The war being waged by expansionist Russia on Ukraine has led two Illinois lawmakers to introduce bills that would impose sanctions on Russia and support Ukrainian refugees fleeing their war-torn homeland.

Deputy Republican Leader Tom Demmer sponsored, HB 5702 and HB 5703, legislation that would provide additional funding to aid in the resettlement of Ukrainian refugees. As Ukraine continues to defend its boundaries from Russian assault, hundreds of thousands of refugees are making their way to Europe and the United States. Demmer wants to make sure that Illinois is well equipped to provide necessary services to Ukrainians who are displaced by the Russian invasion.

UKRAINE
Illinois House Republicans Stand with the People of Ukraine. While Russian troops move into Ukraine, an act of war the likes of which has not been seen in Europe since 1939, House Republican Leader Jim Durkin has introduced legislation to send a message to the Ukrainian people that Illinois supports them and will not do business with these vicious warmongers.

COVID-19
House Republicans lead JCAR vote to halt Gov. Pritzker’s school mask mandate. On Tuesday, February 15, the bicameral Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) voted 9-0-2 to block re-implementation of Governor JB Pritzker’s mask mandate for K-12 public and private schools in Illinois in the wake of the February 4 temporary restraining order issued by Sangamon County Circuit Court Judge Raylene Grischow declaring the Governor’s emergency rules as they apply to schools "null and void."

Illinois State Representative Dan Swanson discusses the new law he co-sponsored creating the Veterans' Accountability Unit in response to the COVID-19 outbreak at LaSalle Veterans' Home. He also addresses the need for greater awareness of veteran suicide and the new 988 phone number to help Veterans and their families in crisis. 988 becomes operational nationwide in July 2022.

If you are a veterans or know one who is in crisis call 1-800-273-8255, press 1 for help. Learn more:  Veterans' Crisis Line 

Have All Voted Who Wish · Swanson on Veterans' Accountability Unit, veteran suicide

The bicameral Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) voted 9-0-2 today to block re-implementation of Governor JB Pritzker’s mask mandate for K-12 public and private schools in Illinois in the wake of the February 4 temporary restraining order issued by Sangamon County Circuit Court Judge Raylene Grischow declaring the Governor’s emergency rules as they apply to schools "null and void."

To deal with the current teacher shortage, schools have increased class sizes, used long-term substitutes, brought back retired teachers and combined classes. But schools cannot continue to rely on these “Hail Mary” strategies as the teacher shortage continues to grow and our children’s education suffers.

According to a recent study published by the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools, 88% of school districts reported teacher shortages and 77% indicated the shortage problem was getting worse. Additionally, 96% said they have a substitute teacher shortage. What’s more, 86% indicated they are seeing fewer qualified applicants for open positions.

CRIMINAL LAW
House Republicans Call for Repeal of SAFE-T Act After Pritzker Law Lets Violent Criminals Evade Justice. The Chicago Sun-Times reported this week on multiple cases of violent criminals not being charged for felony murder due to the recently enacted “SAFE-T” Act passed by Illinois Democrats and signed into law by Governor Pritzker. 

Deals to reduce charges and jail time are often used by prosecutors to obtain guilty pleas from defendants. There are many motivations behind plea deals and Illinois State Representative Dan Caulkins thinks victims, judges and the general public should know what they are, especially with armed robberies, carjackings and violence on the rise in Illinois.

For a third time, Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) Director Marc Smith has been found in contempt of court for failing to place a child in an appropriate care setting. In this episode of Have All Voted Who Wish, Illinois State Representative Tony McCombie demands public hearings into the failures at DCFS and discusses the ongoing concerns.

Have All Voted Who Wish · McCombie demands immediate DCFS action

Last February, the Governor signed a massive criminal justice reform bill into law that has resulted in increased crime and violence throughout the state. The 600-page bill was hastily crafted with minimal input from law enforcement and Republican lawmakers. In the waning hours of the lame-duck legislative session, while most Illinoisans were sleeping, the billpassed the House with the bare minimum number of votes. 

BUDGET
Illinois begins discussion of budget for Fiscal Year 2023. Discussions began after Governor JB Pritzker delivered his FY23 Budget and State of the State Address Wednesday at the Old State Capitol. The Governor’s budget plan covers the upcoming Fiscal Year 2023, a 12-month period that will begin on July 1, 2022 and will end on June 30, 2023. The budget anticipates that Illinois will have $45.4 billion in general funds to spend in FY23. This follows the $43 billion budget approved by the Democrats in 2021 for FY22.

Illinois House Republican lawmakers from across the state respond to the Governor’s State-of-the-State and Budget Address, below are a few excerpts:

House Republican Leader Jim Durkin
The governor’s budget address is always a wish-list, and this year it’s clear that the governor wishes to be reelected. The budget laid out by Governor Pritzker today is packed with gimmicks and one-time tricks, but no structural reforms. The people of Illinois deserve a governor who will be honest and work to actually fix things like property taxes and out-of-control crime. Read more.