A press release from Kent Gaffney:

Kent Gaffney

Gaffney Named to House Armed Forces and Military Affairs Committee

Wauconda, IL… Newly-appointed State Representative Kent Gaffney (R-Lake Barrington) recently received his committee appointments, highlighted by being named to the House Armed Forces and Military Affairs Committee.

He was also appointed to the

• General Services Appropriations,
• Insurance, and
• Revenue and Finance committees.

“A top priority for me serving the people of Northern Illinois is making sure our returning heroes are welcomed back to Illinois with open arms,” said Gaffney. “Those that make the commitment and sacrifice for their county deserve nothing but the best from their state.”

Gaffney says he wants to build off the success the Armed Services and Military Affairs Committee experienced last session. He says he is very proud of recent legislation passed including:

• House Bill 180: This bill pushes the distance of the Offense of Disorderly Conduct at a Funeral or Memorial Service from 200 feet to 300 feet. The law was modified because many contend that the current restrictions fail to adequately protect funerals and memorial services from intrusive protestors.
• House Bill 1537: Establishes August 7th of each year as Purple Heart Day, a day to remember and honor those who have been injured or killed in the line of duty.
• House Bill 2095: Increases an employer’s knowing violation of the Service Member’s Employment Tenure Act to a Class A misdemeanor, which carries a mandatory minimum fine of no less than $5,000 and a maximum fine of $10,000. Additionally, this legislation establishes a statewide list of employers who have been convicted of violating the Act.
• House Bill 2875: Allows for any natural mother, natural father, or spouse of a veteran who was killed in the line of duty to be admitted to an Illinois Veterans’ Home.
• House Bill 3274: Allows all veterans returning from overseas to obtain fishing and hunting licenses for half price, if the veteran is a resident of Illinois.
• House Bill 3331: Allows veterans serving outside the state of Illinois the ability to defer driver’s license renewals from 90 days currently to 120 days.

Gaffney is looking forward to putting his experience as Budget Director for the House Republican Caucus to work on the House Revenue and Finance, and the General Services Appropriations Committees.

“Illinois’ budget crisis is far from over,” said Gaffney. “It is going to take strict fiscal discipline to control spending so that we may begin to pay down our debt and billions in unpaid bills.

“I am amazed that some of our leaders continue to push for additional spending. I say ‘No’ to new spending until Illinois can pay its bills in full and on time.”