Galesburg Reporter

Republican Sen. Jil Tracy spoke about upcoming political events the Illinois Senate has been watching.

“Governor J.B. Pritzker is touting a sweep of the Illinois unemployment trust fund paid for by businesses,” she wrote on Facebook.

Ballotpedia noted Tracy has been running uncontested since 2018.

In the weekly review, Tracy discussed the Governor's plans for the unemployment trust fund debt: Pritzker’s unemployment payment leaves businesses, employees on the hook Pritzker recently held a press conference to tout a fund sweep of $450 million in Illinois business tax dollars from the state Unemployment Insurance (UI) trust fund. The Illinois UI trust fund was severely depleted during the pandemic because of large numbers of unemployment claims, including hundreds of millions in unemployment fraud that the Pritzker Administration failed to effectively combat. After the recent payment, the state’s UI trust fund still faces a debt of $1.3 billion, leaving Illinois as one of only five states still owing money on its UI trust fund loan.

Vote Smart noted Tracy voted against House Bill 1167 which gives vaccinated teachers paid sick leave if they catch COVID-19.

“With this COVID wage and benefit protection legislation, we’re putting real action behind our words and making a difference for the teachers and staff that make a difference every day for our students and community," Rep. Janet Yang Rohr, who sponsored the legislation, said to The State Journal-Register.

She shared that the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is hiring: "The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is hiring Snow Removal Operators and Winter Salaried Highway Maintainers. The jobs, which are often referred to as snowbirds, involve operating IDOT snowplows to help clear the roads during winter weather. The department is responsible for maintaining more than 45,000 lane miles. Applications may be submitted online at https://illinois.jobs2web.com/https://illinois.jobs2web.com/.

Vote Smart also noted she voted against Senate Bill 18 which requires the state to have transitioned its energy production to be made by renewable energies by 2050.

Tracy shared that the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is looking for nominations to honor school board members.

"The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is asking members of the public to nominate outstanding school board members for the Thomas Lay Burroughs Award. The annual award is presented every year to an outstanding member of an Illinois school board. According to ISBE, the Thomas Lay Burroughs Award honors members for outstanding accomplishment in one of three areas, including: Personal leadership in improving student learning, closing achievement gaps, and supporting educational excellence; and/or Personal leadership in expanding educational opportunities for underserved students; and/or Personal leadership in resolving a crisis or major difficulty with the result of more equitable outcomes for students. Nominations of school board members who have provided outstanding leadership may be submitted online at https://www.isbe.net/Pages/thomas-lay-burroughs-award.aspx."