Senator Terri Bryant Named to Illinois Senate Republican Campaign Finance Committee

For Immediate Release: August 27, 2019
Contact: Bryant for Illinois (618) 301-7762
Facebook: @BryantforIllinois

State Rep. Announces She will Run for 58th District Senate Seat

Murphysboro…..115th District State Representative and Murphysboro native Terri Bryant will announce Tuesday that she will seek the Republican nomination for the 58th district State Senate seat being vacated by retiring Senator Paul Schimpf.

“The people of Southern Illinois deserve a Senator with a strong conservative record,” Bryant said. “My record as State Representative goes like this: I have voted NO on Mike Madigan for Speaker of the House every time I've had the chance, I voted NO on the progressive income tax hike proposal, NO on unrestricted taxpayer funding for abortion at any stage of pregnancy, NO on overreaching gun control legislation, and NO on legalizing recreational cannabis.”

“I am so grateful for the support that I have received in the last 5 years from the people of the 115th House district. I am running to be 58th district Senator to fight against the liberal-progressive agenda being pushed on the people of Southern Illinois by corrupt Chicago politicians,” Bryant said. “As your next State Senator, I will work to stamp out corruption, reign in out of control spending, and defend our Constitutional rights.”

Bryant offered her thanks to Senator Schimpf for his service to the people of the 58th Senate district and lauded his strong record on core conservative issues. Bryant says the 58th Senate District has benefited from the leadership of both Senator Schimpf and his predecessor Senator Dave Luechtefeld.

“The 58th Senate District has chosen their representation in Springfield very well,” Bryant said. “I am close personal friends and have been blessed to serve with Senator Schimpf and Senator Luechtefeld. The people of Southern Illinois have been well served by both of these fine gentlemen. As your next State Senator, I pledge to carry on their conservative legacy.”

Rep. Bryant has passed several significant pieces of legislation since her appointment to the 115th district seat as Congressman Mike Bost’s successor in January 2015. In her first full term as State Representative, Bryant was the chief sponsor of six bills that were signed into law. One of those, “Molly’s Law”, extended the statute of limitations for victims families to sue in cases of wrongful death.

“Working alongside Molly Young’s father, Larry, I authored and successfully passed legislation that extends the statute of limitations in cases of suspicious deaths,” Bryant said. “I work hard to make meaningful and direct connections with my constituents and to bring their ideas for legislation through the process in Springfield.”

During the spring 2019 legislative Session, Bryant voted no on several legislative initiatives that she says are too far to the left of the political scale.

“The people of Southern Illinois can be sure that I will continue to stand against the leftist-progressive transformation of our once great State of Illinois,” Bryant said. “I look forward to a spirited campaign and pledge to fight for our shared values as your next 58th district State Senator!”

Representative Bryant announced her candidacy during the Illinois Republican Party’s Barbecue on Tuesday, August 27th at the DuQuoin State Fair.

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Dear Friends,

I am glad to be back talking to you about what's going on in Springfield. After a long summer and a long election season, the Illinois House got back to governing for what is known as the Veto Session. Veto Session this year spanned Tuesday November 6th through Thursday November 8th and Tuesday November 27th through Thursday November 29th.

The Veto Session is supposed to be the time that legislators consider the Governor's vetoes of bills from the previous January - May session. This year, the Governor issued either total, or partial vetoes on a wide variety of topics.

One example is legislation that was vetoed by the Governor would have raised the age to legally use tobacco products to 21 actually failed to overcome the Governor's veto. Supporters of the legislation argue that raising the smoking age to 21 would reduce public health concerns and lead to fewer lifelong smokers. Opponents, including myself, argued that people would simply travel to neighboring states to purchase tobacco products.

I am interested to know your opinion on this legislation, as the sponsor has indicated that she will likely try to pass the bill once again in January, when the 101st General Assembly begins its work for the spring legislative session.

WJPF Radio Interview

On Friday morning, I joined Tom Miller on the WJPF Morning Newswatch for a wide ranging interview. To catch up on the latest news and more please click the link below and have a listen!

Friday November 30 Interview with Tom Miller on WJPF

Hardin County Work Camp Bill

Although the Hardin County work camp is not in the 115th district, the facility is in Southern Illinois, and it is sitting empty, just rotting away when it doesn’t have to be. This legislation allows Hardin County to buy the facility for $1 from the State of Illinois. With the Governor’s signature, the property can then be used for public purposes, including the creation of a detention center. The local law enforcement officials have done a great job bringing this to legislators’ attention and worked very hard to get this measure moved during the Veto Session.

This is only a first step toward utilizing the property to its full potential.

Earlier this year, the Hardin County Sheriff’s Department announced their intentions to reopen the Work Camp. Plans include opening a detention facility with the potential to house upwards of 100 inmates and create dozens of new good-paying jobs.

House Bill 3274 previously passed the Senate and House unanimously during the November 2018 Veto Session.

DuQuoin Celebrates Lighting Ceremony for Downtown Nativity

Stay Connected!

My office in Mt. Vernon is open Tuesday through Friday and my office in Murphysboro is open Monday through Wednesday and Fridays from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM. You can also contact me directly through the Contact Form on my website at www.repbryant.com or at [email protected]

Your opinions on important topics facing the State of Illinois are invaluable to me. Keep them coming!

Bryant E News August 19 2018

Dear Friend,

I had a great time and ran into many friends at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield this year. The State Fair in Springfield is always filled with plenty of news making events, and this year didn't disappoint. I am happy to report that two bills that I helped sponsor were signed by the Governor.

You can watch my video talking about Ag Day at the State Fair by clicking here.

SB 3072: The State Fair Board of Trustees performs a vital service to help guide the Springfield State Fair and the DuQuoin State Fair especially. But, like many boards and commissions in the State of Illinois, it is not always easy to fill all the positions on the board that are required by the law. SB 3072 will trim the State Fair Board of Trustees from 20 down to 15. Every little bit of streamlining helps when it comes to the State of Illinois. Thank you to Governor Rauner for signing this legislation. I enjoyed Ag Day alongside State Rep. Dave Severin, Grant Hammer of the IL dept of Ag, and Congressman Mike Bost.

Governor Signs BLAZE PINK Hunting Bill

A big thank you again to Governor Rauner for signing legislation this week to legalize "blaze pink" in addition to blaze orange for hunting attire in Illinois. House Bill 4231 permits hunters to wear blaze pink clothing in addition to blaze orange. Both colors of clothing are equally visible to the human eye, however, deer are believed to be color blind to red and can see very little orange or pink.

The following information comes directly from the Governor's press release following the signing of HB 4231.

“We want to make sure that Illinoisans are able to hunt and enjoy the outdoors safely,” Rauner said. “The new legislation provides more variety in hunting gear while preventing tragic hunting accidents in Illinois.”

Blaze orange clothing has been credited for a reduction in hunting-related injuries and deaths. Wisconsin, Colorado, Louisiana, Minnesota, New York and Virginia have also authorized fluorescent pink as an alternative color to orange.

"Blaze pink laws have already passed in several other states, so this change in the law sends the message that our hunting laws put safety first,” said Rep. Dave Severin, R-Benton, lead House sponsor of the bill. "This action gives the consumer a choice, and though I'm no fashion expert, I believe blaze pink will look good on sportsmen and women in Southern Illinois."

"As a lifelong hunter and supporter of the Second Amendment, I was proud to help sponsor this important safety measure," said Rep. Terri Bryant, R-Murphysboro, House co-sponsor of the bill. "Though I am quite partial to the color pink, the scientific research I have seen shows that people see the color pink better than the color orange. I am grateful that the governor recognizes the importance of hunting safety and that hunting is an important part of the culture and a tourism driver for Southern Illinois."

The initiative is supported by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Illinois Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus. The new law takes effect Jan. 1, 2019.

Committee Hearings and Task Force Meetings - From Chicago to Springfield
In addition to my time at the State Fair for bill signings, I also traveled between the district, Springfield, and Chicago to attend Committee and task force meetings.

First up was a quick trip to downtown Chicago on Wednesday for a hearing on SB563. This bill deals with those who make false bomb or shooting threats. It has a component that would permit law enforcement to seek a mental health evaluation prior to releasing the adult or juvenile that makes the threat. This was a subject matter hearing only, so no vote taken on this bill.

At Risk Women's Task Force

It is my honor and privilege to serve as the Chairwoman of the House At Risk Women’s Task Force. On Thursday, we toured Lincoln Correctional Center to see first hand the special programming being conducted at Lincoln CC. Programs designed to reduce recidivism of incarcerated women. Big thanks to Warden Glen Austin and his staff for an excellent tour. Pictured here with members of the task force.

Stay Connected!

My office in Mt. Vernon is open Tuesday through Friday and my office in Murphysboro is open Monday through Wednesday and Fridays from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM. You can also contact me directly through the Contact Form on my website at www.repbryant.com or at [email protected]

Your opinions on important topics facing the State of Illinois are invaluable to me. Keep them coming!