DCFS Director is Out on December 31st
This announced resignation is overdue and is a step in the right direction. But make no mistake, much more than a new Director is needed to ensure the safety of children in the State’s care.
It is also clear that no amount of money can fix the systemic issues at DCFS – the agency has been given more and more funds each year and has not improved.
My Republican colleagues and I have introduced many initiatives that will help this agency, help families, and help children be safe. We’ve put in the work by meeting with stakeholders and experts. It’s time for Speaker Welch to call our legislation for a vote. This is life and death, and we must take action.
Protecting Gun Owners’ Personal Information
New legislation has been filed to help protect personal information law-abiding gun owners are now required to submit to the state to register certain firearms under Democrats’ new gun ban/registration law.
The Democrats’ new firearms restrictions passed early this year not only ban several commonly owned firearms, they require gun owners also register several other firearms and attachments with the state before January 1st. Meanwhile, challenges to the new law are still going through the courts. House Bill 4150 requires that, if the gun ban law is found unconstitutional, the State Police must immediately destroy all personal information gun owners have had to submit to comply with the registration portion of the law.
The list of firearms required for registration can be found here.
Illinois jobless rate rose to 4.1% in August 2023
The change from 4.0% in July 2023 signals a turn away from so-called “full employment” in Illinois. “Full employment” is defined as an unemployment rate of less than 4.0%. Many states that neighbor Illinois currently have full employment, including Indiana (3.4% in August 2023), Missouri (2.8% in August), and Wisconsin (2.9% in August).
With regards to individual metro areas, some continued to do better than others in keeping down their local unemployment rates. Illinois metropolitan areas varied from a low of 4.6% in the Quad Cities to a high of 7.4% in greater Rockford. As in previous months, three Illinois metro areas with a historical connection to manufacturing and heavy industry – Danville (7.1% in August 2023 – unadjusted rate), Decatur (7.2%) and Rockford (7.4%) – showed comparatively high unemployment rates in the month listed.
Around the District
Senator Jil Tracy and I, along with the Kroc Center, are hosting a Senior Health Fair in Quincy on October 17th. Please join us for food and fun, and of course, screenings and health information. We hope to see you there!
Trout Season
Trout season opens later this month for waterways across the state. IDNR officials say the early catch-and-release season, scheduled to open Oct. 7 this year, will be stocked later than expected because of forecasted and observed warm water temperatures.