Stadelman, Bush call for regional parity on Illinois Tollway Board
After none of the nine seats on the board were filled with members from Winnebago or Lake counties, State Senator Steve Stadelman and colleague Melinda Bush responded with a legislative proposal to require greater regional representation on the Illinois Tollway Board. Senate Bill 794, which would mandate the governor to immediately appoint one member from Lake County and one member from either Winnebago, Boone or McHenry counties, was approved today in the Senate and now advances to the House.
“Residents of counties serviced by the tollway ought to have someone on the board representing their interests,” State Senator Steve Stadelman said. “This bill guarantees that those very residents get that representation and aren’t forgotten.”
The Toll Highway includes 294 miles in five tollways that run through 12 counties: Cook, DuPage, Lake, Will, Winnebago, Boone, McHenry, Kane, DeKalb, Ogle, Whiteside and Lee.
“We have a law that says no more than five members of the tollway board may be from the same political party,” said Bush of Grayslake. “There should be a law that ensures geographic diversity on the board as well. Lake County is one of the largest financial contributors to the tollway. I think it's fair to demand a local voice for Lake County residents on the tollway board.”
Stadelman stresses importance of accurate 2020 Census count
Senator Steve Stadelman has announced his support of legislative proposals aimed at getting a full and accurate count in Illinois during the 2020 Census, noting the consequences of an undercount could include the loss of billions in federal funding along with two congressional seats and two Electoral College votes.
- Senate Bill 1408 would appropriate $25 million to the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to provide grants to community providers and local governments for the purposes of encouraging full participation in the 2020 federal census.
- Senate Bill 2053 would appropriate $25 million to the Illinois Secretary of State for grants to community providers and local governments for the purposes of encouraging full participation in the 2020 census, especially minority communities that are historically under reported.
- Senate Bill 1621 would makes changes to the Illinois Complete Count Commission to expand the census to address historically under-reported, low-income communities.
Stadelman believes these efforts are critical as the federal government attempts to conduct the count entirely online for the first time, a move that may increase efficiency but also presents a challenge for people without computers or easy access to the internet.
For more information on the 2020 census, visit www.census.gov.
Health-care professionals share views on state issues
State Senator Steve Stadelman and other lawmakers who represent the Rockford area met with medical experts to hear their thoughts on bills pending in Springfield. Topics ranged from marijuana use to health insurance at the forum organized by the Rockford Regional Health Council.
In case you missed me on Facebook ...
Lily and Eli Freeman, of Winnebago, were my legislative pages for the day. Great to have them on the Senate floor! And thanks to their grandparents, Linda and Richard Hamlet, for bringing them to Springfield!
