News

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

In this newsletter: Another potential Quinn administration scandal brewing and an upcoming town hall with Senator John McCain. Plus, a new report from a major bond rating agency offers a grim forecast, hospitals release an Ebola fact sheet, and are there more rats in Chicago? John McCain Coming to Rockford U.S. Senator John McCain will be the special guest at a Veterans

Governor Quinn’s scandal-plagued Neighborhood Recovery Initiative is poised to once again take center stage as federal prosecutors cleared the way for the bipartisan Legislative Audit Commission to resume their investigation of the program, said State Senator Dave Syverson (R-Rockford). In advance of an Oct. 8 Audit Commission hearing, several lawmakers are raising concerns that Governor Quinn has shuffled millions of

ROCKFORD- The Illinois General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) is preparing to vote next month on new rules for the statewide smoking ban. Senator Dave Syverson (R-Rockford) is calling on his colleagues to reject expanding the rules to beer gardens and patios. “Attempts to now ban outdoor ‘patio’ areas for smokers at restaurants and bars are unfair to

Springfield, IL – The Governor’s bungled “anti-violence” program continues to draw scrutiny, said State Senator Dave Syverson (R-Rockford) as media reports revealed this week that a federal grand jury in Chicago has issued a subpoena requesting records related to Pat Quinn’s $54.5 million Neighborhood Recovery Initiative (NRI). In legislative news, the state’s legislative rulemaking body has unanimously deferred implementation of