Welcome to my e-newsletter!
As your State Representative, I want to provide you with updates about what is going on in Springfield and around the 88th.
In this issue, I discuss recent complaints challenging Illinois, our continued financial troubles under Gov. Pritzker, road safety as we enter harvest, and some snapshots from recent events I hosted.
DEERING LEADS FIGHT FOR FAIRNESS IN COLLEGE ADMISSION AND CHALLENGES ILLINOIS’ IN-STATE TUITION & SCHOLARSHIP FOR NON-CITIZENS
Rep. Deering is leading the fight to ensure working families have access to college and end preferential treatment for non-citizens. The U.S. Department of Justice took up Deering’s charge and filed a complaint against Illinois challenging laws that unconstitutionally discriminate against U.S. citizens by providing in-state tuition and state-funded scholarships to individuals here illegally, Rep. Deering released the following statement:
“Yesterday’s DOJ action underscores exactly why I filed HB 4097. College costs are high, aid dollars are limited, and families expect their tax dollars to be used fairly. The Justice Department made it clear: Illinois can’t tilt the playing field toward illegal immigrants. My bill restores equal treatment, so no illegal immigrant gets a better deal than any American student, period.”
Deering called on her colleagues in the General Assembly to support her legislation, HB 4097, to stop shortchanging citizens. “If you believe in equal treatment for American students, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support HB 4097, so Illinois is aligned with federal law and basic fairness and common sense.”
Keep reading here.
ISP REMINDS MOTORISTS AND FARMERS ABOUT ROADWAY SAFETY THIS FALL
The Illinois State Police (ISP) reminds motorists and farmers about traffic safety on Illinois roadways this fall. Agriculture is one of the leading industries in Illinois and farmers across the state will be moving equipment along roadways throughout the upcoming months. As farmers travel between fields, ISP reminds motorists and farmers alike to share the road to help reduce crashes involving tractors and other farm equipment.
ISP encourages motorists to follow these safe driving tips this harvest season:
- Share the road and be patient. Allow for extra travel time.
- Increase following distance to improve sight lines when driving behind wide, slow-moving vehicles.
- Reduce speed when encountering farm equipment on public roads.
- Flashing amber lights mean ‘caution’ and orange and red reflective triangles warn motorists that farm equipment travels at slower speeds.
- It is illegal to pass in a no passing lane or within 100 feet of an intersection, railroad crossing, or bridge. -Improper passing, including around farm equipment, can be deadly. Be cautious when pulling back into the lane of traffic.
- Watch for the farmer’s indication of a turn. Newer equipment may have turn signals, but older equipment may not, so watch for the farmer’s hand signals.
- Be prepared to yield to wide equipment.
DEERING SENDS DEEPEST CONDOLENCES TO KIRK FAMILY
As details emerge of the apprehension of a suspect in the brutal assassination of Charlie Kirk after vigorous work by law enforcement, I continue to reflect on the state of political discourse in our county. I am both heartbroken and infuriated by the loss of Charlie Kirk. He was a son of Illinois whose impact reached far beyond our state, and so many are devastated. Please join me in praying for Charlie’s soul, his loved ones, and all who are grieving.
At a time like this, we must resist the urge to cast blame or score political points. We need leaders. That’s why I was horrified to see Governor Pritzker attack the President and blame him. In doing so, he appealed to the worst in people when we should be appealing to the best. We deserve grown-up leaders who want to build a better world, not partisan hacks who want to score cheap, ugly political points.
Violence can never be excused or justified. Instead, we must come together in our shared humanity, reject hatred in every form, and recommit ourselves to the principles of peaceful civic engagement that define America, and that Charlie Kirk represented so well in life and in death.
GOV. PRITZKER CAN’T OUTRUN THE TAPE
Governor Pritzker took to the podium a few weeks ago to claim that accusations about his use of Nazi rhetoric were “completely false.” When pressed on whether he has ever compared Republicans to Nazis, the Governor snapped back, saying:
“No, I have not. That is completely false. I have never called Republicans Nazis.”
The backtracking is stunning, as if the Governor forgot that his interviews are on camera. His own past remarks tell a very different story:
February 2025 — Illinois State of the State and Budget Address
“If you think I’m overreacting and sounding the alarm too soon, consider this: It took the Nazis one month, three weeks, two days, eight hours and 40 minutes to dismantle a constitutional republic.”
Watch Here
February 2025 — Appearance on The View
“And everything that he has done has been tearing down constitutional democracy and that’s what happened in Nazi Germany.”
Watch Here
February 2025 — Appearance on CNN
“Well we’re talking about the death of a constitutional republic. That’s what happened in Germany in 1933 and 1934.”
Watch Here
August 2025 — Press Conference
“The Nazis in Germany in the 30’s tore down a constitutional republic in just 53 days. It does not take much frankly, and we have a President who seems hell bent on doing just that.”
Watch Here
Governor Pritzker can’t outrun the tape. Illinois deserves a leader who owns his words and lowers the temperature, not someone who rewrites history when it suits him.
NEW ILLINOIS LAW MANDATES UNIVERSAL PUBLIC SCHOOL MENTAL HEALTH SCREENINGS
Deering, a former teacher, educational business owner, school board member, and parent, questioned the wisdom of Public Act 104-32, which creates a planning process that is explicitly intended to move towards universal mental health screening in public schools.
“Increasing access to mental health, especially in our youth is incredibly important,” said Rep. Deering. “However, continuing to add more to the plates of educators and their support staff and implement mandates about how screenings should be conducted is the wrong approach. Our public education system is severely flawed and needs a major overhaul; we shouldn’t be throwing mental health mandates into the mix. We need a foundational plan to introduce mental health screenings, not another mandate on our already overwhelmed public schools.”
The new law creates statewide guidelines for local public-school districts to follow in implementing these screenings, including a mandate that they be administered annually to all students from grade 3 until high school graduation. The new law sets a 2027-2028 mandated target date for implementation.
House Republicans voted against the new law, which passed by a vote of 72-36-0 along partisan lines. Reasons for voting “no” against the new law include the aggressive desires of some caregivers to provide ‘help’ to as many people as possible, diminishing the ability of young people to grow up naturally with the support of their families and friends. This week in The Hill, a mental health expert issued a nationwide warning against initiatives in the 50 states starting with Illinois’ new law. He warns that caregivers are writing out and distributing well-meaning ‘screens’ that over-diagnose mental health challenges and sicknesses
By utilizing an opt-out provision, parents can ask their public school to excuse their children from the mental health screenings mandated by this new Illinois law.
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HOUSE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE HEARS BILL ABOUT MANDATORY VOTING
Democrats want to make it illegal to not vote in Illinois. The House Ethics and Elections Committee heard bill HB 2718 in a committee hearing last week.
Read more about what happened here.
GOV. ISSUES SPLASHY EXECUTIVE ORDER TO LAY FOUNDATION FOR BIG TAX HIKE
In “Executive Order 2025-05”, published this past week, Gov. Pritzker admitted that Illinois’ economy is going downhill, and issued a text that tried to shift blame to the federal government for Illinois’ longstanding budget woes.
The FY26 budget passed by the Democrat supermajority already included over $1 billion in tax increases, fund sweeps, and other budgetary gimmicks, and was still only barely balanced on paper. Democrats supported and the Governor signed this precariously balanced budget despite multi-year, repeated warnings from credit ratings groups and economists that a recession was on the horizon. Ignoring these warnings will have more of an effect on the FY26 budget than any federal action will.
Pritzker’s Executive Order directs certain State agencies to find 4% across-the-board budget reserves without compromising essential operations. These cuts would be made to the FY26 budget enacted by Pritzker’s fellow Democrats. The budget was signed into law by the Governor in June 2025, and by issuing Executive Order 2025-05, the Governor recognizes that his budget did not correctly forecast State revenue. The drafters of the dysfunctional budget had hoped, without evidence, that State revenue would be able to support the record level of spending demanded by big-government advocates.
Left unstated in the Pritzker EO were facts and data, generated since Pritzker took office in 2019, that show that Illinois’ economy has continuously underperformed the overall U.S. economy, as well as the economies of our neighboring Midwestern states. Throughout this six-year period, Illinois has posted jobless rates that have been higher than the national rate. For example, Illinois’ August 2025 unemployment rate of 4.4% was higher than the national rate of 4.3%, and higher than the rates of neighboring states. For example, Indiana had a jobless rate of 3.6%.
Illinois’ poor economic performance is closely tied to the high tax rates paid by Illinois individuals and businesses. For example, the nonpartisan Tax Foundation ranks Illinois 37th among the 50 states in terms of overall state tax competitiveness. With respect to some individual taxes, Illinois is ranked even worse. For example, when taxes on motor fuel are calculated state by state, the average rate charged in Illinois ranks 49th of the 50 states, with only California charging higher taxes.
We are already more than two months into the FY26 budget cycle, which began on July 1, 2025, and will end on June 30, 2026. This budget continues our State on a pathway that has led to an increase of more than $16 billion in discretionary spending since Gov. Pritzker first took office.
IL DEPT. OF REVENUE ANNOUNCES 2025 TAX AMNESTY PROGRAM
The window to pay past-due State taxes will open on Wednesday, October 1, and will close on Monday, November 17. During this six-week period, Illinois taxpayers will have the opportunity to pay past-due taxes without penalties or interest. The payments of taxes due must be made in full during this time period. This tax amnesty has been declared as a result of legislation adopted by the Illinois General Assembly in May 2025.
After the tax amnesty window closes, liable taxpayers making past-due tax payments will be required to pay not only the full amount of the taxes that are due, but also the penalties and interest payments that are set forth by statute and administrative law. These may create substantial additional liabilities for past-due taxpayers. Individuals and businesses in this category are urged to consult their tax advisors for guidance.
2025 FIREARM DEER SEASON UPON US
Fall is here and that means deer season. Archery season opens on October 1 in Illinois and firearm season is not far behind.
Visit the Illinois Dept. of Natural Resources website to find out more information about hunting here in Illinois.
SNAPSHOTS
DEERING HOSTS SUCCESSFUL FISHING DERBY WITH SEN. TURNER
Thank you to everyone that participated in our Fishing Derby! We had approximately 140 people show up to fish. It was great to see so many families come out to enjoy one of our state’s beautiful parks. Special thanks to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Illinois Conservation Police for their help to make this event a great success!
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DEERING PRESENTS SCHOLARSHIP TO ARGENTA-OREANA HIGH SCHOOL BASS FISHING TEAM
Pleased to support the Argenta-Oreana CUSD #1 High School’s bass fishing team with a scholarship. As a member of the bipartisan Illinois Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus, I am committed to championing legislation and encouraging support that benefits our natural resources in the Prairie State.
KEEP IN TOUCH
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It is an honor to serve you. I want to keep an open line of communication, so please do not hesitate to reach out.
Talk to you soon!
