PARK FOREST – State Senator Patrick Joyce (D-Essex) is reminding people to look out for text and email scams asking for personal information from someone claiming to be from the Illinois Department of Transportation.

“We have seen an increase in scams throughout the pandemic, and most recently scammers are posing as representatives of IDOT seeking people’s personal information,” Joyce said. “If you’ve received a suspicious text message or email asking for personal information, don’t respond – delete it.”

While the messages might look official, IDOT will not request personal information, such as Social Security numbers or bank information, via text or email.

PLAINFIELD – To end the practice of burdening family members of deceased utility customers with early termination fees by, State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood) is urging Governor Pritzker to sign House Bill 122 into law.

“Utility companies taking advantage of hard working people through unnecessary fees is unfortunately all too common,” Loughran Cappel said. “Governor Pritzker has the ability to immediately crack down on this predatory practice by signing a piece of legislation currently sitting on his desk. It is my hope that he will take swift action on this measure to protect Illinois families of all backgrounds.”

House Bill 122 would end early termination fees for utility customers who die before the end of a contract.

NAPERVILLE — State Senator Laura Ellman (D-Naperville) is pleased to learn Fitch Ratings has revised its outlook on Illinois’ General Obligation bonds from negative to positive — a direct result of responsible spending. 

“The more than 15 months of a global pandemic could have wiped out our financial condition, but we made responsible financial decisions to keep Illinois on track,” Ellman said. “The work we have put in over the years is now paying off for not only the state, but all who live here.”

Fitch’s is the third ratings agency to upgrade the state’s forecast, in addition to Standard and Poor’s, and Moody’s.

OAKBROOK TERRACE – Fitch Ratings has revised its outlook on Illinois’ General Obligation bonds from negative to positive, and State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs) applauds the upgrade as a direct result of responsible spending.

“In recent years, Illinois has taken steps toward fiscal stability by including cost-saving initiatives in our state budget, such as cutting down the bill backlog and reducing our reliance on borrowing,” Glowiak Hilton said. “Responsible budget decisions are critical to the fiscal health of our state, and this upgrade signals Illinois is on the path to recovery.”

Fitch’s is the third ratings agency to upgrade the state’s forecast, in addition to Standard and Poor’s and Moody’s.

SPRINGFIELD – House Bill 395 is awaiting action on the governor’s desk, and Assistant Senate Majority Leader Linda Holmes (D-Aurora) is urging him to sign the legislation to protect animal species facing the threat of extinction. The measure would prohibit the trafficking of exotic animal parts in Illinois.

“While Illinois leads the nation in so many areas of animal welfare, we are behind the federal government when it comes to illegal smuggling and trafficking of animals’ body parts,” Holmes said. “Federal policy has been strengthened, and Illinois needs to take action. This legislation has passed through the General Assembly, and simply awaits the governor’s signature.”

AURORA — Assistant Majority Leader Linda Holmes (D-Aurora) was pleased to see that Fitch Ratings – one of the three major credit rating agencies for state governments and other large borrowers – has upgraded Illinois’ outlook from negative to positive.

“Fitch’s decision to change its outlook on Illinois is a sign that we have been making responsible budget decisions,” Holmes said. “Despite the pandemic, we’ve made positive progress on reducing unnecessary spending and cutting down our bill backlog, and the ratings agencies have taken notice.”

In its decision, Fitch cited that the state chose to fully pay back federal borrowing for expenses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, that late payment penalties on the state’s backlog of unpaid bills have dropped by nearly 80% since 2017, and that the state has actually cut general fund spending by approximately $1 billion since fiscal year 2020.

CHAMPAIGN – State Senator Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) is pleased to see Fitch Ratings has revised its outlook on Illinois’ General Obligation bonds from negative to positive, a direct result of responsible spending.

“I’m glad to see Fitch Ratings raise Illinois’ financial outlook and this is a sign that the actions we’ve been taking are fiscally responsible,” Bennett said. “We have worked hard over the past couple of years to put Illinois on a path toward fiscal responsibility.”

Fitch’s is the third ratings agency to upgrade the state’s forecast, in addition to Standard and Poor’s, and Moody’s.

PARK FOREST – State Senator Patrick Joyce (D-Essex) is optimistic for Illinois’ financial future after Fitch Ratings raised its outlook on Illinois’ General Obligation bonds from negative to positive, a direct result of responsible spending.

“I’m glad to see the state’s responsible budget plan, which we passed earlier this month, getting its deserved recognition by Fitch Ratings,” Joyce said. “Following a tough economic year, we were still able to make our state’s fiscal health a top priority, and we are moving Illinois toward a brighter future.”

Fitch’s is the third ratings agency to upgrade the state’s forecast, in addition to Standard and Poor’s, and Moody’s.