News

Did you know that every two seconds someone needs blood in the United States? Or that just one donation has the potential to save up to three lives?  To help meet the current demand for blood donations, State Senator Dale Fowler is partnering together with the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center to host a blood drive on Monday, July 20 at Harrisburg High School. Donors are encouraged to come out to participate and you will receive a $10 gift card. 

The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that lanes that have been closed for construction will reopen, where The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that lanes that have been closed for construction will reopen, where possible, for the Fourth of July holiday to minimize travel disruption.possible, for the Fourth of July holiday to minimize travel disruption.

This week, a new two-year contract was reached between the owner of the Cave-In-Rock Ferry, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and the Illinois Department of Transportation to keep the Ferry in operation through Fiscal Year 2022.

Effective June 26, Illinois moves into Phase 4 of Governor Prtizker’s Restore Illinois reopening plan.  In Phase 4, a number of industries will be allowed to expand or resume full operations under approved safety guidance.

Seeking to provide a safe and responsible reopening plan for the citizens and business community of Illinois, State Senator Dale Fowler (R-Harrisburg) is co-sponsoring new legislation that establishes protocols for businesses to resume operations and begin rehiring.

On May 5, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced his five-step, phase-in plan to reopen the state of Illinois.

State Senator Dale Fowler (R-Harrisburg) issued the following statement urging state leaders to call lawmakers back to Springfield:

State Senator Dale Fowler (R-Harrisburg) issued the following statement urging state leaders to call lawmakers back to Springfield:

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker announced a modified extension of his stay-at-home order on April 23. While the Governor has yet to announce any plans for a regional re-opening of the state’s economy, his modified stay-at-home order does include several recommendations from Senate Republicans such as resuming elective surgeries and allowing parks and some businesses to re-open. The revised order will take effect on May 1 and stay in place until the end of May.

Arguing that transparency is a necessary cornerstone of democracy, Senator Dale Fowler (R-Harrisurg) has joined with colleagues to send a letter to Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker asking for increased transparency on critical issues relating to the state's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On April 23, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker announced his intention to extend the "stay-at-home" order until May 30. 

State Sen. Dale Fowler (R-Harrisburg) is urging Gov. J.B. Pritzker to act as quickly as possible to get unemployment benefits to self-employed “gig” workers. 

The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have launched a new web tool for those who did not file a tax return in 2018 or 2019 and are seeking Economic Impact payments.

The Illinois Department on Aging (IDoA) has announced it has distributed $7 million across the state to step up efforts to provide meal assistance for older Illinoisans impacted by the COVID-19 public health emergency.

As Illinois’ small business community continues to confront the daily consequences of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, I would like to encourage local small business owners to take advantage of an upcoming informational business webinar.  

Small businesses looking to keep workers on the payroll have a new option in the Paycheck Protection Program. Starting now, small businesses may apply for loans through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) that will be forgiven loans for businesses that keep all employees on the payroll for eight weeks. Money must be used for payroll, rent, mortgage interest, or utilities.

Below is a letter I sent to DOC Director Rob Jeffrey's concerning protocols and precautions in place at DOC facilities during the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis.

With the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases growing daily, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has announced that he will be extending the state’s disaster proclamation for 30 days. This is the second disaster declaration issued by the Governor in hopes of combating the ongoing COVID-19 health issue. 

On March 25, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker announced that the state’s income tax deadline will be extended from April 15 to July 15.

Illinois' current income tax filing deadline is April 15. Recently, the federal government has already pushed back the income tax filing deadline from April 15 to July 15. 

With the Governor having recently issued a stay-at-home order lasting until Tuesday, April 7, I wanted to reach out to make you aware that constituent services are still available through my Harrisburg office via phone and e-mail.

In an effort to increase the number of medical personnel available to handle increased patient loads at Illinois hospitals, a call has been issued to former doctors, nurses, physicians assistants, nurse practitioners, and respiratory care therapists who have recently left the medical field to join the fight against COVID-19.

The Governor has issued a stay-at-home order starting at 5 PM Saturday, March 21, until Tuesday, April 7. We want to make sure you understand what this means for you and dispel some rumors you may have heard.  

Updated information on small business assistance, grocery stores, education and more...

In light of ongoing concerns and questions surrounding COVID-19, we’ve pulled together information on a number of topics that impact daily life.