McLean County Times

Illinois State Representative Jason Bunting has provided an update on legislative and agricultural developments as of October 3, 2025.

Bunting addressed recent energy legislation, criticizing a new amendment to Senate Bill 25. He said the bill "diminished our base load energy capacity, which forced Illinois utilities to buy power from out-of-state sources, thus driving up prices and causing the high energy bills we have been dealing with recently." He added that much of this imported power came from coal-fired plants, limiting gains in clean energy.

He noted that Democrats are advancing new mandates and rate increases for consumers without offering solutions to what he called an ongoing energy crisis. “An amendment was filed on Senate Bill 25 (which originally dealt with regulation of ‘cold spas’) to further press these Green New Deal mandates on Illinois,” Bunting stated. He acknowledged one positive aspect: “I will say one good thing about it: it repeals the ban on new nuclear construction in Illinois, something which is long overdue. But that’s where the good news ends.”

Bunting criticized the proposed legislation for shifting authority away from local governments toward state projects such as batteries, solar, and wind initiatives. He argued it includes “handouts to special interests and rate hikes for Illinois consumers,” calling the proposal costly and unrealistic.

House Republicans have responded by introducing a set of bills aimed at establishing a comprehensive energy policy focused on reliability and affordability.

Turning to agriculture, Bunting reported progress in harvest season across Illinois. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture data cited by Bunting, both corn and soybean harvests are ahead of their five-year averages at 21% each completed so far this year. Crop conditions are generally favorable; USDA rates show 57% of corn and 52% of beans as good or excellent. However, dry weather has negatively affected grasslands—only 16% were rated good or excellent—which poses challenges for livestock operators and hay producers.

Bunting encouraged residents to engage with legislators during the upcoming fall session beginning October 14. He highlighted available channels such as email addresses, office locations, phone numbers, staff support teams in district offices, online surveys, public hearings viewing options, witness slip submissions, and legislative tracking tools.

On state finances, Bunting reported that unpaid bills submitted to the Illinois Comptroller currently total $1.8 billion—a figure higher than last year's $1.5 billion at this time—not including unfunded liabilities like pension debt exceeding $100 billion.

Other updates included announcements from various state agencies: The Department of Revenue introduced a tax amnesty program for 2025; House Republicans are sponsoring legislation addressing sanctuary state policies; education officials plan listening sessions about improving statewide math performance; and there is consideration for designating Route 66 as a national historic trail.

Bunting was elected in 2023 as a Republican representative for Illinois’ 106th House District after succeeding Thomas Bennett.