Dear Stephanie,

I hope you and your family are well. I am a little late getting this email to you, I was in Springfield all week. This week had a deadline to pass Senate Bills out of committee and on to the House Floor. Next week we will be focusing on the budget and passing Senate Bills either on to the Governor or back to the Senate to concur with any changes we made.

I am excited to bring to your attention a couple community events. Next Saturday, May 6th, I will be hosting a Mobile Drivers Services Facility in the Fox Valley Mall. Please see the flyer below for details. If you have been meaning to go to the DMV but haven't had time during the week this will be a great opportunity to get your State ID, voter registration, or vehicle sticker updated.

As a State Representative, I am blessed to meet many people from various organizations. One organization I am helping is Allen Force, who organizes events for Veterans throughout our area. On June 2nd through June 4th, they are planning a Women Veterans' Conference. This weekend conference will give Women Veterans an opportunity to network and connect with other Women Veterans from all eras and branches. I am excited to be a part of the planning committee for this event and look forward to seeing fellow Female Veterans all weekend long. Please pass along information to any individuals who would like to attend.

We have been very productive in the house this week. Today is the 48th anniversary of the fall of Saigon, and I was honored to spend a minute on the floor speaking in support of House Resolution 233, presented by Representative Hoan Huynh, which honors the contributions of Vietnamese and Vietnamese Americans to the United States and their values of upholding human rights, freedom, and democracy and recognizes the sacrifices made in order to support these values, including losses of family, home, and life.

Inside this week's newsletter is a section highlighting the bills I helped support out of the House, upcoming community events, important information about the disabled Veteran property tax exemption in Kane County, some exciting new opportunities for middle and high school students, and more!

I will continue to be working in Springfield for the next four weeks. If you are visiting Springfield, please call my office or send me an email! I always prioritize meeting people from home, and I would love to show you around and hear what you have to say.

Take care and be well,

P.S. Please reach out to our office if you need assistance at (630)-585-1308 or send me an email.

Wednesday, May 3 - When Citizenship Depended on Race: A Reenactment and Discussion of U.S. Supreme Court Cases - Register Here

Saturday, May 6 - Ward 8 Neighborhood Cleanup & Recycling - Details Here or contact the Alderman’s Office for the City of Aurora at (630) 256-3020

Saturday, May 13 - Aurora GreenFest returns after 3 years - Details Here

Tuesday, May 16 - Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry's Taco Crawl fundraiser - Details Here

Friday, June 2 - Oswego Community Yard Sale - Register Here

Women Veterans' Conference - Sisterhood of Service

June 2nd through June 4th

Register for the Women Veterans' Conference here.

There are rooms available at the Hyatt Oakbrook - please mention the Women Veterans' Conference or AllenForce for the block rate.

On Friday, registration is open from 3-6pm and following registration, come and network, mingle and enjoy the company of fellow female Veterans at our opening meet and greet.

On Saturday, visit our resource fair along with attending health and wellness programs, education sessions and our keynote lunch. We will conclude the evening with our keynote Dinner (speakers and presenters still in formation).

Finish the weekend on fellowship and networking with our farewell brunch.

Registration checks can be mailed to AllenForce, PO Box 481, Plainfield, IL 60544

All proceeds help to support the mission of AllenForce.

Sponsorship packages available, click here or the image below.

Financial Assistance available

Reminder - New Booklets Available in Our Office!

Can be picked-up at: 1677 Montgomery Road, Suite 116, Aurora, IL 60504

To request yours by mail, email us at stephanie.kifowit@att.net

Springfield Update for this Week

Legislative Update #5

For more information visit ILGA.gov

Attention All Kane County Disabled Veterans

Disabled Veterans Property Tax Exemption

For those Kane County Veterans who received the Disabled Veterans Property Tax Exemption last year, you will be receiving a form in the mail this week for 2023’s exemption. Once you receive the form, you will need to include a verification letter from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to return with the form to the Kane County Assessment Office. You can obtain that VA letter a few different ways:

1. Create or login to your eBenefits account and navigate to “Documents and Records” and then to “VA Letters” to download your letter https://www.ebenefits.va.gov/ebenefits/homepage
2. Create or login to your VA.gov account and navigate to “VA Benefits and Health Care” and then to “Records” and then to “Download your VA Benefits letters” to download your letter https://www.va.gov/?next=loginModal
3. Request a call from the VA through their VERA Website. Click on “Illinois” make sure the appointment type is toggled to “Virtual” then click on the box that says “Virtual Chicago Regional Office” continue to complete your information and select the box that says “Letter or Form Request” and they will fax or mail you your letter   https://vets.force.com/VAVERA/s/
4. Call the VA benefits hotline at 1-800-827-1000 and request a summary of benefits letter be emailed, faxed, or mailed to you.
5. Schedule an in-person appointment to receive the letter through our office by calling 630-232-3550/3551.

$22 Million Paid to 11,000 People from Unclaimed Property

The Illinois State Treasurer’s Office returned $22.7 million in unclaimed property to approximately 11,000 people in March.

Illinois’ unclaimed property program—also known as I-Cash—is one of the state’s oldest consumer protection initiatives. The State Treasurer is tasked with safeguarding unclaimed property, such as the contents of overlooked safe deposit boxes, unpaid life insurance benefits, forgotten bank accounts and unused rebate cards. Illinois holds more than $3.5 billion in unclaimed property.

The Treasurer’s Office has returned more than $1.6 billion since Michael Frerichs became Illinois State Treasurer. The record-setting performance is the result of a complete restructuring of the unclaimed property process under Frerichs.

Illinois is a national leader in the unclaimed property space and is frequently consulted by other states that are reforming their unclaimed property laws, rules and procedures.

You can check icash.illinoistreasurer.gov to see if unclaimed property is waiting for you.

Apply to Join my

Youth Advisory Council Today!

My Youth Advisory Council is now recruiting new members. Every year I look forward to working with this team of passionate young leaders. All High School students who are interested in politics or public policy are invited to apply TODAY!

Local Opportunities For Students

My Office is Looking For Summer & Fall Interns! - Apply Today

We are always looking for energetic and professional students to intern in our District Office located in Aurora, IL throughout the school year and summer. Internship responsibilities include acting as a liaison between constituents and the State of Illinois, assisting community outreach programs, and attending community meetings. 

Summer Oswego Jobs - Learn More

Do you have a student who is home for the summer? If they enjoy working outdoors, send them our way! The Village is hiring for seasonal jobs that offer the opportunity to work under summer skies. Positions include Venue 1012 event staff (16+) and public works team members (18+).

Trump Appointed Judge Blocks Illinois’ Assault Weapons Ban After Two Other Federal Judges Decline to Do So

U.S. District Judge Stephen McGlynn in East St. Louis issued an order Friday blocking enforcement of Illinois' ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines until a lawsuit challenging the law is resolved. The decision comes after two district judges, as well as the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, separately rejected similar requests for an injunction.

As recently as Tuesday, Judge Lindsay Jenkins in the Northern District of Illinois denied a Chicago resident's request for a temporary restraining order against the Protect Illinois Communities Act, finding both that Illinois' assault weapons ban fits squarely in the nation's history and tradition of regulating particularly "dangerous" weapons, and that the challenged laws “protect public safety by removing particularly dangerous weapons from circulation” which would be “injured by the grant of injunctive relief.”

Attorney General Kwame Raoul's office issued a brief statement in response to Friday's ruling: "We plan to file an appeal and remain committed to defending the constitutionality of the Protect Illinois Communities Act."

Background

In January 2023, in response to widespread mass shootings nationally, including the mass shooting in Highland Park, the Illinois General Assembly passed, and Governor Pritzker signed, the “Protect Illinois Communities Act”, banning the sale and manufacture of assault weapons, assault weapon attachments, .50-caliber rifles and .50-caliber cartridges, as well as large-capacity magazines. The vast majority of Illinois voters (58%) support banning assault weapons in their state, according to a 2022 poll by Global Strategies Group.

Earlier, in June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a maximalist Second Amendment ruling in N.Y.S.R.P.A v. Bruen that established a new standard for evaluating gun control measures. Writing for the majority, Justice Clarence Thomas declared most restrictions on firearms to be presumptively unconstitutional unless the government can find some “historical analogue” from 1791 or 1868. As devastating as Thomas's opinion is, Bruen’s requirement that modern gun laws accord with purported historical understanding does not preclude gun regulation, and lower court judges have a significant amount of discretion to uphold gun safety laws.

Since the Protect Illinois Communities Act became law earlier this year, there have been a number of legal challenges brought against it both on the state and federal level. On Wednesday, a Naperville gun owner asked the U.S. Supreme Court to issue an emergency order halting enforcement of the Act while his challenge is in court. He is appealing a U.S. District Court ruling that found the ban "constitutionally sound." On March 8th, the Illinois Supreme Court agreed to fast-track Dan Caulkins et al. v. Pritzker, a case challenging the law on Illinois state constitutional grounds, and has scheduled oral arguments for Tuesday, May 16.

I continue to host Monday Morning Coffee live via Facebook at 9:00am-10:00am where you can post your comments and questions.

I realize not everyone has Facebook. The good news is that you can still participate. If you would like to join us on Monday mornings, you can join in via ZOOM! Once connected via ZOOM, you'll be able to interact just as if you were on Facebook. Don't worry you will not be on live - your video feed and mic will be muted.

The ZOOM link will be emailed to everyone separately for Monday morning participation.

If you would like to join us, please email Michelle@ILDistrict84.com or call the

office at 630.585.1308.

You Can watch Monday's Coffee Chat Here: (Special guests Honey & Kodi 🐶 🐶)