HERSCHER – Motorists who have been unable to visit a driver services facility to renew their driver’s licenses and purchase vehicle stickers will be able to attend a free mobile unit event, sponsored by State Senator Patrick Joyce (D-Essex) in partnership with the secretary of state’s office.

The free event will be available to motorists Wednesday, Sept. 8 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Herscher Village Hall, located at 272 E. 2nd St. in Herscher.

“The mobile unit has been a great event for residents struggling to access a driver services facility, and it’s been my goal this summer to continue to bring these services to the community,” Joyce said. “Skip the long lines and take advantage of this convenient opportunity to access secretary of state services.”

PARK FOREST – A comprehensive proposal by State Senator Patrick Joyce (D-Essex) aimed at eliminating Illinois’ teacher shortage was signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker.

“The teacher shortage in Illinois is a crisis, and this new law offers strategies to reverse the trend,” Joyce said. “As school districts return to in-person learning this fall, this new law will grant retired teachers the ability to substitute teach for more hours without impairing their retirement status.”

Currently, Illinois law allows retired teachers to substitute teach for up to 120 days or 600 hours without jeopardizing their retirement status. Because retired teachers often return to work as substitute teachers, Joyce’s initiative would create a yearly, rather than lifetime limit: Retired teachers could substitute teach for 100 days or 500 hours each school year beginning July 1, 2023.

“This new law will allow school districts to increase the pool of qualified substitute teachers while allowing former teachers to maintain their retirement status, ensuring the most qualified professionals are teaching our children,” Joyce said. 

The legislation – Senate Bill 1989 – was signed into law Friday and takes effect immediately.

PARK FOREST – Registration fees for small trailers will be $36, a significant decrease from the current $118, thanks to a new law backed by State Senator Patrick Joyce (D-Essex).

“After speaking with many constituents who were having trouble renewing licenses for their small trailers, I became a lead co-sponsor of this new law to create a more reasonable registration system,” Joyce said.

The new law classifies all trailers weighing 2,000 pounds or less as “utility trailers” and sets the utility trailer registration fee at $36. Fees were increased on these trailers in 2019 as a part of the Rebuild Illinois capital infrastructure plan.

The measure applies only to trailers primarily designated for personal use.

The legislation also removes the $10,000 cap on sales tax credits on vehicle trade-ins. The cap, which has been in effect since 2020, required sales tax to be applied to any trade-in with a value above $10,000, costing residents hundreds of dollars more when purchasing a new vehicle.

“By reversing the fee hike on one class of trailer license plates, we can give Illinois residents the chance to keep more of their hard-earned money in their pockets,” Joyce said. “Drivers can finally breathe a sigh of relief under this new law.”

The legislation – Senate Bill 58 – was signed into law Friday and takes effect immediately.

MORRIS – State Senator Patrick Joyce (D-Essex) remains a strong advocate for creating a responsible energy package that will protect jobs and secure Illinois’ clean energy future.

“Closing our nuclear plants is something our communities cannot afford or survive—the cost of doing nothing at this crucial time is simply too great,” Joyce said. “With so much at stake, it’s vital that we act now to protect workers who will lose their livelihoods if we don’t take action soon.”

In 2020, Exelon announced it planned to close two Illinois nuclear power plants because of a drop in revenue and energy costs. Immediately after the announcement, state lawmakers began work on an energy bill they hope will keep the plant open, but discussions are still ongoing.