IL Tollway Hosting Public Hearing on Proposed Toll Hike in Huntley TODAY (July 14)
The Illinois Tollway is holding a series of public hearings across the transit region to collect public input on a proposed increase in toll rates to pay for a new capital program.
A hearing in Huntley has been scheduled for TODAY (Tuesday, July 14), from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM, at the Huntley Park District Recreation Center, 12015 Mill Street in Huntley.
The new capital program is a 15-year, $26.5 billion plan to rebuild, improve and modernize the tollway system. The Tollway is proposing a toll rate increase of about 45 cents per toll for passenger vehicles and 30 percent for commercial vehicles. In addition, the Tollway will adjust rates in accordance with the Consumer Price Index every other year to provide cost predictability for customers.
If you would like to have your opinion included in the official record, please attend this meeting. If you can’t attend in person, you can visit https://bit.ly/4wz464U to submit comments electronically until noon Monday, Aug. 3.
Wilcox Talks “America 250” on Illinois Insider
With the recent celebration of Independence Day and the ongoing recognition of America’s 250th Birthday, I recently sat down with Mark Hespen of the Illinois Insider podcast to share my views about our country’s path over 250 years and how we can continue to inspire love of country.
If you haven’t subscribed to Illinois Insider, I would encourage you to do so. It’s a no-nonsense look at activity at the State Capitol and around Illinois:
Illinois Insider (@TheILInsider) / X
Illinois Insider (@illinois.insider) | TikTok
Outreach Events Keep Coming in 32nd District
I would like to thank everyone who attended my Conversations Untapped event last week in Antioch. We had a large, engaged crowd and the evening included a lot of productive conversations. These low-key events provide the perfect atmosphere for people to come out and have casual conversations with their State Senator. I host them at local restaurants and breweries so people can enjoy some of the great food and refreshments this region has to offer while we chat. It’s a great way to showcase local businesses while reaching out to my constituents in their own communities.
Additional outreach events are scheduled throughout the 32nd District, and I hope you’ll mark your calendars now for the following:
- July 22: ICASH/Unclaimed Property in McHenry
- July 29: ICASH/Unclaimed Property in Fox Lake
- August 6: Barks & Brews Pet Adoption in Woodstock
- August 8: Document Shredding and Food Collection in Woodstock
- August 13: Property Tax Exemptions Seminar in McHenry
- August 25: IPASS on Demand Sticker Event in Lindenhurst
- September 10: IPASS on Demand Sticker Event in Woodstock
- October 14: Senior Fair in Crystal Lake
- October 25: Veterans Appreciation Luncheon in Lake Zurich
You can learn more about these events on the Events page of my website or by contacting Abby from my events staff at amccarthy@sgop.ilga.gov.
New Law Establishes AI Safety and Transparency Standards
A new Illinois law I was proud to support this year will establish safety, transparency, and accountability standards for some of the nation’s leading artificial intelligence companies.
Senate Bill 315, modeled after similar laws in California and New York, creates the Artificial Intelligence Safety Measures Act. The law applies to large frontier AI developers and requires them to develop and publicly post a safety framework for their frontier AI models.
Under the new law, large frontier developers must submit regular summaries of catastrophic risk assessments involving their internal use of frontier AI models to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security (IEMA-OHS). Developers must also report critical safety incidents to IEMA-OHS and the Attorney General within 72 hours. If an incident poses an imminent risk of death or serious physical injury, it must be reported within 24 hours.
Beginning January 1, 2028, qualifying developers must also undergo annual independent third-party audits. The law includes standards to help ensure auditors have the proper expertise and are free from financial conflicts of interest.
The new law also requires developers to file disclosure statements with IEMA-OHS and allows the agency to publish a public list of compliant large frontier developers. Companies that fail to comply could face civil penalties of up to $1 million for a first violation and up to $3 million for subsequent violations.
The legislation was signed into law on July 6 and takes effect January 1, 2027.
Recent Ethics Cases Renew Calls for Government Reform
I am renewing my call for stronger ethics laws after two members of the Illinois House Democratic Caucus recently became the subject of separate state and federal investigations, resulting in one lawmaker’s resignation and another facing federal criminal charges.
One Democratic lawmaker recently resigned following an ethics investigation into media-reported allegations of inappropriate sexual conduct. Another has been federally indicted on multiple felony charges, including wire fraud, false statements, and obstruction of justice.
The incidents have renewed concerns about Illinois’ reputation for public corruption and prompted additional calls for meaningful ethics reform. Every new ethics scandal further erodes public confidence in state government while damaging Illinois’ reputation as a place to live, work, and do business.
Questions have also been raised about the Legislative Inspector General’s investigation into Representative Harry Benton. While initial reports suggested the report would not be released following Benton’s resignation, later statements have clarified that the Legislative Ethics Commission would determine whether the report could be made public under state law.
Illinoisans deserve a government they can trust and that public office is meant to help the people, not an opportunity for personal gain. I have repeatedly co-sponsored and pushed for ethics reform legislation to strengthen accountability, increase transparency, and help restore public confidence in state government.
OSLAD Grant Program Now Open for Applications
Applications are now being accepted for the Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) Program through August 31, 2026.
OSLAD is a state-funded grant program that provides financial assistance to local governments for the acquisition and/or development of land for public parks, open space, nature areas, and outdoor recreation projects.
A total of $37.5 million is available for this round of OSLAD grants. The program can help cover a portion of eligible project costs, with additional assistance available for qualifying economically distressed communities. Communities whose parks need to be rebuilt because of storm damage are also encouraged to apply.
Except for larger jurisdictions, OSLAD grant awards are currently limited to $1,125,000 for approved land acquisition projects and $600,000 for approved development or construction projects.
In Illinois, eligible applicants include units of local government that are authorized by law to spend public funds for the acquisition and development of land for public park, recreation, or conservation purposes. School districts are not eligible.
Applicants must be pre-qualified through the State of Illinois Grantee Portal before applying. Applications must be submitted through the Amplifund Grant Management System by 5 p.m. on Monday, August 31.
To learn more about grant eligibility and how to apply, click here.