Turnout for the July 10 IPASS on Demand event held by State Rep. Dan Ugaste and I in St. Charles exceeded all expectations with regard to turnout. Despite issues beyond our control which delayed the start of the event, well over 100 individuals were able to successfully exchange their plastic IPASS transponder for the new sticker that is being phased in by the IL Tollway.
I am pleased to report that the IL Tollway has agreed to come back on Wednesday, July 31 for an encore event. This new event will take place from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM at our shared St. Charles office. ** You will need to know your license plate number since that number is tied to the new sticker, so please jot it down prior to walking in to ensure speedy service.
Sticker tags are being adopted by toll agencies across the country. Once registered to your IPASS account, the IPASS sticker tag will be immediately ready to use on the Illinois Tollway and within 24 hours on the Chicago Skyway or other E-Z Pass roadways in other states. There is no charge for IPASS sticker tags, and the $10 transponder deposit will be transferred into current IPASS customers’ prepaid account balance once a new IPASS sticker tag is registered to the account.
IPASS on Demand Encore Event
Wednesday, July 31
10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
DeWitte-Ugaste Legislative Office
406 Surrey Woods Drive
St. Charles
The Tollway will be sending several additional employees to this second event to make the line moves even faster.
Additional Summer Events in 33rd District
The events just keep coming in the 33rd! Please mark your calendars for these other upcoming events:
- July 23: Traveling Office Hours: Crystal Lake Public Library, 126 W Paddock St, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
- July 31: IPASS On Demand Encore Event: 406 Surrey Woods Drive, St. Charles, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- August 1: Traveling Office Hours: Geneva Public Library, 227 S 7th St, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
- August 7: Mobile Secretary of State Event: DeWitte West Dundee Office, 641 S Eighth Street, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- August 19: Traveling Office Hours: Dundee Township Rakow Center, 665 Barrington Ave, Carpentersville, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
- August 24: Prescription Drug Drop-Off: West Dundee Police Department, 555 S 8th St, West Dundee, Time TBA
- September 5: Senior Expo: Dundee Township Rakow Center, 665 Barrington Ave, Carpentersville, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
- September 17: Senior Expo: St. Charles Pottawatomie Park (Community Center), 8 North Avenue, St. Charles, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
- September 21: Shred Event: 1865 Andrew Blvd, Pingree Grove, 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
- September 24: I-CASH Unclaimed Property Day: Algonquin Village Hall, 2200 Harnish Drive, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- October 15: Senior Expo: Crystal Lake Park District Grand Oaks Building, 1401 W. Route 176, Crystal Lake, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Please visit the Events Page on my website to learn more about these and other events.
ComEd Works Around the Clock to Restore Power after July 15 Storms
The storms that ripped through Northern Illinois during the evening of July 15 produced at least 10 tornadoes and left almost half-a-million customers without power. However, I am happy to report that as of last Friday, power had been restored to 99% of ComEd’s customers.
As crews addressed the widespread outages, they prioritized repairs to hospitals, senior centers, law enforcement and fire departments, and then the residential customer base. I sincerely appreciate that ComEd crews worked around the clock to restore power to those living in the 33rd District and across Northern Illinois.
Transportation Committee Launches Public Hearings to Address Public Transit Challenges/Funding Deficit
I serve as the ranking Republican on the Senate Transportation committee, and our panel recently hosted the first in a series of public hearings to discuss the possibility of merging the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Metra, and Pace into a single public transit agency. This initiative comes as legislators face a $730 million funding deficit for the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) projected for 2026.
The hearings will focus on various aspects of the state’s transit system, including its economic impact, public health benefits, and the necessity for service and governance reforms. Among the key proposals under consideration is a potentially controversial plan to consolidate local transit authorities.
Proponents of consolidation see the merger as a way to streamline operations. Meanwhile, opponents fear that consolidation could result in a de facto Chicago takeover of suburban transportation systems.
While stakeholders may disagree about how to move forward, they all point to a similar ultimate goal of creating a transit system that is not only dependable and accessible but also financially sustainable.
The next hearing is scheduled for this week on Wednesday, July 24.
DeWitte Joins Colleagues for Downstate Facilities Tours
I recently had an opportunity to join some of my Senate Republican colleagues for a few facility tours of businesses that are extremely important to our state.
I was very excited to tour the Weststar Aviation facility in East Alton. Aviation has become a major employer in MetroEast since the removal of predatory sales tax legislation 2 years ago, and it was interesting to learn more about this job provider in the MetroEast region of our state.
We also toured the Prairie State Energy Campus, which provides energy to 180 communities, including some right here in the 33rd District. The campus employs more than 600 permanent, full-time employees and contributes hundreds of millions of dollars to the local economy in Washington County every year. We enjoyed learning more about the state-of-the-art air quality control systems that make Prairie State one of the cleanest power plants of its kind. Helping to ensure that Illinois continues to benefit from reliable, safe and affordable energy is a top priority and we will continue to work with local producers to help support Illinois resources.
ISP Enhance Efforts Against Vehicle Theft and Hijacking
The Illinois State Police (ISP) is continuing its efforts to combat vehicle theft and hijacking, thanks to a substantial $10 million grant from the Illinois Secretary of State’s Illinois Vehicle Hijacking and Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention and Insurance Verification Council.
This funding aims to support ISP’s mission of catching bad actors committing vehicle thefts, hijackings, and other related violent crimes. An additional $677,000 grant was also announced in June 2024.
From April to June of 2024, ISP recovered 251 stolen and/or hijacked vehicles and made over 24 stolen vehicle arrests.
This grant will allow ISP to allocate more resources towards enhanced patrols, air operations support, investigations, and forensic services to address these issues effectively.
Governors’ Progressive Tax Rate for Sportsbooks Doubles Rates for Some Operators
for some operators.
This tax hike, driven by Governor Pritzker’s bloated budget, introduces a progressive tax system to Illinois’ robust sports betting industry. Under the new tax system, the industry will move away from a flat 15% rate to a graduated structure, ranging from 20% for its lowest-earning sportsbooks to up to 40% for high-end earners. This change is expected to impact both sportsbook operators and everyday bettors in the state.
During the spring legislative session, Senate Republicans voiced strong opposition to the new tax rates for Illinois sportsbooks, arguing that the increased taxes could harm both the industry and casual bettors. Republican lawmakers were also concerned that higher rates could drive operators out of the state and reduce the quality of sports betting options available to Illinois consumers.
When the proposal was first brought forward, some of the titans of the sports betting industry, including FanDuel, threatened to potentially leave the state if the new tax structure was implemented but have since reevaluated. However, concerns remain that the tax hikes will result in a net-negative outcome for Illinoisans, with major gaming outfits potentially looking to spend their marketing budgets elsewhere and offering less promotional opportunities for Illinois bettors.
Senate Republicans and Treasurer’s Office Team Up to Return Unclaimed Property to Illinois Residents
Senate Republicans are partnering with the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office to bring ICASH events to communities across the state, helping residents identify and reclaim unclaimed property held by the Treasurer’s Office. Since 2015, the Treasurer’s Office has successfully returned over $2 billion in assets to Illinoisans. As you can see in the upcoming events list in this newsletter, I have an ICASH event scheduled for September 24 in Algonquin.
According to the Treasurer’s website, unclaimed property includes abandoned intangible assets such as checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit, overpayments, insurance checks, payroll checks, utility refunds, money orders, un-cashed checks, dividends, stocks, bonds, and the contents of safe deposit boxes, among other things.
Senate Republicans are committed to continuing these ICASH events throughout Illinois, providing local access to ICASH services and assisting residents in claiming their rightful property. The process is free of charge, requiring only proper identification to return the property.
For more information and to conduct searches, interested individuals can visit the Illinois unclaimed property official state site.