West Chicago … Citing one of the worst financial crises this state has ever seen, State Representative Mike Fortner (R-West Chicago) today announced that he cut his district office budget by over 10% and will give back thousands of dollars to the state.

“The state is billions in the red and the least I can do is cut my own office budget to reflect the cuts that the Governor and Democrat leadership in this state should be making to the entire budget,” said Rep. Fortner.

All representatives and senators receive state funding to staff and maintain a district office. Rep. Fortner added that he uses his funds to employ a full time staffer to help local residents with state issues. In addition, Rep. Fortner uses funding to communicate with his residents and let them know where he stands on legislation and to answer any questions or concerns they might have.

“My district office is here to serve the residents of the 95th district. We receive thousands of phone calls, emails and letters during session and Maria, my district office legislative aide, does a great job of helping constituents get answers to their questions and concerns,” said Rep. Fortner.

For additional information, Rep. Fortner can be contacted at (630) 293-9344.

West Chicago … State Representative Mike Fortner’s (R-West Chicago) scholarship committee announces the selection of the 95th District General Assembly scholarship winners. Fortner’s scholarship committee selected recipients based on academic success, financial need, recommendation letters and a written essay.

“The quality of applicants my scholarship committee receives every year continues to make the selection process difficult. Most of these applicants balance numerous school and community activities all the while maintaining high GPA’s. These students and their families should be extremely proud of their accomplishments and I wish them continued success in their academic careers,” said Rep. Fortner. Continue reading »

Springfield… State Representative Mike Fortner (R, West Chicago) along with area representatives including Congressman Judy Biggert, State Senator Randy Hultgren, and State Representative Darlene Senger are hosting an upcoming Legislative Forum on issues related to the nation’s financial and health care industries and how recent changes will affect senior citizens in Illinois.

At this forum, there will be a presentation and discussion on the Federal Healthcare Initiative and its future impact on Medicare. In addition, there will also be a financial presentation on reverse mortgages and their advantages, drawbacks and what to look for in protecting one’s own financial interests.

The details of the event are as follows:

What: Senior Townhall Meeting with Congressman Biggert, Senator Hultgren, Representative Fortner and Representative Senger

Where: Naperville City Council Chambers

When: Wednesday, July 7th at 10am

“This event should prove to be a tremendous opportunity to arm area residents with critical knowledge as they traverse these and other issues during this difficult time,” said Rep. Fortner.

All seniors throughout the area are invited to attend. If you have any questions about this you can contact Fortner’s office at (630) 293-9344 or email him at mike.fortner@sbcglobal.net

Springfield … After months of rhetoric about fiscal responsibility from the Governor and politicians of this state, the House passed a budget which does nothing to solve the $13 billion deficit, pushes off any responsible solutions to future generations and actually takes a step back in making the system open and transparent to the public.

“The Democrats skipped the chance to adopt real budget reforms, but instead continued to reduce transparency in the finances of Illinois,” said Rep. Fortner. “Democrats gave the Governor extraordinary powers to appropriate tax dollars without specific authority and to raid special funds that state law otherwise keeps off limits from general use. Instead of making our direct payment, money was borrowed for the pensions that will cost us more than 1 billion additional dollars in the next few years. These actions leave the public in the dark about where their money will be spent.” Continue reading »

State Representative Mike Fortner announced the kick-off for his Fourth Annual Children’s Summer Reading Program for children enrolled in 1st through 5th grade.

To be eligible for the ice cream social and prizes at the end of summer, students are required to read eight books of their own choosing and send in a completed brochure with the book’s titles and signature from a guardian or parent.

“Research has shown that summer reading is vital in maintaining a child’s current academic standards learned during the previous year of school,” said Rep. Fortner. “More importantly reading can unleash a child’s imagination and provide endless entertainment. I encourage all children to read and I hope that it is an activity that they will enjoy through out their life.”

To obtain a reading club brochure, please visit Rep. Fortner’s website at www.fortner.ilhousegop.org.

Batavia, IL…  A group of suburban Republican State Representatives will meet with local Hispanic business owners and members of the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to discuss Illinois’ jobs climate and the challenges of running a business in Illinois.  

“With unemployment hitting 12 percent here in Illinois it is important we reach out to employers to share ideas about how we can make Illinois more business friendly to foster job growth,” said State Representative Mike Fortner.  Continue reading »

West Chicago, IL….State Representatives Mike Fortner (R-West Chicago), Franco Coladipietro (R-Bloomingdale), Sandy Pihos (R-Glen Ellyn), Darlene Senger (R-Naperville), Michael Connelly (R-Naperville), Patti Bellock (Westmont) and State Senator Randy Hultgren (R-Wheaton) will be hosting a Legislative Forum on Autism. This forum is free and open to the public. In addition to residents sharing their concerns with the representatives, there will be three guest speakers sharing information about existing programs available to local residents.

The information for the forum is as follows:

Time: 7 p.m.
Date: Monday, March 8
Location: Wheaton Community Center, 1777 S. Blanchard Rd., Wheaton, IL

Speakers: Ami Chambers, Parents Alliance Employment Project
TOPIC – “An Introduction to Adult Supported Employment Services”

Christopher M. Kennedy, Esq. Partner of Kennedy, Pierson & Strachan, LLP
TOPIC – Advocacy & Legislative Issues

Karen Sweeney, QMRP, Director of Community Services, PACT
TOPIC – “State Funded Community Services”

For more information contact Maria Rook at (630) 293-9344.

West Chicago … Private schooled kindergarteners will now be able to enter first grade at an earlier age under legislation sponsored by State Representative Mike Fortner (R-West Chicago) and signed today into law by Governor Quinn.

“Numerous studies have shown that there is no set age for a child’s readiness or development. Each child is different. Based on these studies, age alone should not be the determining factor on whether a child can enter first grade,” said Rep. Fortner

Rep. Fortner stated that under current law public schools require students to be 7 yrs. old for enrollment into first grade and would deny enrollment to younger children even though they had completed kindergarten at a private institution. House Bill 806 would address that issue and allow a 6 yr. old student who had completed a state certified preschool and kindergarten to enroll in first grade. Continue reading »

West Chicago … State Representative Mike Fortner is currently accepting applications for the Illinois General Assembly Scholarship. To be eligible for the scholarship, students must be a full time student enrolled at a state university and live in the 95th district which includes parts of Aurora, Batavia, Geneva, Warrenville, Wheaton, Winfield, and West Chicago. Students can check to see if they live in the 95th district by either going to www.ilga.gov or calling the DuPage Board of Elections at (630) 407-5600.

The General Assembly Scholarship covers one year of tuition (not including room and board or fees) at the following state universities: Chicago State, Eastern Illinois, Governors State, Illinois State, Northern Illinois, Northeastern Illinois, Southern Illinois, the University of Illinois and Western Illinois.

Applications can be requested via email at mike.fortner@sbcglobal.net or picking one up at the district office, 135 Fremont Street, West Chicago, IL 60185. Applicants must submit the completed application, three current letters of recommendation, high school and college transcripts and a written statement on the topics listed in the application. The deadline for the completed application is April 9th.

Winners will be selected by an independent committee which will rate each student based on community and school involvement, essay, academic success and financial need.

For additional information, please contact Maria in Rep Fortner’s district office at (630) 293-9344.

West Chicago …State Representative Mike Fortner (R-West Chicago) announced that funding has been released for the state’s “Safe Route to School” grant program.According to Rep. Fortner, two municipalities in the 95th district received grants for the construction, replacement or repair of sidewalks and bicycling paths. The City of Batavia received $165,000 grant money and the Wheaton/Warrenville area received $250,000.

“As our kids go back to school this month, this program is one additional safeguard our towns can put into place to ensure the safety of our kids going to and from school. In addition to safety, the construction of these sidewalks and bike paths will hopefully motivate our children to be more active,” Rep. Fortner said.

The Illinois Safe Routes to School program received close to $23 million in funds from the National Safe Routes to School Program through the Federal Highway Administration. This program is designed to provide schools and community groups with funding to build safer routes to schools and to provide programs to enable students to become safer walkers and cyclists. These improvements include engineering solutions, safety education, encouragement, enforcement and evaluation programs that work together to encourage children to get the exercise they need to lead happy, healthy lives.

Additional questions can be directed to Rep. Fortner’s office at (630) 293-9344.