McLean County Times

Illinois State Representative Jason Bunting has released an update covering several topics affecting his constituents in the 106th District. Bunting, a Republican, was elected to the Illinois State House in 2023 to represent the district, succeeding Thomas Bennett.

Recent data indicates that Illinois now leads the nation in property tax rates. Homeowners paid an average effective rate of 1.83% in 2023, translating to $4,584 annually on a median-priced home valued at $250,500. Neighboring states reported lower rates, which may encourage some residents to consider relocating.

Bunting announced two upcoming senior resource fairs next week in Morris and Pontiac. The Morris event will be held Monday at Saratoga Elementary School from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., co-hosted with Senators Chris Balkema and Sue Rezin and Representative Jed Davis. On Wednesday, the Pontiac Parks and Recreation Center will host another fair during the same hours with Sen. Balkema and Rep. Dennis Tipsword as co-sponsors. Both events will feature vendors from government agencies and private organizations offering information for seniors and their families, along with free health screenings, refreshments, door prizes, and opportunities for attendees to ask questions of legislators.

The annual National Night Out is scheduled for Tuesday, August 5th in Dwight from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., where Bunting’s staff will be available to assist constituents and recognize local law enforcement officers.

Bunting addressed Illinois’ ongoing public pension crisis by citing an analysis from the Equable Institute that labels Illinois pensions as fiscally unstable—the worst nationwide—and highlights increasing strain on both retirees and taxpayers. According to Bunting:

“The Equable Institute’s annual report on the state of public pensions nationwide reaffirms that Illinois pensions continue to lag the nation in funding and are in desperate need of reform.”

He emphasized that unfunded obligations now equal about one-fifth of everything produced in Illinois each year (19.02% of state GDP), while taxpayer contributions have grown nearly twentyfold since fiscal year 1996—from $614 million then to $11.2 billion projected for fiscal year 2025.

Illinois' funded ratio stands at 50.6%, making it second lowest nationally after New Jersey's recent drop below this level; only four states remain under what many analysts consider a seriously troubled threshold of 60%.

The Illinois State Fair begins August 7th in Springfield with various attractions including agricultural showcases, carnival rides, concerts featuring artists such as Snoop Dogg and Brad Paisley, horse racing events, daily themes celebrating different groups like veterans or first responders, deals on parking/admission/food, parades and more.

In sports news included within his update, Bunting noted the passing of Chicago Cubs Hall-of-Famer Ryne Sandberg at age 65 after battling cancer:

“Ryne Sandberg was a hero to a generation of Chicago Cubs fans and will be remembered as one of the all-time greats in nearly 150 years of this historic franchise,” said Cubs executive chairman Tom Ricketts on behalf of his family and the Cubs’ organization. “His dedication to and respect for the game, along with his unrelenting integrity, grit, hustle, and competitive fire were hallmarks of his career.

“He was immensely proud of his teammates and his role as a global ambassador of the game of baseball, but most of all he was proud of Margaret, his children and his role as husband father and grandfather.”

Sandberg retired holding Major League Baseball’s record for home runs by a second baseman (277), earning ten All-Star selections among other honors over sixteen seasons—mostly spent with Chicago—and was inducted into baseball’s Hall-of-Fame in 2005.

Finally Bunting reported that unpaid bills submitted by vendors awaiting payment through the state Comptroller have reached just over $3 billion—up significantly from last year's figure—excluding larger unfunded liabilities such as pension debt exceeding $100 billion.