HAPPY THURSDAY!

We hope you are having a good week! PLEASE be sure to let us know what events are coming to your communities and we will be sure to share them on our page. https://repmccombie.com/events/

Updates & News

ETHICS

McCombie files bill to create Ethics Task Force. In recognition of Global Ethics Day, State Representative Tony McCombie, along with several of her legislative colleagues, announced plans to introduce legislation to create a State Ethics Task Force to tighten ethics rules within Illinois government.

“To have the public’s trust, we must take action whenever confidence is broken,” said McCombie. “We’ve seen the headlines of the FBI’s recent activity, including raiding the homes of legislators, lobbyists, and offices within the State Capitol. The cost of corruption is too high to ignore.”

Within the past year, questionable activities by those within state government raise concerns that Illinois’ ethics rules are not strict enough.

Examples include:

• A State Senator indicted on embezzlement charges
• An ongoing federal probe into another member of the State Senate
• A federal investigation into the campaign finance activities of a former state legislator and current Illinois Auditor General
• Secretary of State investigation into a State Senator for economic conflicts of interest
• Based on FBI actions, questions surrounding local municipalities and various industries, including energy, gaming, and transportation sectors

“The State Ethics Task Force will identify areas of concern, study best practices implemented by states and the federal government and propose legislation early next year to ensure Illinois has among the toughest ethics laws in the nation,” McCombie continued.

Veto Session begins the week of October 28th. 

DOWNSTATE

Farmers begin harvesting 2019 crops.  Combines were in the fields this week as the fall 2019 corn harvest was fully underway.  As of Sunday, October 6, 13% of the fields had been harvested, with relatively dry fields speeding the work along.  More than half of Illinois corn (59%) was rated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as “mature” and ready for harvest.   

Illinois crop yields were challenging, in line with wet conditions experienced earlier in the crop year that slowed down planting and reduced many cornstalks’ ability to set large ears.  Corn conditions were 54% fair-to-poor in Illinois, with 21% rated “poor” or “very poor.”  Soybean conditions were 57% fair-to-poor, with 20% rated “poor” or “very poor.”  Off-peak prices for corn and beans contributed to the overall picture.  

FIREARMS

Massive public comment on new proposed gun dealer rules.  The proposed new rules, which will implement a 2018 bill enacted by partisan majorities in the General Assembly over the objection of Illinois House Republicans, will impose onerous mandates on Illinois retailers that are licensed to sell firearms.  Many voices within the firearms community consider the new legislation and rules to be blatant violations of the federal Second Amendment, and litigation to strike down the new law is pending.    

The new State rules to implement the law will be burdensome on licensed gun dealers and their customers.  Licensed firearms retailers will be required to install security systems equivalent to those in place in federally-licensed banks and Illinois gambling casinos.  Gun dealers will be required to install videocameras to scan critical areas of their business premises and monitor the individual identities of everyone in a location within the licensed store where firearms in inventory are stored, handled, or transferred.  Members of active firearms communities throughout Illinois have submitted comments to the State Police to protest against the proposed new rules.  

HIGHER EDUCATION

State agency offers workshop help to prospective students and their families.  The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) Completion Workshops will walk students and their families through the process of filling out college applications and financial aid eligibility paperwork.  Particular attention will be paid to FAFSA, the comprehensive family financial-aid paperwork disclosure package. 

Many face-to-face ISAC events will be held at high school campuses throughout Illinois.  In addition, the ISAC Completion Workshop push includes a channel for interactive text messages, where students can ask questions and get answers, and live chats on a well-known social network.  The program is part of Illinois’ current push to increase its percentage of job-credentialed adults from 50% to 60%.

Beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, Illinois will become the third state to require students to complete the FAFSA as a High School graduation requirement, unless extenuating circumstances do not allow.  Currently, only 59 percent of students complete the FAFSA application, which ranks Illinois ninth in the country for FAFSA completions.  This new mandate, sponsored by State Senator Andy Manar as House Bill 2719, was signed into law by Governor Pritzker on August 2, 2019.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Report calls for consolidation of police, fire pension funds.  One of the largest burdens on Illinois taxpayers, particularly property taxpayers, is supporting the increased burden of public-sector pension payouts.  In a potentially controversial move that could reduce the future rate of growth of taxpayer-borne unfunded pension liabilities, a new report calls for consolidating the approximately 650 separate pension funds that handle police officer and firefighter pension costs into a single consolidated fund.  The move would affect police/fire pensions across all of Illinois except within the city of Chicago, which would continue to operate separate police/fire pension funds.  

One reason for concern about the proposed Downstate/suburban pension consolidation is that it could involve the police officers and firefighters of comparatively well-funded, prudently-managed pension funds in some localities with the fiscal problems that have cropped up in other areas.  These 650 existing pension funds are entrusted to different managers that have practiced different investment strategies.  In addition, some municipalities have been more forward-looking with respect to planning for the current era of historically low interest rates than have others.  Low interest rates on prudent fixed-income investments have had a negative effect on pension funds worldwide.  The Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) has expressed concern about the consolidation proposal. 

“Law enforcement officers were not allowed to participate, provide feedback or be shown that this was anything other than an attempt to grab officers’ money,” said Shawn Roselieb, FOP’s labor council executive director. “No one is more concerned with the proper administration of public safety pensions than our 36,000 members. But this committee thinks downstate police officers are the only public employees who are just not smart or sophisticated enough to manage their own money.”

Pat Devaney, president of the Associated Firefighters of Illinois, was a co-chair of the task force. He appeared with Pritzker and others at the news conference  announcing task force findings and said the report contained “commonsense recommendations that will go a long way to improve the funding levels of firefighter pension funds.”

“I am eager to see what bills will result from the recommendations made by the task force.  I am hopeful that any bill presented to the General Assembly will take all stakeholders into consideration and be a guide for future pension stability. It would be my hope to see a bill that protects earned benefits by allowing for changes for new hires that are fair and reasonable,” said Rep. Tony McCombie in reaction.

TRANSPORTATION

‘Deer safety’ is focus of October driving tips.  The deer-mating season means that deer will be active, especially during twilight and evening hours, on roadways and roadsides across Illinois.  Deer activity caused 15,636 reported Illinois motor vehicle crashes in 2018. Of these incidents, 630 of the crashes led to personal injury, including eight fatalities.  The call of mating season means that normally shy deer will try to cross busy limited-access highways and brave the presence of fast-moving motor vehicles, increasing the possibility of damage and injury. 

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is sharing deer safety advice with motorists for all months, especially October.  Slow down if you see deer, even if the first animal you see has avoided your motor vehicle – the groups they travel in mean that more deer are likely to be nearby.  Remember that deer sometimes “freeze” in headlights or try to double back across lanes.

ILLINOIS HERITAGE

Pumpkin harvest in full swing across Illinois.  Pumpkin pie is the official State pie and pumpkins are grown across the Land of Lincoln, with a special focus in Central Illinois where Native Americans have grown the vines for centuries.  Illinois produces approximately 90% of America’s processed pumpkin and squash; this is the product that is made into frozen or canned filling for dessert and grocery-shelf sale.  In addition to the Illinois pumpkins sold at grocery stores and farmers’ markets, many pumpkin patches offer buying and festival opportunities throughout Illinois.  Some pumpkin patches also set up corn mazes/sunflower mazes as additional family-friendly experiences.  As Halloween approaches, the pumpkin harvest is getting closer to its peak throughout the state. 

Shop Local.  Let’s give a shout out to McGinnis Melons from Thomson, Mitchell Melons from Tampico and Selmi’s from Rock Falls for their years of dedication to our region and family farming! https://www.selmi.com/

HUNTING

2019 Archery Deer Season.  The 2019 Archery Deer Season opened on October 1 and runs through January 19.  As a reminder, due to changes supported by Rep. Tony McCombie, solid Pink is now allowed to be worn by hunters as well as solid Orange.  Blaze Pink, Blaze Orange, and other camouflage combinations are not allowed-for under the new or prior laws in Illinois.

Learn more about Deer Season from Illinois DNR at:

https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/deer/Pages/DeerSeasonsDeadlinesAvailablePermits.aspx

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

Early Detection can save lives.  Screening tests are used to find breast cancer before it causes any warning signs or symptoms. Screening tests can find breast cancer early, when the chances of survival are highest.  Regular screening tests (along with follow-up tests and treatment if diagnosed) reduce your chance of dying from breast cancer.  More information on early detection, screening and more can be found here.

IMPORTANT DATES/EVENTS NEAR YOU: Please send us your events and we can add them to our calendar!

Please contact our office, anytime with any questions! Contact the office at (815) 632-7384 or email at mccombie@ilhousegop.org