John --
Welcome to my end of Summer
e-newsletter!
The General Assembly convenes after
the election on November 8th for Veto Session.
Please contact my District Office
with any questions or concerns regarding state issues. We are here to
help.
Fighting for You!
Please find my End of Session newsletter online at the link
below for a recap of Spring Session 2022:
rephaas.com/legislative-session-review-2022
Around the District and Under the
Dome
Riverside Emergency
Department
I had
the pleasure of touring the new emergency department at Riverside
Medical Center. Our community is so fortunate to have access to
state-of-the-art healthcare and technology!
Kankakee County Chamber
of Commerce
I had a great time
at the Kankakee County Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership and Lunch at
ONU. It was wonderful to hear Dr. Chenoweth discuss leadership in our
community. It was a great opportunity to learn and network with so
many dynamic community leaders!
Southland Black Chamber
of Commerce Award
I am extremely
honored to have received the Southland Black Chamber of Commerce and
Industry’s 2022 Outstanding Legislator award. I am so very thankful to
have the opportunity to represent the individuals in the 79th
District!
Relay For
Life
The Relay for Life
of Kankakee County event was an awesome event! It was a great turnout
for a great cause!
GEDC & DCEO
Rountable
On June 15th, I attended the Grundy
Economic Development Council and DCEO Roundtable discussion in Morris.
It was great to hear about funding opportunities for our communities
and businesses that have fought through the
pandemic.
Dr. Janet Leonard
Award
Congratulations to
my good friend David M. Jaffe for receiving the 2022 Dr. Janet V.
Leonard “Con Spirito” Award! Well deserved!
Kankakee County Ribbon
Cutting
I had a great
morning at the
Visit Kankakee County Ribbon Cutting! They’re in a beautiful
space in the heart of Downtown. Be sure to stop by their office to
check out visitor guides and buy some great Kankakee County
merchandise!
Lunch at Candy &
Cake
My
team and I had a wonderful lunch at
CANDY & CAKE on July 26th with Mayor Paul Schore,
Trustee Rick Fischer, and Trustee Jeff Keast! So many delicious
options!
Wheat
Harvesting
I enjoyed wheat harvesting in Herscher,
in a field owned by the Perreault family! Thank you for your
hospitality and for giving me this opportunity. What a great day!
Crown Cork and Seal
Tour
Thank you to Crown Cork and Seal Company
for giving me and my district office team a tour of the facility this
summer. I learned a great deal about the operations of the facility
and its benefits to our community, and beyond!
Local Business
Spotlights
- June
Spotlight:
In June I stopped by The Icebox Creamery in Peotone to present
owners Jake and Melissa Kulacz with an official certificate
recognizing their service to the community! The Icebox Creamery makes
some of the best ice cream around. They are definitely a local
favorite! Click below to learn more:
rephaas.com/icebox-creamery
- July
Spotlight:
I had
the pleasure of presenting the founders and owners of
Brandon Caseys Comfort
Crew, Brandon and Lindy
Casey, with an official certificate as my July Business of the Month,
recognizing their service to the community! Casey's Comfort Crew has
top-notch customer service and reliable, high-quality products. I am
so pleased to have had them here in the 79th District! Click below to
learn more:
rephaas.com/brandon-caseys-comfort-crew
- August
Spotlight:
In August, I chose to highlight the New York City Deli as my
local business of the month! They have been in business for two years
serving the 79th District with gourmet sandwiches. I recently had the
opportunity to visit the Deli, meet with the owners, Michael and
Kristi Panozzo, present them with a special certificate of recognition
from the State of Illinois...and eat a delicious sandwich! I encourage
everyone to check it out! Click below to learn more:
Ricky Rockets
Groundbreaking
I was able to take part in the Ricky
Rockets groundbreaking ceremony in June. Thank you to Mayor Chris
Curtis, ECDA Director Barbi Brewer Watson, Alderman Carl Brown, and
everyone else who has worked so hard to bring this $20M investment to
our community!
Legislative Barn
Meeting
I had a wonderful evening at the Will
County Farm Bureau Meeting in July! It was great to have important
discussions regarding legislative priorities and concerns.
National Night
Out
We
had a great time at National Night Out this week at Perry Farm! Thank
you to our local law enforcement agencies for coordinating such a
great event. Thank you for
letting me and my team be a part of this wonderful event! We handed
out 600 school supply bags!
Eagle Scout
Ceremony
I had the pleasure
of attending the Eagle Scout ceremony for Phillip and Ryan Koerner on
August 7th. It was an honor to be invited to participate and present
both Phillip and Ryan with Certificates from the Illinois House of
Representatives honoring their accomplishments. Congratulations to
these two fine young men!
Legislative
Breakfast
Thanks to the
Kankakee County Chamber of Commerce and
Kankakee County Farm Bureau for hosting a wonderful legislative
breakfast! I always enjoy the opportunity to talk about what I'm
working on in the state legislature, and having a chance to listen to
advocates in our community! I was also given the Illinois Farm Bureau
Activator Friend of Agriculture 2022 award today at the breakfast...it
was a great way to start the day!
Tour At Nucor
Steel
On August 22nd I
welcomed Illinois House Republican Leader
Jim Durkin to my district where we toured Nucor Steel in
Bourbonnais. They produce steel and steel products, and hold the title
of the most sustainable steel maker in the nation! I enjoyed learning
about their manufacturing process, the products, and the incredible
team behind it. Thanks for having me Nucor!
Summer Reading Program
Social
I had a wonderful evening on August
25th celebrating my summer reading program with so many wonderful
readers! All students who completed the program received a certificate
from the House of Representatives and celebrated with ice cream and
lemonade. Thank you to CANDY & CAKE and Haylibug Lemonadez for
sharing your delicious treats with us!
Erickson Institute
I enjoyed my experience at the
Erickson Institute during the first portion of the Executive
Fellowship program which included a Day of Service to shadow and do
the work of early childhood education professionals. For me, that
meant spending time with kids at Gads Hill Center in Chicago; I got to
play, read, dance, and engage with them and gain firsthand experience
of the important work our early childhood professionals do—and see the
resources that come to fruition from state funding. This experience
isn’t something I’ll forget and left me encouraged to get back to work
in Springfield to keep working on progress in early childhood
education. I'm looking forward to the second half of the Fellowship
Program next month!
State Legislative Leaders
Program
I had
the honor and pleasure of attending the State Legislative Leaders
Foundation Emerging Legislative Leaders Program at The University of
Virginia Darden School of Business. This was a wonderful opportunity
for a group of bipartisan legislators from all across the country to
gather to learn and engage in honest discussions about how we as
legislators can lead, work together to make our districts, our states,
and this country a better place. Also grateful to have this
opportunity with my dear friend and colleague Rep. Amy
Elik! Now to DC for a couple
days!
Cop On the
Rooftop
Thanks to all who
stopped by local participating Dunkin' stores on August 19th to make a
contribution! Many of our local police and sheriff departments were
participating in the
#CopOnARooftop event for the Special Olympics of IL/Torch Run
today.
Other Happenings
IDES
Employment
Looking for
employment opportunities? IDES is hiring! Click the link below for
more information:
https://illinois.jobs2web.com/
Foster
Parents
Good news for
Illinois foster parents! The Illinois Department of Children and
Family Services announced an increase in the monthly financial support
provided to foster parents, caregivers, and older youth in care
starting July 1. Thank you to all our foster parents here in the 79th
District for welcoming one or more children into your family and
providing them with the stability and love they deserve.
https://www.hoiabc.com/2022/06/27/dcfs-giving-foster-families-more-money-amid-volunteer-need/
Mark Your Calendar!
Blood
Drive
I will be hosting a blood drive on
Tuesday, September 30th, from 11 Am to 4 PM at the Bourbonnais Municipal Center community
room.
Rep. Jackie Haas
http://www.ilhousegop.org/
