I hope you are enjoying the warmth of spring! As the temperature increases, so does the number of bills moving through the General Assembly down here in Springfield. I am excited to share the status on four of my bills that have successfully passed the Senate and are now headed to the House! With the May 31st session deadline looming about six weeks away, the most controversial legislation will likely emerge closer towards the end. I will continue to keep you informed as we navigate through the busy weeks ahead.
When you hear of legislative proposals that you either support or oppose, please reach out here. As always, your voices and feedback guide my work.
Faithfully yours,
Dan McConchie, Illinois State Senator, 26th District
My Legislation that Passed the Senate Floor Last Week
Senate Bill 275 will give you the freedom to not have to go to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) as often to renew your license.
Did you know that Illinois has one of the shortest driver’s license terms in the country? If you are like me and do not enjoy going to the DMV to wait in the long lines to get your license renewed, this bill gives you the option to choose how long your license is good for, either 4 years (as current) or double that to 8 years.
By offering an 8-year option, it will save time and money for you and the state.
You can watch my video describing the bill here.
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Senate Bill 3323 was briefly discussed in my last newsletter, but it has officially passed the Senate floor with a unanimous vote. SB 3323 will ease the challenges faced by people with disabilities when charging their electric vehicles (EVs).
While every gas station and pump in America is accessible for most people with disabilities, current laws overlook EV chargers. As we are still in the early days of building out EV infrastructure, it is important to guarantee that people with disabilities can conveniently charge their vehicles, just like anyone else.
You can watch my video describing the bill here.
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Senate Bill 2740 ensures that every individual has equitable access to essential facilities within their condominium communities and requires accessible parking for disabled people to be available. Did you know that under the current law, condominium buildings are not required to keep parking spaces accessible for people with disabilities.
Let’s face it, parking can be a headache for anyone. But for those with disabilities, it can be a real barrier. No individual should encounter obstacles in accessing their own home, which is why this legislation is essential.
According to a story from NBC 5 Chicago, a local Chicago resident with a disability had to move to a new condominium and then purchase an accessible parking space from someone for $60,000 because the condominiums are not required to keep accessible parking spaces available for people with disabilities.
This legislation is necessary to ensure that people with disabilities can park wherever they want to live.
You can watch my video describing the bill here.
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Senate Bill 2751 will make sure that any time a disabled Veteran needs to make disability modifications to their home, the permit fees to the city will be waived.
Navigating the complexities of home renovations is tough enough for disabled Veterans. This legislation ensures they don’t face additional financial strain with city permit fees just so they can access their home.
As an example, if someone comes back from military service with a disability and needs to modify their home, they must currently pay a permit fee to their unit of local government on top of the cost they are already paying to make the required renovations.
Our Veterans have done so much for us, and this is just one small thing we are able to do for them. You can watch my video describing the bill here.
Read My Op-Ed in the Chicago Tribune
Read here: Illinois Senate should reject Gov. J.B Pritzker’s ICC appointments
“The members of the Senate, as well as the general public, deserve to know why Pritzker’s hand-picked ICC is making questionable decisions that increase public risk rather than prioritizing safety and reliability. We can’t expect our state to grow when we have outdated and potentially dangerous utility infrastructure.”
Your Feedback Matters!
As always, I look forward to hearing from you! If you have any feedback, concerns, or questions, I would love to hear from you. You can contact me here.