Dear Stephanie,

Next week we return to Springfield every week until we finish our session, which ends on May 19th. I hope that everyone had a wonderful Easter holiday for those who celebrate and have enjoyed the warm weather. I know that I am happy to see Spring, it is my favorite season of the year.

Luckily, there were no reports of anyone being hurt by the extreme weather events we had recently, and I was amazed by all the large hail pictures on Facebook, my house had some big hail as well. If your property was damaged, be careful of Home Repair Fraudsters. Check out the Illinois AG's Website for recommended steps to plan for and secure a contract for home repairs.

On April 4th, we had the consolidated general election for local municipalities (some were partisan and some were non-partisan) along with school board elections. Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote! It is so important to vote in all elections, big and small.

Congratulations to all the candidates who put their name on the ballot and participated in our Democracy. I look forward to working with all the individuals who were elected or re-elected.

Take care and hope you have a wonderful weekend.

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

Do you love someone impacted by the symptoms or diagnosis of a mental health condition?

If you desire to learn more about mental illness, consider registering for NAMI's Family-to-Family course. Email saragray@namikdk.org for more information.

📅 Meets on Thursdays and will run weekly for eight weeks.

⏰ 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm

📍 27 S Edgelawn Dr, Aurora, IL 60506

Saturday, April 15 - Community Wide Service Day - Details Here

Saturday, April 22 - Art and Market Aurora - Details Here

Saturday, April 22 - Oswego Earth Day Kite Fly - Details Here

Sunday, April 23 - Oswego Pop-Up Poetry in the Park, Hudson Crossing - Details 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

Around the District

On Wednesday, I joined U.S. Senator Dick Durbin as he announced $700,000 in federal funds for the Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry.  $700,000 of U.S. Housing and Urban Development Fiscal 2023 Economic Initiative money had been earmarked for a pantry program - one not only new to the pantry, but possibly new to the entire area. With Mobile Meals, as the program is called, the pantry will expand to build a commercial kitchen to prepare hot meals. Those meals will be put on food trucks that will go into area neighborhoods where people experience insecurity about where they will get food, but might be shy about coming down to the pantry.

This week we celebrated the opening of yet another new business in Aurora! Little Leilani Asian Fusion is a A fast-paced casual dining eatery serving Asian Fusion Cuisine. Aurora is becoming home to more and more small businesses every month as folks decide to pursue their dreams in our community. Congratulations to Little Leilani, I can't wait to stop by!

This week we also wrapped up "Spring Break" in Springfield -- a short hiatus in the General Assembly calendar meant as a time for lawmakers to prepare for the busy second half of the legislative session. On the table in the next few weeks are final FY2024 budget negotiations, the wrapping-up of more complicated pieces of legislation that did not make it out of the House last month, and revising or approving bills sent to us from the Senate and getting them on the Governor's desk.

The Village of Oswego kicked off the first phase of the Wolfs Crossing improvement project! This project, a decade in the making, will upgrade Wolfs Crossing to a modern, four-lane road to help ease traffic congestion, improve safety and accommodate current and future growth.

I was proud to help deliver, along with my fellow lawmakers, millions of dollars in Illinois state grant funding that went towards this long-needed project.

Springfield Update for this Week

Legislative Update: More of my bills that passed the House last month

HB 2365

Qualifications for Clinical Social Work License

 Allows the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to develop rules allowing hours of appropriate supervised professional experience, as opposed to supervised clinical experience, to count towards qualifications for obtaining a clinical social worker license - ilga

HB 2431

Driving While Video Conferencing

Makes it illegal to drive while video conferencing or accessing social media unless the device is in hands-free or voice-operated mode. ilga

HB 2756

Massage License Continuing Education

Updates the requirements for a renewed Illinois Massage License to include domestic violence prevention and sexual assault awareness training. ilga

HB 2831

Homelessness Support in Illinois

Creates the Office to Prevent and End Homelessness to facilitate the implementation of a strategic plan and initiatives aimed at decreasing homelessness and unnecessary institutionalization in Illinois, improving health and human services outcomes for people who experience homelessness, and strengthening the safety nets that contribute to housing stability. ilga

HB 0925

Veteran Service Organizations

State Charter Act

Creates the Veteran Service Organizations State Charter Act. Provides that a veteran service organization shall be considered state chartered when the organization meets all of the requirements listed in this Act and the organization's application for state charter status has been approved by the Attorney General. ilga

HB 2123

Zero Traffic Fatalities Task Force

Requires the Secretary of Transportation to establish and convene the Zero Traffic Fatalities Task Force to develop a structured, coordinated process for early engagement of all parties to develop policies to reduce traffic fatalities to zero. ilga

HB 1120

Charter Schools Union Neutrality Act

Amends the Charter Schools Law of the School Code. Provides that any renewal of a certified charter must include a union neutrality clause. Requires a union neutrality clause to be included in a charter school proposal. Defines "union neutrality clause". Effective immediately. ilga

HB 1236

Provides that, in determining the lowest responsible bidder, a county board of a county with fewer than 2,000,000 inhabitants may take into consideration the bidder's active participation in an applicable apprenticeship program registered with the United States Department of Labor. ilga

HB 2396

Full Day Kindergarten

Requires school districts to offer full-day kindergarten by 2027. ilga

HB 2500

Veteran Pet Adoption Fee Waiver

Waives all animal control facility adoption fees for Illinois Veterans. ilga

HB 2562

Senior Housing Property Temperature Standards

 Requires that all common interest community buildings or properties for seniors must comply with specified heating and air-conditioning standards to ensure the safety and well-being of their residents. ilga

HB 2776

Notice of Lead Pipe Replacement

Owners or operators of a community water supply must provide a consumer notice when replacing lead pipes, and the City of Chicago must publicly post data related to progress in replacing publicly-funded lead service lines. ilga

HB 2123

Digital Forgeries Act

Creates a cause of action for individuals depicted in a digital forgery without their consent against any person who creates or distributes such forgery with malicious intent or willful negligence. Contains exceptions for clearly marked parodies and satires. ilga

HB 2132

Rust Belt to Green Belt Pilot Program Act

Will allow Illinois to pursue part of the $17.1 billion for ports made available through the federal bipartisan infrastructure package. Through the legislation, the funding would go towards constructing and maintaining an offshore wind port on Chicago’s Southeast Side, bringing jobs and economic development to Black and Brown communities that have long been overlooked and subject to environmental racism. ilga

HB 2189

Access to Affordable Insulin Act

Provides that each manufacturer of insulin shall establish procedures to make insulin available to eligible individuals who are in urgent need of insulin or who are in need of assistance to access an affordable insulin supply, and caps the price of insulin at $35 a month. ilga

HB 2147

Helps address the teacher shortage by allowing retired teachers return to there classroom on a limited basis through 2026 without impairing their retirement status. ilga

$500,000 Relief for Naperville Tornado

The Naperville Tornado Relief program was established when an EF-3 tornado touched down in Naperville in June of 2021. On Febuary 28, 2023, Naperville was again struck by a tornado, and the Naperville Tornado Relief Program is ready to assist. The Naperville City Council is poised to provide up to $500,000 to assist with yard restoration for homeowners who suffered significant damage.

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW LIVE and must be completed by homeowners by May 26.

Got Medicaid? Get ready to renew!

Got Medicaid? Illinois is checking if are still eligible for Medicaid. Click Manage My Case at abe.illinois.gov or call 1-800-843-6154 to verify your address and find your due date (redetermination date).

If you are no longer eligible for Medicaid, connect to coverage at work or through the official Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace for Illinois, GetCoveredIllinois.gov.

Enjoy Illinois Spring/Summer 2023

The Spring/Summer 2023 issue of the Enjoy Illinois Magazine was released last month.

The magazine is an excellent biannual resource for tourists and travelers looking to experience all that your region has to offer. Each issue offers a mix of seasonal travel stories and special features that serve as inspiration for visitors, such as the article showcasing one-of-a-kind lodging experiences (like tree houses and train cabooses) that appears in this issue.

 view it online

Resources 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. 

The Kendall County Internship Program - More Information

Qualified interns will work alongside Kendall County professionals on exciting projects benefiting our community while gaining hands on experience. 

NAMI Internship Opportunity - More Information

The Kane-south, DeKalb and Kendall Counties chapter of National Alliance on Mental Illness is hosting qualified interns from undergraduate and graduate programs in the area. To apply for an internship, fill out this application form.

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: