SPRINGFIELD – Assistant Majority Leader Linda Holmes (D-Aurora) joined her colleagues Wednesday to hear Governor JB Pritzker introduce his Fiscal 2026 budget proposal to the General Assembly, and released the following statement in response:

“Over the past few years, we’ve built a secure fiscal position for Illinois: We paid down debts, earned nine credit rating upgrades, paid our full annual pension obligations, paid off the unemployment insurance trust fund debt, established a rainy day fund, and invested in substantial infrastructure improvements to make us safer in our travels.

click above to watch a brief holiday greeting!

My favorite season has arrived! The chilly air has swept away fallen leaves and snow time is officially here. This brings opportunities to relax with hot chocolate among friends, family and cozy four-legged companions, or get outdoors for a hike, sled ride or ice skating. I love decorating for the holidays, and I'm looking forward to our 104th legislative session beginning in early January.

It is always a great time to give back to our community. There are many organizations who provide help and resources  to families in need - those experiencing food insecurity, or needing coats, hats, gloves, boots, toys, and shelter.

If you are interested, I encourage you to reach out to a service organization and learn how you might share your holiday spirit with some of your time, or any gently used or new clothing or home goods.

 I hope this year's celebrations find you all safe, happy and healthy. May your time spent with loved ones and friends be a blessing and help you ring in a bright 2025.

In observance of the holidays, my office will be closed from Dec. 23 – Jan. 1.
My staff will return to the office on Jan. 2 ready to assist with anything you may need.

AURORA – State Senator Linda Holmes is joining a group of area legislators to host a Love Purse donation drive to support domestic violence survivors now through Oct. 31.

“We’ve taken part in this drive for several years; this year we’re boosting our efforts by merging our drives into a single campaign,” said Holmes (D-Aurora). “My colleagues and I are showing our support for women in need and survivors of domestic violence through the Love Purse movement.”

Under the leadership of Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton, this campaign will provide donation locations for area residents to drop off new purses full of necessities, notes of encouragement, and an intention to help survivors feel loved, valued and respected.

AURORA – Alongside Governor JB Pritzker, the CyrusOne team and other local elected officials, State Senator Linda Holmes celebrated the groundbreaking of the new CyrusOne data center in Aurora on Wednesday.

“CyrusOne is a global leader in data center development and has once again chosen Aurora to be its home for this expansion project,” said Holmes (D-Aurora). “This new data center brings critical investments to our community, including hundreds of new jobs and millions in tax contributions over time.”

The new $350 million data center is CyrusOne’s second campus in Aurora. The expansion project includes the creation of two new buildings with a total of 446,000 square feet. The new data center will provide advanced digital infrastructure services to local communities and national networks.