Sen. Fowler joined the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and other state and local officials to cut the ribbon on the Agencies’ new region/field office in Marion. Sen. Fowler noted that this new field office is a major investment in the safety and well-being of the region's children, and he is grateful to Glenn Clarida and the Blettner Group for making this possible. Cutting the ribbon on this new facility is not just about repurposing a facility, it's also about welcoming a brighter future for our children and creating new opportunities for growth and development in Southern Illinois.

The Illinois Supreme Court recently upheld a lower court’s ruling that blocked Senate Bill 2412, a controversial law signed by Governor Pritzker in May. The bill aimed to halt the practice of slating candidates to fill ballot vacancies for the current election cycle, even as candidates were already collecting petition signatures and rearranging their lives to run for office. Republican lawmakers criticized the bill as an attempt to benefit Democratic incumbents and reduce voter choice in the upcoming election.

Governor Pritzker’s legislative allies petitioned the court to revisit the earlier ruling, but the Illinois Supreme Court affirmed the lower court's decision, declaring the law unconstitutional since it attempted to alter election rules after the election cycle had begun. If the law Pritzker signed had taken effect, it would have prevented numerous candidates from being placed on the ballot in the 2024 general election. The measure drew swift criticism from many, including good government advocates, who viewed it as a blatant power grab by Democratic lawmakers to give vulnerable incumbents an advantage in November.

Under the recent ruling, candidates who had collected the required number of petition signatures by the official deadline will now be placed on the ballot for voter consideration.

Senator Fowler, who opposed the bill in the Senate, expressed relief that the courts rejected yet another attempt by Pritzker’s allies to reduce voters’ choices and manipulate the electoral process.

Recently, Sen. Fowler was honored to speak at the Southern Illinois Regional Legislative Summit! The summit is organized as a collaborative effort of chambers across Southern Illinois, creating an opportunity for an informative discussion between federal, state and local business leaders.

With students back in the classroom and a new school year underway, the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) is reminding eligible taxpayers that they may claim back-to-school expenses for their K-12 students on their 2024 individual income tax returns. With the high cost of living and taxes placing significant strain on working families, every bit of financial relief counts.

The Illinois Education Expense Credit allows parents or legal guardians of a full-time K-12 student under the age of 21 to take a 25% tax credit on qualified education expenses over $250, up to a maximum credit of $750. Eligible expenses include tuition, book rental, and lab fees paid to the school where the student is enrolled full-time. For families who homeschool, book rental and lab fees that exceed $250 also qualify, provided they are part of an approved home school program.

In addition to the credit for parents, Illinois also offers the K-12 Instructional Materials and Supplies Tax Credit for educators. Teachers, instructors, counselors, principals, and aides working in a qualified school for at least 900 hours during the school year can claim up to $500 for out-of-pocket expenses on classroom materials. For educator spouses filing jointly, the maximum credit doubles to $1,000.

Additional information regarding both tax credits may be found by visiting IDOR’s website at tax.illinois.gov and Pub-112, Education Expense Credit General Rules and Requirements for Schools, Home Schools, Parents, and Guardians.

Senator Fowler is pleased to announce that several libraries throughout the 59th District are receiving a combined $655,665 in state library grants this year to help ensure all residents have access to quality resources and programming.

These grants, awarded by the Illinois Secretary of State and State Librarian, include:

• Public Library Per Capita Grants - awarded annually to support local public library services. Public libraries can use this funding for operational needs, including purchasing materials for their library collections and capital improvements to their facilities.
• Equalization Aid Grant - awarded under a statutory formula to provide a minimum level of funding when local funding through taxes is too low to meet the service population’s base needs.
• Public Library Construction Grants - allows libraries to address refurbishing and renovation of existing facilities, assure compliance with accessibility standards, and even build new facilities.
• New Technology Grants – helps fund things such as adding hardware and software, expanding online collections and e-resources, purchasing digital devices and mobile apps, increasing Wi-Fi capacity and internet accessibility, incorporating patron self-checkouts, and assuring ADA compliance for library websites and purchasing adaptive technologies that accommodate service needs for persons with disabilities.

The recipients in the 59th Senate District include: 

• Carrier Mills-Stonefort 

• Eldorado

• Galatia 

• Golconda 

• Harrisburg 

• Johnston City 

• Crab Orchard (Marion) 

• Metropolis 

• Norris City 

• Rosiclare 

• Royalton 

• Shawneetown 

• Vienna Carnegie 

• West Frankfort 

• Zeigler 

• Stinson Memorial (Anna) 

• Cairo 

• Carbondale 

• Anne West Lindsey (Carterville) 

• Dongola 

• Rick Warren Memorial (Elkville)

• Herrin City 

• Jonesboro 

• Marion Carnegie 

• Mounds 

• Dodge Memorial (Olive Branch)