Happy Tuesday! On Saturday night, we passed a record-breaking budget for Fiscal Year 2026. Myself and my Republican colleagues were all NO votes on this irresponsible budget.
Unfortunately, due to poor planning on behalf of the majority party, a number of critical issues went unaddressed in our 2025 Spring Legislative Session. There is no solution for the upcoming fiscal cliff for Chicago transit, the ever-growing pension debt crisis, or the upcoming skyrocketing energy costs due to an over-reliance on wind and solar energy that has made our energy grid unreliable.
Despite this, I have continued fighting back in Springfield and remain opposed to radical legislation. I will also continue my fight back home this summer as I begin my 2025 Summer Tour.
Please reach out to my office if you have any comments, questions, or concerns!
FY26 Budget Recap
Here we go again! Another record-breaking budget was passed in the late-night hours with limited debate to avoid accountability and transparency. While I am unsurprised, I continue to be disappointed in the budgeting tactics of Illinois Democrats. Instead of bringing everyone to the table to craft a bipartisan, balanced budget for all of Illinois, the majority party continues to block any dissent that would challenge their never-ending tax-and-spend mentality.
The over $55 billion budget is not balanced. In order to make this math work, Democrats are raising taxes on hardworking Illinois families by $1 billion. Further, they utilized gimmicks to make the budget appear balanced by moving money around and changing what funds could be used for. These include hundreds of millions in funds sweeps and one-time gimmicks, like robbing the Road Fund and Rainy Day Fund.
This has to end. The people of Illinois cannot afford this any longer. Instead of reining in their out-of-control spending that does not prioritize Illinois taxpayers, Illinois Democrats continue their unsustainable and deceptive budgeting practices that will haunt future generations. I was a proud NO vote on this disaster of a budget and will continue my fight for fiscal responsibility.
Upcoming Summer Tour Events
JUNE 4 – Coffee & Conversation
Franklin Grove – Lincoln Way Cafe – 137 N. Elm Street (8:00 am to 10:00 am)
JUNE 4 – Town Hall
Waterman – Clinton Township Community Center – 160 W. Lincoln Highway (6:00 pm to 7:00 pm)
JUNE 11 – Coffee & Conversation
Shabbona Cafe – 114 W. Comanche Avenue (8:00 am to 10:00 am)
JUNE 11 – Town Hall
Leland Village Hall – 285 W. Genesee Street (6:00 pm to 7:00 pm)
JUNE 16 – Coffee & Conversation
Mendota – Ziggie’s Family Restaurant – 1212 1st Avenue (8:00 am to 10:00 am)
JUNE 16 – Town Hall
Compton Village Hall – 766 IL-251 (6:00 pm to 7:00 pm)
To view the full Summer Tour schedule, click here.
Shred Event
Join us for an upcoming shred event on June 7th from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM at Self Help Enterprises, located at 2300 W. Le Fevre Road in Sterling.
I invite all constituents to utilize this opportunity to safely and confidentially dispose of any documents you may have from the comfort of your car.
Participants should follow all directions when entering the parking lot. This is a drive-up event, but participants may exit their vehicles to watch the shredding. Only residential paper documents without paper clips will be accepted.
Rx Drop Off Drive
In partnership with the City of Rochelle and the Rochelle Police Department, join us for a prescription drop-off drive on Tuesday, June 10th, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. to make our community safer! The event will take place in the parking lot of Rochelle City Hall, located at 420 N. 6th Street in Rochelle. I encourage all constituents to attend and utilize this opportunity to safely discard unwanted or expired medications.
Participants should remain in their vehicles and follow the marked lanes when entering and exiting the parking lot for safety reasons.
Accepted medications include tablets, capsules, patches, vaping devices and cartridges (lithium batteries removed), and pet medications. Restricted items include liquids, syringes, and needles.
Community Outreach
Whiteside County Healthier Communities Partnership recently hosted a Legislative Luncheon to discuss how legislators and local non-profits can work together to best serve our community. Thank you for hosting this great event!
While I was away in Springfield, my office attended the Rochelle Chamber of Commerce’s annual dinner. This is a great celebration of the incredible work being done in Rochelle by the chamber, local leaders, and members of our community!
My staff attended another Leadership Day, hosted by the Rochelle Chamber of Commerce. This month’s focus was on wellness, and included visits to The REC, mindfulness matters, Rochelle Community Hospital, Wills Chiropractic, Rochelle Recovery Center, and Essential Fusions Plus.
Keep Up to Date
Click here to visit my website. There you can contact my office, see what legislation I am working on, and more.
Click here to “like” me on Facebook for more frequent updates.
I will continue to update you via this e-newsletter to keep you up to date on my efforts to pass bills in Springfield and serve you in the district.
Talk to you soon,
State Representative Bradley J. Fritts