WHEELING – Reaffirming his commitment to responsive government and encouraging constituent feedback, State Rep. Sidney Mathias (R-Buffalo Grove) has announced an upcoming Town Hall Meeting for residents of Wheeling to be sponsored on August 11 with State Senator Matt Murphy (R-Palatine).

Discussion will include an update on the state budget and issues of local concern such as the need for meaningful ethics reform, tax relief, and investments in transportation, education, and health care. The meetings are open to the public and will feature a brief presentation followed by a question-and-answer session with the audience.

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Local Legislator Joins Colleagues in Launching New Website for Reform

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS – Giving local residents another tool to become activists for reform in state government, State Rep. Sidney Mathias (R-Buffalo Grove) is urging taxpayers to visit the newly created www.reinventillinois.com website to submit ideas on how lawmakers should cut the state budget and suggest reforms needed to re-focus state priorities on  fiscal discipline and economic growth.

The site is the latest effort by Rep. Mathias to incorporate public opinion and cultivate a broad range of feedback to help address the growing state budget crisis and fuel the need for budget and ethics reform.

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Rep. Mathias & Sen. Murphy to Co-Sponsor Public Forums

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS – Reaffirming his commitment to responsive government and encouraging constituent feedback, State Rep. Sidney Mathias (R-Buffalo Grove) has announced a series of joint Town Hall Meetings to be sponsored this summer with State Senator Matt Murphy (R-Palatine).

Discussion will include an update on the state budget and issues of local concern such as the need for meaningful ethics reform, tax relief, and investments in transportation, education, and health care. The meetings are open to the public and will feature a brief presentation followed by a question-and-answer session with the audience.

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Program Aims to Create Database for Individuals with Disabilities

SPRINGFIELD – Highlighting the importance of ensuring equal access to public safety services, the Illinois House voted unanimously to give final passage to groundbreaking bipartisan legislation for the creation of a special alert system establishing a database to ensure that persons with disabilities and/or special needs have the same access to public safety services provided to all other citizens. Senate Bill 2057, sponsored by State Rep. Sidney Mathias (R-Buffalo Grove), would create the special alert system known as the Illinois Premise Alert Program (PAP).

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Insurance Companies to Offer Incentives Encouraging Good Health

SPRINGFIELD – In a groundbreaking commitment to meaningful health care reform, the Illinois House of Representatives approved legislation on Wednesday sponsored by State Rep. Sidney Mathias (R-Buffalo Grove) paving the way for insurance companies to offer incentives for wellness coverage to clients. The legislation, Senate Bill 1877 secured unanimous support from the House and has returned to the Senate for concurrence before being sent to the Governor for approval.

“Wellness is the key to the development of a healthier society,” Rep. Mathias said. “We can dramatically reduce health care costs long-term by focusing on wellness and prevention rather than treatment after people have become ill. Responsible action calls for a preventative health care policy that stresses wellness for people of all ages.”

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Mathias Bill Would Keep Sites Open on Holidays

SPRINGFIELD – Correcting a loophole in the state’s early voting law, the Illinois House of Representatives approved legislation on Wednesday sponsored by State Rep. Sidney Mathias (R-Buffalo Grove) that would keep early voting sites open on state holidays that fall during the early voting period. The legislation, Senate Bill 1801 secured unanimous support from the House and has returned to the Senate for concurrence before being sent to the Governor for approval.

“Early voting has increased access to voting and heightened participation in our election process,” Rep. Mathias said. “By keeping early voting sites open for several hours on a holiday, we can honor the commitment to encouraging greater voter participation that we made when we first enacted Illinois’ first early voting law.”

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Innovative Camera Technology Designed to Improve Public Safety

SPRINGFIELD – In a bi-partisan commitment to railroad crossing and traffic safety, the Illinois House of Representatives approved legislation Tuesday sponsored by State Rep. Sidney Mathias (R-Buffalo Grove) that would strengthen the hand of law enforcement agencies across Illinois to ensure public safety at railroad crossings. The legislation, Senate Bill 148, would provide for the use of cameras at railroad intersections for the purpose of enforcement and ticketing of those who ignore railroad safety equipment.

“Too often in the past we have heard tragic stories of pedestrians and motorists who were senselessly killed after being struck by a train at a railroad crossing,” Rep. Mathias said. “We have a responsibility to ensure that our local law enforcement agencies have the tools they need to apprehend traffic offenders and hold them accountable, especially when serious injury and death results from violations of posted safety equipment such as gates and flashing signs.”

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By Sidney H. Mathias                                                                                                                                                       State Representative – 53^rd District

Illinois – we are listening. We have heard the public outcry from those of you who are fed up with the constant barrage of criminal indictments of elected officials who have gotten rich at the expense of the rest of us. For years, we have often heard the word “reform” used as the rhetorical prescription to cure what ails government; a political process that by many accounts is broken, dangerously susceptible to corruption, and which too often leads to gridlock and inaction on important public policy matters.

Now is our chance to enact meaningful ethics and campaign reform. There has never been a more compelling time.

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SPRINGFIELD, IL- Amidst the public clamor surrounding President Todd Stroger’s veto this week of the Cook County Board’s recent vote to repeal last year’s sales tax hike, State Rep. Sidney Mathias (R-Buffalo Grove) took to the floor of the Illinois House on Thursday asking his colleagues to reconsider legislation he sponsored earlier this spring that would roll back the increase.

“With the highest sales tax rate of any county in the nation at 10.25%, Cook County families are feeling increased pain in their budgets,” Rep. Mathias said. “We should not leave the fate of these hard-pressed families in Todd Stroger’s hands. Instead, we should vote to approve my bi-partisan legislation to repeal the sales tax increase on our own.”

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SPRINGFIELD, IL- State Rep. Sidney Mathias (R-Buffalo Grove) reacted today to the Cook County Board’s decisive 12-3 vote Tuesday to repeal last year’s sales tax increase advocated by Board President Todd Stroger:

“Tuesday’s vote by the County Board to repeal the onerous sales tax increase is a welcome victory for local taxpayers who have too long been forced to bear the burden of the mismanaged, bloated bureaucracy of Cook County government.”

“I am disappointed to hear of Todd Stroger’s intention to veto this bold and decisive action by the County Board, the elected representatives of the people. I hope that County Board members maintain their resolve and vote to override Stroger’s expected veto at their next board meeting.”

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