https://www.ilnews.org/news/state_politics/senate-overrides-gov-rauner-vetoes-of-billion-tax-hike-budget/article_e5ee9d88-60cf-11e7-8f43-133a8a4cd8c6.html

SPRINGFIELD, IL  – (Greg Bishop and Dan McCaleb, Illinois News Newtork.  Please Click on the link about for the full story.  Here is an excerpt.)

https://www.ilnews.org/news/state_politics/illinois-senate-approves-house-s-billion-tax-hike-billion-spending/article_e5ee9d88-60cf-11e7-8f43-133a8a4cd8c6.html

Former gubernatorial candidate and Senate Minority Leader Bill Brady, discussing the bills on the senate floor. (Illinois News Network photo)

SPRINGFIELD, IL – (Greg Bishop, Illinois News Network.  Please click on the link above for the full story, and other related stories.  Here is an excerpt below.)

In an historic session on Independence Day, the Illinois Senate approved three budget-related bills that would raise taxes by $5 billion effective immediately and spend $36.5 billion in fiscal year 2018.

Gov. Bruce Rauner has vowed to veto the tax hike. Even with a Rauner veto, if no votes change in either the House, which passed the same measures Sunday night, or Senate, the tax hikes and spending plan will go into effect.

Senators needed exactly 36 votes to send House Speaker Michael Madigan’s tax increase on to the governor, and that’s exactly how many it received. 18 senators voted against it.

Note:  For the amendments passed by the House on Senate bill 0006,  which is for the budget,  Dale Fowler (R – Harrisburg), voted for them, Paul Schimpf (R- Smithston) voted against them.

For the tax increase, SB0009, both Fowler and Schimpf voted it down.

Press release from State Senator Dale Fowler, (R – Harrisburg)

SPRINGFIELD, IL – After busting through a midnight deadline on June 30 to resolve the state’s fiscal situation, State Sen. Dale Fowler (R-Harrisburg) remains watchfully positive that progress is being made on a FY 2018 budget.

After 11 days of special session, the Senator, who was at the State Capitol for every day of session, felt that some pieces were starting to come together as the Illinois House of Representatives held a vote on a budget bill that received bipartisan support, and negotiations continued between both legislative leaders and rank-and-file lawmakers.

Fowler meets with area superintendents – On the eve of the Senate’s return to the Capitol, Senator Fowler met with 22 Southern Illinois school superintendents to discuss their current fiscal conditions. It was immediately clear that the state’s ongoing budget impasse had taken its toll on schools in the district, as an overwhelming majority of schools have less than four months of operating budgets. A handful of schools expressed extreme concerns about their ability to open for the first day of school in August.

Marion Senior Fair –  Despite not being able to attend their own senior fair due to session obligations, Senator Fowler and Representative Dave Severin hosted a successful event on June 27. The inaugural senior fair was held at Marion’s HUB Recreation Center and played host more than 20 vendors from the region. Approximately, 150 senior citizens were able to take advantage of a host of free services provided by the vendors in attendance.

Press release form the Illinois State Police

DuQuoin, IL – Illinois State Police (ISP) District 13 / 22 Interim Commander, Lieutenant Michael Alvey, announces the ISP will conduct Roadside Safety Checks (RSCs) in Williamson County during the month of July 2017. The use of RSCs combine a strong sense of public awareness and enforcement in order to save lives of the motoring public.

The ISP has zero tolerance for impaired driving in Illinois.  Officers working the detail will be watchful for drivers who are operating vehicles in an unsafe manner, driving with a suspended or revoked driver’s license, transporting open alcoholic beverages, and most importantly:

•   Driving Under the Influence (DUI)
•   Safety Belt and Child Restraint use
•   Speeding
•   Distracted Driving
•   All Illinois Vehicle Code and Criminal Violations.

Alcohol and drug impairment is a factor in more than 30 percent of all fatal motor vehicle crashes in Illinois, and throughout the U.S., nearly 10,000 people die each year due to alcohol-impaired driving.  RSCs are designed to keep our roads safe by taking dangerous DUI offenders off the road.  This project is funded through the Illinois Department of Transportation.