Kane County Reporter

Illinois State Representative Dan Ugaste has released an update on various topics including the General Assembly, education, first responders, higher education, immigration, and jobs.

In the General Assembly, preparations are underway for the second and final week of the fall 2023 veto session. The Illinois House of Representatives will reconvene on Tuesday, November 7 in Springfield. House Republicans are fighting to keep the popular "Invest in Kids" scholarship program alive, which provides indirect state assistance to those who donate money to Illinois private-school scholarship funds. However, the program's future remains uncertain as the State tax credit that incentivizes the program is set to expire on December 31, 2023.

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has released its annual report card on Illinois public schools. The report card includes attendance data, student absenteeism data, and aggregated test score data for each individual Illinois school and school district. The report shows partial recoveries from the declines in attendance and test scores during the COVID-19 pandemic, but full recoveries have not been achieved. The headcounts of public-school students classified as "proficient" in English and math have increased compared to the previous year, but they remain below pre-pandemic levels in 2019. The report also highlights the chronic absenteeism issue, with almost one-third of all Illinois public school students missing more than 17 days of school last year.

In the realm of first responders, an Illinois State Police trooper was seriously wounded during an on-duty shooting. Trooper Dakotah Champman-Green performed a traffic stop in Springfield when the vehicle's driver, Cristobal Santana, allegedly opened fire, causing serious injuries to the trooper. Santana, who was later apprehended and charged with attempted murder of a police officer, was also suspected in a recent homicide. The dashcam video of the incident has been released to the public.

On the topic of higher education, Illinois community college enrollment has shown a positive trend in 2023. The spring 2023 enrollment increased by 7.2% compared to the previous year, marking the largest year-over-year gain in almost 15 years. Enrollment growth has been concentrated in career and technical education and vocational skills training programs. Online enrollment has also remained strong, with 42.3% of all enrolled community college students taking at least one online course.

Regarding immigration, three southern Illinois Republican representatives are sponsoring legislation to end Illinois' sanctuary state status. State Representative Patrick Windhorst, State Representative Dave Severin, and State Representative Paul Jacobs are calling for the repeal of the TRUST Act, which was passed in 2017. They argue that the flow of migrants who are in the country illegally and drugs into Illinois must be stopped. State Representative Severin attributes the crisis at the US southern border to the Biden administration and believes that Illinois' sanctuary state status attracts migrants who know they will not be subject to deportation efforts.

In terms of jobs, there is a potential reopening of the Belvidere assembly plant following a new labor contract between Stellantis and the United Auto Workers (UAW). The plant, which was idled in February 2023, could become a hub assembly plant for electric-powered vehicles. The production process will require significant re-tooling, and Illinois-made battery packs will be used to power Ram midsized light trucks. This announcement brings hope for the revival of job opportunities in Northern Illinois.

These updates from State Representative Dan Ugaste cover a range of important issues affecting Illinois residents. From education and first responders to higher education, immigration, and jobs, the updates provide valuable insights into the current state of affairs in the state.

For additional details, please follow this link: https://repugaste.com/2023/11/06/news-from-state-representative-dan-ugaste-november-6-2023/