McLean County Times

Illinois State Representative Jason Bunting (R-Dwight) provided a legislative update this week, highlighting several developments from the recent fall veto session in Springfield.

Bunting reported that the General Assembly approved a bailout for Chicago area mass transit systems facing a $200 million shortfall. The plan includes $1 billion in increased charges for Illinois Tollway drivers and reallocates hundreds of millions of dollars from the fund designated for road construction and maintenance. The funding formula for transportation has also changed, shifting from a 55/45 percent split between downstate counties and Chicago to an 85/15 percent split favoring Chicago. According to Bunting, “It is one of the largest Road Fund raids in Illinois history.”

He noted that some earlier proposals to fund the bailout—such as new taxes on grocery deliveries, amusement events, streaming services, and large event tickets—were dropped due to their unpopularity. Bunting stated, “I voted No on this bailout. It is now headed to the Governor for his signature.”

In other news, Bunting welcomed members of the Illinois Soybean Association at the Capitol last week. He said, “We had great conversations about the challenges and opportunities facing Illinois farmers and the soybean industry.” He thanked them for their advocacy on behalf of agriculture in Illinois.

Bunting also hosted Ameliah Sancken, a fourth-grade student from Dwight’s St. Paul School in Odell, as House Page for a day. “We enjoyed having Ameliah join us in the House chamber to see the workings of the House of Representatives first-hand,” he said.

Looking ahead, Bunting announced he will co-host a blood drive with Senator Chris Balkema and ImpactLife at his Dwight district office on November 12 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., encouraging eligible donors to participate.

Bunting shared information about unpaid state bills processed by the Illinois Comptroller’s office: currently totaling over $2.1 billion—not including pension liabilities exceeding $100 billion.

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

Recent statewide headlines include changes to tax policy separating state and federal tax calculations; debates over education standards; passage of physician-assisted suicide legislation; and warnings about traffic ticket text scams targeting residents.