Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin, along with 49 other members of the House Republican Caucus, filed House Resolution 975 today to state their opposition to a proposed progressive income tax.

Below is video from the press conference where Leader Durkin along with Reps, Wehrli, Jesiel and Reick introduced the resolution.

61st District State Representative Sheri Jesiel represents the farthest northeastern district in the State of Illinois and is a lifelong resident of the Zion-Winthrop Harbor area where she raised her three children.

While we talk about Property Tax relief and pension reform we also ask her to pick someone she would like to trade places with for a week….and her answer just might surprise you.
 

Budget – Unpaid Bills
Backlog of unpaid bill hits $8.6 billion. The unpaid-bill count, tracked on a day-to-day basis by the office of Comptroller Leslie Munger, hit more than $8.6 billion this week. The red-ink number is closely watched by holders of Illinois debt paper and by international credit rating agencies and firms that rank worldwide debtors by chances of insolvency. For example Moody’s, the world’s largest credit-rating firm, currently ranks Illinois general obligation debt backed by general funds at Baa2, two ranks above “junk bond” level. Moody’s adds that they have a “negative outlook” on Illinois’ current Baa2 rating. Analysts at Moody’s report that Illinois’ “structural budget gap” currently equals at least 15% of Illinois general fund and pension expenditures.

General Assembly – Redistricting
Independent Maps referendum language thrown out by Illinois Supreme Court. The 4-3 decision, which fell along partisan lines, found that the Independent Maps amendment to govern the way Illinois draws its lines for General Assembly seats should not appear on the November 2016 ballot. The decision, which cannot be appealed to any higher panel, will make it impossible for Illinoisans to speak out on the process used to elect members of the Illinois General Assembly.

House Republican Leader Jim Durkin today announced his appointments to the newly formed Illinois School Funding Reform Commission. The commission will be composed of five designees from the Governor’s administration and each of the four legislative leaders. Secretary of Education Beth Purvis will serve as chairperson.  

“The current school aid formula is archaic and needs to be reformed. I applaud Governor Rauner for forming this commission in an effort to bring all sides to the table to find a solution that is fair to both schools and taxpayers across Illinois,” said Durkin. “Each of my appointees to this bi-partisan, bi-cameral commission has taken a strong interest in reforming education funding, and each will bring a different regional perspective to the discussion.”  

House Republican appointees are:

• Avery Bourne, 95th District
• Sheri Jesiel, 61st District
• Dwight Kay, 112th District
• Bob Pritchard, 70th District
• Christine Winger, 45th District

The Commission is charged with coming up with a recommended comprehensive solution to reform Illinois’ school funding formula. A report is to be presented to the Governor and the Illinois General Assembly by February 1, 2017 with action to be taken in time for the 2017-2018 school year.

This week, State Representative Sheri Jesiel (R-Winthrop Harbor) advanced legislation that would expand the training standards for police to enhance protection for victims of domestic violence. While all law enforcement officers in Illinois are trained in procedures to recognize and handle domestic violence situations, Jesiel’s legislation, House Bill 5538, would improve the training standards for officers to prevent further victimization caused by the emotional trauma of domestic violence.  Read more.

Read a little about what members are doing when they are not in Springfield:

BENNETT: Area Lawmakers Call for Higher Education Compromise

BOURNE: Representative Bourne Joins Local Law Enforcement to Tackle Synthetic Drug Epidemic

JESIEL: House in Recess; Republicans Protest

MCAULIFFE: Resolution Raises Awareness for Cardiovascular Disease in South Asian Community

MCDERMED: Rep McDermed Hosting Property Tax Seminar

WINGER: Winger, Munger listen to women’s concerns, explain fiscal crisis

FY16 Budget Crisis
Democrats send unbalanced partial-month budget to the Governor. As the State of Illinois entered the third week of the new fiscal year without a balanced budget in place, the Democrat majority continued to take a piece-meal approach to the budget crisis.

On Wednesday, the Illinois Senate concurred with House changes to SB 2040, an unbalanced partial month budget set to expire on August 1. The Democrats’ plan passed the House by the bare minimum of 71 partisan Democrat votes in the House the previous week. SB 2040 does not contain one-month spending levels based on the projected FY16 revenue estimate of $32 billion.

Forty emerging leaders from throughout Illinois have been selected as 2015 Edgar Fellows in the fourth year of an initiative to inspire bipartisan, inter-regional cooperation in addressing major challenges for the state in the years and decades ahead. Among the leaders selected are Representatives Tim Butler, Tom Demmer, Sheri Jesiel and Grant Wehrli from the House Republican Caucus.

The Edgar Fellows Program is an initiative of the University of Illinois Institute of Government and Public Affairs. It focuses on developing leadership and governing capacity in Illinois. It emphasizes the need to forthrightly address major policy issues without permitting partisan, ethnic and regional rivalries to trump statesmanship. It is designed to influence attitudes and foster mutual understanding. It holds the promise of facilitating bipartisan and cross-regional cooperation as class participants assume more influential public leadership roles.

“Since we launched this initiative in 2012, we have seen Democrats, Republicans and independents, from the neighborhoods in Chicago to the rural areas of deep southern Illinois, discover they have much in common even as they develop an appreciation for other viewpoints,” former Gov. Jim Edgar said. "I am confident this class of fellows also will form bonds that will serve them and our state well as they climb the leadership ladder.”

State Representative Sheri Jesiel (R-Winthrop Harbor) spoke at an event at the Illinois State Capitol on April 28th that brought together more than 20 organizations that fight human trafficking to not only honor these heroes, but also to help them advocate for their cause. The event served as a means to increase public awareness of this terrible crime, to improve coordination between government agencies, law enforcement, and independent groups, and to honor the heroes who fight it every day.

State Representative Sheri Jesiel (R-Winthrop Harbor) passed her first major piece of legislation in the Illinois House of Representatives this week. The legislation, House Bill 2822, creates the Human-Trafficking Task Force Act. The task force will examine the traumatic impact that human-trafficking is having in Illinois and offer solutions by June of 2016 as to how the state of Illinois can counter this surprisingly prevalent practice.

“Although many of us don’t realize it, human-trafficking occurs right under our noses each and every day in many of our communities,” said Jesiel. “While there are many initiatives under way around the country and Illinois that seek to curtail human-trafficking, many challenges still remain. This legislation allows for a thorough examination of how the perpetrators are circumventing current law and recommend better methods so that we as a state can stop this heartbreaking practice and rescue the thousands impacted by this each and every day in Illinois.” Read more.

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..”

State Representative Sheri Jesiel was sworn into office in July 2014 to fill the vacancy left by retiring State Representative JoAnn Osmond. She is lifelong resident of the Zion-Winthrop Harbor area where she raised her three children.

Read more about Rep. Jesiel.

State Representative Sheri Jesiel attended her first session in the Illinois House of Representatives this week. Jesiel was welcomed to the chamber by her new colleagues and immediately took up her duties of the veto session concerning legislation vetoed by Governor Quinn this summer.

“I would like to thank my colleagues for their warm welcome to the chamber,” said Jesiel. “JoAnn Osmond was a wonderful Representative for the 61st District with big shoes to fill. I hope to carry-on in her foot-steps, and that of her husband Tim before her, in bringing sensible, fiscally responsible leadership to Springfield for the sake of the residents of the 61st District.”  Read more.

Last week Sheri Jesiel was appointed to fill the vacancy left by retiring State Rep. JoAnn Osmond, following her twelve years of distinguished service to the 61st District. Subsequently, House Republican Leader Jim Durkin has appointed Rep. Jesiel to a number of committees previously held by Osmond. Those committees include Appropriations Public Safety, Insurance, Human Services, Public Safety – Police and Fire, Tourism and Veterans Affairs.

Zion-Winthrop Harbor, Illinois - On Wednesday, July 2nd, newly appointed State Representative Sheri Jesiel was sworn into office by Judge John Phillips. Jesiel will replace retiring State Representative JoAnn Osmond in the 61st district, who was appointed in December 2002 following the death of her late husband. On March 18th, Sheri won the Republican primary to serve in the Illinois House, having been unopposed.

“I am proud to serve the taxpayers, families, seniors and young adults of our communities. I intend to continue the long tradition of fiscal responsibility as exemplified by JoAnn Osmond and her late husband, Tim,” Jesiel said.

Sheri Jesiel is a licensed CPA and is an experienced businesswoman who has held management positions with nonprofits, small business startups and corporations. “The stranglehold that failed Democrat leadership has on Springfield must be broken. Democrats’ failed policies - taxing seniors out of their homes, taxing businesses out of the state and causing working families and young adults to seek job opportunities in more business-friendly states - must be reversed.” Jesiel continued, “I serve the taxpayers of this district and I will protect and defend every tax dollar to ensure that it is wisely spent as an investment in our future.”

Sheri Jesiel is a mom, “Nana”, homeowner and taxpayer who believes that common sense and sound management practices must be brought to Springfield.

Sheri is a lifelong resident of the Zion-Winthrop Harbor area and is a graduate of Carthage College where she graduated with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and Accounting. She is currently employed as an accountant/business manager with Christ Community Church in Zion.