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On Jan. 1, 2015, more than 200 new laws will take effect in Illinois touching many areas of state government from education and public safety, to transportation and wildlife. A multitude of others will take effect throughout the year. Following are a few of the notable measures taking effect in 2015. New Transportation Laws Notable laws taking effect on Jan.

“I served with or worked with Judy for 21 years. You didn’t have to spend more than five minutes with her to know what she was like. She worked hard, she played hard, she was fun and just a little bit crazy. While she never took herself too seriously, she took the job of safeguarding taxpayer dollars very seriously. For

Though Senate Republicans stressed that lawmakers shouldn’t move forward with major policy initiatives on partisan roll-calls during a fall “lame-duck” veto session, State Senator Dave Syverson (R-Rockford) said Democrats pushed through a number of significant and controversial measures prior to adjourning on December 4. Senate Republican lawmakers also pointed out that a number of contentious policy initiatives were pushed through

The Center for Developmental Disabilities has awarded State Sen. Dave Syverson (R-Rockford) for his work to protect some of Illinois’ most vulnerable citizens. “Senator Syverson has always been a champion for people with disabilities,” said Marie Rucker, Executive Director of the Center for Developmental Disabilities Advocacy and Community Supports. “He understands and supports our issues, and he also takes the

Slow it down this Thanksgiving Motorists traveling in suburban Illinois this Thanksgiving holiday will be sharing the road with 8.3 million other drivers. While construction on tollways will be suspended beginning Wednesday at noon, transportation officials are urging motorists to play it safe. In 2013, 723 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes in Illinois—there were seven fatalities. Illinois State

Springfield, Ill. – The first week of the fall 2014 veto session ended with lawmakers on the Senate Executive Committee advancing legislation that would increase the state’s minimum wage to $11 over the next three years, said State Senator Dave Syverson (R-Rockford). The Senate and the House of Representatives also acted on a number of gubernatorial vetoes; however, at the

Springfield, Ill – Oil extraction companies are one step closer to beginning the hydraulic fracturing process for oil and natural gas in Illinois, after the bipartisan, bicameral Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) approved rules governing the process this week. In other news, on Nov. 4, change is coming to the governor’s office, voters approved two changes to the state

The Illinois Farm Bureau has presented State Senator Dave Syverson (R-Rockford) with the “Friend of Agriculture” award. “Agriculture represents the heart of the Illinois economy,” said Senator Syverson. “It is an honor to be recognized for my support of our state’s family farms.” According to the Illinois Farm Bureau, this award honors state and federal legislators who understand the importance

Judge orders appointment of federal hiring monitor at IDOT A federal judge sided with a longtime anti-patronage crusader, ruling that hiring practices at the state’s Department of Transportation have been so corrupted by political influence under Governor Pat Quinn and his predecessor that a federal monitor is now needed. “The mission of state agencies is to do the work of

Federal Judge Sidney Schenkier has ruled in favor of good government advocates and will be appointing a hiring monitor at the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). A recent report from Illinois Auditor General Bill Holland found that hundreds of IDOT employees were illegally hired by the Blagojevich and Quinn administrations. “The mission of state agencies is to do the work