Good afternoon, everyone!
On June 1st, the Illinois General Assembly wrapped up our 2026 Spring Legislative Session and passed another record-breaking budget. There is more information about the $55.9 billion budget, as well as updates on the Chicago Bears stadium, below.
My office is beginning to ramp up our district outreach efforts for the summer. More information on our upcoming summer tour events is below!
FY27 Budget Update
The FY27 budget was more of the same in Springfield: the same deceptive practices and lack of transparency on another record-breaking budget. This year’s budget is $55.9 billion, with an additional $800 million in new taxes and fees on working families.
While the budget itself is unbalanced and has severely misplaced priorities, the worst part of passing the budget is the process. This year, the final amendments to the budget were filed one hour before consideration, and then House Democrats waived their own rules! These rules aren’t meant to be optional. They’re meant to be a mechanism to prevent legislation from being rammed through in the middle of the night and to provide transparency to taxpayers.
What we saw earlier this month was a textbook case of bad government. Illinoisans deserve better than the broken process Springfield Democrats have been delivering.
Update on Chicago Bears Stadium
As I am sure many of you already know, the Chicago Bears recently announced that they will be moving forward with a stadium in Hammond, Indiana. This comes after months of time for Illinois Democrats to work on a solution to keep the Bears in Illinois. Unfortunately, the final version of the bill did not even get called for a vote in the House.
The Bears warned legislators multiple times that if there was no solution reached by the end of May, then they would begin moving forward with the new location in Hammond. Unfortunately, the dysfunction of the majority party is on full display as they were unable to pass any legislation to address this issue.
As a Republican who did my part to keep conversations going with the Bears, I am immensely frustrated that personal ideology and an unwillingness to have cooperative discussions led to this outcome. This is a tremendous loss for the people of Illinois and indicative of the total failure of leadership we have in Springfield right now.
Summer Tour
Join me for my 2026 Summer Tour! This year, I will be making four stops across the district for Coffee & Conversation and Town Hall events.
This tour is one of my favorite parts of being your State Representative, as it allows me to speak directly with the people I am honored to represent.
Coffee & Conversation – Franklin Grove
WHEN: June 17th, 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM
WHERE: Lincoln Way Cafe – 137 N. Elm Street, Franklin Grove
Coffee & Conversation – Rock Falls
WHEN: June 25th, 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM
Where: A’s Kitchen – 2004 1st Avenue, Rock Falls
Coffee & Conversation – Mendota
WHEN: August 4th, 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM
WHERE: Ziggie’s Family Restaurant – 1212 1st Avenue, Mendota
Town Hall – Paw Paw
WHEN: August 11th, 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
WHERE: Paw Paw Community Center – 362 Chicago Road, Paw Paw
Hope to see you at one of these events! If you’re unable to attend, you can contact my office at any time by phone at 815-561-3690 or by email at [email protected].
Community Outreach
My office hosted a record-breaking Rx and Sharps Drop-Off Event! Thanks to our incredible partners at the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Lee County Health Department, the Dixon Police Department, and Dixon Township for coming together to help keep our community safe!
Congratulations to J Boutique in Dixon on your re-opening! My office attended the celebration of their return, along with their official membership with Discover Dixon.
The Dixon School of Taekwondo officially became a member of Discover Dixon! My office attended the celebration last week in support of this growing local business.
My office had the chance to view the Union Pacific Big Boy while it was stopped in Sterling! This is the world’s largest steam locomotive and is the only remaining operational steam locomotive from World War II.
I toured Kitzman’s Farm Sanctuary in Dixon. They are a no-kill farm sanctuary, and refer to themselves as a “retirement home for animals”. It was such a pleasure to see the work this farm does to provide older animals with dignity and care!
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our legislative town hall in Dixon! We had productive conversations about the issues affecting our communities, and I appreciate the questions and feedback from those who attended. Thank you as well to State Senator Li Arellano and Discover Dixon for helping make the event possible!
Had a great time at the Rochelle Chamber of Commerce Golf Outing! It was a great opportunity to connect with the people and organizations that keep Rochelle running. Thanks to the Chamber and everyone who helped make the day a success!
Museum Pass
Are you looking to visit one of the incredible museums across the Chicagoland area? Utilize my office’s FREE museum pass, allowing admission to any participating museum for up to four people.
Reservations are required and must be made by completing our request form, which can be completed by clicking here.
Talk to you soon,
State Representative Bradley J. Fritts