SPRINGFIELD – State Sen. Linda Holmes, D-Aurora, voted today to approve a balanced budget for 2018. If signed into law, it would end Illinois’ historically long budget impasse.

“Today, I voted for a solution,” Holmes said. “After more than two years without a budget, we finally have a plan that fully funds the services and grants that people rely on in the 42nd district and across the state.”

The budget fully funds programs including breast and cervical cancer screenings for underinsured women, domestic violence shelters, mental health programs and addiction treatment. Additionally, the budget reinstates grant programs, dedicating $4.3 million for autism support, $1 million for addiction prevention programs and $364 million for MAP grants.

Holmes emphasized that voting for the balanced budget is the responsible thing to do for Illinois, as it would put an end to a lengthy budget crisis that has created chaos across the state.

“This plan spends only as much as Governor Rauner had planned to spend in his budget proposals,” Holmes said. “Unlike Governor Rauner’s most recent proposal, it uses a combination of cuts and revenues to achieve balance. By approving this plan, we have done our part to give the people and businesses of Illinois the stability and certainty that they deserve.”

The Illinois Senate approved six measures that would implement and fund a budget for fiscal year 2018. The measures will now go to the House of Representatives for further review.

SPRINGFIELD – Thanks to a measure introduced by State Sen. Linda Holmes, D-Aurora, fire protection districts will have easier access to tax increment financing (TIF) funding in order to keep up with developing business districts.

“As TIF districts improve the business environment, growth naturally follows,” Holmes said. “This legislation will make it easier for fire protection districts to keep up with firefighting technology so that they can adequately respond to fires in new development areas. For example, if a tall building is built in a TIF district, a fire protection district would have a much easier time getting the funds to purchase a ladder truck.”

The legislation is an initiative of the Illinois Association of Fire Protection Districts (IAFPD). It would allow fire protection districts to request funds directly from the TIF’s review board instead of the municipality, as long as the purchases are reasonable and necessary to protecting the more advanced infrastructure that TIF districts bring. According to Chuck Vaughn, the legislative representative for the IAFPD, the measure is meant to make the process of purchasing new equipment more responsive to the changing needs of those that they protect.

“Senator Holmes recognized that taxing districts such as fire protection districts often get new responsibilities created by a TIF district,” Vaughn said. “The senator’s bill makes the process more responsive to changes that a TIF district brings to a fire protection district. The IAFPD is extremely grateful for the leadership that Sen. Holmes has put into this project. The end result will be better and more responsive decisions to meet the test that a TIF district will present for fire protection.”

Senate Bill 1415 was approved by the Illinois Senate today. It moves to the House of Representatives for further consideration.

SPRINGFIELD – State Sen. Linda Holmes, D-Aurora, released the following statement after the passage of Senate Bill 1933, which would bring automatic voter registration to Illinois:

“Automatic voter registration is important to the health of our democracy. There are so many existing roadblocks to participation. Something as basic as registration should not be one of those roadblocks. I am dismayed by how low voter turnout is, especially in local elections, and I believe that automatic registration will give more people an opportunity to let their voices be heard in the political process.”

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Senate has approved legislation introduced by State Sen. Linda Holmes, D-Aurora, to establish a task force investigating electronic notaries.

“With the technology that we have, it is worth looking into whether or not a person should need to see a notary in person anymore,” Holmes said. “This task force will look for inefficiencies in our current system and try to fix them with technology.”

Current Illinois law requires physical presence and proof of identity for individuals attempting to get a document notarized. The task force would investigate alternative verification methods including video or audio conference technology that are already in use elsewhere. The State of Virginia passed legislation allowing electronic notarization in 2015.

The legislation, Senate Bill 1459, has been approved by the Senate. It moves to the Illinois House of Representatives for further review and approval.