SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Patrick Joyce announced his advocacy efforts have led to the successful award of a $2.7 million grant to fund the construction of a new multi-use paths in Chicago Heights and the Village of Park Forest. The grant was awarded under the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program, administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

“This is an investment into connecting our communities with safe and accessible infrastructure,” said Joyce (D-Essex). “I will continue to fight on behalf of the residents of 40^th District for the funding their communities deserve.”

SPRINGFIELD – Landowners and farmers could soon have more flexibility when it comes to hunting on their own property under legislation from State Senator Patrick Joyce.

“This legislation would clear up the red tape stopping hunters from getting the permits they deserve,” said Joyce (D-Essex). “If someone wishes to hunt on their own property, let’s get them the permits they need without the hassle and charge.”

House Bill 2340 would allow landowner deer, turkey and hunting permits to be issued without charge to Illinois landowners who own at least 20 acres in a county where there is positively identified chronic wasting disease cases in the deer herd, resident tenants of at least 20 acres of commercial agricultural land where they will hunt, or an owner, shareholder or partner of a business that owns at least 20 acres of land.

SPRINGFIELD – To educate homeowners about the importance of home fire sprinkler systems, State Senator Patrick Joyce presented a resolution to the Senate Wednesday.

“Home fire sprinklers are one of the most important safety measures in households,” said Joyce (D-Essex). “These systems can provide peace of mind and protect homes from major fire devastation.”

Senate Resolution 96 declares the week of May 11-17, 2025 as Home Fire Sprinkler Week in Illinois.  The purpose of this resolution is to raise awareness about sprinkler systems and promote education to prevent the damage and risks that house fires cause to families, firefighters and structures.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Patrick Joyce advanced three measures that would give landowners and farmers more flexibility when it comes to hunting deer on their own property.

“Illinois farmers, who are experiencing substantial crop damage and lower yields, need a better way to manage deer populations on their farms,” said Joyce (D-Essex). “Let’s give these farmers the tools they need to handle nuisance deer during the growing season.”

Senate Bill 710 would address multiple issues with the nuisance deer program and deer hunting tags. Currently for nuisance deer, a property owner has to prove each year that there has been damage to property, like destruction of crops, by the deer. Farmers have been requesting a better way to handle this because under the current program, they cannot manage the deer population until after a problem has occurred. The bill would allow the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to issue deer removal permits based on the percentage of permits redeemed in the previous season by the recipient. The bill would also allow for an expansion of youth hunting tags from one to two.