ROCKFORD – State Senator Steve Stadelman is proud to announce the third and final phase of reconstructing West State Street was completed this week, thanks to his support of the Rebuild Illinois program and the joint effort between the city of Rockford and the Illinois Department of Transportation on this project.

“The reconstruction of West State Street has been transformative to the area,” said Stadelman (D-Rockford). “From improving accessibility features for pedestrians, mitigating traffic delays, and making the route to downtown more convenient, this project will be beneficial to residents of Rockford. I look forward to utilizing these improvements when I am driving around the district.”

West State Street, also known as U.S. Business 20, was rebuilt and widened between Independence and Day avenues, eliminating a bottleneck while enhancing a downtown entry point to encourage redevelopment on the city’s west side. Other upgrades included new sanitary and storm sewers, modernized traffic signals and accommodations for pedestrians with disabilities. These changes were driven from extensive community input and planning to redefine and remake West State Street over the last two decades, and is just the beginning of improvements coming to Rockford as a part of the Rebuild Illinois capital plan.

ROCKFORD – To provide local workers with an opportunity to learn how Illinois protects employees from minimum wage and overtime violations, workplace discrimination and more, State Senator Steve Stadelman has partnered with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office to hold a presentation on workers’ rights.

Stadelman is hosting the presentation in conjunction with Rockford United Labor, which will share its experiences representing organized workers who have sought and won accountability from their employers.

Reservations are recommended but not required by contacting Stadelman’s office at www.senatorstadelman.com or (815) 987-7557.

What: Presentation by the Attorney General’s Workers Protection Bureau

Who: Residents of 34th legislative district and surrounding areas

When: 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 3

Where: Rockford Public Library East Branch Community Room, 6685 E State St.

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ROCKFORD – The Illinois Council on Women and Girls is recruiting high school-aged women to apply and participate in its annual program and State Senator Steve Stadelman is encouraging women in the area who want a firsthand opportunity to learn about the legislative process to apply.

“It is more important than ever to give women a seat at the table to have their voices heard,” said Stadelman (D-Rockford). “This council is a great opportunity for young women across the state who are interested in making a positive impact in their communities. I encourage all young women interested to apply to this program for a chance to make a difference.”

The selected young women will serve a one-year term, during which they will participate in bi-weekly meetings to plan events and projects. Starting in December 2022, there will be quarterly meetings with different Illinois committees.

ROCKFORD – For older adults and retirees who were not required to file an Illinois income tax return for 2021, State Senator Steve Stadelman is encouraging residents to claim their property tax rebate of up to $300 by submitting their form to the Illinois Department of Revenue.

“Many seniors and older Illinois residents may not have filed their taxes last year, and this could be keeping them from seeing their tax rebates,” said Stadelman (D-Rockford). “Anyone who has not seen their rebate should check online to see if you qualify for this benefit.”

Under the Illinois Family Relief Plan passed by the Senate, one-time individual income and property tax rebates will be issued to taxpayers who meet certain income requirements. Homeowners who paid Illinois property taxes in 2021 on their primary residence in 2020 are eligible for the property tax rebate.

Taxpayers who claimed a property tax credit on their Illinois income tax return for 2021 (IL-1040) using Schedule ICR do not need to take any additional action to receive their property tax rebate. If they did not file an Illinois income tax return for 2021, they will need to take action in order to claim it.