Share Your Thoughts with Sen. Bennett
Last week was an important week at the Capitol, as all bills were to clear a substantive committee by the end of the day Friday, March 15. As of Friday, March 8, there were still 692 bills that await a hearing before one of the many Senate Committees.
Legislators were busy behind the scenes trying to shore up support for their initiatives, because a majority vote by a committee is needed before any measure can move to the Senate floor for full consideration and a vote.
Senator Bennett decided this was a good time to seek input from his constituents. To that end, he created a short survey that seeks opinions on pending legislation and bills that have passed in recent years. Please take five minutes or so to submit a survey. You can access it here.
Agriculture Students Visit the Capitol
On March 13, high school agriculture students from across the state came together in Springfield to speak on behalf of their industry.
Every year during the spring legislative session, farmers, representatives from ag industry associations, and members of high school FFA chapters take part in what they call Illinois Ag Lobby Day. Their goal is to advocate for agriculture and remind legislators how important the industry is to Illinois.
Senator Bennett said it’s a great experience for the students to get involved at a young age and underscored the importance of agriculture as the state’s top industry. He met with Streator FFA, Tremont FFA, Iroquois West FFA, Cissna Park FFA, and Watseka FFA.
| Attorney General Lists Top 10 Most Frequent Scams Illinoisans Fell Victim to in 2023 During National Consumer Protection Week, the Illinois Attorney General’s office released a list of some of the most common scams that plagued Illinois residents in 2023. Construction/ home improvement repairs, identity theft, and consumer debt were the top three categories of scams that Illinois residents faced last year. This is the third straight year that the top spot was taken by home repairs.The largest complaint in the home improvement category involved contractors failing to show up and complete the job once a down payment was made. According to the Illinois Attorney General’s office, a primary key for protecting yourself from identity theft is to frequently change passwords and not share personal information online. Unsolicited calls and texts are another way scammers attempt to retrieve your personal information, and leaving those calls unanswered is the best way to avoid being scammed.For more information on how to defend yourself from these scams and to report fraud, visit the Federal Trade Commission’s website at www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/bureaus-offices/bureau-consumer-protection |
Did You Know?
March is National Reading Month
To encourage daily reading by Americans young and old, March has been designated National Reading Month. March was selected as National Reading Month to honor the birthday of Dr. Seuss, one of the nation’s most celebrated authors of children’s stories.
According to experts, reading comprehension is an important factor in educational and professional growth. Consistent reading has shown to improve memory, cognitive function, and vocabulary. They say that initiatives like these are especially important as youth reading scores decline across the nation. Making reading fun is the key to improving these scores.
While reading with children, parents should ensure that the literature is fun, relatable, and enjoyable. Consistently making time to read with children is an often overlooked and unappreciated part of this experience. Children watch everything their parents do, so parents reading will encourage them to read more as well. Illinoisians young and old can celebrate by picking up a book during March and all throughout the year.
| How much do we owe?As of the time of this writing, the State of Illinois owes $1,970,025,525.26 to state vendors, including 32,208 pending vouchers. This figure represents the amount of bills submitted to the office of the Comptroller and still awaiting payment. It does not include debts that can only be estimated, such as our unfunded pension liability which is subject to a wide range of factors and has been estimated to be more than $139 billion. At the same time last year, the state’s accounts payable stood at a little less than $2 billion. |
| This Week in the 53rd District |
