We wrapped up my 2026 Summer Tour [in August] with a Town Hall event in Paw Paw, IL. Thank you to the constituents who spoke with me and the businesses and organizations that hosted us all summer. I am looking forward to next year’s tour in 2027.
Please reach out to my office at any time. Use my email at Fritts@ILHouseGOP.org or call 815-561-3690.
Closure of Tyson Foods in Quad Cities
Quad-Cities-area Legislators shared an update about their continued efforts to assist impacted employees, mitigate industry interruptions, and spur plant repurposing, following the Tyson Beef processing plant closure in Joslin, IL. Workers, farmers, truck drivers, small businesses, and more: you just cannot overstate the impacts this closure will have on Illinois’ economy. It is critically important to get these stakeholders all working in the same direction, to mobilize resources and strategies, to try to rebound the industry as quickly as possible.
Employers Wanted for Job Fair at Vibrant Arena
Businesses across the Quad Cities are being asked to step up and help more than 2500 Tyson Joslin workers left without a job. The American Job Center in Rock Island, IL, and IowaWorks are partnering. They will host a job fair for skilled workers from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m., on Wednesday, September 2, at Vibrant Arena at The Mark in Moline, IL. If you are actively hiring, please contact the Director of the American Job Center, Teresa Cherry, at teresa.cherry@americanjob.center.
More Agency Mismanagement Under Pritzker Administration
In my last e-newsletter, I discussed the multiple ethics scandals that have broken this summer. Speaker Welch’s response was to create a working group on sexual harassment in the workplace. Well, I say that’s just not enough. We need action and reform now!
Agency mismanagement under the Pritzker administration comes at a high cost to Illinois taxpayers. A recent audit found that the Illinois Emergency Management Agency paid a Kansas-based staffing contractor $78.5 million, for time its employees spent on standby, rather than actually working. This is totally unacceptable. The chronic mismanagement of State agencies needs to end now.
Speaker Welch Forms Working Group: Dems Decline
Speaker Chris Welch is forming a new Workplace Culture and Accountability Working Group. Working groups in Springfield notoriously lead to little, if any, tangible actions to correct the problem. Unfortunately, that means this working group is likely more political theater and not a real solution to a concerning trend coming from the Speaker’s Office. This sentiment is shared across the aisle, as we have already seen two Democrat lawmakers decline to participate in this working group. Representative Kelly Cassidy said she doesn’t “have the confidence” that the group will be “credible and effective.” Representative Gregg Johnson said that he never officially agreed to the working group and was “uncomfortable” participating with members who had publicly “defended Welch’s handling of complaints.” It’s time for transparency, not more private working groups. If Speaker Welch was serious about reform, he would support the dozens of reforms proposed by House Republicans, to strengthen ethics regulations and protect the integrity of the General Assembly.
Community Outreach
My office joined the Rochelle Chamber to welcome Responsive Roofing LLC as one of its newest members. While they are not new to the community, we were glad to see another local business getting involved with the Chamber and connecting with the Rochelle business community.
I had the opportunity to speak with the staff at Sterling Public Schools as they kicked off the new school year. I have been fortunate to visit every school in Sterling, as I continue my effort to visit every school in the 74th. These visits have allowed me to see firsthand the work these educators do for their students. I enjoyed having the chance to thank them for their work and wish them a great year ahead.
My office joined the Rock Falls Chamber to celebrate the ribbon-cutting for Sauk Valley Speech Therapy. Their play-based approach brings speech therapy directly into families’ homes, which will make this healthcare more accessible in our community. Congratulations to the team on this exciting new chapter.
Talk to you soon,
District 74 State Representative Bradley J. Fritts
Phone: 815-561-3690
Email: fritts@ilhousegop.org
Website: RepFritts.com
