Weekly Update | June 27, 2020
Providing Student Loan Relief
Yesterday, I voted to support students who were defrauded by for-profit colleges and provide them with a streamlined process to seek debt relief. We should be doing everything we can to address the growing student loan crisis and prepare students for worthwhile careers post-high school and college. Providing student loan debt relief is one of my top priorities.

Recently , legislation introduced to assist workers with student loan debt, the Employer Participation in Repayment Act , was  enacted into law  through the CARES Act. My legislation allows employers to offer a tax-free benefit of up to $5,250 to their employees to pay down existing student debt just as is currently allowed for tuition assistance.

Police Reform Must Be Bipartisan
I am fully supportive of enacting police reform at the federal level, but the partisan process Speaker Pelosi and Leader Schumer have chosen will not lead to police reform being enacted into law. Democrats in the House refused to incorporate Republican input, while Democrats in the Senate declined many Republican offers to amend the JUSTICE Act. A partisan approach is the wrong approach.
 
The only way we will enact police reform is if Republicans and Democrats come together, resolve our differences, and come to bipartisan agreement. We can't let this moment pass us. We should be doing more at the federal level to help law enforcement do their jobs safely, while putting systems in place to ensure everyone is treated equitably. That’s why I support the police reforms outlined in the JUSTICE Act.
 
We need to enact meaningful and bipartisan police reform so our country can begin to heal.

Constituent Service Update
***Send me an e-mail or call my offices if you need assistance. We're here to serve you.***

Reminder: Extended Tax Deadline of July 15th is Approaching
As the 2019 tax filing and payment deadline approaches, the IRS reminds taxpayers and businesses that 2019 income tax liabilities as well as postponed April 15 and June 15, 2020 estimated tax payments are due July 15, 2020. This postponement provided temporary tax relief in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Click here to learn more.
C onstituent Service Spotlight
Helping Constituents Cut Through Red Tape in Decatur
"She [your staffer] acted concerned and kind. She went the distance to get my problem with my disability backpay resolved, making numerous phone calls and assisting by even going to the Social Security office. She saved me from total financial ruin because of needing my own money to take care of a business situation that could have devastated our family and totally putting me in financial ruin for the rest of the future."

-Janice in Decatur, IL
More Important Updates
More PPE Delivered to First Responders and Nursing Homes
This week, I again teamed up with the United Auto Workers (UAW), John Deere and the Illinois Manufacturers' Association (IMA) to help deliver face shields to first responders and nursing homes throughout central Illinois. Face shields and other PPE are vital to limiting the spread of Coronavirus. Thanks to John Deere for the donations to these facilities!
U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (IL-13) teams up with the IMA to help deliver face shields to staff at the McLean County Nursing Home and several other locations throughout central Illinois
Responses to Our IL-13 Police Reform Survey Are In
A majority of respondents to the IL-13 police reform survey:
  • have confidence in local law enforcement
  • support some police reforms
  • oppose defunding the police

Last week, our office conducted a survey on police reform via email to over 150,000 constituents in IL-13.
 
It's clear that central Illinoisans have a great deal of confidence in local law enforcement, support some reforms like de-escalation training and community policing programs, and oppose efforts to defund the police. I agree. I too have great confidence in our local law enforcement, but believe reforms at the federal level are necessary so we can help law enforcement across our country do their job effectively while ensuring all communities are treated equitably.

The survey shows over 78% of respondents have anywhere between some to a great deal of confidence in their local police department to ensure all citizens are treated equitably. The survey also showed respondents trust their local police departments more relative to those nationally. Locally, over 72% of respondents believe their police departments do not need reform or need a little to some reform. 63.9% of the respondents believe police nationally need some to a lot of reform. Finally, over 62% of respondents oppose efforts to defund the police.

From the results of the police reform survey:
 
Q: How much confidence do you have in your local police department to treat all citizens equitably?
  • A great deal - 51.9%
  •  Some - 27%
  • Very little - 15.0%
  • None - 5.2%
  • No response - <1%

Q: Do you think police  locally  need reform to ensure all citizens are treated equitably and if so how much?
  • Yes, a lot - 21.6%
  •  Yes, some - 25.4%
  • Yes, a little - 12.5%
  • No - 34.2%
  • Unsure - 5.2%
  • No response - <1%

Q: Do you think police  nationally  need reform to ensure all citizens are treated equitably and if so how much?
  • Yes, a lot - 43.9%
  •  Yes, some - 20%
  • Yes, a little - 16.1%
  • No - 15.7%
  • Unsure - 3.4%
  • No response - <1%

Q: Do you support defunding the police?
  • Yes - 26.9%
  •  No - 62.3%
  • Unsure - 9.9%
  • No response - <1%

Q: What type of police reforms would you like to see take place in your community, if any? (please note, these are only a small sampling of responses to this open-ended question)
  • "None. They do a great job and our community should be thankful for their service." - Taylorville
  •  "Proper training, background checks prior to being hired, pay attention to number of complaints made against officers, punish officers who commit a crime." - Normal
  • "Local county and city police are always focused, helpful and professional. I appreciate the job they do for us." - Clinton
  • "Require the use of de-escalation techniques, and the duty to intervene." - Champaign
  • "More training, including bias training." - Hardin
  • "I do not support any reform of the police they cannot be reformed. Full abolition, period." - Champaign
  • "Defund the police - reduce their budget to intentionally use those funds to build or bolster social services that can respond to non-violent crimes." - Urbana
  • "I believe that the police should be defunded and disbanded, replaced with street out reach teams and mental health professionals." - Champaign
Facebook Live Discussion with State Sen. McClure and Reps. Davidsmeyer and Murphy
On Tuesday, I participated in a Facebook Live discussion with State Senator Steve McClure and State Representatives C.D. Davidsmeyer and Mike Murphy. We talked about the next phase of Illinois' re-opening, the federal response to COVID-19 and more. You can watch our discussion here .