Flash Survey: Mass Transit, Medical Aid in Dying, iGaming, etc.

Dear Friends,

We’re in the last few days of the Illinois General Assembly’s regular spring session, which is scheduled to end this Saturday, May 31. There are still potentially a few big pieces of legislation that my colleagues and I are working through, not to mention a state budget that also needs to be passed by then.

Your input on some of these key issues would allow me to better represent you and your families as discussions continue. Below, I’ve included a brief synopsis of these topics, including how to close a massive mass transit fiscal hole, medical aid in dying, and regulating iGaming. Your responses to this end-of-session survey would be helpful to understand our district’s support of and concerns with these issues.

Thank you for taking the time to provide me with your thoughts. Many of you have heard about these issues during our district’s monthly coffees and previous citizen advisory panels. If you’d like to go deeper into these or similar legislation in the future, I encourage you to join us at an upcoming event, including any of the advisory panels that will take place throughout June.

My team and I will also be at the Naperville Neighbors United’s Juneteenth Celebration on June 14, meeting you at your doors, and at various other events throughout this summer. I hope to see you soon, and please always feel welcome to contact my office if we can be of service.

Sincerely,

Janet

---

End-of-Session Survey

Below are brief summaries of some of the notable issues still before the Illinois General Assembly. Your feedback on these topics will be invaluable in helping me better represent you and your families. While it’s sometimes hard to predict which pieces of legislation may arise during the last week of session, it will still be helpful to have this information available if these bills come up later in the year.

Mass Transit

Illinois is facing a mass transit fiscal cliff that could result in 40% service cuts across Metra, Pace, and CTA services starting Jan. 1, 2026. The projected $770 million transit budget shortfall comes as a result of decreased ridership and the end of COVID-era federal funding sources. While we are working on governance reform to improve the safety and efficiency of these systems, we also need to consider how to close this budget gap. Which of the below options would you support to address transit funding?

• Transit service decreases. Proposals have included, for example, cutting Metra service before 6 am.

• Fare increases. For reference, a Metra Day Pass that allows for a roundtrip ride from the Naperville or Route 59 train stations to Chicago Union Station currently costs $13.50.

• Raise funds via other revenue sources. Option here includes introducing a $1 transportation delivery fee for retail and food deliveries (like Amazon or DoorDash) or removing an existing biodiesel subsidy.

• Other. (Please comment in survey)

Medical Aid in Dying

Legislation is currently under consideration that would allow terminally ill, mentally capable adults with a prognosis of six months or less to live to have the ability to request and take medication as an end-of-life option. Guardrails of this legislation include the requirement that the individual must be able to self-administer the medication and that two physicians must confirm that the person is mentally capable and not being coerced. Do you support the passage of medical-aid-in-dying options for Illinoisans?

• Yes, I support providing end-of-life options for terminally ill patients.

• No, I do not support end-of-life or other medical-aid-in-dying legislation.

Chicago Bears Public Funding

Feedback from the beginning of the session made clear that our district has little appetite to provide public funds to the Chicago Bears’ ambitions to fund the building of a new stadium. As the Bears organization has re-focused its attention on Arlington Heights as a new stadium location, would you support a pared back request for public funding assistance if it were limited to infrastructure improvements, such as new roads?

• Yes, I am open to the Chicago Bears receiving public funding for public infrastructure-related improvements.

• No, I do not support providing public funding assistance to the Chicago Bears.

iGaming

The General Assembly currently has various bills calling for the legalization of online casino gaming, which would have Illinois joining a handful of states (click on the iGaming view) in regulating and taxing these kinds of activities. Proponents often argue that Illinoisans are already gambling on the internet illegally and these activities are occurring unregulated and untaxed. Opponents contend that iGaming runs a higher risk of addiction, especially for younger people. Do you support the legalization of iGaming?

• Yes, I support the legalization of iGaming.

• No, I do not support the legalization of iGaming.

Take Survey

If you want to get more involved in shaping our district’s activities and responses to issues like the above, please consider joining me at an upcoming Citizen Advisory Panel. These meetings occur throughout June and take a detailed look into the issues we face and the legislation we have recently passed in the areas related to Diversity & Inclusion, Education, Environment, Women’s Issues, Healthcare, Senior Issues, and Business & Economy.

Please visit Upcoming Events for more information and to sign up.