State Rep. Kevin Schmidt Releases Statement After Gov. Pritzker Signs His Bill into Law

Springfield…Last Friday, Governor Pritzker signed 124 bills into law, including House Bill 57. State Representative Kevin Schmidt (R-Millstadt) issued the following statement after his bill was signed by the governor:

"My bill closes the gap between community integrated living arrangements and other state-run facilities whose visitation rights were limited, and I'm happy to finally see HB57 become law," said Rep. Schmidt. "This change to the Essential Support Person Act will have a positive impact on communities across the state of Illinois."

Governor Pritzker signed House Bill 57 into law on August 1, 2025.

District Tour

I recently toured Kuna Foodservice - Local Supplier in Dupo to have better understanding about their operations and to learn more about how they have expanded. This 4th generation company has provided quality food to people across the Midwest since 1918 and has grown its operations with the help of 415 employees!

KUNA is the largest independent food service distributor in St. Louis and now distributes to areas in 15 states.

Back-to-School Spending Taxes Families

As families across Illinois prepare for the upcoming school year, the rising cost of school supplies is weighing heavily on household budgets. While other states are stepping up to ease the burden through back-to-school sales tax holidays, Illinois families are still waiting for relief. Illinois cut back-to-school sales tax holidays in 2022 and will not have one this year.

Upcoming Events

I'm looking forward to our upcoming Coffee Talk event with State Representative David Friess on August 12 in New Athens. Join us for this free event to share your thoughts about issues most important to you!

This is a great opportunity for constituents to have in-person conversations with elected officials about state legislation and concerns. See you soon!

Attention Employers! Join Rep. Schmidt for a Free Jobs Fair

Are you looking for qualified job-seekers to match your business' employment needs?

Join Rep. Schmidt for a free jobs fair on Thursday, November 6 from 9am-noon at the Wyvetter H. Younge Higher Education Campus Multipurpose Room, Building D, located at 601 James Thompson Blvd. in East St. Louis.

Space is limited! Call or e-mail your contact information to Julie at 815-464-9908 or [email protected].

Feedback Received from Survey!

I have received great feedback from my 2025 Legislative Survey! Each year, I reach out to my constituents and ask them to share their thoughts with me by completing a survey. So far this year, we have received 364 submissions from individuals throughout the 114th District! Everyone's voice matters, and it helps guide me when voting on legislation.==> Read more about the survey results

IDOT seeking feedback on the Southwest Connector

The Southwest Connector could speed up traffic between southern Illinois and the Metro-East area adjacent to St. Louis. The project would build a link between two existing parkway segments that terminate in Waterloo and Murphysboro, Illinois. The existing Waterloo parkway road, Illinois Route 3, connects Waterloo and central Monroe County with the Metro-East's Interstate 255. The Murphysboro parkway road, Illinois Route 13, connects Murphysboro and Jackson County with Interstate 57 in Southern Illinois.

The proposal includes plans to build what would be a four-lane highway throughout its entire length. This is a stretch of highway of more than 70 miles in length that, currently, is made up of two-lane roads with some passing lanes. Construction of the planned highway could cost as much as $1 billion.

Business of the Month

Rep. Schmidt encourages individuals or organizations to nominate their favorite business in the 114th District to be recognized as the Business of the Month. Rep. Schmidt will recognize the small business on his social media, website, and with local media.

Individuals can nominate a 114th District business at any time and can call 618-215-1050 with questions or by submitting this form.

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