BIG To-Do List For This Illinois Legislative Session
Lawmakers are back to Springfield for a new session, and there is a lengthy laundry list of important issues facing our state. As you will see in this newsletter, the migrant crisis is our highest and most urgent priority.
Other top concerns facing our legislature include outmigration, exorbitant taxes, school reform, excessive business regulations, pension reform and public corruption (just to name a few). Don’t have high expectations though. The Democrat supermajority in Springfield will unlikely conduct business fairly, and they consistently refuse to be ‘inclusive’ (a word they love to overuse when it’s to their advantage). Republicans are already being left out of very consequential discussions.
Here are some ways you can personally engage with the Legislature in Springfield:
https://www.thecaucusblog.com/2024/01/how-citizens-can-engage-with.html
Where Is This Money Coming from Exactly?
Governor Pritzker’s Democrat supermajority is trying to bribe municipalities outside of Chicago to take in illegal migrants and shoulder the burden that theycreated in the first place. They’re promising $17 million in funny money to build welcome centers, process work permit applications and provide housing and healthcare.
Their explanation of how they intend to fund this scheme is fishy at best, and their true motives are never transparent.
One thing is clear- people are onto them, and thankfully there are some strong community leaders, like Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson, who are standing up to them:
Meanwhile, ‘compassionate’ and ‘welcoming’ Chicago Democrats are pumping the brakes on their own migrant shelters:
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/chicago-pauses-new-migrant-shelters
Illinois Democrats Are Being Sneaky. As Usual.
Tyranny is alive and well in Springfield. The Democrat supermajority is operating in secrecy forming a group they call the ‘New Arrivals Working Group’. The group is supposedly going to address the ongoing migrant crisis in Illinois. House Speaker Chris Welch (D-Hillside) claims that the current crisis ‘provides challenges and opportunities that require thoughtful engagement and consensus building’, but his actions contradict his own words. Republican lawmakers and Illinois citizens are not being included in any discussions. With more than 35,000 non-citizen migrants coming to Illinois since August 2022 and hundreds of millions of dollars in Illinois taxpayer money being spent on them,
WE DESERVE ANSWERS AND BELONG AT THE TABLE!
Also worth noting: Earlier this month Governor Pritzker issued his 18th disaster proclamation on the migrant issue. That’s on top of the more than three-years-worth of COVID disaster proclamations he issued from 2020-2023.
It begs the question, what is his payoff for being addicted to these proclamations?
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_80a676d8-b57f-11ee-aa95-ffcf3b4cb512.html#new_tab
This Is Who J.B. Pritzker Is Giving Millions of YOUR Taxpayer Dollars To
The state of Illinois has issued checks to Chinese electric vehicle battery manufacturer, Gotion, to the tune of $125 million without requiring any work to be completed. The sweet deal for the Chinese includes a total of $536 million of YOUR money to build a plant in Manteno, Illinois. The Manteno facility is also poised to reap $7 billion dollars in federal subsidies.
On top of being one of the worst business deals ever, (Illinois can’t attract or keep honest, successful American companies), it was recently discovered that Gotion’s Chinese parent company (Gotion High-Tech) has engaged in two Chinese Communist Party-backed programs that are known to national security experts and the U.S. government for acquiring dual-use technology and research to support the People’s Liberation Army.
SWELL.
Read more about the dangerous Illinois Democrat and State Department activities here:
https://dailycaller.com/2024/01/16/gotion-china-programs-acquire-tech-ccp-military/
Quality of Life in Illinois has Declined Under Democrat Leaders
The quality of life in Illinois continues to decline under Democrats and their agendas. No one can deny that inflation, high taxes, and poor public policies have Illinois residents, specifically middle-class workers, stretching their dollars just to make ends meet. Just four years ago, economies were booming, and our country was alive. Fast forward to the Biden and Pritzker era, and the county including Illinois have seen a degraded workforce, morale, community safety, and affordable essentials that families need.
According to BLS data, $1 today has the same purchasing power as just $0.85 in January of 2021.
In surveys from the third quarter of 2023, nearly half of Americans (47.9%) stated that they were very stressed about price increases.
Illinoisans need about $11,600 MORE just to have the quality of life they did in 2021
The price of everything has skyrocketed in Illinois. To make matters worse, Democrats are happily spending hard-earned tax dollars from citizens and using the money to make illegal immigrants feel right-at-home.
More people are having a hard time paying bills and covering expenses now than in 2021.
Illinois Car Insurance Going Up
Premium increases for new and renewing customers during 2023 totaled $1.25 billion, a consumer group found, with State Farm and Allstate raising rates by the largest amount.
Groceries have Skyrocketed
See more increases here: https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/ag-and-food-statistics-charting-the-essentials/food-prices-and-spending/
Unfortunately for Illinois, the list of cost increases runs deep. However, we can change lanes in Illinois with competent leaders who care about the families in this great state. It’s possible to have a strong local economy that strives from growth, low taxes, and less regulations. History has proved that having a free market opens the door for businesses and lowers the cost of products for families. Yet progressive Democrats have their priorities set in stone: pork projects within their Districts. This model has proved to be a disaster and failure for Illinois families. Republicans have sound solutions, but will Democrats budge from their ideology and influence?
Who Are The Real Monsters Here?
While continuing to ‘welcome’ illegal migrants to Chicago, Mayor Brandon Johnson simultaneously turns them away, hot-potatoes the burden onto the suburbs and still wants to get paid state and federal TAXPAYER money for his own self-serving purposes.
One of Johnson’s favored foot soldiers is doing his bidding for him. Chicago Teachers’ Union president, Stacy Davis Gates, (who sends her own child to private school and thinks she is above paying her own personal utility bills), recently tried to blame Texas Governor Greg Abbott for Democrats’ disastrous policies.
In her familiar divisive language, she said on X, “So folks praying and asking for benevolence from…Gov Abbott? Not shelter? Not addtl funding? Just benevolent behavior from the monster trafficking thousands of ppl across the country? …the double standard for leadership is something to see play out.”
Gaslighting at its finest.
Simplify Your Life In 2024
There are many ways to simplify your life, but trying to do them all at once will actually complicate your life! Consider one change at a time, and give yourself as much time as you need to make that change.
Here are 24 suggestions to consider. See if one inspires you!
https://bemorewithless.com/justone/
Here is a map of the new 101st House District. Use this link for a clearer picture and to enter your address to see if you live in the district: https://repcmiller.com/district/
As your state representative, my office is available to assist you with any issues you may have when interacting with a state agency.
Please call our office at 217.508.4108 to get help or schedule an appointment to see me.
The office is located at 1113 Lincoln Ave, Charleston and is open Mon-Fri from 9am- 4 pm.