I am thankful every day for the honor of a lifetime to serve as your State Representative and make a real difference for our community. Since being sworn in January 10, we have made considerable progress. Five of my bills were signed into law to respond to your needs, and my input in the budgeting process helped insure that we brought much needed resources to municipalities and organizations in our district.
A Fiscally and Socially Responsible Budget
The new state budget is balanced in every sense. We are continuing to rebuild Illinois’
fiscal house while saving for the future by investing $138 million in the rainy day fund and making a larger than required pension payment to reduce debt. We also invested in the services needed right now such as early childhood education, universities, vocational education, child care and more.
Protecting Working People
House Bill 3491 corrects a loophole that could prevent a worker from receiving the prevailing wage they rightfully deserve if a public body made an error in an agreement with a contractor. This bill was signed into law.
Standing Up For Women’s Choice
Last year, the US Supreme Court dealt a blow to women’s rights by overturning Roe v. Wade. In January, I voted to enact our interstate shield law protecting providers, patients, and people who help others access reproductive healthcare and gender affirming care from licensure consequences and the reach of out-of-state investigations and legal actions. In July, we enacted the Deceptive Practices Related to Limited Services Pregnancy Centers Act, which prohibits anti-abortion centers from using deception to interfere with a person seeking access to reproductive health services. I will always stand up to protect a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions.
Supporting Veterans
As part of efforts to help minority and veteran-owned businesses succeed, this plan directs the state to offer minority and veteran-owned businesses the first opportunity to purchase surplus state property before offering to the public at large. Senate Bill 1935 was signed into law.
Improving Access to Local Re-Entry Programs
I teamed up with Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain on House Bill 3755 to help outgoing inmates successfully reenter society so that they don’t end up going back to jail. With approval of the local Sheriff, inmates in the last months of their incarceration are allowed to transfer to the county jail where they lived immediately before conviction and participate in a reentry program.
Standing Up For Consumers
Senate Bill 328 will help to prevent confusion that can leave residents paying for a service they no longer want. The bill, which was signed into law, requires clearer disclosure requirements with a contract’s automatic renewal terms.
Supporting Our First Responders
The men and women of law enforcement are vital to protecting public safety and serving us on a daily basis. Our annual Illinois budget provides funding for body worn cameras, expanding training and initiatives to remove dangerous guns from our streets.
Funding Our Community’s Needs
A critical part of our state’s budgetary process is making sure our communities, local organizations, and critical infrastructure projects are supported. The Vaughan Center, an important community center in our district, lacked proper air conditioning, and I secured $250,000 to fund an energy-efficient air conditioning unit that will utilize a state-of-the-art geothermal system to power the AC unit. This clean-energy approach will ultimately pay for itself. Funding was also secured for the Presence Mercy Center in Aurora, Family Focus, the Aurora Public Library grant, the Aurora Food Pantry, Oswegoland Senior Center, Oswego School District improvements, Geneva Township Senior Center, Stuart Sports Complex Athletic Field and the Industrial Robotics Classroom Build.
I am eager to head back to Springfield in 2024 to continue fighting for our shared values and build upon the progress we have made together as a community.
Sincerely,
Matt Hanson,
State Representative