Illinois State Representative Jason Bunting announced on April 2 that his rural highway safety legislation has passed the House Transportation Regulation – Roads and Bridges Committee. House Bill 2630 aims to improve visibility at rural intersections by launching a pilot program for solar-powered LED road signs in five counties. The Illinois Department of Transportation would select the participating counties, assess the effectiveness of these signs in reducing accidents, and report its findings to the General Assembly.
Bunting said this initiative addresses concerns about drivers missing stop signs during poor visibility conditions, which can lead to accidents. He explained that if successful, the program could be expanded statewide to enhance highway safety across Illinois.
The bill received unanimous support in committee and now awaits consideration on the House floor. However, Bunting highlighted ongoing challenges faced by Republican-sponsored bills in advancing through committees. “It was one of only 56 Republican-sponsored bills to make it through the committee process this spring,” he said, contrasting this with 444 Democrat-sponsored bills approved by committees during the same period.
He also pointed out that many proposals addressing property tax relief, public safety, and veterans’ issues did not receive hearings. Bunting said efforts by House Republicans to change rules—allowing each member a priority bill for fair hearing—were ignored at the start of this General Assembly session.
Bunting also participated in State Senator Chris Balkema’s Spring Youth Advisory Council event last week, where he met with students interested in civic engagement. “Opportunities like this are so important for encouraging civic engagement and giving young people a voice in the legislative process,” he said.
Currently, Illinois has over $2.2 billion in unpaid bills submitted for payment to the Comptroller; last year at this time it was $1.6 billion awaiting payment according to information from Bunting’s office. This figure does not include unfunded pension liabilities exceeding $100 billion.
Bunting is a Republican who was elected to represent Illinois’ 106th District in 2023 after replacing former state representative Thomas Bennett according to available records.
