As

Jo Daviess County Democrats

We Believe...

  • Government, with effective leadership, can help solve our nation's major problems including access to affordable health care, climate change threats to our environment, and growing gun violence.
  • Our country must resist the religious right's attack on separation of church and state and on our rights of privacy and choice in our private lives.
  • Balancing the budget on the backs of the young, the poor, the elderly, and the disabled while giving tax breaks to the wealthy is morally wrong.

Democrats Deliver……

Trump's Project 2025 Project 2025 was created for Trump by the people who know him best. According to CNN reporting, nearly 240 people have ties to both Project 2025 and Trump, at least 140 of whom worked in his administration, including six of his former Cabinet members. The Project 2025 agenda was created for Trump, by those closest to him – and it should scare every single American. If you don’t know what it is, you should look it up – but here’s a brief overview: 1) Guts checks and balances to give Trump virtually unlimited power to use the presidency for revenge and retribution and be a dictator on “day one.” 2) Bans abortion nationwide and punishes women who get an abortion. 3) Consolidates executive power in the Oval Office and defunds government agencies like the Department of Education. 4) Raises taxes for the middle class while giving handouts to billionaire donors and cutting Social Security. 5) Allows employers to stop paying many workers overtime. 6) Ends health care protections for people with preexisting conditions. A second Trump presidency would be even more dangerous than the first because he will purge the government of those who are not loyal to him and fill it with those who indulge his dangerous instincts. Trump’s conservative Supreme Court majority has already given him a blank check to do virtually whatever he wants with no regard for the rule of law. If he wins, there is no question Trump will use it to push his Project 2025 agenda.

JOBS: President Biden’s Infrastructure Bill, passed by the Democratic Controlled Congress in 2022: The Biden-Harris Administration has hit the ground running to implement the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and it is already delivering results for the people of Illinois. To date, $15.7 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding has been announced and is headed to Illinois with over 475 specific projects identified for funding. Since the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed, approximately $11.1 billion has been announced for transportation – to invest in roads, bridges, public transit, ports and airports – and roughly $1 billion has been announced for clean water and water infrastructure. Illinois received $1.5 billion to connect everyone in the state to reliable high-speed internet and, as of today, more than 705,000 Illinois households are already saving on their monthly internet bill due to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Many more projects will be added in the coming months, as funding opportunities become grant awards and as formula funds become specific projects. By reaching communities all across Illinois – including rural communities and historically underserved populations – the law makes critical investments that will improve the lives of Illinoisan and position the state for success.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Illinois-Fact-Sheet.pdf

RIGHTS and PRIVACY: Democrats Protect Reproductive Rights and Privacy in Illinois In January 2023 Governor JB Pritzker signed HB4664, a reproductive rights and gender affirming care omnibus bill that protects health care providers and their patients from legal attacks by neighboring states and expands health care access and options across the state. The bill takes historic action to protect Illinois providers and their patients, thousands of whom have travelled to Illinois to access essential reproductive health care now banned in their home states. “Here in Illinois, we hold certain ideals: abortion is health care. A medical decision should be made between a patient and their doctor — no one else," said Governor JB Pritzker. "Last summer, when Roe v. Wade was overturned, I made a promise that Illinois would remain a beacon of hope and an island for reproductive justice for all who seek it. This bill fulfills that promise."

FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY: Democrats Celebrate Passage of Sixth Consecutive Balanced Budget for Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch joined his chief budgeteer, Jehan Gordon-Booth (D-Peoria) to celebrate the passage of another balanced budget that uplifts families and continues Illinois down the path of financial stability. “This balanced budget is the culmination of months of good-faith negotiations and challenging conversations to ensure the values of Illinoisans are reflected in this moral document. It continues to rebuild our fiscal house, while meeting the needs of families, communities, and businesses across this state,” said Speaker Welch.

Democratic Party of Illinois Accomplishments Since Nov 2022 Election Since last November Illinois Democrats have: *Passed a sixth consecutive balanced budget *Passed first of its kind legislation to ban book bans in Illinois *Passed a nation-leading assault weapons ban *Held gun manufacturers accountable for reckless advertising, allowing those affected by gun violence to take civil action *Guaranteed paid leave for all workers *Limited the cost of a 30-day supply of insulin to $35 for eligible individuals *Cracked down on “crisis pregnancy centers” which use deceptive practices to pressure women out of accessing abortion or other legitimate reproductive health care *Required any company selling accident or health insurance in Illinois to cover abortion medication *Prevented users of automated license plate readers from sharing data with other states to enforce abortion bans *Expanded access to emergency contraceptives at a reduced cost in public colleges at on-campus “wellness kiosks” *....and more!

JOBS: Biden and Microsoft Announce $3.3 Billion Investment in New Data Center On May 8, 2024, President Biden joined Microsoft in Racine, WI to announce a $3.3 billion investment to build a new data center. It is the latest example of Joe Biden keeping his promises after Donald Trump failed to deliver. In 2017, Trump promised 13,000 manufacturing jobs at Foxconn in Racine – that manufacturing boom never came. 100 homes and farms were bulldozed and over $500 million in taxpayer dollars were invested to prepare for Foxconn. The promise of a gleaming manufacturing campus never came to be. Under Trump’s watch, Wisconsin lost 6,000 manufacturing jobs – including 1,000 in Racine. Since President Biden took office, 178,000 jobs have been created in Wisconsin, including nearly 4,000 new jobs in Racine – a third of them in manufacturing. Again and again, Trump broke his promises to American workers. Trump promised autoworkers in Michigan that they would quote “not lose a single plant – in reality, GM closed their 78-year-old plant in Warren. He promised workers in Northeast Ohio that manufacturing jobs were “all coming back.” Instead, less than two years later, GM shuttered its Lordstown plant and auto companies laid off thousands of workers. In total, six auto plants across the country closed under Trump’s watch. Under President Biden’s leadership, investments in construction of new factories have more than doubled.There’s only one candidate in this race delivering for working people, and that’s Joe Biden.

JOBS: Biden, Pritzker, Stellantis, and the UAW Reach Agreement to Keep the Belvidere Stellantis Plant Open, Save 3,000 jobs President Biden, Governor Pritzker, Stellantis executives and United Auto Workers Union representatives collaborated in a good faith effort to keep the Belvidere, IL, Stellantis plant open and to save the jobs of thousands of workers. The Belvidere plant, which was closed, will now be reopened as a permanent solution for Belvidere and will support economic development in Illinois as part of the passage of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act and Reimagining Energy and Vehicles Act. Results of the tentative agreement, which was announced October 28,2024, include the reopening and removal of idle status for the Belvidere auto plant; a plan from Stellantis to build a new EV battery plant and support electric truck manufacturing at existing facilities with incentives from the State of Illinois, and the employment of 3,000 auto workers with higher wages and expanded benefits.

SAFETY: The Protect Illinois Communities Act (formally known as Public Act 102–1116) is an assault weapons ban signed into Illinois law on January 10, 2023, by Governor JB Pritzker. The Act bans the sale and distribution of assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, and switches in Illinois. On August 11, 2023, the Illinois Supreme Court upheld the law, stating that it is constitutional and does not "deny equal protection nor constitute special legislation".

LaHood Willing to Shut Down Government Democrats in the 16th Congressional District, represented by Republican Darin LaHood, should note the following: Last week, 207 Democratic members of the United States House of Representatives joined 113 Republicans in voting to keep the federal government open. From Illinois, Representatives Mike Bost, Mary Miller, and Darin LaHood voted NO along with 94 other House Republicans. Today, Illinois Democratic County Chairs Association President Mark Guethle released the following statement: Voters should never trust Mike Bost, Mary Miller, and Darin LaHood when they lecture on supporting good government or that they are pro-business. Their votes last week proved they are not serious about governing and would risk the health and wellbeing of Illinoisians by voting to shut down the government. Government shutdowns impact air travel, create delays and problems for some Medicare beneficiaries and new applicants, and impede services at the IRS – a real problem for folks seeking refunds during this current tax season. Maybe this is what Bost, Miller, and LaHood want – or worse, maybe they just do not care. Note that government shutdowns impact many businesses that support government agencies and operations.

CLIMATE ACTION: “Climate action has brought investment and jobs to Illinois” Chicago Tribune 8/24/23 – One year after a major federal climate bill was passed (by President Biden and the Democratic controlled Congress in 2022) Illinois is making progress in the battle against climate change thanks to an influx of clean energy investments. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) signed into law August 2022, combined with Illinois state clean energy programs, unleashed a stream of clean energy projects from Illinois companies. Illinois added 3,773 clean energy jobs over the past year, bringing the Illinois total to 126,806 clean energy jobs, a 3.1% increase in a year. Deerfield’s LanzaJet is tapping the IRA’s tax credits and aviation grants to make sustainable, ethanol-based, aviation fuel to lower carbon emissions and create jobs….Manner Polymers announced in June 2023 a $54 million investment in Mount Vernon to manufacture materials for use in electric vehicles and solar panels… TCCI Manufacturing in Decatur broke ground on a $45 million project to support EV manufacturing research and worker training….Verde Energy Efficiency Experts in Chicago will use IRA funding to accelerate decarbonizing older Illinois buildings with very high efficiency HVAC systems to reduce energy consumption in commercial buildings by 50%.

LIVING WAGE: Democrats Increase Minimum Wage There have been five increases in the state minimum wage since Governor JB Pritzker signed historic legislation in 2019 that establishes a schedule of wage increases, putting Illinois on the path to a $15 an hour minimum wage by 2025. Prior to the first of these minimum wage increases in 2020, the last time workers in Illinois received an increase in the minimum wage was more than a decade ago in 2010. "Illinois workers deserve a minimum wage that keeps up with the rising costs of living," said Governor JB Pritzker. "That is why, during my first year as Governor, we raised the minimum wage with a gradual ramp to $15 an hour." Starting January 1, 2024, workers will see an increase of $1 per hour from $13 to $14. The minimum wage for tipped workers will rise to $8.40 per hour and youth workers (under 18) working fewer than 650 hours per calendar year will see their hourly wage increase to $12 per hour.

CLIMATE ACTION: Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities The Biden-Harris Administration, through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is investing an additional $325 million for 71 projects under the second funding pool of the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities effort, bringing the total investment from both funding pools to over $3.1 billion for 141 selected projects. There was high demand for this funding opportunity across agriculture and forestry. The Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities projects across both funding pools will deliver important impacts for farmers, ranchers, foresters, and communities nationwide. More than 60,000 farms are reached, encompassing more than 25 million acres of working land engaged in climate-smart production practices, like cover crops, no-till and nutrient management, as well as pasture and forestry management. The partnerships will result in hundreds of expanded markets and revenue streams for farmers and ranchers and commodities across agriculture and forestry ranging from traditional corn to specialty crops. The positive environmental impact will result in more than 60 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent sequestered over the lives of the projects. This is equivalent to removing more than 12 million gasoline-powered passenger vehicles from the road for one year. A link is provided for more detailed information:

https://www.usda.gov/climate-solutions/climate-smart-commodities

EDUCATION: Investing in our Schools and Colleges President Biden and Vice President Harris believe that investing in education is investing in America’s future. To ensure that every young American has the opportunity for a strong start in life, the Biden Harris administration has secured a historic $130 billion for America’s K-12 schools which they are using to hire teachers; improve student achievement, and provide mental health support; funded 14,000 additional mental health professionals to work in America’s schools; created a new program to feed low-income children during summer break; invested $39 billion in colleges and universities, including more than $25 billion to historically Black colleges and universities, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions, which they are using to support students at risk of dropping out; and clarified how colleges and universities can continue to promote opportunity and diversity after the Supreme Court effectively ended the use of affirmative action in college admissions. For more information and details regarding how the Biden Harris Administration is addressing the concerns of young Americans refer to this link:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/09/14/fact-sheet-president-biden-a

RESEARCH: A Decade of Illinois Migration Patterns - ILEPI Study Right-wing media has spread misinformation regarding population trends in Illinois. The Illinois Economic Policy Institute researched the subject and issued a factual report that reveals the truth. Illinois population trends are holding steady and are predictable. The report is available on line here:

https://illinoisepi.files.wordpress.com/2023/10/ilepi-pmcr-decade-of-illinois-migration-patterns-final.pdf