Letter to the Editor | Small towns don’t forget who shows up

As the primary approaches, a Homer resident urges voters to choose responsive leadership.

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Dear Editor,

In the village of Homer, our "downtown" features more false fronts and vacant lots than businesses. Like many communities in the 15th Illinois Congressional District, we are hardworking people who feel more like "flyover country" to the Washington elite than a priority.

As the March 17th primary approached, I invited all seven congressional candidates to sit down for coffee with my neighbors. Six candidates accepted. Representative Mary Miller didn't even acknowledge the invitation.

Living just 35 miles away, her silence is deafening. While she makes headlines speaking to national influencers, she couldn't find an hour for the people of Homer. To make matters worse, after years of calling earmarks corrupt, she has suddenly reversed course now that she’s facing a primary challenge. It’s hard to trust a "foundation" that shifts as soon as an election gets close.

The 15th District is conservative, but we shouldn’t be a rubber stamp for an absentee representative. Republican candidates Judy Bowlby and Ryan Tebrugge actually showed up to listen. In the 15th, we know the difference between a politician seeking a platform and a leader seeking to serve.

This March, let’s choose someone who knows we exist.

Patrick Boylan
Homer

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Letter to the Editor 15th Congressional District Illinois, Homer Illinois political opinion primary election, community concerns about congressional representation, Illinois 15th District voter perspective letter, local engagement issues in congressional primary race

Rep. Niemerg to hold satellite office hours in St. Joseph and three other locations

Residents of the 102nd District can meet Rep. Adam Niemerg to discuss state programs and local concerns during Nov. 13 office hours.

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ST. JOSEPH - Residents across East Central Illinois will have an opportunity to meet face-to-face with State Representative Adam Niemerg later this month as he brings his “Satellite Office Hours” to seven local communities. The outreach effort, set for Wednesday, Nov. 13, is part of the Republican lawmaker’s ongoing effort to make government services more accessible to constituents in the 102nd District.

“My satellite office hours provide convenient locations for constituents to get help closer to their home,” Niemerg said. “I encourage people to take advantage of these opportunities to get help with state programs or discuss state concerns.”

Throughout the day, Niemerg’s staff will be available to assist residents with questions or issues involving state agencies, programs, or legislation. Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments can also be made by calling his Paris district office at (217) 712-2126 or by visiting RepNiemerg.com.

The Nov. 13 schedule includes stops in:

• St. Joseph – Swearingen Memorial Library, 201 N. Third St., 9 to 10 a.m.
• Homer – Village Hall, 500 E. Second St., 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
• Fairmount – Fire Department, 403 S. High St., 1 to 2 p.m.
• Chrisman – Public Library, 108 N. Illinois St., 3 to 4 p.m.

A Teutopolis native, Niemerg lives in rural Dieterich (Bishop Township) with his wife, Trina, and their two young children. The family belongs to the St. Isidore Catholic Parish and attends St. Aloysius Church. A 2002 graduate of Teutopolis High School, Niemerg earned his bachelor’s degree from Eastern Illinois University before entering public service.

Representing the 102nd District—an area known for its strong farming roots—Niemerg said his family’s agricultural background helps him understand the challenges faced by rural communities. “My grandfather operated a small family farm,” he said. “That experience shaped my perspective on the issues that matter most to families and small businesses throughout our district.”

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Adam Niemerg, Illinois State Representative, Satellite Office Hours, 102nd District Illinois, East Central Illinois government

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House sneaks in late-night $11.6K raise for Illinois lawmakers, Senate still needs to pass measure

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by Brad Weisenstein, Managing Editor
Illinois Policy

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SPRINGFIELD - Illinois House members gave themselves a nearly 16% raise during a late-night vote Jan. 6 after many had left for the weekend.

The move still needs Illinois Senate approval and Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s signature.

In a lame-duck session that included a scramble to pass bills on abortion and gun control, state representatives put through a bill for mid-year spending adjustments that included the pay raises. They added $11,655 per lawmaker, raising the base to $85,000 annually for a legislature that is technically part-time and as of 2019 was the fourth-highest paid in the nation.

In reality, many state representatives will get more than $85,000 if the bill becomes law because of salary bonuses for committee responsibilities and leadership positions ranging from $10,000 to $16,000.

The bill passed the Illinois House 63-35, with about 20 members not voting, some of them already gone for the weekend.

The raise in base pay is in addition to 2.4% annual cost-of-living increases lawmakers gave themselves in 2019 during another secretive move. Those increases have lawmakers making about $73,345 and hit every July 1.

“Wages aren’t keeping up with inflation, but we’ve locked in inflation bumps each July, and now, late at night, with no one here, we’ve ensured our pay goes up well beyond what the private sector sees,” state Rep. Mark Batinick, R-Plainfield, told The Associated Press. Batinick is retiring when the 103rd Illinois General Assembly is sworn in Jan. 11.

Statewide elected leaders got raises in base pay, ranging from $205,700 for the governor to $160,900 for lieutenant governor. Pritzker, a billionaire heir to the Hyatt Hotels fortune, has not taken his salary since taking office. The bill created a position of Illinois House speaker pro tempore and gives the Senate another leadership position for attaining a supermajority, which adds a five-figure bump to those two $85,000 lawmaker salaries.

Illinoisans who object to the 16% pay bumps as inflation rages and threatens another recession should contact Pritzker and urge a veto of Senate Bill 1720.

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Joe Tabor is a senior policy analyst at the Illinois Policy Institute, a nonpartisan research organization that promotes responsible government and free market principles.