As Don Moffitt considered whether to run for another term in the Illinois House of Representatives last fall, he took a ride in a combine with his son and two grandchildren under a clear night sky that made him realize something.

"I really need more times like this."

Spending such time with his family is partly why the representative for the 74th District decided not to seek another term after spending nearly 24 years, or 12 two-year terms, in the Legislature. Moffitt also decided to leave Jan. 10, 2017, because he had seen the grade separations in Galesburg - two overpasses and one underpass - come to completion (or nearly so) as he intended.

One walk through Moffitt's district office in Galesburg reveals why the rural Gilson resident found it to be such a difficult decision - even more difficult than when he decided to run for the Legislature for the first time in 1992, he said. More than 20 shovels from various groundbreaking ceremonies hang from his office walls, along with photos of Moffitt meeting with politicians Rudy Giuliani, Dick Cheney and a young Sen. Barack Obama, just to name a few.

While it's still "a thrill" to meet such politicians, the feeling does not compare to that of meeting firefighters and emergency responders who serve their communities every day, said Moffitt. Read more.

Top: Reps David Leitch, Don Moffitt & Michael Tryon
Bottom: Reps Dwight Kay, Ed Sullivan & Adam Brown

Remarks by House Republican Leader Jim Durkin to the Illinois House of Representatives on Republican lawmakers who will be leaving the General Assembly in January:

The Republican Caucus is sad to be losing the services of six well-respected members of this body who are retiring at the end of this General Assembly.

Between them, they have 92 years of experience serving their districts and the people of Illinois.

New foundation is a win for taxpayers and the agricultural community as a whole

Governor Bruce Rauner today, on Agricultural Day at the Illinois State Fair, applauded the launch of a new not-for-profit, Illinois Fairgrounds Foundation, to emphasize capital improvements at the Springfield and Du Quoin fairgrounds.

State Representative Don Moffitt (R-Gilson) was honored on Wednesday, April 13th on the House Floor for his service as the Fire Caucus Co-Chair and for his career-long commitment to fire services, EMS, and first responders.  The special recognition, in the form of the presentation of House Resolution 1104 and a fire axe plaque, was presented in coordination with Fire Services Lobby Day at the Capitol.

Read more.

State Representative Don Moffitt (R-Gilson) was honored on Saturday, January 30th with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Northern Illinois Alliance of Fire Protection Districts (NIAFPD) in recognition of his long history of public service advocacy on behalf of fire protection services and fire protection districts.

“This recognition was awarded to Rep. Moffitt by the NIAFPD Board of Directors.  It is the first time the award has ever been presented,” said NIAFPD Legislative Liaison Ronald Kubicki.  Mr. Kubicki went on to say that Rep. Moffitt has been such a, “clear and consistent top advocate in the General Assembly for not only fire protection districts, but for all the fire professionals and first responders in our State. The whole fire service in our state consider him one of our greatest supporters in Springfield. We felt it only appropriate to honor him with this first-time award.  We are so proud to call him our friend and to honor him for his lifetime of service to our State and fire protection services.”

Even before Illinois legislative mapmakers drew chunks of our region into state Rep. Don Moffitt’s Illinois House district four years ago, he already was working for our community’s interest.

So we were disappointed to learn that this 23-year veteran of the Illinois Statehouse and friend of the Quad-Cities is not seeking re-election. The Republican made the announcement at his annual Moffitt Family Farm Picnic in Gilson Sunday.

“Everyone leaves the General Assembly ... Some are carried out, some are voted out, and some leave on their own terms, and I have chosen to leave on my own terms,” Rep. Moffitt reportedly said.

It was welcome, but hardly surprising news that his own terms included a commitment to finishing out his term. That ensures it will be voters of this sprawling district who will decide who replaces him, not party leaders or the officeholder himself who will choose his replacement.

Read the editorial in the Dispatch Argus.

The Illinois House of Representatives passed Governor Rauner's FY15 Budget Fix today. The legislation now heads to the Senate and should be heard later this week. Here's what some of our members had to say:

House Republican Leader 
Jim Durkin
"...Governor Rauner inherited a $1.6 billion budget deficit the day he took office...I am pleased the Illinois House of Representatives began the hard work of straightening out our dire state finances."

State Representative Don Moffitt (R-Gilson) this week introduced legislation which urges the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to include healthy, Illinois-made snacks in its highway rest area vending machines.

“This legislation will offer healthier snacking options to travelers, while giving us the chance to showcase our Illinois products,” Moffitt said.

IDOT would be encouraged to stock at least three snacks containing less than 220 calories for every 10 snacks that are offered in its vending machines. It asks the agency to make sure that two of the three products are made in Illinois. IDOT operates 30 rest areas and 11 welcome centers along the state’s segments of the Interstate highway system. Read more.

“He’s trying to address the issue of safety in our prisons not
only for staff but for inmates,” said State Rep. Don Moffitt

Illinois needs to do a better job of ensuring criminals don’t reoffend, Gov. Bruce Rauner said Wednesday at the Sangamon County Courthouse.

“Illinois is in desperate need for criminal justice reform,” Rauner said noting that its prisons are overcrowded and the state is spending too much money on incarcerating people and not devoting enough effort toward rehabilitating them.

He used the occasion to sign an executive order creating a commission to recommend ways to overhaul the criminal justice system from arrest to incarceration to an inmate’s release into society.

The governor noted that 48 percent of adults and 54 percent of juveniles commit new crimes within three years of being released. Read more. Read more by Scott Redder in Heartland.

House Republicans respond to Gov. Rauner's State-of-the-State Address.

Leader Jim Durkin (Burr Ridge)
"Governor Rauner was very bold...and it is what the people of Illinois want to hear: How we're going to get out of this debt spiral. Its about a long term plan to turn the state of Illinois around." Watch the video.

Rep. Norine Hammond (Macomb)
“For years, I have been pushing for reforms to Medicaid, unemployment insurance, and our Workers Compensation system. I am pleased to hear Governor Rauner highlight some of these problems that we can address to attract jobs back to Illinois..”

Energy – Fracking
Fracking rules approved; jobs and opportunity coming to Southern Illinois. The rules, from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR), are a legally essential element for engineering teams to enter Illinois properties and drill for fossil fuels. Up until now, Illinois has not had rules or a permit structure in place to cover horizontal drilling in sedimentary beds of shale rock. A newly-invented segment of oil drilling technology, “fracking,” has sprung up to puncture these tightly-bound particles of rock and force them to yield their crude oil and natural gas. A significant deposit of New Albany shale, believed to be oil-rich, lies underneath many counties of southeastern Illinois.

Energy – Fracking
Negotiations continue on new rules. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources continues work to finalize the rules it will use to regulate future horizontal shale drilling in Illinois. New engineering technologies, known as “fracking,” have multiplied the power of drilling activity to get oil and natural gas out of rock characterized by tightly-packed grains of clay and sediment – the kind of rock known as “shale.” Until recently, engineering challenges prevented these deposits from being drilled and pumped.

Chicago – NRI
Call for disclosure of State budget games associated with troubled Chicago program. Federal, state and local investigators and law enforcement are looking into the Neighborhood Recovery Initiative (NRI). The troubled program, initially funded with $54.5 million in State taxpayer money in late 2010, was created to distribute resources to community organizations in neighborhoods, most of them located within Chicago and adjacent suburbs that were and are threatened by violent crime.

State Representative Don Moffitt was recently appointed as a member of Governor Quinn’s Council on Health and Physical Fitness.  The Council is charged with encouraging Illinois citizens to participate more actively in health and fitness activities.  Members appointed to this committee serve without pay. Read more.

Under legislation which passed the Illinois House recently, fire departments statewide will be able to apply for larger loans to afford the increased cost of modern fire trucks.

According to House sponsor State Rep. Don Moffitt (R-Gilson), the legislation takes aim at ensuring Illinois' fire departments are better equipped should an emergency arise.

"Improving public safety and the safety of our first responders is something that I advocate for," said Moffitt. "By increasing the amount our fire districts may borrow from the interest-free Fire Truck Revolving Loan Program, we help them to be able to access modern fire trucks that are often out of reach due to financial constraints.  When emergencies arise, our first responders and the citizens they serve deserve to have the best equipment available." The Star Courier has the story.

It costs $21 for a lawmaker to take the train between Chicago and Springfield, or about $65 for them to drive.

But it costs taxpayers $4,060 when lawmakers choose to fly a six-seat executive airplane between the two cities.

Despite the enormous cost difference, the presiding officers of both the Illinois House and Senate are choosing to fly in the taxpayer-funded executive planes.

The practice has been going on for decades, but as the state struggles to pay its bills some are wondering if it is something Illinois can afford.

“Would getting rid of these planes solve the state’s budget problems? No. But it is of enormous symbolic value. The leaders seem unwilling to sacrifice,” said state Rep. Bill Mitchell, R-Forsyth, who has introduced legislation to eliminate most of the state’s fleet of executive aircraft.  Scott Reeder tells the story at the Illinois News Network. 

Members of the Illinois General Assembly spend a great deal of time in Springfield in the first half of the year for legislative session, in the remaining months they are working in their districts. The photos below depict some of their activities.

Rep. Patti Bellock and Phil Southerland, founder of Team T1D at the
 Diabetes Awareness 5k on June 24 at Chicago’s historic Soldier Field.

Rep. Raymond Poe meets with seniors from his district at the 15th Annual
Central Illinois Senior Celebration on May 15.

Rep. Don Moffitt presents flag flown over state Capitol at
Aledo fire station grand opening on June 1.

June 25th tour of BNSF Railyard in Galesburg by
Reps. Norine Hammond & Don Moffitt