COVID-19 testing January 22 in Rushville

The Illinois Department of Public Health has several mobile testing teams that are dispatched to various locations around the state each week to provide COVID-19 testing.

On Friday, January 22, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., an IDPH mobile testing site will be at First United Methodist Church, 210 W. Jefferson St., Rushville in Schuyler County.

Anyone can be tested, regardless of symptoms or immigration status. There is no cost to individuals for testing, but they should bring their insurance cards if they have one. However, insurance is not required.

Specimens will be collected using a simple nasal swab. Drive-through and walk-up testing are both available at most locations.

Site locations are subject to change. Please check the Illinois Department of Public Health website at http://www.dph.illinois.gov/testing/mobile-testing-sites for the most current mobile testing site location information.

Celebrate and remember

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal holiday in the United States marking the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year. Dr. King's birthday is January 15.

Adjourning the lame-duck session and convening the 102nd General Assembly

The convening of the 102nd General Assembly January 13 signals new opportunities to address the challenges facing Illinois.

It’s an honor to serve 47th District residents, whether it is helping them with their concerns on an individual basis or advocating for them as a whole during legislative decision-making in the Capitol. I have been asked to serve in a leadership role as Senate Republican Whip, and will bring our region’s commonsense and real-life insight to the discussion about issues that affect us all as Illinois citizens.

As part of the inaugural ceremonies, I stood up to second the nomination of Senator Dan McConchie of Hawthorn Woods to lead the Senate, applauding his integrity and dedication to good government, and his ability to work across the aisle and advance a forward-looking, balanced and fair legislative agenda.

Fiscal responsibility, strong education systems, bipartisan pension reform and common-sense economic growth initiatives are opportunities that will help boost jobs and restore prosperity to Illinois communities.

What really went on in lame-duck session

So why the need for change? How about some of the back-room actions that were taken by the Senate during lame-duck legislative session in the Capitol.

The short answer is that Democrat leaders were ramming through radical, multi-billion-dollar legislation during lame-duck session, when lawmakers who are leaving can vote on extreme measures and not have to worry about the consequences.

We should be focusing on fixing our budget and helping the millions of Illinoisans who are struggling, sick, or out of work. Instead, Democrat leaders are ramming through legislation at the 11th hour that will place an extremely heavy tax burden on hard-working men and women in Illinois.

Topics like criminal justice reform and healthcare reform sound safe, but the actual provisions of these bills make them exceedingly radical. We could not vote for the unrealistic and unworkable bills that would not bear the scrutiny of a regular legislative session where all lawmakers are accountable to their constituents.

CALL TO ACTION:
Governor, Do not sign controversial bill

Some very disappointing news about the controversial criminal justice reform bill that we have been fighting so hard to stop.

Supporters of this dangerous legislation changed the bill number to confuse people who had been following the process, and then they made even more changes in the early morning hours of Wednesday. Nearly 800 pages of new language landed on our desks and shortly after, we began voting. Less than an hour after its filing, the bill passed in the Senate while most of the world was asleep.

As you know, this legislation empowers criminals while hurting our law enforcement efforts. It imposes so many costly unfunded mandates on our police departments that it will act as a backdoor “defund the police” effort.

This legislation has been passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives, but our fight isn’t over. The measure will now be sent to the Governor for his consideration, so please continue to voice your opposition. Contact the Governor’s office and tell him “do not sign” this dangerous legislation that will do irreparable harm to public safety across Illinois.

To contact Governor J.B. Pritzker’s office, fill out a form at https://www2.illinois.gov/sites/gov/contactus/Pages/VoiceAnOpinion.aspx

For some context

Some of our legislative staffers conducted an informal analysis of all the amendments that were filed during lame-duck session, from January 8 to January 13.

They found amendments totaling 3,492 pages were filed in the Senate, and amendments totaling 2,894 pages were filed in the House of Representatives, for a total of 6,386 pages.

For some context: