State Rep Mike Kelly

Our number one priority from the start was to address the affordability issue that has affected communities across the state. Families are working harder than ever just to make ends meet, and it’s turned into a crisis. This session was about finding solutions and providing relief for Illinoisans to make life easier.
I supported measures that invest in food security for families and community-based approaches to public safety. Some legislation I voted to pass include measures to crack down on junk fees by requiring pricing transparency (House Bill 228), measures to make shopping more affordable by requiring that digital coupons are accessible for all buyers (House Bill 45), and legislation to ensure that emergency service workers have a fair standards and accountability system (House Bill 4477).
I also voted to pass a smart and affordable budget that uplifts working families without any new taxes or significant service cuts, provide tools for property tax relief, expand mental healthcare for service workers and residents in the community, and support affordable housing including homelessness prevention. The budget will also set a temporary freeze on the state gas tax, stopping a new increase that would have taken effect in July.
Massive budget cuts from the federal government halted the funding for many critical public safety services and other programs that our communities rely on. But people shouldn’t have to go without or struggle just because of what is happening at the federal level. And what I worked on through this session was a way to change that and make sure that our state continues to go in the right direction.

It was a productive week in the legislature! We are moving forward on key initiatives to protect our communities and support our essential workers. I’m proud to share that three crucial pieces of legislation have officially passed both the House and the Senate: House Bill 5480, which focuses on upgrading our fire reporting system; House Bill 4560, delivering greater protections against fraud; and House Bill 4477, ensuring accountability and fairness for our emergency service workers.

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