Chesney Co-Sponsors Legislation to Combat Human Trafficking
This year, I am co-sponsoring a series of bills that close loopholes and strengthen Illinois laws to ensure that traffickers and those who exploit others — especially children — face real consequences.
Senate Bill 267 would require individuals who force others into sex work or exploit them for pornography to register as sex offenders. Under current law, those who traffic children or coerce adults into sex work are not automatically required to register. SB 267 closes that loophole and ensures the people behind the scenes — the traffickers and facilitators — are held fully accountable for their actions and prevented from reoffending.
I am also co-sponsoring Senate Bill 1572, which would increase the criminal penalties for human trafficking, involuntary servitude, and the involuntary sexual servitude of a minor. It raises each offense by one felony class, and for the most serious cases—Class X felonies—it sets a prison sentence of 9 to 45 years, ensuring traffickers face stronger consequences for these serious crimes.
Additionally, I have signed on as a co-sponsor of Senate Bill 2361, which seeks to strengthen protections for child trafficking victims and increase penalties for those who exploit them. It requires police training to include how to investigate child sex trafficking, ensures trafficked children are treated as abuse victims no matter who harmed them, and allows for the immediate expungement of records for minors involved in prostitution. It also increases penalties for child pornography, eliminates the “mistake of age” defense for crimes involving minors, and creates a new offense for selling travel meant to facilitate child sexual exploitation. Finally, it requires traffickers to register as sex offenders and ensures child victims can access support and compensation without unnecessary barriers.
