UNIVERSITY PARK – After months of using bottled water and special filters, State Senator Patrick Joyce (D-Essex) announced that Aqua Illinois will make it easier for University Park residents to access clean drinking water.

Sen. Joyce helped negotiate an agreement with Aqua Illinois, University Park’s water supplier, that focuses on supplying safe and clean drinking water to residents while the company resolves ongoing lead-contamination issues.

“We should be able to take safe, clean water for granted,” Joyce said. “The residents of University Park deserve affordable, convenient access to drinking water that isn’t contaminated with toxic lead.”

SPRINGFIELD – To help address one of the top problems facing the South Suburbs and communities throughout Illinois, Senator Patrick Joyce (D-Essex) is joining the Property Tax Relief Task Force, which will propose concrete ideas to help reduce residents’ property tax bills.

Joyce has major concerns regarding the high property tax rates Illinoisans pay compared to the rest of the nation.

“I represent communities where the property tax rate is higher than 30%,” Joyce said. “That’s not sustainable or fair to the people who live there.”

SPRINGFIELD – Winter months in northern Illinois can bring brutal weather. To help ensure residents in Will County have access to warm clothes, State Senator Patrick Joyce will be co-hosting a winter clothing drive with State Senator Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant.

From Nov. 25 to Dec. 13, local and state elected officials will be working together to ensure there is an adequate amount of supplies at organizations throughout the region that benefit Will County residents.

“It gets extremely cold during the winter months in Will County, therefore, I want to help folks who may not have the proper apparel to stay warm during the most frigid time of the year,” Joyce said.

The following items are welcome: gently used or new winter gear including coats, socks, sweatshirts, scarves, gloves and more.

The coldest time of the year can be very difficult for low-income families, seniors, veterans and the homeless.

Locations to drop off donations include:
•             State Senator Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant’s Office (15300 Rt. 59, Unit 202, Plainfield)
•             State Senator John Curran’s Office (7501 Lemont Rd., Suite 315G, Woodridge)
•             State Senator Napoleon Harris’ Office (1350 E. Sibley Blvd., Suite 403, Dolton)
•             State Senator Michael E. Hastings’ Office (20855 S. LaGrange Rd., Suite 102, Frankfort)
•             State Senator Patrick Joyce’s Office (270 Main St., Park Forest)
•             State Senator Pat McGuire’s Office (16151 Weber Rd., Suite 103, Crest Hill)
•             State Senator Sue Rezin’s Office (1421 N. Division St., Morris)
•             Plainfield Village Hall (24401 W. Lockport St., Plainfield)
•             Channahon Village Hall (24555 S. Navajo Dr., Channahon)
•             Romeoville Village Hall (1050 Romeo Rd., Romeoville)
•             Crest Hill City Hall (1610 Plainfield Rd., Crest Hill)
•             Mokena Village Hall (11004 Carpenter St., Mokena)
•             Wilmington City Hall (1165 S. Water St., Wilmington)
•             Rockdale Village Hall (79 Moen Ave., Rockdale)
•             Lockport City Hall (222 E. 9th St., Lockport)
•             Manhattan Village Hall (260 Market Pl., Manhattan)
•            Joliet City Hall (150 W. Jefferson St., Joliet)

The donations will be greatly appreciated. The clothing drive will benefit the Will County Veterans’ Assistance Commission and other organizations in the region.

SPRINGFIELD - The Senate welcomes its newest member last week: Patrick Joyce from Essex. Joyce was sworn into office Friday Nov. 8, at Kankakee Community College.

Joyce replaces Toi Hutchinson, who resigned to become Governor JB Pritzker’s cannabis czar, as state senator for the 40th Legislative District.

“It is an honor to follow the outstanding Senator Hutchinson. I would like to thank her for the excellent job she has done for Kankakee and the South Suburbs,” Joyce said.

Joyce has spent most of his life running his small business. With a degree in Agribusiness from Illinois State University, Joyce has spent 19 years on the Kankakee County Farm Bureau’s Board of Directors.