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Dear Neighbors,

Happy Fall! As we prepare to go into Veto Session later this month, I’m continuing to listen to constituent opinions on the bills that were vetoed by the Governor. If you would like to give your thoughts on any of the legislation that was vetoed, please contact my office via phone or email at 815-372-0085 or info@repdagmara.org. You can find a list of the bills below:

• HB2507 (amendatory veto): An omnibus property tax relief bill. Vetoed due to property tax breaks given to private nursing homes in Cook County.

• HB2878 (amendatory veto): An omnibus procurement bill. Vetoed to remove a provision that allows for public private partnerships without oversight.

• HB3445 (amendatory veto): An omnibus energy bill, which was opposed by environmental groups. It gives utility companies “first right of refusal” for transmission line construction. Vetoed due to concern of increased energy costs.

• HB3643 (total veto): Requires ISBE to enter into master contracts to provide religious dietary options to all Illinois school districts. Vetoed because these contracts are at the discretion of local school boards, and it would restrict their capabilities to contract vendors based on their students’ needs.

• SB76 (total veto): Lifts the moratorium on new construction of nuclear power plants. Vetoed due to the Governor’s concern of lack of protections to address health and safety of those living near new reactors.

• SB1515 (total veto): The bill restricts employers' use of E-verify systems. Vetoed at the request of the bill sponsor to fix unintended consequences.

The Health Care Licenses Committee met for a hearing in September on the delay processing licensing requests through IDFPR. The delay in processing has resulted in various issues with healthcare workers, which must be resolved quickly. IDFPR testified that they are aware of the delays, however the licensing system they attempted to procure fell through. We will continue to monitor these delays and do what we can to assist.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact my office for any questions or concerns you may have.

Sincerely,

OUT AND ABOUT

If you would like to invite me to an event, meeting, or tour of your facility, please reach out to my office at info@repdagmara.org.

UPCOMING EVENTS & RESOURCES

Renew Your Medicaid!

Got Medicaid? Get ready to renew! Manage your case at abe.illinois.gov. 

Illinois is checking to see if you are still eligible for Medicaid. Here's what you need to do now: 

Click Manage My Case at abe.illinois.gov to:

• Verify your mailing address under "contact us."

• Find your due date (also called redetermination date) in your "benefit details".

Watch your mail and complete your renewal right away. 

If you are no longer eligible for Medicaid, connect to coverage at work or through the official Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace for Illinois, GetCoveredIllinois.gov. 

211 Help Line

I encourage people to take advantage of the 211 line and website. 211 is powered by real people — trained specialists who work to identify and address the root causes of a client’s problem. That means from the first hello, someone in crisis is reaching a real person who can provide a connection to help. Get help with food, clothing, shelter, housing, rent/utility assistance, counseling, substance abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, transportation, support groups, senior services, aging parents, child care, employment, legal assistance, and health care.Text 898211 for help.

Food Pantries

• Bolingbrook

  • Bolingbrook SDA Church Food Pantry- 301 E. Boughton Rd. Bolingbrook

  • First Baptist Church Bolingbrook- 314 E. Briarcliff Rd. Bolingbrook

  • The Compass Church Bolingbrook- 151 E. Briarcliff Rd. Bolingbrook

  • 4 K.I.D.S Sake- 192 Lily Cache Ave. Bolingbrook

• Woodridge

  • West Suburban Food Pantry- 6809 Hobson Valley. Dr Ste 118 Woodridge

• Romeoville

  • Love Fellowship Baptist Church- 730 N. Independence Blvd. Romeoville

  • DuPage Township Food Pantry- 719 Parkwood Ave. Romeoville

    • Must live in DuPage Township

  • Romeoville Community Pantry- 2 Belmont Dr. Romeoville

  • St. Andrew the Apostle We Care Pantry- 219 Arlington Dr. Romeoville

• Lockport

  • First Baptist Church Food Pantry- 800 Thornton St. Lockport

  • Lockport FISH Food Pantry- 1463 Farrell Rd. Lockport

  • Fairmont Food Pantry- 525 Barry Ave. Lockport

  • Shiloh Baptist Church Food Pantry- 18101 W. Oak Ave. Lockport

• Will County Micro Pantries

  • Micro Pantries are designed to allow anonymous food pick-up for those in need, and a drop-off point for those who wish to help. Micro pantries are accessible 24 hours a day.

Will County Heroes

Will County is investing $10 million of American Rescue Plan Act dollars to ignite the next generation of heroes in nursing and teaching. The Will County Heroes Nursing & Teaching Scholarship, which formally launched today, encourages students to pursue degrees in these high-demand professions and incentivizes them to work in Will County after graduation.

Eligible students can receive $2,500 per semester to support their pursuit of a nursing or teaching degree. Students can apply for the scholarship grant through the participating Will County higher education partners: Governors State University, Joliet Junior College, Lewis University, and University of St. Francis.

Learn more about the program at www.willcountyillinois.org/heroes.

IEPA Rebates

The next round for EV rebates will be open November 1, 2023 through January 31, 2024.

The application and instructions will be available prior to the round opening on October 18, 2023 on IEPA’s Electric Vehicle Rebate Program webpage.

Eligible low-income applicants receive priority for rebate processing and rebates are subject to the availability of funds. The General Assembly appropriated $12 million to IEPA for FY24, and actual funding amounts will be determined by the amount available in the Electric Vehicle Rebate Fund.

Applicants must apply during the rebate cycle window and within 90 days of vehicle purchase. We would encourage interested constituents to apply as early as possible during the rebate cycle window.

Arts Council Grants

The Illinois Arts Council is opening the FY24 Ethnic and Folk Arts Master/Apprentice Program (MAP), which supports mentoring relationships and supports individuals as they seek to preserve traditional practices important to their community, heritage, and identity. A webinar will be held on Friday, October 6, 2023, at 1:00PM. More information here. 

LIHEAP

LIHEAP helps eligible households with low income pay for home energy services. This includes assistance with heating gas, propane and electricity. More information on services available in your region can be found by visiting your Local Administering Agency (referred to as a local agency) page.

Deadline: The LIHEAP application period is October 2, 2023 to August 15, 2024, or until funding is exhausted.  The program will begin taking applications on October 2, 2023, for seniors (age 60 and older), disabled and families with children under the age of 6 years old. On November 1, 2023, households that are disconnected from their utilities/energy vendors, have a disconnection notice or have less than 25% in their propane tank can start applying for LIHEAP assistance.  All other income eligible households can start applying on December 1, 2023.

Last day to apply online with the Request for Services form is July 5, 2024.  After this date you can still apply through your local administering agency through August 15, 2024, or until funding is exhausted. Go to Find my Local Agency to locate your LIHEAP Local Administering Agency.