McLean County Times

Chris Balkema introduced SB2046 in the Illinois Senate on Feb. 6, 2025, during the general assembly session 104, according to the Illinois General Assembly.

According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill's official text as follows: "Appropriates $350,000,000 to the Department of Transportation for the construction, land acquisition, and any other required infrastructure changes for a new interchange at Minooka Road on I-80 to accommodate current and expected increases to traffic volume. Effective July 1, 2025."

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill appropriates $350 million from the Road Fund to the Illinois Department of Transportation for the construction and land acquisition related to a new interchange at Minooka Road on Interstate 80. The project also includes any necessary infrastructure changes to address current and anticipated increases in traffic volume. The effective date of this bill is July 1, 2025.

Chris Balkema has proposed another 21 bills since the beginning of the 104th session.

Balkema graduated from Taylor University in 1993 with a BS.

Chris Balkema is currently serving in the Illinois State Senate, representing the state's 53rd Senate District. He replaced previous state senator Thomas M. Bennett in 2025.

Bills in Illinois follow a multi-step legislative process, beginning with introduction in either the House or Senate, followed by committee review, floor debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching the governor for approval or veto. The General Assembly operates on a biennial schedule, and while typically thousands of bills are introduced each session, only a fraction successfully pass through the process to become law.

You can read more about bills and other measures here.

Bill Number	Date Introduced	Short Description
SB2046	02/06/2025	Appropriates $350,000,000 to the Department of Transportation for the construction, land acquisition, and any other required infrastructure changes for a new interchange at Minooka Road on I-80 to accommodate current and expected increases to traffic volume. Effective July 1, 2025.
SB1783	02/06/2025	Creates the Prohibition on Government Sponsored Sexual Performances. Provides that a unit of local government or a school district may not allow a live adult performance to be held on publicly owned or operated property under its control. Requires the State to stop distributing all funds to a unit of local government or school district that violates the provisions. Limits home rule powers. Effective immediately.
SB1864	02/06/2025	Amends the Public Higher Education Act. Provides that if a student at a public institution of higher education is required to complete an instructor evaluation, the student shall evaluate the instructor's bias on whether the instructor displays any prejudiced or unfair treatment toward certain individuals or groups based on factors, including, but not limited to, race, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or political ideology.
SB1865	02/06/2025	Creates the Campus Free Speech Act. Requires the governing board of each public university and community college to develop and adopt a policy on free expression; sets forth what the policy must contain. Requires the Board of Higher Education to create a Committee on Free Expression to issue an annual report. Requires public institutions of higher education to include in their freshman orientation programs a section describing to all students the policies and rules regarding free expression that are consistent with the Act. Contains provisions concerning rules, construction of the Act, and enforcement.
SB1866	02/06/2025	Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.
SB1867	02/06/2025	Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. In provisions concerning educator testing, provides that the State Board of Education and the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board are required to approve more than one assessment, not from the same source, and each teacher preparation program in the State may use any evidence-based assessment of teacher effectiveness that aligns to current State teaching standards. Effective July 1, 2025.
SB1915	02/06/2025	Amends the School Code. Provides that immediately upon the determination of a substantial deficiency in reading or the characteristics of dyslexia based upon (i) screening, diagnostic, progress monitoring, or assessment data, (ii) statewide assessments, or (iii) teacher observations, the parent or legal guardian of a student in grades 1 through 3 who exhibits a substantial deficiency in reading must be notified in writing by the student's teacher of the following: (1) that the student has been identified as having a substantial deficiency in reading; (2) a description of the services that the school district currently is providing to the student; (3) a description of the proposed supplemental instructional services and supports that are designed to remediate the identified area of reading deficiency which the school district plans to provide the student; and (4) strategies for parents and guardians to use in helping the student to succeed in reading proficiency. Amends the State Mandates Act. Provides that no reimbursement by the State is required for the implementation of any mandate created by the amendatory Act.
SB1916	02/06/2025	Amends the Recyclable Metal Purchase Registration Law. Provides that provisions prohibiting the sale of certain recyclable metal materials shall not apply if the seller produces written documentation reasonably demonstrating that the seller is the owner of the recyclable metal material or is authorized to sell the recyclable metal material on behalf of the owner. Provides that the recyclable metal dealer shall copy the documentation provided by the seller and maintain the copy of the documentation along with the purchase records. Provides that the sale of a detached catalytic converter may occur at the fixed business address of the seller or of the recyclable metal dealer (rather than at the fixed business address of the licensed recyclable metal dealer). Changes references from "licensed recyclable metal dealer" to "recyclable metal dealer".
SB1917	02/06/2025	Creates the Illinois Defending Education Transparency and Ending Rogue Regimes Engaging in Nefarious Transactions (DETERRENT) Act. Requires an institution to file a disclosure report annually on July 1 when: (1) an institution received a gift from, or entered into a contract with, a foreign source, other than a foreign country of concern or foreign entity of concern, with a value of $50,000 or more, or an undetermined value; (2) an institution receives a gift from a foreign country of concern or foreign entity of concern of any dollar amount; (3) an institution enters into a contract with a foreign country of concern or foreign entity of concern after receiving a waiver for such contract; or (4) an institution is substantially controlled by a foreign source. Requires the Board of Higher Education to establish and maintain a searchable, public database on the Board's website that: (1) contains all reports submitted; (2) includes any information provided in such reports; (3) is searchable and sortable by date filed, date of the gift received or contract entered into, by attributable country of the gift or contract, and by institution; (4) indicates whether a gift is from a foreign government or from a foreign source that is not a foreign government; and (5) indicates when a report does not contain the name or address of a foreign source. Prohibits an institution from entering into any contracts with foreign entities of concern or countries of concern. Provides that private institutions with endowments above $6,000,000,000 or with investments of concern above $250,000,000 shall report: (1) a list of the investments of concern; (2) the aggregate fair market value of all investments of concern; (3) the combined value of all investments of concern; and (4) the combined value of all capital gains from such sales of investments of concern. Sets forth how the Act may be enforced, including fines for violations.
SB1935	02/06/2025	Amends the Regulatory Sunset Act. Provides that, in the calendar year 2 years before the agency or program is scheduled for termination, the Governor's Office of Management and Budget shall study the performance of each regulatory agency and program scheduled for termination under the Act. Provides that, in determining whether an agency or program should be recommended for termination, modification, or continuation, the Governor's Office of Management and Budget shall consider the extent to which the profession, occupation, business, industry, or trade that it licensed, supervised, exercised control over, issued rules regarding, or otherwise regulated is subject to regulation in other states or territories.
SB2043	02/06/2025	Amends the Wildlife Code. Provides that, upon request, the Department of Natural Resources shall issue a certificate of competency to any resident active-duty military personnel who provide acceptable verification of service, any Illinois resident veterans who provide acceptable verification of service, and any individuals who present proof of holding a concealed carry permit issued by the State.
SB2044	02/06/2025	Creates the Web-Based Signatures Act. Provides that a unit of local government may allow a person to sign any document with a web-based signature if the unit of local government uses a secure web-based platform.
SB2045	02/06/2025	Amends the Unemployment Insurance Act. Provides that the Department of Employment Security shall make payments to beneficiaries under the Act based on the State's average unemployment rate. Effective January 1, 2026.
SB2047	02/06/2025	Creates the Design Professional Self-Certification Act. Provides that the Executive Director of the Capital Development Board shall establish a self-certification program through which a qualified design professional within a participating municipality shall be permitted to: (1) take responsibility for a project's compliance with the baseline building code; and (2) self-certify that a permit application, plans, and specifications comply with the baseline building code. Requires the Executive Director to establish requirements for design professionals to qualify for the self-certification program. Sets forth program requirements; oversight; and recordkeeping. Effective January 1, 2026.
SB1759	02/05/2025	Appropriates $50,000,000 to the Department of Transportation for the expansion of Route 6 from Brisbin Road to Ridge Road. Effective July 1, 2025.
SB1760	02/05/2025	Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Requires the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board to develop a program for training unpaid volunteers to serve as police chaplains.
SB1761	02/05/2025	Amends the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall establish a program to award grants to units of local government for the purposes of demolishing or repairing commercial buildings that are detrimental to public health or safety as a result of dilapidation, obsolescence, deterioration, or the failure of the building to meet minimum code standards.
SB1762	02/05/2025	Appropriates $10,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for the purpose of awarding grants to units of local government for the demolition or repair of commercial buildings that are detrimental to public health or safety as a result of one or more of the following: dilapidation; obsolescence; deterioration; or the failure of the building to meet minimum building code standards. Effective immediately.
SB1763	02/05/2025	Amends the Counties Code. Provides that any recorder may publish property assessment rolls in a paper of general circulation in the county or on the county's public-facing website.
SB1517	02/04/2025	Amends the Wildlife Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.
SB1276	01/28/2025	Amends the Counties Code. In provisions about commercial wind energy facilities and commercial solar energy facilities, removes changes made by Public Act 102-1123. Provides that any provision of a county zoning ordinance pertaining to wind farms, commercial wind energy facilities, or commercial solar energy facilities that was in effect before January 27, 2023 may continue in effect notwithstanding any changes made in Public Act 102-1123 and, if applicable, any provision of a county zoning ordinance pertaining to wind farms that was in effect before August 16, 2007 may continue in effect notwithstanding the changes made in Public Act 95-203.
SB1347	01/28/2025	Creates the Citizens Empowerment Act. Provides that electors may petition for a referendum at the next general election to dissolve a unit of local government. Sets forth the requirements for the petition, together with the form and requirements for the ballot referendum. Provides for the transfer of all real and personal property and any other assets, together with all personnel, contractual obligations, and liabilities of the dissolving unit of local government to the receiving unit of local government. Amends the Election Code to make conforming changes. Effective immediately.