DeWitte Recognized for Support of Local Government/Control at the IML Annual Conference
Last Saturday, I attended the final day of the Illinois Municipal League’s Annual Conference in Chicago. This conference brings together more than 2,000 municipal officials and staff from communities across Illinois. Having served as mayor of St. Charles before joining the Illinois Senate, I have always valued the important role our local governments play in serving residents and strengthening our communities.
During the conference, I was honored to receive the IML “Municipal Visionary Award” for service and leadership in protecting municipal authority and advancing legislation that respects the role of local government. As I prepare to complete my final term in the Senate, this recognition was especially meaningful to me. My time in public service has given me the opportunity to work alongside countless dedicated municipal leaders, and I am grateful for the relationships we have built and the work we have accomplished together. I am shown in this photo with Sheila Chalmers-Currin, the current Mayor of Matteson, and Brad Cole, the Chief Executive Officer of the IML.
Cole had this to say as the award was presented: “The Municipal Visionary Award recognizes legislators who demonstrate exceptional leadership in protecting municipal authority, preserving local decision making and advancing policies that strengthen local government. As Senate sponsor of IML’s Reducing Expenses and Advancing Local (REAL) Housing Act proposal, Senator DeWitte played a key role in advancing legislation that preserves local decision making and worked to develop solutions that strengthen municipalities.”
Serving the residents of Kane and McHenry counties in the Senate has been one of the greatest honors of my career. I remain committed to advocating for our communities and making sure the voices of local leaders and residents are heard in Springfield.
5th Annual New and Gently-Used Coat Drive Underway!
To help ensure families in the 33rd District have warm coats this winter, today I launched my 5th Annual New and Gently Used Coat Drive to benefit residents of all ages from this region.
Unfortunately, the 33rd District is home to many people who will not have adequate outerwear when the temperatures drop. As the weather turns crisp, I’m hoping people will look through their closets and donate new or gently used coats that will be given to those who could really use them this fall and winter.”
New and gently used coats will be collected now through October 12 in bins at the following locations:
- Sen. DeWitte’s West Dundee Office: 641 South 8th Street, West Dundee (8:30 AM-4:30 PM, M-F)
- St. Charles Municipal Building: 2 E. Main Street, St. Charles (8:00 AM-4:30 PM, M-F)
- Salvation Army of St. Charles: 1710 S. 7th Avenue, St. Charles (8:00 AM-4:00 PM, M-F)
- Algonquin Village Hall: 2200 Harnish Dr, Algonquin (8:00 AM – 5:00 PM, M-F)
The coats we collect will be distributed to Kids in Need-McHenry County, Lazarus House in St. Charles, the Elgin Wayside Center, and the Salvation Army. All of these helpful organizations have expressed a need to provide coats to families in need, and I am glad to host an event to help replenish their supplies.
For additional information about this event, please call my legislative office at (847) 214-8245 or email Abby at amccarthy@sgop.ilga.gov.
DeWitte to Co-Host Senior Expo in Crystal Lake
My final outreach event for the year will take place on Wednesday, October 14, when I co-host my third Senior Expo of the year in Crystal Lake. Similar to Senior Expos I have already hosted in Carpentersville and St. Charles, the Crystal Lake Expo will feature dozens of groups that cater to the needs of seniors.
Crystal Lake Senior Expo
Wednesday, October 14
10:00 AM – 12:00 Noon
Grand Oaks Building
1401 W. Route 176
Crystal Lake, IL
If you are a senior, a caretaker, or a family member of a senior, I hope you’ll come out to this comprehensive event!
In addition to more than 30 informational booths, attendees will have access to a variety of free services and resources, including:
- I-PASS on Demand assistance through the Illinois Tollway
- ICASH/Unclaimed Property assistance through the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office
- Senior transportation information from PACE and the Northern Illinois Transportation Agency (NITA)
- Veteran Information
- Optional vaccinations provided by Walgreens
- Utility assistance and energy efficiency program information
- Health and wellness resources from local health care providers
- Home health and senior living information
DeWitte Seeks to Provide Relief for Working Families
Working families face expenses throughout their daily lives, from filling up the gas tank and paying for childcare to covering healthcare costs and purchasing everyday necessities.
My Senate Republican colleagues and I are advancing a series of proposals aimed at addressing several of those costs while also allowing workers to keep more of the money they earn. I am a co-sponsor of all bills in the package.
One proposal focuses on the cost of getting to work and transporting a family. Senate Bill 4205 would reduce the state sales tax rate applied to motor fuel and gasohol to 1.25 percent.
Other measures focus on everyday necessities and healthcare. Senate Bill 3869 would exempt diapers for infants, children, and adults from state sales taxes, while Senate Bill 3851 would provide sales tax exemptions for prescription medicines and certain prescribed medical devices used for cancer treatment.
Childcare is another focus of the affordability proposals. Senate Bills 3785, 3783, 3788, and 3784 take several approaches to providing tax relief and encouraging greater access to childcare, including tax credits for families and incentives connected to employer-provided childcare.
The package also includes proposals aimed at healthcare and health insurance costs. Senate Bills 2763 and 4214 (this will be filed during the upcoming veto session) would create state income tax deductions for health insurance premiums.
Finally, the package includes proposals that allow workers to keep more of their hard-earned money. Senate Bill 3792 would create a state income tax deduction for gratuities included in
federal adjusted gross income, while Senate Bill 3175 would create a deduction for overtime wages.
Working families experience the squeeze on their wallets throughout their daily lives, including when they drive to work, arrange childcare, pay for healthcare, and purchase necessities for their families. They should be able to see the benefits of their hard work in their own bank accounts, and the goal of the proposals is to provide relief where families feel financial pressure most.
Celebrating Elburn’s New Municipal Facilities
Over the weekend, I was honored to attend and celebrate the ribbon-cutting and flag-raising ceremony for the newly expanded and remodeled City Hall and Police Department.
This project is a great example of responsible planning, fiscal discipline, and long-term investments in a community. Elburn has continued to grow while maintaining the small-town character that makes it such a special place to live, work, and raise a family.
Congratulations to Mayor Walter, Chief Sikora, village officials, staff and the entire Elburn community on this outstanding municipal project. Investments like this strengthen local government and ensure Elburn has the facilities it needs to serve residents effectively for many years to come.
ECC Holds Grand Opening for New Manufacturing and Technology Center
Last week, Elgin Community College (ECC) held the grand opening and ribbon-cutting for its new Manufacturing and Technology Center (MTC). As an ECC alum, it was especially meaningful to know how my alma mater is preparing the next generation of skilled workers.
Supported by $28.5 million in state investment I helped secure, the 150,000-square-foot MTC is a significant investment in the future of our region and Illinois’ workforce. The center will provide hands-on training in advanced manufacturing, automation and robotics, green energy technology, HVAC-R, and welding. These are fields where employers are actively seeking skilled workers.
Illinois needs to do more to connect students with good-paying careers while giving businesses the skilled workforce they need to grow. ECC’s new MTC is a great example of what can happen when we invest in career and technical education and build stronger partnerships between community colleges and local employers.
I am proud to see my alma mater playing such an important role in strengthening our regional economy and creating new opportunities for students, workers and families. This new facility will help ensure that students have the skills they need to succeed while helping local businesses find the talent they need to compete and grow.
DeWitte Renews Call for Illinois to Join Federal Scholarship Program
With a new federal scholarship program scheduled to begin January 1, 2027, I am renewing my call for Illinois to participate and provide families with access to additional educational opportunities.
The Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program creates a federal tax credit of up to $1,700 for qualifying private contributions to scholarship granting organizations. Those organizations can then provide scholarships to eligible students for qualified elementary and secondary education expenses.
Participation by individual states is voluntary. According to the Internal Revenue Service, 30 states have formally made advance elections to participate in the program for 2027 as of September 14. Illinois is not currently among them.
The federal program does not take money out of existing Illinois public school appropriations. Instead, scholarships are supported through private contributions incentivized by the new federal tax credit. Participating in the program and continuing to support Illinois public schools are not mutually exclusive.
Senate Republicans have introduced legislation to ensure Illinois participates. Senate Bill 3850, for which I serve as a co-sponsor, would require the Governor, by January 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, to submit the required list of scholarship-granting organizations to the federal government.
Under current federal guidance, participating states must provide the IRS with a list of qualifying scholarship-granting organizations. For 2027, the IRS says that list must be provided by January 1, 2027, or as early as practicable.
Illinois should not wait until the last minute to provide families with certainty. Thirty states have already chosen to move forward, and Illinois should do the same so families have access to another tool that could help children receive the educational opportunities and resources they need to succeed.
Five Years After CEJA, DeWitte Warns Energy Challenges Are Growing
September 15 marked five years since Governor JB Pritzker signed the controversial Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), which put Illinois on a state-mandated path to phase out fossil-fuel power generation.
In the years since its passage, I have raised concerns about whether Illinois is moving too quickly to take dependable generation offline without having enough replacement power ready to meet demand. Those concerns have grown as families and businesses face higher energy costs and Illinois moves closer to CEJA deadlines that will require additional generating units to either meet zero-emissions requirements or shut down completely.
Removing dependable generation from the grid threatens reliability, puts jobs at risk and leaves families and businesses vulnerable to even higher energy costs.
To address those concerns, Senate Republicans have proposed several measures aimed at changing the state’s current course and placing a greater emphasis on affordability and reliability. I am a co-sponsor of the following measures:
- Senate Bill 3970 and Senate Bill 3979, which require thorough studies and reviews of customer bill rate hikes before large-scale gas-to-electric transition projects are approved.
- Senate Bill 3929 saves customers hundreds of millions in rate reductions, which extends closure dates set in CEJA for power plants by 10 additional years.
- Senate Bill 4028, which modernizes outdated interconnection rules that contribute to project delays and inconsistent upgrade costs.
As Illinois families continue to feel pressure from rising energy costs, lawmakers should use the upcoming veto session to address growing concerns about affordability and reliability. With major CEJA deadlines drawing closer, the state cannot afford to wait until reliability problems become more severe or costs climb even higher.
Early Voting Underway in Illinois
Early voting for Illinois’ November 3 General Election began September 24, giving voters the opportunity to cast their ballots ahead of Election Day.
Early voting locations and hours vary by jurisdiction, so voters are encouraged to check with their local election authority before heading to the polls. Under state law, early voting in Illinois begins 40 days before Election Day and continues till the day before the General Election.
September 24 also marked the first day vote-by-mail ballots can be sent to voters who have requested them.
Illinois voters can find information about early voting locations, voter registration, vote-by-mail, and other election-related information through the Illinois State Board of Elections website.