Weekly Newsletter from Rep. Miller: Pritzker’s Taxing Frenzy

June 20: National American Eagle Day


Rep. Miller & Rep. Niemerg Pass Bill to Honor Fallen National Guard Soldier, Oakland Police Officer

Springfield, IL…State Representatives Chris Miller (R-Hindsboro) and Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich) passed House Joint Resolution 39 to designate a section of Illinois Route 133 in Oakland as the “Lieutenant Jared W. Southworth Memorial Highway” to honor his service and sacrifice to community and the United States. Lt. Southworth, a part-time police officer in Oakland, was killed while serving in Afghanistan in 2009.

“One small way for us to show our respect for the men and women of our military who pay the ultimate price with their lives, is to help remember them with a memorial highway designation,” explained Rep. Adam Niemerg. “I have been working on this for over a year and we finally accomplished passage of the legislation this session and can now have the signage produced and installed along Route 133 to honor Lt. Jared Southworth in his hometown.”

The oldest son of Robert and Kimberly (Pierson) Southworth, Jared Southworth was born in Mattoon in 1982, raised and educated in Oakland, and graduated from Oakland High School in 2000. Southworth graduated from Lakeland College with an associate’s degree in Criminal Justice, and then a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Illinois University in 2006, where he was in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program. Lieutenant Southworth married Chrissy Lynn Royer at the Oakland Christian Church in 2001 and served the Oakland community as a part-time police officer.

“Jared Southworth had a tremendous impact on the community of Oakland and his life serves us with a reminder of the importance of family, living with purpose, helping others, and fighting for what is right,” added Rep. Chris Miller. “This Memorial Highway designation is a special way to honor the life of Jared and a dedication to his family, community, and the country he loved. His unwavering commitment to serve our country is an example of American pride and his sacrifices will always be remembered.”

Lt. Southworth was a part of the HHC 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry Regiment of the Illinois National Guard and a United States Army Ranger. He died February 8, 2009, while serving during Operation Enduring Freedom in Kabul, Afghanistan of wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device (IED). He was the recipient of the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. 

The public is invited to attend the ceremony on Saturday, July 6, 2024, beginning at 9:00 a.m.


Boatload Of Bad Ideas Headed to Pritzker’s Desk

In true form, the Illinois Legislature’s Democrat Supermajority once again secretly crammed terrible policies down Illinois’ throat in the middle of the night, right before the legislative session ended.

Governor Pritzker said ‘everyone just wanted to go home’.

Everyone except the thoughtful and responsible legislators who had not been given the time of day by this Administration and its foot soldiers to discuss or debate anything!

Among the new bad legislation that will take effect July 1, 2024:

  • Drivers licenses for non-citizens
  • Minimum wage increases
  • Chicago workers receiving more time off

There is so much more. I will keep you updated.

https://wgntv.com/news/illinois/new-illinois-laws-go-into-effect-on-july-1-2024-drivers-licenses-noncitizens


While Half the Country Is Lowering Taxes, Illinois Is Hiking Them

Every one of Illinois’ neighbors has passed permanent cuts to their income tax rates- yet our Governor and his Democrat Supermajority continue to defy logic. They recently succeeded in stuffing close to $1 billion in tax hikes into their grotesque $53.1 billion dollar budget that they passed in the middle of the night.

Being cunning and dishonest, they didn’t directly target residents and went after corporations, gaming companies and retailers. However, they really DID go after Illinoisans burdening them with higher property taxes, gas taxes, cell phone taxes and all the collateral damage from the above-mentioned direct tax targets.

And Pritzker continues to deny that droves of Illinoisans are fleeing the state.

Get all the (disturbing) facts in this Wirepoints article:

More on the tax scheming here:

https://www.news-gazette.com/opinion/columns/jim-dey-virtue-is-being-crushed-by-illinois-tax-vice/article_b47d181e-668a-5544-a354-cd0a2ef8bf87.html?


Pritzker’s House of Tax Mirrors

In 2022, Governor J.B. Pritzker acted like a knight in shining armor proposing a one-year reduction in Illinois’ grocery tax from 1% to zero.

It was an election year.

The tax kicked back in soon after the election.

Now he’s back on his high horse because his recent budget proposal restored the tax elimination permanently.

Another election year.

What is really going on?

Opponents claim it merely put the taxing authority into the hands of local government, which could potentially mean that grocery tax rates can be imposed well above 1%. If that happens, you can guarantee that the state of Illinois will find a way to get a cut of the money.

To be continued…

https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_6d9cce80-2838-11ef-9a95-e3f2715d3f89.html


Money Can’t Fix Bad Journalism

And taxpayers should not be forced to pay for something that the market won’t support.

Why don’t Democrats want to embrace this basic principle?

(I think we all know why…)

If consumers aren’t willing to pay for something, why should the government make unwilling, hard-working citizens fund bad ideas? Illinois’ Democrat Supermajority just agreed to subsidize journalism to the tune of $25 MILLION!!

Governor Pritzker has yet to sign the state budget, but we all know where this is going.

https://johnkassnews.com/tax-support-wont-save-local-news-especially-in-illinois


SERIOUSLY?!?

One of Pritzker’s Supermajority Democrats (State Senator Mike Porfirio) is using climate change as a reason to punish Illinois landlords.

Hopefully the governor will have the good sense not to sign Senate Bill 2601. Pretty sure there are real estate and insurance laws already in place for this, and no one but God can control flooding 100%.

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocTypeID=SB&DocNum=2601&GAID=17&SessionID=112&LegID=150586

Pritzker didn’t give landlords federal COVID relief money when his tyrannical mandates put Illinoisans on ‘emergency lockdown’ for months and months- and tenants couldn’t pay their rent.  He hoarded the money and is now using it to pander to illegal migrants for their health care, RENT, education, transportation, etc.

Wonder if the governor would be willing to dish out the same landlord penalties to his family’s real estate dynasty as this legislator is proposing. Probably not.

When is Illinois going to wake up and acknowledge what Democrats are doing to destroy our state???

https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_21eb4c1c-29a2-11ef-8bf3-7f6b20a1a191.html


Highly Rated Grilling Tools For 2024

Grilling is so much more enjoyable when you get good results!

Tools make a big difference, and you can check out the latest and most recommended grill accessories in this review by top cooking and grilling experts:

https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-grill-tools


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.