Governor takes action on remaining bills; all but six become law
All legislation that passed the General Assembly during the 2023 spring session has now been acted upon by the Governor. With more than 550 bills being approved by both legislative chambers, all were signed into law with the exception of six, which were either vetoed or received amendatory (partial) vetoes.
For the bills that received total vetoes, the Legislature will now have an opportunity to override those vetoes with a 3/5 majority of votes to enact the law. If a vetoed bill is not called for a vote, the veto stands, and the bill dies.
For the bills that received amendatory vetoes, the Legislature can either vote to approve the Governor’s amendments to the bill with a simple majority vote, or lawmakers can override the amendatory veto with a 3/5 majority vote to approve the original bill. If the bill is not called for either vote, the bill dies.
The General Assembly reconvenes for the annual fall veto session beginning in late October, which is a period designated to take up any vetoes that have been issued.
To learn more about the bills that passed the General Assembly, check out the Senate Republican “At A Glance” document, which summarizes all approved legislation from the spring session.
Chesney hosts successful outreach events
Over the last few weeks, I hosted/co-hosted some very successful community outreach events. Earlier in the month I partnered with the Illinois Treasurer’s ICASH Team for what I’m told was the most successful “Unclaimed Property Day” event they’ve ever had. Well over 100 people attended, and more than half were successful in finding cash owed to them that was sitting in the Treasurer’s Office unclaimed property account. Thank you to everyone who came out, and a special thank you to the Talcott Free Public Library and the ICASH officials for keeping the library open and working with event participants for two extra hours to ensure attendees could be served.
Additionally, my staff and I just completed a Traveling Office Hours Tour that included events in eight different communities across the 45th District. The tour included stops in South Beloit, Machesney Park, Genoa, Davis Junction, Oregon, Byron, Roscoe, and Rockton. At these events, my dedicated staff helped constituents with issues involving state agencies and departments, and I was able to talk with them about legislative issues and answer their questions. We had a great turnout at all eight events.
Lastly, I want to thank everyone who came out for the free document shredding event I co-hosted over the weekend with Genoa Mayor Jonathon Brust at City Hall. We had a steady stream of cars flow through the event, as people safely disposed of old bank statements, receipts, and other sensitive documents.
Upcoming events in the 45th District
As we head into fall, my staff and I are putting the finishing touches on additional community outreach events. Please mark your calendars now for the following:
- Wednesday, September 6, Tele-Town Hall Meeting: Winnebago County Sheriff Gary Caruana will join me for a 6:30-7:30 PM live tele town hall event. Residents can ask questions about issues of importance, including the elimination of cash bail and other new laws, from the comfort of their own homes.
- Saturday, September 9, Prescription Drug Drop-Off Event: Stephenson County Sheriff Steve Stovall and I will co-host a drive-through prescription drug drop-off event from 9:00-11:00 AM at Alliance Commodities, Pearl City Elevator, INC. 4306 W. Galena Road in Lena. Residents can safely dispose of unused or expired medications, keeping them out of the hands of potential abusers and out of the water supply.
Additional events are added to the calendar frequently, so please visit my website (SenatorChesney.com) to remain up-to-date on upcoming events near you.
Tax credit information on the purchase of back-to-school supplies
By now most kids are back in school, and I want to remind taxpayers that a tax credit may be available to off-set some of those new school year costs. Specifically, taxpayers may be able to claim school expenses for their K-12 students on their 2023 Illinois individual income tax returns.
Tax credits are available for both student and teacher expenses. Click here to learn more.
School bus safety reminder
With the start of school comes an increase in the number of school buses on the roadways. It’s important that motorists take extreme caution when approaching a stopped school bus.
When coming to a stopped school bus, vehicles should leave a distance of at least 20 feet to allow students to safely cross the roadway. Violations for passing a school bus include a minimum fine of $300 and a three-month driver’s license suspension for the first offense and a minimum fine of $1,000 and a one-year driver’s license suspension for any subsequent offense.
According to the Illinois State Police, most of the children who are killed in bus-related crashes are pedestrians, ages five to seven years old, who are getting on or off the bus. However, a new law I was proud to support aims to reduce the number of incidents.
Signed into law earlier this summer, Senate Bill 2340 requires that on a route where a child must cross the road, the school bus must be equipped with an extended stop arm with flashing red lights that partially obstruct the roadway. This new law is designed to alert motorists of the stopped school bus so that students can safely make their way on and off the bus.
Learn more about the rules of the road and school bus safety at the Illinois State Board of Education’s website.
Senator Chesney, out and about in the community
This time of year, when the Legislature is not in session, I enjoy traveling around the 45th District and visiting with residents and public officials. These meetings and conversations are extremely helpful, and allow me to gain a full understanding of the challenges families and local leaders face, and how I may assist them in my role as a State Senator. In the photos above (L-R) I’m shown at the Winnebago Township picnic, at a visit to Hononegah Community High School, and at a meeting with Oregon community leaders during a traveling office hours event at Oregon City Hall. These are just a few of the many visits I have made over the last several weeks.
