John --

Welcome to my September Newsletter!

Happy Fall! I hope you are enjoying the trees beginning to change color.

The House is anticipating the start of the Fall Veto Session following the November Election.

Fighting For You!

SAFE-T Act Discussion

Thank you to the Economic Alliance of Kankakee County for hosting Sheriff Mike Downey and Jim Rowe, Kankakee County State's Attorney to discuss the impact the SAFE-T Act will have on our communities.

I plan on re-introducing the package of legislation I worked on with our States Attorney and Sheriff that will support our police officers and hold criminals accountable for their actions.

This package includes:

• HB 4809 - Makes taking an officer’s body camera, or any part of that camera, in order to prevent arrest or prosecution an obstruction of justice.

• HB 4808 - Creates the offense of a habitual misdemeanant. If a person has 3 or more pending charges for misdemeanor domestic battery, battery, violation of an order of protection, or criminal damage to property of a family or household member, then that defendant may be charged as a habitual misdemeanant offender. This would be a Class 4 felony.

• HB 4684 - The SAFE-T Act requires that once a person has been detained they must be brought to trial within 90 days, HB 4684 would extend that time to 120 days to ensure there is adequate time to prepare to bring a case to trial.

• HB 4683 - Provides that the penalty for aggravated domestic battery is a Class X felony when the person committing the domestic battery strangles another individual. Thereby making the sentence to no less than 6 years and no more than 30 years.

Around the District & Under the Dome

Local Business Spotlight - Benoit Greenhouses

Farm Visits

I had a wonderful time visiting the Gorman and Ogalla Family Farms in Monee earlier this month. It was a beautiful day to learn about the practices used on these farms, and how these practices are applied for conservation purposes through the use of grass waterways, contour terraces, and field borders. Thank you to Will South Cook Soil & Water Conservation District for putting this together!

Kankakee County Chamber Anniversary

I attended the Kankakee County Chamber of Commerce’s 10-Year Anniversary Celebration on September 7th. What a wonderful turnout!  It was a great evening to celebrate everything our chamber has done for this community!

KCC Visit

On September 14 I had the opportunity to visit Kankakee Community College to see first-hand their use of Illinois Green Energy Networks (IGEN) funds; these funds are a direct result of bipartisan legislation passed in Springfield and it was something I was proud to back to help make our state better, cleaner, and safer—starting with clean energy. As a state lawmaker, it’s always nice to see firsthand how funds are put to good use right in our community, and I enjoyed taking a tour, seeing the college’s facilities, and learning about KCC’s renewable energy training program for the future vision of IGEN. Thanks for having me Kankakee Community College!

Coal City McDonald's Re-Opening

It was an exciting day celebrating the grand re-opening of McDonald's in Coal City!! It's no small feat to be a business owner in Illinois, so to be here on such a positive note felt like a breath of fresh air. This McDonald's will be a staple for many in the community--and I know it will continue to draw others to the area: it's a great new beginning! Congrats to the Spence family and every single person involved in making this happen!

Medicaid Luncheon

I recently attended the Illinois Association of Medicaid Health Plans (IAMHP) Legislator Luncheon where I got to speak to providers, concerned constituents, and more—and got to share some of my legislative priorities including ones that aim to improve the health and wellbeing of everyone in our district. Thanks for having me Illinois Association of Medicaid Health Plans - IAMHP!

Blood Drive

Thank you for joining me in helping boost our state’s blood supply at my drive on September 30th. Your donations have a broad impact. Each donation has the potential to save up to three lives. 

Other Happenings

Contact Me: 

As always, I encourage you to reach out to my office to express your views and opinions on legislative matters. I promise to be approachable, accessible, and accountable. I will fight for you, your family, and your business!