Every year the General Assembly passes hundreds of bills which are signed into law by the Governor. Many of these new laws take effect on January 1 – this year there are 293. Here are five new laws for 2025 that you need to know about.

Keeping emergency responders safe
House Bill 4255, sponsored in the House by Rep. Amy Elik of Alton, would help keep emergency responders and motorists approaching accident sites safe by allowing emergency responder vehicles to display flashing green lights.

Tamales have been a staple in Mexican culture for centuries, dating back to the times of the Aztecs, Mayans, and Olmecs. Tamales are regarded as a sacred food for the gods and eaten on special occasions, including holidays. Eating tamales during Christmas time is a deep-rooted tradition for many Mexican families, and that tradition has become a part of the culture in other areas of the world as well. 

For 150 years through five generations, Vaughan and Bushnell Manufacturing Company has been hand-making high-quality hammers and hand tools in Illinois.  Founded in Peoria and now located in Bushnell in McDonough County, Vaughan has been committed to producing hand tools that proudly state, ‘Made in the USA.’ Many of what are now accepted as basic hammer designs, from the distinctive curve of the claw to the set of the handle and the shape of the head, were introduced by Vaughan. 

Illinois House Republican members of the Illinois House Veterans’ Affairs Committee are demanding answers following news of frightening COVID-19 outbreaks at state-run veterans’ homes.

State Rep. Randy Frese, spokesperson for the Illinois House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, released the following statement regarding House members being excluded from today’s hastily planned hearing:

Republican members of the Illinois House Veterans’ Affairs Committee sent a letter demanding the chair of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee convene a public hearing as soon as possible following recent reports detailing an outbreak of COVID-19 among employees and residents at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home.

“We must quickly investigate how and why a recent outbreak occurred and what steps are being taken by the Pritzker administration to stop the spread of COVID-19 at all State-run veterans’ homes and health care facilities,” said State Rep. Randy Frese, Republican Spokesperson for the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee. “Our veterans now depend on us, and we cannot let them down. We stand ready to get to work to assist in providing the highest quality healthcare for all Illinois veterans.” 

Gov. Bruce Rauner today signed legislation that expands the Illinois Veterans’ Home at Quincy and cuts the red tape on future construction projects, allowing the administration to move quickly to build a new state-of-the-art facility at the campus.

“We’re building a brand new facility and making sure our veterans have a safe place to call home,” Rauner said. “Building this new facility should not be caught up in the bureaucratic process. Our veterans deserve the best. They have fought to secure our freedom and we’re fighting to make sure they have the care they need for generations to come.”

On Monday, Rep. Randy Frese applauded the Governor for
including $53 million in the budget for improvements
 at the Illinois Veterans Home in Quincy.

Gov. Bruce Rauner announced today that Stephen Curda, Ph.D. has been named director of the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs (IDVA). He takes over from Elisabeth Pennix, who returns to her duties as IDVA’s General Counsel. The appointment is effective today.

“Stephen Curda is a proven leader with years of experience serving our military and veterans as well as his own deployment to Afghanistan and Iraq,” Rauner said. “He has served over 30 years in the military on active duty, Reserve and the Guard, recently retiring as a Brigadier General. His exceptional work in strategic planning, development and program implementation will positively contribute to the IDVA and provide the best services for our state’s heroes.”

"I have always said we can achieve great things when we
respect the priorities and principles of our counterparts."
 ~ Leader Jim Durkin on the FY19 Budget

Gov. Bruce Rauner today signed into law a $38.5 billion bipartisan compromise budget that holds the line on taxes, increases funding for education, curbs spending, and creates a new adoption tax credit that will make it less costly for Illinois parents to adopt children.

“For the first time in years, we have an opportunity to manage our way into balance, and we don’t have to dip into the pockets of overtaxed Illinoisans to do it,” Rauner said. “Balance is in reach because we were able to accomplish $445 million of pension reform and the economy is stronger thanks to federal tax reform, and we are benefiting from an unexpected boost in tax receipts.”

State Representative Randy Frese's district is the home of the Quincy Veterans facility. Over the past couple of years it has been in the news because of a deadly Legionnaires’ outbreak. We get his reaction to the situation and also hear how proud he is of the facility.

On the personal side, it’s going to be a busy summer for his family….as he has two daughters getting married, and third daughter who is going to make him a grandfather for the first time….and she’s having twins.

Randy Frese serves as the State Representative of the 94th District.

Rep. Frese was raised on his family’s farm in rural Illinois and earned his Bachelor of Sciences in Applied Sciences/Agriculture at Western Illinois University. After graduating from WIU, Randy learned about business traveling West Central Illinois. Based out of Macomb, he was first a sales and service representative for White Farm Equipment, and then he worked as an industrial minerals salesman. He soon returned to Adams County and began developing a series of entrepreneurial small businesses. Throughout his years as a small business owner Randy employed hundreds of individuals in the western Illinois region. He knows what it is to make the hard decisions of a small business owner, he knows how to maintain a budget and follow a plan, and he is able to relate and work with those who bring small business opportunities to western Illinois.

Randy has been married to his high school sweetheart for 31 years and has three daughters. Read more about Rep. Frese.