Latest news with #DaveVella
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Illinois lawmaker seeks to end taxes on tips with new bill
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Rockford State Rep. Dave Vella (D) has introduced legislation in the Illinois Statehouse that would end taxes on tips. Vella's HB792, or the 'No Tax on Tips' bill, would create a state income tax deduction equal to the total tip amount earned. 'This is an idea that has gained attention from both sides of the aisle on the national level, and I think it makes a lot of sense to pursue here in Illinois,' Vella said. 'Our tipped workforce has historically faced disadvantages, often seeing lower pay to begin with and greater instability with the economy. Let's choose to prioritize and help our hardworking tipped employees keep more of what they rightfully earned.' President Donald Trump campaigned on ending taxes on tips, and said he would introduce legislation at the federal level. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Illinois parents protest proposed homeschooling regulation bill
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WTVO) — Thousands of Illinois residents rallied in Springfield on Wednesday to protest a bill that would regulate how homeschooling is conducted in Illinois. Garden Prairie resident Jamie Clausing was one of thousands of homeschooling parents who traveled to the capitol to protest a proposed bill they believe represents governmental overreach into parenting decisions. 'Parents are no longer given the freedom to teach what we want, we have to go according to what the public school deems is okay or not okay,' she said. , was created after an investigation by found that the state places few rules on parents who homeschool their children. In Illinois, parents do not have to register with a state agency, track attendance, demonstrate their teaching methods, or show student progress. According to the report, nearly 4,500 children were withdrawn from public schools in 2022, although there is no way for the state to determine how many of them are home schooled since it doesn't require them to register. The investigation documented the case of a 9-year-old homeschooled boy who was taken into the custody of the Department of Family and Human Services in 2022 after he received almost no education and was beaten and denied food while his parents said they were homeschooling him. If passed, the bill would create the Homeschool Act, requiring parents to report a Homeschool Declaration Form to their school district, and would require any homeschool instructors to possess a high school diploma or equivalent. The bill would require curricular materials used, writing samples, worksheets, or other materials to be logged with the state. Failure to comply could result in misdemeanor charges for truancy. Children who wish to participate in public school activities would be required to 'submit proof that the child has received all required immunizations and health examinations or a signed Certificate of Religious Exemption.' Rep. Dave Vella (D-68th) said the bill is necessary to promote child safety. 'The purpose of this bill is to protect kids. That's the main purpose of the bill. How we how we get there still needs be worked on,' he said. 'The main purpose of the bill, these are good people trying to do good things. They're not trying to go after home-schoolers. But the mechanism of the bill inside the bill. There are some issues and we're still working through them. And I think I think we can get there.' Clausing and other parents believe what could start as a registration order could eventually mutate into something more. 'Eventually, they're going to want to add more and more things. And if we are okay now and are like, 'oh, whatever,' it's not much. It's not nothing. But no matter what we all know, things can just progress from there,' said parent Erica Pieper. 'We want to choose what we teach our kids, how we raise our kids, how we instruct them, so we're concerned that this is cracking that door open and then the next thing is going to be more requirements on 'hey, we need to look and see, we need to dictate what the subjects you are teaching are, we need to dictate how much time you're spending,'' parent Luke Schurter told . 'This would circumvent those efforts and bring them back under the authority and the watchful eye of the public school system.' 'Nothing in HB 2827 is about what's best for kids or somehow improves education for those students who are struggling. Instead, it's about tracking and regulating every single family and school that is not a government public school,' Mailee Smith, staff attorney and senior director of labor policy at Illinois Policy, stated in written testimony. 'There is no provision allowing parents to opt out of having their children, and their religious affiliations, tracked by state and local authorities. Notably, it's that type of government tracking that influences parents to choose private school or homeschool in the first place.' The bill passed the House Education Committee on Wednesday, but Clausing and other advocates say they will continue to fight it. 'It went along party lines. So we weren't super surprised. But we will keep following it and showing our opposition to it,' she said. Illinois has tried to pass homeschool regulations before, in 2011 and 2019. The would have required curriculum reviews and inspections by DCFS. HB2827 next heads to the House floor for a vote. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
Rockford seniors receive more than just meals from Meals on Wheels program
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — March marks 53 years since federal law allowed the funding for crucial senior programs, including Meals on Wheels, which is celebrating an anniversary. In Rockford, Illinois Reps. Maurice West (D), Dave Vella (D), and Joe Sosnowski (R) rode along with Lifescape Community Services' meal deliveries. Lifescape administrators said the Meals of Wheels program offers more than just a daily meal, but an opportunity to check in on the seniors they serve. Lifescape's lead kitchen associate, Quanza Moore, related an experience she had with one recipient, saying, 'I let her know that I was the person who prepared her food and everything. And she thanked me so much and she said, 'Sometimes I don't see anybody. And this sometimes is the only thing that I have to eat in a day.' So, that right there sold me and brought me in. I said, I'm down. And this was early on. So it's probably like 2013. So I've been here since then. Because of that, if I can save one person or if I can make one person happy, I'm happy.' Lifescape serves adults aged 60 and up, and younger adults with disabilities. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
