Sharing One of My Favorite Farm Photos and Caption.
Plant-based meat headed to pasture.
More Positive News
National American Eagle Day
The Bald Eagle plays an important role in American society, as it is the national animal and national bird of the United States. It is also featured on the Great Seal of the United States.
National American Eagle Day honors our national symbol and raises awareness for protecting bald eagles. It also helps promote educational outreach and encourages recovery of bald eagles’ natural environments.
Illinois has a growing eagle population, with over 3,100 bald eagles spending the winter in over 27 counties. Eagles are seen in Illinois from December to March, when they migrate north. The best times to view bald eagles in Illinois is during January and February. Only Alaska can claim more wintering American bald eagles than Illinois.
Prime viewing locations include Plum Island, located near Starved Rock State Park on the Illinois River west of Ottawa; and Banner Marsh, located 25 miles southwest of Peoria. Other popular viewing locations are along the Illinois, Des Plaines, Fox, DuPage, and Chicago rivers; and the Illinois and Michigan Canal, Moraine Hills State Park, Volo Bog State Natural Area, and Pleasant Valley Forest Preserve. Look Who’s Here: Bald Eagle Watch is on in Illinois as Winter Population Swells | Chicago News | WTTW
The southwestern part of Illinois near St. Louis also offers prime bald eagle viewing. In early January this year, an Eagle Fest was held in Alton. Areas between Alton and Grafton along the Mississippi River are prime nesting areas for the bald eagles, and the Bald Eagle Days celebration at Pere Marquette State Park offers eagle-sighting options and ranger-led observation drives.
Illinois is home to two main eagle species – the bald eagle and golden eagle. Bald eagles feature a large yellow bill and primarily eat fish. Bald eagles are found all over the state, with the largest population along the Mississippi River. Golden eagles are very large and brown in color. They have a white band on their tail and eat mammals such as squirrels and rabbits, along with birds. Golden eagles are more rare to see in Illinois but can be found along the Mississippi River and Chicago lakefront.
It wasn’t long ago that bald eagles bordered on extinction in the lower 48 states. A population that once was near 100,000 nosedived as eagles were killed on a regular basis due to the perceived threat they posed to salmon and livestock. The Bald Eagle Protection Act was enacted in the 1940s, but an insecticide caused further population decline to under 500 total. After DDT was banned in the early 1970s in the U.S. and Canada, recovery programs were able to prosper.
The Endangered Species Act of 1967 helped the comeback of the bald eagle. The work of conservationists, wildlife agencies, and other citizens aided the bald eagle’s recovery. Those efforts included habitat restoration, the ban on DDT, awareness and education, protection and monitoring, and the adaptability of bald eagles. In 2007, bald eagles were removed from the Endangered Species List.
In Other News
Democrats Are Raiding The ‘Bottomless’ Taxpayer Piggy Bank. Again.
This time it’s to pay off people’s medical debts. House Bill 5290, sponsored by state senator Mike Simmons (D-Chicago, pictured below) seeks to alleviate more than 300,000 Illinois residents of outstanding medical debt through the creation of the Medical Debt Relief Pilot Program Fund, and it’s headed to the governor’s desk.
We all know how much healthcare and medical expenses can affect a family’s financial situation. In some cases it can be catastrophic. But shouldn’t we be studying the root causes of the insane costs instead of just throwing more money at the problem?
Democrats’ knee-jerk solution for just about everything is to soak hardworking taxpayers to foot the bill. Thoughtful solutions are not presented or debated. This may help them keep people dependent on the government, (their job security), but in the end it helps no one.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_73ea805c-29be-11ef-87bc-47eb0d37f529.html
This Map Says It All
Over half of the states in the country are getting it right. What makes Illinois uniquely ridiculous is that we HAD one school choice that was proving to be successful, yet Illinois legislators proceeded to snuff it out. They even went so far as to hide the significant benefits and opportunities the Invest In Kids program was providing for low income students.
This is embarrassing, sickeningly irresponsible and downright cruel. Read more in this article about how Illinois ISN’T measuring up:
Public Schools Are Running Wild
In nearly every public school in the country, children are given curriculum materials that have no official oversight or approval. The Chicago Teacher’s Union is pushing to essentially let teachers make up whatever they want to teach in their classrooms.
A recent report from The New Teacher Project found that students spend more than 500 hours per school year on assignments that aren’t appropriate for their grade and with instruction that doesn’t ask enough of them. This is a colossal waste of time and a recipe for promoting potentially dangerous personal agendas.
Disadvantaged students are the hardest hit, and this is one more reason to give families school choice.
Read this in-depth article to learn more about this alarming trend that is only setting American children up for failure in the real world:
https://www.thefp.com/p/how-public-schools-became-ideological-boot-camps
Illinois Democrats’ Simple Playbook
In a state where rules are completely disregarded by the Supermajority party, a case challenging them is now headed to the Illinois Supreme Court. Sangamon County Judge Gail Noll recently struck down Democrats’ attempt to change a law mid-game that would bar political parties (aka Republicans) from appointing candidates to fill vacant legislative ballot spots after the primary election.
The roster of attorneys arguing on behalf of Democrats even acknowledges that this is a ‘dirty trick’, but they claim that this change in the law is still within the authority of legislature to pass. These veteran Democrat attorneys were appointed by House Speaker Chris Welch and are being paid by Illinois taxpayers.
Technology Has Its Consequences
Unlike the simple and helpful robot maid that cleaned up after George Jetson, we are being set up to be controlled by, well, technology that is completely out of our control. House Bill 4592, initiated by the Illinois Secretary of State and carried by Democrat Representative Kam Buckner, is headed to the governor’s desk and would allow the Secretary of State to issue digital ID cards and driver’s licenses that can be stored on a smartphone. Opponents argue that handing one’s cell phone over to law enforcement is essentially consenting to a search.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_f15acc1c-2e79-11ef-85cf-d379caca5dc8.html
On another tech topic, this Wirepoints article describes how easy it is to create stories through artificial intelligence (AI) and the potentially harmful consequences this will have on the future of journalism:
Stay Cool Illinois
This website is a resource with links to multiple state agencies that share information on how to beat the summer heat in Illinois- including how to stay safe during outdoor recreation and how to keep your homes and businesses cool efficiently and cleanly:
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.