(SPRINGFIELD) The Illinois Secretary of State’s Office wants nearly 2% more in taxpayer funds for the agency’s next budget, while at the same time it says millions of dollars have been saved this past year throughout the office. While the majority of the money for the agency would come from state general revenue and special revenue funds, alongside with some federal money, the request allocation is a 1.68% increase from the previous state budget. The House Committee has its next hearing March 18th to hear budget requests from the State EPA and State DNR.
(SPRINGFIELD) The Illinois Department of Transportation has launched a new dashboard with statistics on salt, materials, and labor hours used by the department during snow and ice season. IDOT says the page will be updated regularly and will also include the number of plows that have been hit by other vehicles. Up through February, the dashboard reports that IDOT’s total winter operations cost is $104.7 million with more than 262,000 tons of salt used on highways.
(SPRINGFIELD) The Illinois Product Expo returns this weekend at a new location. For 27 years, the event has showcased Illinois-made food products and this year’s expo, tomorrow & Sunday, will be at the Expo Building on the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield. The State Ag Department says the product expo outgrew its previous location at the Orr Building on the state fairgrounds. Featuring over 100 vendors with a variety of products to be sampled and purchased, the Expo runs 10:00 to 5:00 Saturday and 10:00 to 3:00 Sunday. Learn more at agri.illinois.gov.
(SPRINGFIELD) In news out of the State Capitol, State Senator Chapin Rose of Mahomet has been appointed to the Illinois Senate Republican leadership team, a move that recognizes his longstanding role as the Senate Republican Caucus’s lead budget negotiator and a key voice on fiscal policy. Rose represents the 51st Senate District, which includes the area counties of Jasper, Lawrence, Crawford, Clark, Cumberland, Coles, Edgar, and others further north.