News

In 2023, the vernal equinox happens on March 20, at 5:24 p.m. This is the astronomical beginning of the spring season in the Northern Hemisphere.

Springfield, IL – The controversial “SAFE-T Act” is making headlines again as the Illinois Supreme Court began hearing oral arguments this week over the lawsuit questioning the constitutionality of the no-cash bail provision. Prosecutors, representing several Illinois State’s Attorneys, presented their case, which focuses largely on whether legislators have the authority to issue such a critical pretrial mandate to the judicial

SPRINGFIELD – Senate Republicans called for action during the week to address conditions at the troubled Choate Mental Health Center in southern Illinois and encouraged the Governor to work toward solutions that will allow vulnerable residents a safe, long-term place to live. Also during the week, several Republican-sponsored bills were passed out of committee and are making their way to

CHERRY VALLEY – Caring communities in the 35th District have provided more than 10,000 Valentines for senior citizens and residents of long-term care facilities across the region, as part of State Sen. Dave Syverson’s third annual Valentines for Seniors Card Drive. “We asked our communities to once again take part in this heart-warming project and WOW … did they deliver! Our schools, civic organizations,

SPRINGFIELD – State Sen. Dave Syverson (R-Cherry Valley) released the following statement after Gov. JB Pritzker delivered his annual Budget Address to a joint session of legislators Feb. 15 in the House of Representatives at the Capitol. “Gov. Pritzker has been able to balance the state’s budget the last two years with the help of billions of federal tax dollars

SPRINGFIELD – The federal Internal Revenue Service determined late last week that Gov. JB Pritzker’s election-year tax rebates are not taxable by the federal government, and Illinois taxpayers will not need to report these payments on their 2022 income tax returns. In other news, the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association has opened the 2023 Makers’ Madness contest for the title of The

SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker announced during the week that he will be ending his continuous COVID-19 disaster declarations on May 11. Illinois has been under an official state of emergency for nearly three years.  In other news, Illinois continues to lag the nation with the second highest unemployment rate. The latest numbers from December 2022 show a continuing trend

HAMPSHIRE, Ill. – State Sen. Dave Syverson (R-Cherry Valley) and State Rep. Jeff Keicher (R-Sycamore) are hosting a Community Blood Drive in partnership with the Versiti Blood Center of Illinois on March 6, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Syverson/Keicher Hampshire District Office, 115 W. Oak Knoll Drive (Illinois Route 72). Blood donors will receive a coupon for

SPRINGFIELD – As lawmakers returned to the Capitol during the week, members of the Senate Republican Caucus stood together to oppose recent public comments by Democrat legislators about restarting a campaign for a progressive income tax. The Illinois Department on Aging has announced that nominations are now being accepted for the Senior Illinoisan Hall of Fame and will be open