Summer Recap and Upcoming Events!

Dear Neighbors,

My team and I had a busy summer out in the 85th District! The best part of this job is getting to connect with constituents out in the community.

With summer events winding down, we are beginning to think about the upcoming Veto Session in October. We know we will need to discuss a transit reform package during Veto. I have been collecting constituent feedback throughout the summer to learn what community members think about proposed governance and taxes for a new transit authority. The survey is still open, so I would encourage constituents to fill it out to be sure you make your voice heard. You can find the survey here.

I am grateful that over the summer, the Governor signed legislation that I championed during the last session. Below are the bills that are now law:

HB3637- Strengthens Illinois’ commitment to protecting healthcare providers by expanding current Shield Law protections. This bill reinforces the Illinois Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to safeguard access to abortion and expands protections to all healthcare professionals authorized to practice in Illinois.
HB3566- Protects minors from being named as defendants in eviction proceedings, offering vulnerable youth greater security and stability.
HB3467- Modernizes our state's banking regulations by updating the Illinois Banking Act to align more closely with the Illinois Savings Bank Act and the Illinois Credit Union Act, helping ensure consistency across financial institutions.
HB1699- Addresses the growing shortage of water and wastewater operators by codifying an existing Operator-in-Training program within the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, supporting workforce development and safeguarding public health.

I am also continuing to meet with stakeholders to discuss my legislative priorities for the upcoming Spring Session. As always, if you have bill suggestions please contact my office at info@repdagmara.org to share.

My office has several upcoming events we’re hosting in September and October, so keep reading to see more.

Sincerely,

State Representative Dagmara Avelar
Illinois House District 85

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.

We started July hosting a Senior Fraud Seminar with Senator Cappel, Representative Manley, Mayor Basta, and the Bolingbrook Police Department to make sure seniors in the area are knowledgeable about prominent scams.

I hosted our first Crafting and Conversations event at the Ovation Center. We painted and made friendship bracelets while discussing important issues to community members.

My team attended the Will County Health Department’s Back to School Fair to connect with families as they prepared to send their children back to school!

I joined Representative Manley, Senator Cappel, and Mayor D’Arcy to honor Sgt. Jose Duenez, who tragically lost his life during a training accident in Lithuania. The City of Joliet dedicated the street Sgt. Duenez grew up on to his honor. His family spoke on his kindness and servitude.

Senator Cappel and Representatives Manley and Benton and I toured the Wescom 911 Center in Plainfield with various police chiefs. We learned about the new technology that 911 operators use to geolocate callers.

Representative Manley and I launched the Neurodiversity Legislative Advisory Committee in addition to Representative Manley’s Women’s Legislative Advisory Committee. These are great ways to connect with constituents on specific issues that are important to them. If you’re interested in joining us, please contact my office for more information.

Bolingbrook area legislators hosted a Townhall at Fountaindale Library. We had a great turnout, where we discussed what happened during the spring legislative session, what the federal spending bill means to Illinois, and much more.

I had the honor to speak at the Good Trouble Lives on Candlelight Vigil for Congressman John Lewis. John Lewis taught us that silence in the face of injustice is complicity. The event was a beautiful reminder to get into good trouble.

We hosted our 4th Annual Fairmont Back to School Fair on a rainy Saturday! Despite the rain, it was a successful event with over 220 attendees receiving free school supplies, food, and resources from community organizations.

Briana attended the Romeoville and Lockport Township Park District Cooperative Park Party where she talked to families about different resources available and ways my office can help constituents.

Some of my team and I attended a presentation by Representative Manley’s intern Miriam, about the importance of civil discourse. The presentation was a great reminder on how to best talk to people who may disagree with you. To read more about this presentation, click here.

Will County launched the Dolly Parton Imagination Library in July! Inspired by her father’s inability to read or write, Dolly Parton launched the Imagination Library to nurture the love of reading in young children. Parents can now enroll their children to receive free monthly books from ages 0-5. To learn more and enroll your child click here.

I attended the Will County Farm Bureau Annual Barn Meeting with other Will County legislators. We discussed state level legislation to help farmers thrive.

The annual Illinois Education Association meeting was held at Illinois State University at the end of July. I attended and got to talk to teachers from the 85th District about the upcoming school year and how to be supportive!

We hosted our 3rd Annual Valley View School District Back to School Fair to start August! Over 300 attendees showed up to the Annerino Center to talk to community organizations and get free supplies.

My office had 2 interns this summer from the Will County Center for Economic Development’s internship program! Andrew and Elani, from Romeoville High School, did research on legislation, helped at events in the community, and attended meetings with me throughout the summer. We were so happy to celebrate them at the CED’s internship celebration.

I was honored to welcome new educators in Joliet to a new school year! I’m always so grateful to speak to teachers, because one of the reasons I am a State Representative is because of teachers that I could trust and believed in me.

I went to the Bolingbrook Rotary Club and gave a presentation on the upcoming transit reform. I discussed the fiscal cliff, the proposal for a new Northern Illinois Transit Authority, and how the funding sources would work. I was happy to see almost everyone in the room say they take public transit semi-regularly.

I toured the Em Logistics facility in Lemont to learn more about the company after they moved into the 85th District recently. The facility in Lemont is a hub for their drivers to get training and maintenance done!

The Fairmont Community Partnership Group dedicated a bench to Katie Ulmer, a dedicated Fairmont community member! The ceremony also marked the installation of new outdoor exercise equipment and soccer nets at AF Hill Park.

My team and I attended the annual Opportunity Matters Picnic hosted by the Village of Romeoville! We handed out notebooks and folders to students preparing to go back to school.

I joined the Illinois Environmental Council for a tour of the BNSF Logistics Park in Elwood. We were there to learn about sustainability goals in the freight sector.

Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton hosted a roundtable at the Will County Health Department to discuss the ways the federal budget bill will harm access to health care for Illinoisians. We discussed the devastating cuts to research on cancer and maternal mortality, the ways in which Affordable Care Act premiums will increase, and more.

I toured the Three Rivers Manufacturers Association with Representative Manley and Senator Cappel to learn about the vital safety trainings they provide to local manufacturers and unions to eliminate workplace deaths and accidents.

I joined local elected officials, the Will County CED, and others at Invenergy’s Center of Excellence in Bolingbrook to learn about the training programs they host for solar and wind technicians! They opened the Center in January and have already hosted 100 employees for trainings!

I joined Mayor Noak to welcome the traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall to the Village of Romeoville for a few days. The Wall is is a 3/5 scale of the Vietnam Memorial in DC, and travels throughout the country to allow people the opportunity to visit loved ones and remember the sacrifices made during the Vietnam War.

Governor Pritzker held a bill signing for two reproductive health bills, including my bill to expand Shield Law protections and access to medication abortion. To learn more about this piece of legislation that will go into effect in January 2026, click here. To view my remarks and watch the Governor sign the bill, click here.

Valley View School District opened a new early childhood center dedicated to Debbie Sykora, a devoted former teacher and board member who made a lasting impact on the school district.

We ended August at Romeoville’s Rockin the Ville: Boy Band Night, where we talked to attendees about how my office can assist constituents!

I joined Congressman Foster, Mayor Basta, and Citizens Against Abuse at an event focused on human trafficking awareness. We discussed federal resources and ways to recognize, report, and protect victims.

OUT AND ABOUT

UPCOMING EVENTS