Hello Stephanie,

I hope this message finds you and your family well.

Tomorrow holds deep historical significance as we observe Holocaust Remembrance Day. It is a time to reflect on the atrocities of the past, honor the memories of the millions who suffered, and recommit ourselves to ensuring a world where such horrors are never repeated. Let us stand together in remembrance and unity against hatred and prejudice.

In the realm of legislative affairs, the 2024 Spring Legislative Session kicked off this week. We have already started filing new bills and revisiting some issues from the last session. It's a critical time as bills must be filed by February 9th. Furthermore, mark your calendars for February 21 when the Governor's budget and State of the State address will take place, offering insight into the state's direction. Additionally, note the upcoming deadlines to move bills out of committees: March 15 in the Senate and April 5 in the House.

As you continue reading, you'll find crucial updates on legislative initiatives, community events, and resources aimed at supporting you and your loved ones. I encourage you to delve into the newsletter to stay informed about the latest developments in our district.

Thank you for your continued support, and please feel free to reach out to my office if you have any questions or need assistance.

Take care and be well.

P.S. Read all the way to the bottom to participate in this week's Trivia Challenge!

I started the week by meeting with the Will County Farm Bureau. Thank you for the in-depth discussion about the agricultural challenges facing our community.

On Wednesday, representatives from the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) met with me to discuss the current-state and outlook of transit in Illinois.

Later in the day I attended the DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference Legislative Reception. The conversations at the reception were fruitful and covered a wide range of important issues.

On Thursday I had the pleasure of attending the Village of Oswego Legislative Breakfast and heard more about the concerns and priorities facing the Village and Kendall County!

The Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry is excited to announce this month's Pet Pantry on Wednesday, January 31.

In addition to food, your pet will also receive either a useful household item or a toy!

More information here

I'm looking forward to being a panelist for this event, and hope to see you there!

Veterans and their families can discover valuable resources, explore local veteran-owned businesses and engage in discussions with state Veterans Affairs officials. Organized by the Kane County VAC.

WHERE: Batavia Overseas VFW & Auxiliary 1197

WHEN: February 2nd, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (Town Hall begins at 4:30)

More Information Here

2024 Marks 150 years for the Naperville Fire Department!

The Naperville Fire Department was founded and chartered by the City of Naperville and State of Illinois in 1874 after two major fires occurred in the downtown area.

Now, the NFD employs 200 full-time personnel and protects more than 146,000 people.

This year, join us in celebrating 150 years of Pride, Honor and Tradition!

Kane County is offering Free CPR Classes, in recognition of National Heart Month (February 2024)

There are 4 classes available in February with 120 open slots. They will be taught by the Kane County Health Department and Kane County Sheriff's office.

Sign up HERE

It may be true that you keep track of the money in your possession, but maybe someone else owed you money that never got to you, or maybe your parents or grandparents had money in a bank account or in a safe deposit box that they never told you about.

The State Treasurer is holding more than 5 billion dollars in unclaimed funds for Illinoisans.The State holds these lost funds until they are claimed by either the original owner or their heirs. Property is returned at no cost with the proper identification.

To get started go to cash.illinoistreasurer.gov

Governor JB Pritzker announced that Illinois secured 14.9M in competitive federal grant funding from the US Department of Transportation’s FY22-FY23 Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Discretionary Grant Program.

The proposed project, “The State of Illinois Community Charging Program,” aims to advance community-based transportation efforts across Illinois and prioritize equity in the clean energy movement.

The statewide initiative is a joint effort between the Illinois Climate Bank as well as local and regional partners, serving 273 project sites (144 of which are located in or in close proximity to disadvantaged communities). The funds will support construction of 845 Level 2 EV Charging stations, and 36 DC Fast Charge stations.

Learn More Here

• Don’t trust anyone who contacts you claiming to be from the DOJ or the Navy. Scammers try to sound real with official-sounding names and titles. Don’t share any information with them. Instead, get the person’s name and position, then call the Camp Lejeune Claims Unit (CLCU) at (757) 241-6020 to verify.

• Only trust CLClaims@us.navy.mil — that’s the Navy’s official email address for the CLCU. Got a message from a different email address? It’s a scam. Forward it to the CLCU. 

• Never pay. If someone requests money or payment from you, it’s a scam! The DOJ and the Navy won’t do that.

• Communicate through your attorney. If you’re represented by an attorney, the DOJ and the Navy will never contact you directly about your claim. Anyone who does is a scammer. Report them to your attorney and to the CLCU right away.

More Here

ISBE exceeded goal of funding 5,000 new seats in preschool deserts in fiscal year 2024 by 18%

ISBE also expanded services to families with babies and toddlers from birth to age 3, serving 1,130 additional children. 

The fiscal year 2024 state budget dedicated an additional $75 million in state funding for ISBE’s Early Childhood Block Grant, as part of the Governor’s broader Smart Start initiative to improve early childhood education and services. The Smart Start plan includes eliminating preschool deserts within four years to ensure low-income 3- and 4-year-olds statewide have access to high-quality, publicly funded early learning experiences. 

Read more here

The Illinois Department on Aging (IDoA) is seeking nominations for the 2024 induction class of the Senior Illinoisans Hall of Fame, which honors the accomplishments of Illinois residents aged 65 and older.

Completed nomination forms may be submitted electronically or returned via U.S. mail, fax, or email by June 1st. For more information or to submit a nomination, please visit ilaging.illinois.gov.

VA's Veterans Benefits Banking Program (VBBP) has now added VetCents, a free online program designed specifically to help Veterans and family members improve their financial wellbeing.

The Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Veterans Benefits Banking Program provides Veterans with a safe, reliable, and inexpensive way to receive and manage their VA monetary benefits.

Learn more about VBBP at http://www.veteransbenefitsbanking.org.

TogetherWeServed.com enables Veterans to preserve, share their military stories for free.

Together We Served is offering Veterans a free service to help preserve and share your memories and photos of key people and events from your military service. You can share this presentation with friends and family.

Click here to learn more about preserving and sharing your Military Memories using Togetherweserved.com.

Over 6,400 exceptional stories have been submitted since the Military Memories competition commenced in February 2023. All 55 winning entries can be viewed at on the TWS blog.

LAST WEEK's ANSWER:

Illinois' 1818 Constitution set aside land in every township for schools.

THIS WEEK's QUESTIONS:

Watch the most recent Coffee Chat on Facebook!

Or, subscribe and listen wherever you get your podcasts 🎧!

I continue to host Monday Morning Coffee live via Facebook at 9:00am-10:00am where you can post your comments and questions.

I realize not everyone has Facebook. The good news is that you can still participate. If you would like to join us on Monday mornings, you can join in via ZOOM! Once connected via ZOOM, you'll be able to interact just as if you were on Facebook. Don't worry you will not be on live - your video feed and mic will be muted.

The ZOOM link will be emailed to everyone separately for Monday morning participation.

If you would like to join us, please email Nick@ildistrict84.com or call the

office at 630.585.1308