We examined the voting records of all of the commissioned Republican election judges in the City of Chicago and in suburban Cook County. It is apparent that far too many Republican election judges actually have a history of voting in Democratic primaries. We simply must do a better job of filling our Republican election judge positions with actual Republicans. If we do not fill these positions, the Democrats will. I encourage any Republican who lives in Cook County to take the extra step in participating in the electoral process by becoming an election judge. Sign up to be an election judge! 

Calling all Republicans, Conservatives, and Patriots. We need all eyes on the ballot! Election judges serve a crucial role in ensuring fair and transparent elections. We need all eyes on the ballot and encourage all Illinois Republicans to sign up here. We encourageg all your friends, family members, neighbors, and colleagues to serve as election judges for the general election! We also will have a heavy emphasis on more election integrity training over zoom and in person to better educate voters on the process, as well as gauge interest to serve as election judges or poll watchers. The overall goal of our election integrity efforts is to make it easy to vote and hard to cheat.  Sign up to be an election judge or poll watcher in your county!

In case you have recently moved or just wish to check your registration status go to https://ova.elections.il.gov/RegistrationLookup.aspx to make sure that your voter registration is up to date ahead of the crucial 2024 election cycle.

To find out how you can help save Illinois, go to the Illinois Election Integrity Program website at ieip.org. Volunteer for as little or as much as you are able! Volunteers can help by joining the Illinois Election Integrity Program. Please reach out to CJ, our Election Integrity Director for further assistance.

We frequently hear that this Memo is not as widely distributed as it should be. Please help us in that regard by forwarding it to your family and friends. Click on the sign-up link

McCombie Focused on the Changing Face of Farming

Women have had an impact in agriculture in the U.S. for some time, whether it be on the farm, in the classroom, or in the boardroom. Many of those roles have been understated, but the important role women play in the industry cannot be ignored, especially as it continues to evolve and modernize. Moving forward, the next generation of women must be educated and ready to adapt as they face the challenges of the world’s ever-changing fuel and food needs.

The good news is that more women than ever are choosing careers in agriculture, with data from 2012 through 2017 showing a 27 percent increase in women producers. Many of these women are deciding to go to work on their family farm, with lessons learned from mom and dad and local networks of women who meet on a regular basis. 

The shift that has welcomed more women in farming can be traced to several factors, including technology. The job is not as labor intensive as it was in the past, and modern equipment requires less manual labor for upkeep. In addition, younger generations are accustomed to their mothers working outside the home, so farming is more accepted as a career path. Family support is paramount for young women farmers to gain experience and confidence, and establishing a network of peers also plays a big role. 

Bringing together women working in agriculture is a top priority for House Minority Leader Tony McCombie (R-Savanna), and she recently held a successful first meeting for the new ‘Women in Agriculture’ advisory group.

Leader McCombie brought together a dozen women leaders from across the 89th District, and the group discussed legislative updates related to agriculture. The first meeting allowed members to introduce themselves and hear from McCombie on current issues relevant to farming, agricultural education, and funding.

“This meeting was a great introduction to a coalition that I have wanted to start for some time to bring women together, celebrate their impact to agriculture, and be a resource for each other,” McCombie stated. “I see this group as an opportunity for women to work together to gain a better understanding of legislation and programs to promote Illinois’ largest economic driver.”

The initial meeting for the Women in Agriculture advisory group included a special guest, Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Jerry Costello. Director Costello provided an overview of the Department of Agriculture and offered his department’s services to answer any questions or concerns going forward.

“The future of agriculture is changing with technology and other innovations,” Costello stated. “At the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA), we welcome the opportunity to bring more women into the industry through recruitment initiatives, mentoring relationships, and partnerships with schools through FFA and 4-H. Continued bipartisan efforts to expand opportunities for women in agriculture are critical and have our full support.”

The Women in Agriculture advisory group is planning to meet on a quarterly basis throughout the year, with additional guest speakers to be invited to provide resources and insight. Constituents seeking information on how to join the group or those who have questions are encouraged to contact Leader McCombie.

The Parents Matter Coalition (PMC) was started by a group of Illinois parents concerned with protecting their children. As the state of Illinois continues to encroach upon parents’ right to be involved in their children’s lives – particularly within the context of major life-altering decisions such as abortion or gender modifying therapies and treatments – PMC came together to push back against the government’s interference in parent-child relationships. Together, the coalition introduced a ballot initiative (referred to as the ‘Right to Parent’ initiative) that poses a very simple question: should parental consent be required for any minor child to receive life-altering treatments? If the 500,000 signature minimum is met by April of 2024, this question will appear on the ballot of every voter in the state on Election Day. The Parents Rights Initiative is a signature petition drive to support a Ballot Advisory Question (BAQ) to collect 500,000 signatures to secure a place on the November 2024 General Election Ballot. We will do this when we engage 50,000 volunteer circulators from around the state representing a multitude of organizations all committed to a parent’s right to parent their minor children. Please help us gather the 500,000 signatures needed to get this on the Fall ballot by printing the petition form from the website and asking your family, friends and colleagues to sign the petition.

Chairman's satire:

Thank you for all you do and for supporting the Illinois Republican Party.

Sincerely,

Don Tracy

Please stand with us and consider making a $10 or $25 contribution to our efforts. Your generous donation will fund our fight against the Democrat socialist agenda. Thank you in advance.