Session Alert!
We are in Session today starting this afternoon for the next three days. The biggest issue on the agenda is the making – or Democrat Gerrymandering – of the Congressional Maps.
It is no secret that with the loss of one House seat due to Illinois having lost population over the last decade as other states have gained, that the Democrats now need to “find” more seats in an attempt to hold onto their slim majority. No political pundit believes that is possible, but the Illinois Democrats in cahoots with the Pelosi Machine want to take a current 13-5 majority to a 14-3 majority.
Here is a look at the initial maps that were put out on Friday. Do these districts look compact? They are barely contiguous – another requirement when drawing districts.
NOTICE – LaSalle County is split into THREE different Congressional Districts.
Here is What Iowa’s Computer Drawn Map Looks Like
Notice how it follows county lines.
To Watch Session and Committee Hearings Click on Audio/Video at the ilga.gov website
Here is a Recap of What Else to Expect
After regular session ends on May 31st, the state legislature usually does not come back until Fall. ON the calendar is two weeks of Veto Session October 19-21 and October 26-28, often times the second week is canceled.
Veto session is a time where we consider legislation that is pending from the Spring, legislation that the Governor Vetoed and the sponsor wants to try to override, and even new legislation that the majority party wants to pass.
Here is what you can expect will be debated:
1. Healthcare Rights of Conscience Law. This legislation protects people from having to participate in medical procedures against their conscience. Gov. Pritzker wants the law changed so that people who do not want to take the COVID vaccine cannot use this law to protect themselves from the mandates he has imposed on public and private workers.
2. Repeal of Parental Notice of Abortion. The Pro-Aborts are out for blood. This legislation stalled in the Spring session but may be up for consideration next week. The Democrats are looking for a win for Planned Parenthood and the abortion lobby that funds their campaigns in the wake of the Texas law limiting abortion to before a heartbeat is determined. It is under the same mood that the Democrats passed one of the most extreme abortion laws in America in Spring 2019. They couldn’t stand that life was winning in other states.
3. Congressional Maps. With other state maps fully gerrymandered to the Democrat advantage, we will now consider Congressional Maps. Our current 18 districts with 13 – Democrat and 5 Republican has been pared down to just 17 Congressional Districts. The Democrats are attempting to divide up the state precinct by precinct to pick their voters and give them a 14-3 advantage which would strengthen their grip on Congress as they face massive headwinds from the unpopular Bided agenda.
4. IDES. We owe $4.3 billion to the federal government for borrowing to shore up our unemployment insurance fund. We have already accumulated $6 million in interests costs on the borrowed money and there are laws that will trigger automatic cuts to benefits if we don’t pay back the funds and also increases to employers.
5. Criminal Justice Reform. Democrats want to get rid of Qualified Immunity for police officers. This protects them in the performance of their duties from lawsuits as long as they have complied with best practices and training. It is a highly controversial topic.
As a state representative, my office is available to assist you with any issues you may have when interacting with a state agency. Whether you need help with unemployment claims, getting a FOID card, renewing your drivers license or resolving a tax problem, we are here to serve you.
Oftentimes, some of the best legislation comes from people who see where the law is unworkable or simply unfair.
If you have ideas on how the state of Illinois could improve, let’s sit down and discuss if a legislative fix is needed.
Please call our office at 217.876.1968 to get help or schedule an appointment to see me. The office is located at 715 W Imboden Dr, Decatur.
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