Stadelman bill requiring county jails to accept cash bail among Top 10 new laws for 2017
Legislation sponsored by State Senator Steve Stadelman that requires county jails to accept cash bail has been named one of the Top 10 new laws in 2017. Stadelman introduced Senate Bill 2907 after learning of a young man who unnecessarily spent the weekend in the Winnebago County Jail on a minor offense because technical difficulties prevented the jail from processing a credit card and because of a county policy against accepting cash bail.
While a great deal of the General Assembly's focus in 2016 was on the ongoing Illinois budget stalemate and a stopgap spending plan to keep vital programs and services running, several new laws dealing with worker pay and job benefits, safety, ethics and criminal justice reform take effect Jan. 1.
Governor signs extension of Stadelman-backed tax credit for downtown Rockford
After nearly two years of negotiation led by State Senator Steve Stadelman, Governor Bruce Rauner signed into law Senate Bill 1488, which will extend the River Edge Historic Tax Credit for an additional year. Previously, the tax credit was set to expire Jan. 1, 2017. The credit has been an important economic tool for the revitalization of downtown Rockford, equal to 25 percent of the rehabilitation costs for a business in a historic building.
"To date, the tax credit has provided incentive for more than $100 million of development in Rockford alone," Stadelman said. "The local economic development council estimates that extending the credit through 2017 would create an additional $110 million in development in Rockford. This would be a tremendous boost to our local economy."
Besides Rockford, the tax credit is also available in Aurora, Peoria, Elgin and East St. Louis. In Rockford, the credit has stimulated projects like the $12 million Prairie Street Brewhouse renovation, which created 110 construction jobs.
Stadelman helps dish up holiday cheer at Rescue Mission
State Senator Senator's family joined him to help serve a hot holiday meal to 500 men, women and children who are homeless. He is pictured (right) with son Austin, a freshman at the University of Illinois-Champaign, and wife, Patty, a senior account executive at WTVO-17.
