State Representative Jackie Haas' legislation making it easier for retired law enforcement professionals to work as school safety officers cleared the House last month. 

“This bill will incentivize retired law enforcement officers to return to work as school safety officers by ensuring their pension benefits are not suspended," said Haas. 

The sight of trash blowing off waste-hauling trucks headed to landfills has become an all-too-common sight. Besides the unsightly nature of blowing trash, it has raised safety and environmental concerns for many communities, as well as caused damage to local farmers’ operations and their fields. State Representative Jeff Keicher has spent more than a year working with local officials throughout the 70th House District to increase enforcement of current law and develop new policy proposals to help stop the problem.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY/ELECTIONS
Democrats muscle through changes to Illinois election law; Republicans denounce political games. This week, Democrats passed brazen legislation to change Illinois election law to their own self-serving political advantages, stifle the ability of the Republican Party to fill office vacancies, and place meaningless non-binding questions on the ballot to drive Democrat voters to the polls.

Legislation sponsored by State Representative Charlie Meier intended to help fund emergency service districts has passed the House of Representatives with unanimous support. 

“House Bill 4179 was brought to me because of all the problems we’re starting to have in rural Illinois,” said Rep. Meier. “The federal government, when they make their payments back from Medicare and Medicaid ambulance trips, is only paying a maximum of 40% of that money. The for-profit ambulances are leaving rural southern Illinois. Our fire departments are not allowed to transport people to the hospitals from wrecks or calls that they go on. The EMTs can go there, but they can’t transport them.” 

House Bill 4179 was written as a trailer bill to HB1740 which allowed for the creation of emergency service districts that span across municipal lines. While these districts allow communities to share the cost of ambulance services, poor federal reimbursement rates have caused some towns to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars or their access to for-profit ambulance services entirely. HB4179 helps support these underfunded districts by allowing them to increase their maximum levies from 0.4% EAV up to 0.8% EAV.

The bill was written so that only districts that want increased funding for services would have their levies raised. Any increase that would bring a district’s maximum levy above 0.4% EAV would require support from its taxpayers through a referendum vote. “This gives the voters the right to say: hey, we need more service, we are willing to pay for it,” said Rep. Meier.

HB4179 received unanimous support in the House and has begun moving through the Senate.

State Representative Charlie Meier represents the 109th District which includes portions of Bond, Clinton, Madison, St. Clair, and Washington counties.

House Bill 4255, introduced by State Representative Amy Elik, unanimously passed the House in April. The legislation will make Illinois roadways safer for motorists as they approach stopped or parked emergency vehicles that are responding to accidents or emergency scenes. The bill also helps protect tow truck operators and emergency responders who are working at emergency scenes while vehicles pass by them.

A bill sponsored by State Representative Dan Swanson to better educate drivers about the state’s “Move Over” highway safety law has passed the Illinois House.

“I’m glad the House has joined in taking this important step toward making Illinois motorists more aware of what to do when they see a vehicle stopped on the roadside,” Swanson said. “We have seen far too many crashes, injuries and even deaths that could have been prevented with a little more knowledge.”

Legislation introduced by State Representative Bradley Fritts earlier this year will benefit taxpayers in small rural towns throughout Illinois. Working with the Illinois Comptroller's office and township officials, Fritts crafted legislation that ensures accountability and reduces burdensome costs for small rural communities.  House Bill 5011 passed out of the House of Representatives with unanimous support on April 18.