SPRINGFIELD – With Illinois property taxpayers suffering, State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) voted for legislation that will defer tax sales and gives counties the ability to extend homestead exemptions and waive late fees.

“Property taxes can be a significant financial burden for residents of communities like Rockford,” Stadelman said. “This legislation will provide much needed relief to ease the financial burden on our communities.”

The relief package gives county assessment officers the ability to approve homestead exemptions without 2020 applications for residents with disabilities, veterans with disabilities and senior citizens who qualify for assessment freezes.

ROCKFORD –State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) is pleased to announce the Illinois secretary of state’s announcement of the opening of a drive-thru vehicle registration facility in Rockford, beginning Tuesday.

“I’d like to thank the Secretary of State for including Rockford in the first stage of his reopening plan,” Stadelman said. “Access to facilities like the DMV are a necessary part of moving forward and getting back to some semblance of normal, everyday life.”

The facility will only be offering drive-thru services for vehicle registration sticker transactions. According to the Secretary of State’s office, the opening of the facility is the first step of a reopening plan that will be announced in the coming days. The plan will include guidance on how to properly protect customers and employees.

“My commitment is to do everything we can to help protect the health and safety of our residents, while providing services to the people of Illinois,” said Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White. “This first step in a reopening plan adheres to this commitment.”

Hours of operation for the Rockford facility will be Tuesday 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Wednesday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 7:30 a.m. to noon.

All expiration dates for driver’s licenses, ID cards and vehicle registrations have been extended at least 90 days after Driver Services facilities fully reopen. The federal government has also extended the REAL ID deadline by one year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The deadline is now October 1, 2021.

Stadelman continues to urge the residents to renew their vehicle registration stickers online at  www.cyberdriveillinois.com for anyone who can do so. Residents can also renew their driver’s license online through the Safe Driver Renewal program, as well as obtain duplicate driver’s licenses and ID cards.

ROCKFORD – State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) is encouraging residents to participate in the Citizens Utility Board’s (CUB) ongoing Virtual Utility Bill Clinic to potentially save money during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As more people spend time at home, energy usage has gone up, which means monthly utility bills are going up as well,” Stadelman said. “Families already have additional financial burdens in this uncertain time. I encourage residents to use CUB’s online clinics to help them reduce their bills.”

To participate, residents should send a copy of their most recent electric, natural gas and telecom bills to CUB at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with the subject line “Attn: Virtual Utility Bill Clinic.” Participants can remove personal information, but their documents should include the account holder’s name.

A CUB specialist will evaluate the bill to determine if you are signed up with an alternative supplier or if you are paying for unnecessary products or services. CUB will also let you know if you are eligible for money-saving programs, like financial assistance, and share information about energy-efficiency programs.

Stadelman encourages residents to take advantage of CUB’s free utility bill clinics so to help keep their utility usage and costs in check. For more information on the program, please visit www.citizensutilityboard.org.

ROCKFORD –State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) encouraged Winnebago County residents to fill out the 2020 Census, protecting their representation in government and share of federal funding.

“The census is an incredibly important tool that the federal government uses to determine how much money will be given to the Rockford and surrounding areas,” Stadelman said. “Filling out the census is easier than ever before with the new online questionnaire option. For a family of six, it took me 10 minutes to fill out.”

In 2010, Winnebago county had a final response rate of 72.5%. So far this year, Winnebago’s response rate is down, currently only at 67%. More than half of the county’s residents’ responses have been submitted online.

 “If the Rockford area is undercounted, we will receive less money, less representation and less influence across the state and country,” Stadelman said. “It’s up to us to be counted, or we will be counted out.”

Although online is the quickest way to fill out the questionnaire, there are three ways you can respond: online, by phone or by mail. Stadelman also pointed out that higher self-response rates mean fewer individuals are likely to receive visits from census surveyors to be counted in-person. This year, census surveyors are putting the health of themselves and their families at risk from COVID-19.

If you haven’t filled out your census questionnaire yet, you can visit 2020census.gov, where you can find the online questionnaire and additional information about the census. To see local responses rates across Illinois and the entire nation, visit www.censushardtocountmaps2020.us.

ROCKFORD - To help local health departments sustain their COVID-19 response efforts in addition to their basic functions, State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) and other downstate Senate Democrats are pushing to double state funding to support local health departments for the coming year.

The plan would increase funding for Local Health Protection Grants to $36 million in the state’s next budget, which Stadelman agrees is key to opening up the economy.

 “Winnebago County’s recovery from COVID-19 will definitely need a fully staffed and better funded health department, and I think it’s safe to say that nearly all 100 other local health departments are in the same situation,” Stadelman said. “We need these departments operating as efficiently as possible if we want to reopen our state and local economies.”

With mounting fiscal uncertainty for county and municipal budgets, local public health efforts could be severely effected. As a member of the Senate Public Health Committee, Stadelman believes the state needs to reinforce support for local health departments.

“We are living in an unprecedented time,” Stadelman said. “We need to ensure that local health departments continue to be fully funded as local governments begin to cut back on spending.”

Local Health Protection Grants provide funding to certified local health departments to ensure that basic levels of protection for Illinois residents are maintained at the community level for infectious diseases, food protection, safety of potable water supply and private sewage disposal. Funds are distributed by the Illinois Department of Public Health based on a formula that includes population and poverty levels within each jurisdiction.

ROCKFORD – This afternoon, State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) praised the Illinois Department of Public Health’s decision to open a community-based testing site in Rockford to help test Illinoisans for COVID-19. The site will open this Friday, April 24 and will be located at 1601 Parkview Ave., on the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford campus.

“As we have all heard from leading health experts, testing is the essential first step in combatting and eventually eradicating COVID-19,” Stadelman said. “With the opening of this new testing site, the Rockford area will be better equipped to halt the spread of this disease.”

While this is a free service, participants will be asked to show 1) photo identification and 2) health care employee or first responder ID or badge, if applicable.

Due to the demand for this service, it’s anticipated that there will be significant wait times for this drive-thru community-based testing site. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, you are urged to call your doctor or 911 to seek immediate care and instructions.

“Expansion of testing will provide information on the prevalence of the infection in our communities and provide opportunities for aggressive contact tracing by local health departments and partners,” said Dr. Sandra Martell, Public Health Administrator at the Winnebago County Health Department. “It is through widespread testing, that we will be able to better plan for recovery.”

Illinois community-based testing sites are open seven days a week to test individuals with COVID-19 symptoms.

For additional information related to COVID-19, please visit www.dph.illinois.gov. You can also get your COVID-19 questions answered at any time of day by calling the COVID-19 hotline at 1-800-889-3931. You can also email you questions to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

ROCKFORD —The City of Rockford has been awarded a total of $520,000 to help area homeowners with repairs, State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) announced.

“At some point in life almost everyone needs emergency home repairs,” Stadelman said. “At any time, these repairs can cause serious financial strain for families, and this is especially true right now.”

The Illinois Housing Development Authority Board of Directors awarded the City of Rockford the grant to help low-income homeowners with necessary home repairs. The group awarded $11,000,000 statewide through the state’s Single Family Rehabilitation Program. The lump sum is projected to help at least 326 families. 

The Single Family Rehabilitation Program provides forgivable loans of up to $45,000 per household to assist with necessary repairs to remove documented health and safety hazards. Eligible repairs include roofing, flooring and plumbing, among others. 

A roof-only option is also available for people who do not need other repairs. Those recipients are offered up to $16,500 to mitigate against future roof damage. 

“The funds that have been awarded to Rockford will provide much needed relief to these families who are already experiencing the added stress of the uncertain times we’re living in,” Stadelman said. “I’m asking anyone who needs additional assistance to apply for help.”

Households that are eligible can find additional information on The Illinois Housing Development Authority’s website, www.ihda.org.

ROCKFORD – A law passed by State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) could be used to ease the pain for businesses and employees during the tough economic times caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It will also allow Illinois to take advantage of millions of dollars in federal funding designed to reimburse states for their work share programs. However, former Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration never wrote the rules needed to implement the law.

The law changed how unemployment benefits are paid in Illinois, potentially reducing layoffs and improving state finances. It created "work-share" benefits, which are meant to assist struggling employers, allowing them to temporarily reduce employee hours rather than lay off workers. At the same time, workers can collect partial unemployment compensation while staying on the job part-time. This program would also help the state save money by not having to pay full benefits for employees drawing from unemployment. 

ROCKFORD – A law passed by State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) could be used to ease the pain for businesses and employees during the tough economic times caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It will also allow Illinois to take advantage of millions of dollars in federal funding designed to reimburse states for their work share programs. However, former Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration never wrote the rules needed to implement the law.

The law changed how unemployment benefits are paid in Illinois, potentially reducing layoffs and improving state finances. It created "work-share" benefits, which are meant to assist struggling employers, allowing them to temporarily reduce employee hours rather than lay off workers. At the same time, workers can collect partial unemployment compensation while staying on the job part-time. This program would also help the state save money by not having to pay full benefits for employees drawing from unemployment. 

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic

ROCKFORD – With the number of COVID-19 cases increasing daily, State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) is urging doctors, nurses and other professionals in Wisconsin to apply for Illinois’ new Out of State Temporary Practice Permits.

The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation has issued a proclamation to allow out-of-state physicians, nurses, physician assistants, and respiratory care therapists to provide care to Illinois residents affected by COVID-19.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) announced today that local governments and community groups are now able to apply for a nearly $80 million grant to update critical infrastructure and spur economic development in the Rockford area.

“The money provided from these grants is a great economic opportunity for our local communities,” Stadelman said. “I applaud DCEO for using this program to not only make much needed improvements to our infrastructure, but also create new jobs in the process.”

The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) will allow communities and stakeholders to apply for these funds. It will distribute the funds to local governments, not-for-profits, economic development groups and even private businesses, which will create new job and economic opportunities.

DCEO has allocated $50 million for public infrastructure investments (available only to local governments), $16.5 million for regional economic development projects and $13 million ready-to-go for construction projects. Potential projects also include improvements to utility lines and waste disposal systems, land and building acquisition, and architectural planning and engineering design.

Applications for public infrastructure grants must be submitted by June 30, but others will be accepted on a rolling basis. Available grants, project guidelines and application materials can be found here.

For additional information on these funds, prospective applicants can visit DCEO’s website here. Interested parties can send questions to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 217-785-6174.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) is taking action to ensure that local journalism survives in Illinois’ small towns and mid-sized cities.

“As a former journalist and news anchor, I know how important it is to have access to truly local news,” Stadelman said. “People deserve to know what’s happening in their communities, regardless of where they live.”

Senate Bill 3457 would create the Local Journalism Task Force, which would be made up of 10 individuals representing print and broadcast media, journalism schools, and state and local government. They would be charged with conducting a study on communities underserved by local journalism and making recommendations on how to preserve and restore news coverage in these areas.

“Your address should not dictate the quality and type of information you have access to,” Stadelman said. “This measure is meant to start a conversation and provide new ideas to help address shrinking press coverage in local communities.”

Declines in advertising revenue and circulation have meant that nearly half of the newsroom jobs at newspapers that existed in 2004 have since disappeared—and more than 2,000 thousand papers around the country have closed over the past 15 years.

If passed, the task force would be required to submit the findings from its study to the governor’s office, as well as the General Assembly, no later than January 1, 2022.

SPRINGFIELD –State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) has introduced a bill that wouldmake a civil no contact order permanent if an individual is criminally convicted of sexual assault.

Under current law, sexual assault survivors must see their alleged assailants in court every 2 years to renew their no contact orders.

“Survivors of sexual assault have to live day in and day out with the trauma caused by assault,” Stadelman said. “The least we can do to help them, is not to force them to relive their trauma every 2 years.”

The legislation is an initiative of the City of Rockford. 

“If an individual believes that it’s in the best interest of their safety to extend an order of no contact against their criminally convicted perpetrator, they should have the right to do so,” Stadelman said. “People should have the right to feel safe in their daily lives without having to endlessly go to court.”

The City of Rockford worked with the Rockford Sexual Assault Counsel (RSAC), which suggested the lifetime order of protection. Similar protections are already in place for stalking victims.

Senate Bill 3617 awaits a Senate committee assignment.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Steve Stadelman’s (D-Rockford) legislation to help the state invest in construction projects throughout Illinois passed the Senate today. 

The legislation allows the State Treasurer to invest up to 5% of the state’s investment portfolio into Illinois infrastructure development companies. This change in the law would allow up to $700 million in financing.

“This measure creates new economic development opportunities for the state,” Stadelman said. “The construction industry is a key part of our state’s economy, so it only makes sense to allow the treasurer to invest in infrastructure projects.”

The legislation encourages more businesses to locate, expand, and remain in Illinois by investing in quality construction development firms with a significant presence within state borders.

“Investing in construction is also investing in workers,” Stadelman said. “This opportunity will create good-paying jobs.”

Senate Bill 3028 passed with a vote of 55-0-0 and now goes to the House for further consideration. 

ROCKFORD –State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) joined Governor J.B. Pritzker at the Rockford Police Department this afternoon to celebrate a Rebuild Illinois project that will help revitalize Rockford’s west side.

The project is the second phase of a plan to improve U.S. Business 20/West State Street from Day Avenue to Independence Avenue. The first phase included reconstruction of West State from Independence Avenue to Kent Creek.

“The project already has provided economic growth and a higher quality of life to an area long in need of a boost, “said Stadelman, citing improvements that include the new District 1 police station and Crusader Community Health rebuilding its main campus in the same West State location. “I’m thankful the state of Illinois is in the position to continue its work helping redevelop an at-risk neighborhood and a gateway into Rockford’s resurgent downtown.”

Besides reconstruction and widening of West State from two to four lanes, the project’s second phase includes the addition of decorative lighting, a pedestrian and bicycle path and reconstruction of sidewalk ramps to make the area more accessible for individuals with limited mobility.

“The non-road improvements are critical components to securing the neighborhood’s future as a vibrant place where families want to live and where they prosper,” Stadelman said.

A stretch of West State from Meridian Road to Springfield Avenue also is set to be resurfaced, beginning in April and concluding by the end of this summer.

ROCKFORD – State Senator Steve Stadelman recently announced that Harlem Unit District 122 has received the Illinois State Board of Education Property Tax Relief Grant.

“This is another positive step forward in bringing long-term property tax relief to the people of Loves Park and Machesney Park,” Stadelman said. “Property taxes have been – and continue to be – an important issue that needs to be further addressed in the Rockford area, which is why I am pleased to see this grant awarded to Harlem schools.”

ROCKFORD – State Senator Steve Stadelman has recently announced that the Rockford Park District will receive a total of $275,000 to renovate Keye-Mallquist Park.

The funds were secured from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Open Space Land Acquisitions and Development program (OSLAD). So far this year, the program has provided more than $28 million to support 87 park projects across the state.

“Our local parks are a great way for all of us to stay active and play different types of recreational sports,” Stadelman said. “It’s great to see that the Rockford Park District is continuing its hard work and commitment to the community by securing these funds.”

The OSLAD program began in 1987 and has invested $419.4 million in 1,765 local park projects. The program receives dedicated funding from a percentage of the state’s Real Estate Transfer Tax.

For more information about Rockford Park District and Keye-Mallquist Park, please visit rockfordparkdistrict.org.

SPRINGFIELD - Amid life-threatening increases in the cost of prescription insulin, Steve Stadelman, a State Senator and father to a diabetic son, voted with fellow lawmakers today to cap insulin copayments. The legislation will cap patients’ out-of-pocket costs for prescription insulin at $100 for a 30-day supply.

“I have seen the struggle that diabetics face every day,” said Stadelman, a Rockford democrat. “Diabetes is a lifelong affliction for those who have it. It shouldn’t also be the cause of financial stress for their families.”

There are currently over 30 million Americans who have diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. An individual with Type 1 diabetes, a lifelong condition that often begins at birth, will spend an average of $5,705 per year on insulin alone.

“Without adequate insurance, many people with diabetes can’t afford the insulin they need to survive,” Stadelman said. “Rationing insulin leads to further health problems and more expensive health care costs in the long term. This legislation will provide medical and financial relief for thousands in the Rockford area and across the state of Illinois.”

The price of insulin has tripled between 2002 and 2013, which has led to many patients rationing their insulin and sacrificing other daily needs to pay for the medication.

Senate Bill 667 passed with a vote of 48-7 and would make Illinois the second state in the nation to cap prescription insulin co-payments.

CHICAGO – Amid life-threatening increases in the cost of prescription insulin, Steve Stadelman, a state Senator and father to a diabetic son, joined other lawmakers at a press conference this morning to urge the passage of a measure that would cap the medicine’s cost at $100 per 30-day supply.

“My teenage son is diabetic, and as a parent, I have seen the struggle that diabetics face every day,” said Stadelman (D-Rockford). “Diabetes is a lifelong affliction for those who have it. It should not also be the cause of financial stress for their families.”

There are currently over 30 million Americans who have diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. An individual with Type 1 diabetes, a lifelong condition that often manifests at birth, will spend on average $5,705 per year on insulin alone.

“Many people do not have adequate insurance, and because of that, they cannot afford the insulin they need to survive,” Stadelman said. “Rationing insulin leads to further health problems and more expensive health care costs in the long run.”

If passed, Senate Bill 667 would make Illinois the second state to cap prescription insulin co-payments.

The bill is expected to be heard in the upcoming legislative session that begins Oct. 28.

SPRINGFIELD – Individuals who own an interest in conservation or preservation land will be able to recover costs associated with damage done when someone illegally cuts down trees on the owner’s property thanks to legislation signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker today.

State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) was the legislation’s sponsor.

“Preserving our state’s natural beauty for future generations is more important than some people think,” Stadelman said. “I’m glad I was able to partner with the Illinois Environmental Council to pass this legislation, which strengthens existing protections.”

The legislation passed both chambers unanimously and takes effect immediately.