ROCKFORD – To give local tourism efforts more support, State Senator Steve Stadelman announced that the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity has granted over $50,000 to Winnebago County tourism organizations.

“Illinois is a great place to visit with iconic stops in so many cities across the state,” said Stadelman (D-Rockford). “From the Discovery Center Museum to Loves Park, our community has so much to offer. I look forward to the support these grants will bring.”

The Route 66 Grant Program and the Illinois Travel and Tourism Grant Program will support the following organizations in the 34^th district:

• Discovery Center Museum of Rockford - $30,355
• Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden - $10,000
• Loves Park - $10,000

This funding supports a variety of projects across the state, including the installation of iconic Route 66 signage, pylons, monuments, as well as investments in museums, exhibits, service areas and rest stops. As Illinois’ transportation sector evolves to include more electric vehicles, the projects also focus on building out EV infrastructure and promoting the state's tourism areas as EV destinations.

“Tourism is a driving factor in so many industries and communities around the state and these grants will ensure our communities are prepared for the summer weather to come,” Stadelman said. “I look forward to our parks and museums here in Rockford getting resources for projects to benefit our community.”

Grants were awarded to entities in every economic region in the state. Awards ranged from $9,640 to $100,000, with an average award of $57,502. A link to the full list of the recipients can be found here.

To help tenants who rent small properties like houses and duplex homes, State Senator Steve Stadelman passed legislation on Thursday to provide greater transparency for renters.

“Currently, there are no security deposit protections for renters of small properties with five or fewer units,” said Stadelman (D-Rockford). “This legislation would expand the current ways renters are protected to include those renting smaller properties with five or fewer units.”

Under the current law, landlords can withhold security deposits for tenants in buildings with five units or more as long as they provide an itemized statement of damages within 30 days after a tenant moves out. For those living in a building with five or fewer units, a withheld security deposit does not require a statement explaining why and listing the damages incurred.

Senate Bill 1741 would remove this limitation and require all landlords to provide an itemized statement of damages before withholding a security deposit from any tenant, regardless of the number of units in the property.

ROCKFORD -- A task force appointed to study the decline of local journalism in Illinois and recommend ways to revive the industry meets for the first time Monday, March 27.

The task force is being led by State Senator Steve Stadelman, who passed legislation to establish the panel of frontline journalists and academics and who worked 25 years as an award-winning television reporter and news anchor before his election to the Illinois General Assembly in 2012.

"Newsrooms across the nation are shrinking, especially in smaller and more rural areas, and an alarming number have closed in the last decade," Stadelman said. "When people don't know what's happening on their town councils and school boards, they can't make educated decisions or hold public officials accountable."

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Steve Stadelman announced that the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has awarded grants to 48 communities in need of lead service line replacements, including a $50,000 grant for the City of Rockford and $50,000 for the City of Belvidere.

“These funds will help communities identify the problems in their water systems and provide the knowledge of what needs fixed first,” said Stadelman (D-Rockford). “As we map out the service lines, our communities can figure out who needs help the most and which residents may be more at risk so we can act and fix the lines that need it most.”

The Lead Service Line Replacement and Notification Act requires owners and operators of community water supplies in Illinois to submit a complete water service line material inventory for the Illinois EPA’s approval no later than April 15, 2024. The complete inventory must report the composition of all service lines within the CWS’s distribution system.

ROCKFORD – State Senator Steve Stadelman joined Governor Pritzker, AAR CORP and local officials to announce a $2.6 million investment into workforce training at the Rockford International Airport today.

"The Chicago-Rockford International Airport is a strong economic driver in the region, creating thousands of jobs," said Stadelman (D-Rockford). "This investment in AAR supports the continued economic impact and job creation of the airport by creating a strong pipeline of aviation mechanics and expanding opportunities for Illinoisans."

Thursday’s announcement builds off the investment made last year to help bolster the AAR CORP’s workforce strategy and has allowed them to increase the number of aviation mechanics hired from 85 in 2019 to more than 350 today.

The total investment of $5.2 million from this year and last strengthens the aviation mechanic pipeline to meet the growing demand. Along with AAR’s workforce strategy, the state’s funding supports apprenticeship opportunities, training, hiring training personnel and bolstering partnerships with local colleges and high schools throughout Northern Illinois to bring in qualified aviation mechanics.

CHICAGO – Illinois Senate Democrats celebrate the solidification of Illinois as a leader in the electric vehicle manufacturing industry thanks to the signing of an amendment to the Reimagining Electric Vehicles in Illinois Act.

“This law will make it easier for automakers and car parts manufacturing companies to qualify for tax credits—opportunities that can help expand local businesses and support working Illinoisans,” said Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford). “I am proud to support this bill and see this as a major win for manufacturers in our state.” 

ROCKFORD – State Senator Steve Stadelman will host a virtual presentation and live Q&A about health insurance options through Get Covered Illinois.

Open enrollment through the Affordable Care Act ends Jan. 15, 2023. Listeners can learn about options for health insurance under Get Covered Illinois, the state’s Affordable Care Act marketplace.

Stadelman will be live with representatives from Get Covered Illinois and the Illinois Department of Insurance on Facebook Live Tuesday, Dec. 6 at 6 p.m. on his Facebook page.

What: Virtual Town Hall

Who: Residents of 34th legislative district and surrounding areas

When: 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 6

Where: State Senator Steve Stadelman’s Facebook Live

ROCKFORD – State Senator Steve Stadelman is proud to announce the third and final phase of reconstructing West State Street was completed this week, thanks to his support of the Rebuild Illinois program and the joint effort between the city of Rockford and the Illinois Department of Transportation on this project.

“The reconstruction of West State Street has been transformative to the area,” said Stadelman (D-Rockford). “From improving accessibility features for pedestrians, mitigating traffic delays, and making the route to downtown more convenient, this project will be beneficial to residents of Rockford. I look forward to utilizing these improvements when I am driving around the district.”

West State Street, also known as U.S. Business 20, was rebuilt and widened between Independence and Day avenues, eliminating a bottleneck while enhancing a downtown entry point to encourage redevelopment on the city’s west side. Other upgrades included new sanitary and storm sewers, modernized traffic signals and accommodations for pedestrians with disabilities. These changes were driven from extensive community input and planning to redefine and remake West State Street over the last two decades, and is just the beginning of improvements coming to Rockford as a part of the Rebuild Illinois capital plan.