I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.
This week’s topics include:
- Moving Forward with Courage and Commitment
- Braidwood Breaks Ground on New Town Center
- Tourism Grants Available to Illinois Communities
- $1.8 Million in Grants Available for Local Farmers and Food Businesses
- $5 Billion Federal Nuclear Investment Highlights Need for Reliable Energy in Illinois
- Discussing Needed Updates to Illinois FOIA Laws
Moving Forward with Courage and Commitment
Following this year’s midterm election, we recognize that the results brought changes to the political landscape in Illinois, including the loss of several Republican seats. While election outcomes can be difficult, they also provide an opportunity to reflect, regroup and look ahead.
As I share in the video, one election does not define our commitment to the work that still needs to be done. Meaningful progress takes persistence, courage and a willingness to keep showing up, even when the road ahead is challenging.
As we move forward, it is important to stay engaged, stand firm in our principles, listen to the people we represent and continue working toward a better future for Illinois. I encourage everyone to keep their heads up, remain involved and have the courage to keep fighting for what they believe in. The challenges we face should strengthen our resolve, not discourage us from moving forward.
Watch my full video here.
Property Tax Relief
Over the past six months, we have been working on legislative language aimed at delivering much-needed property tax relief to Illinois families and homeowners. Rising property taxes are out of control and place an insurmountable burden on families across our state. I look forward to introducing this bill and sharing more details soon. Property tax relief remains a top priority, and we’re not backing down. As we finalize the language, feel free to reply to this email with your suggestions and comments.
Braidwood Breaks Ground on New Town Center
The City of Braidwood is celebrating an exciting investment in its community with the groundbreaking of the new Braidwood Town Center on Thursday, November 5, at 10 a.m.
The project will create a new space where neighbors can connect, families can gather and residents can enjoy the continued growth of their community. It is another step toward building a stronger future for Braidwood.
The ceremony will take place near 136 Mitchell Street, behind Casey’s General Store. Community members are invited to attend, enjoy coffee and donuts, and celebrate this exciting milestone.
Braidwood also has several other projects underway, including a new dog park groundbreaking scheduled for November 12.
Congratulations to the City of Braidwood and everyone working to make these community improvements possible. It is great to see continued investment in our local communities!
Tourism Grants Available to Illinois Communities
The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) is offering $2.4 million in grant funding to support local tourism attractions, events and festivals across Illinois. With 115 million visitors coming to Illinois in 2025, these grants provide an opportunity for communities to strengthen local attractions and support economic growth.
Two grant programs are available:
- Tourism Attraction Grant Program: $1.8 million is available for developing or improving tourism attractions, including museums, recreation areas and amusement parks. Grants range from $15,000 to $200,000.
- Tourism Private Sector Grant Program: $600,000 is available to help attract and expand events and festivals throughout Illinois. Grants range from $10,000 to $50,000.
Applications for both programs are due by November 13, 2026, at 5 p.m. Applicants must meet the state’s grant prequalification requirements and applicable matching-fund requirements.
These grants are a great opportunity for local communities and organizations to invest in attractions, bring visitors to the area and support local businesses.
Learn more and apply:
Tourism Attraction Grant Program
Tourism Private Sector Grant Program
$1.8 Million in Grants Available for Local Farmers and Food Businesses
The Illinois Department of Agriculture is making $1.8 million available through its Local Food Infrastructure Grants program to support local farmers, food businesses and nonprofit organizations. The funding is intended to strengthen local food production and distribution across Illinois.
Grants can help cover the cost of equipment and infrastructure, including refrigerated vehicles, food storage, processing facilities and community kitchens.
- Individual Projects: Grants ranging from $1,000 to $75,000.
- Collaborative Projects: Grants of up to $250,000.
Applications opened November 2, 2026, and are due by January 6, 2027, at noon. Interested applicants are encouraged to begin the required pre-registration process early, as it can take two to four weeks to complete.
These grants provide an opportunity to strengthen local agriculture, support small food businesses and improve access to locally produced food throughout Illinois.
For more information about eligibility and how to apply, visit the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s website.
$5 Billion Federal Nuclear Investment Highlights Need for Reliable Energy in Illinois
A new federal commitment to expand nuclear energy production is bringing additional investment and economic opportunity to Illinois as concerns continue to grow over rising electricity costs and the reliability of the state’s power grid.
On October 27, the U.S. Department of Energy announced a conditional loan commitment of up to $5 billion to support upgrades and modernization at eight Constellation nuclear facilities across Illinois, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Six of those facilities are located in Illinois, including Braidwood, Byron, Clinton, Dresden, LaSalle, and Quad Cities.
The planned improvements are expected to add nearly 1,100 megawatts of electricity generation across the three states, enough to power more than 930,000 homes, while supporting thousands of jobs and strengthening the region’s energy supply.
The announcement builds on growing private-sector investment in Illinois’ nuclear energy industry. Earlier this month, Google and Constellation announced a 20-year agreement supporting more than $4.3 billion in planned investments to add 890 megawatts of nuclear generation across facilities in Illinois and other states. That follows a separate agreement with Meta to support continued operations and additional generation at the Clinton Clean Energy Center.
Senate Republicans say these investments demonstrate the importance of preserving Illinois’ existing energy infrastructure while encouraging the development of additional reliable power generation.
As electricity demand continues to grow and families and businesses face higher utility costs, Republican lawmakers have repeatedly warned that policies restricting dependable energy sources without adequate replacements could further threaten grid reliability and affordability.
Senate Republicans have introduced legislation aimed at addressing those concerns, including Senate Bill 3580, which would establish a task force to monitor grid reliability and evaluate Illinois’ energy needs, and Senate Bill 3581, which would repeal state mandates requiring the closure of coal and natural gas power plants.
While the latest nuclear investments represent a positive step toward meeting future demand, Senate Republicans say Illinois must have a comprehensive energy strategy that supports nuclear power, protects existing generation capacity, and encourages new investment.
Discussing Needed Updates to Illinois FOIA Laws
Illinois’ Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) plays an important role in keeping government transparent and accountable. However, advances in technology and changes in how public records are requested have created new challenges for local governments and law enforcement agencies.
For example, the East Peoria Police Department reported a 50% increase in FOIA requests in 2026, along with a 300% increase in body-worn camera footage requests over the past two years.
Several potential updates are being discussed to address these challenges while maintaining the public’s right to access government records. The proposals focus on three main areas:
- Body Camera Footage and Commercial Use: Addressing the commercial monetization of police body-camera footage by social media accounts and other for-profit platforms. Proposed changes would allow agencies to recover some of the costs associated with reviewing and redacting sensitive footage while protecting access for legitimate journalists, researchers and members of the public.
- Recurrent and Abusive Requests: Giving public bodies additional tools to verify requesters and address repetitive or dishonest requests that place significant demands on staff resources.
- AI-Generated Requests: Updating FOIA procedures to account for the growing number of lengthy, AI-assisted and mass records requests, including potential adjustments to response timelines and reasonable processing fees.
The goal is to modernize Illinois’ FOIA laws to reflect today’s technology while balancing government transparency, individual privacy and the responsible use of taxpayer-funded resources. Any changes should preserve legitimate public access while helping local agencies manage the growing demands placed on their staff.
Have a great rest of your week! If you ever need anything, please reach out to my office! We are happy to help! See locations and contacts below.
Yours truly,
Senator Chris Balkema