Illinois State Rep. Tom Bennett: Attorney General warns of formula scams

With the recent shortage of baby formula nationwide, many scammers have arisen to take advantage of those who are looking everywhere to feed their infants. The Illinois Attorney General has issued a warning to help parents in Illinois avoid falling victim to such a scam. These scams can consist of defrauding people of money or providing them with a dangerous product.
Customers are advised to research any source from which they might consider purchasing a formula. An indication of a possible scam is if the seller requests payment in gift cards, money transfers, or cryptocurrency. Other indicators include spelling and grammatical errors, or physical addresses that appear to be parking lots or residences.
Read the Attorney General’s full opinion here.
Legislation would freeze gasoline sales tax to combat rising prices
Everyone knows that gasoline prices have been on the rise — setting new records seemingly every day. In Illinois, regular unleaded gasoline is approaching $5 a gallon, with the price of diesel being even higher. It drives up the prices of everything we buy and almost everything we do.
Poor energy policy decisions in Washington played a big role in the price spike. The best solution would be for our leaders in Washington to back down and make our country again energy independent like we were a few years ago. But Springfield can also act to relieve Illinois of rising gas prices. In a few weeks you will start to see stickers on gas pumps announcing the small amount of temporary gas tax relief (about two cents per gallon) that was passed by the legislature this spring. I am one of the sponsors of a much better bill to further relieve Illinois.
Illinois charges a 6.25% sales tax on every gallon of gasoline sold. Thus, when the price of gasoline increases, the amount of sales tax also increases. It is a separate tax from the gas tax which generates revenue for road maintenance. Our legislation would freeze the state fuel sales tax to no more than 18 cents per gallon. When we introduced the bill in March, the sales tax was already adding 25 cents to the cost of a gallon of gasoline. With the price increases that hit during May, that amount is even higher now.
Our bill would put an end to these increases and reduce the tax to a maximum of 18 cents. When gasoline prices fell, the tax would fall with them, below 18 cents. Our bill ensures that it can never exceed that amount.
The best solution is a sensible federal policy that restores our energy independence and lowers prices. But in the meantime, we need to take action in Illinois to help people out a little.
Illinois nuclear plants help curb increases in electricity prices
Illinois is hearing ominous warnings about electric rate increases in the coming months, but at least part of the power system is able to contain those increases somewhat thanks to legislation passed in Springfield. Last fall, we passed a bill to keep Illinois’ nuclear power plants operating into the future. This bill also contained language that created a “price gap” law, requiring nuclear power plant operators to calculate a portion of the gap between the price of electricity from the reactor and the overall price of electricity. electricity in the US market and then passing the rebate on to consumers.
This law is now in effect and helps reduce the energy bills of Illinoisans who get their electricity from nuclear power. Commonwealth Edison has planned to post a credit of 3.087 cents per kilowatt hour beginning June 1, which will result in an overall reduction in customers’ electricity bills by an average of $19.71 per month or $237 per year.
Representative McLaughlin’s Neighborhood Tour
I enjoyed visiting Rep. Martin McLaughlin recently in his 52n/a district. It was fun to stop at the Norge Ski Club where they prepare athletes for Olympic level competition in ski jumping. We also visited Greg Leifel at one of the houses on the Sanfilippo family estate to see the beautiful woodwork firsthand and hear the musical sounds of their automatic instruments, a huge pipe organ and the Eden Palais carousel. Thanks Rep. McLaughlin for our rich conversation, delicious food, and the opportunity to learn about the great people in your district.
How much do we owe?
As of this writing, the State of Illinois must $2,077,064,638 in unpaid invoices to government suppliers. A year ago, the backlog stood at $3.4 billion. This figure represents the amount of invoices submitted to the comptroller’s office and still awaiting payment. It does not include liabilities that can only be estimated, such as our unfunded pension liability which is subject to a wide range of factors and has been estimated at over $141 billion.
Did you know?
Springfield is known for its many Lincoln sights, but did you know that East Central Illinois also has many historical sites related to our greatest president? They include the Lincoln Trail Memorial near Lawrenceville where the Lincoln family first entered Illinois, Lincoln Homestead State Park near Decatur where Lincoln lived in 1830, and the Lincoln Log Cabin near Charleston where the Lincoln family lived for many years. When planning your summer vacation, you can find the many Lincoln Illinois locations, including those in our area, by visiting Looking for Lincoln.
Thank you to everyone who served
This Memorial Day weekend, we pause to thank those who served and sacrificed, and their families. We value our liberties and liberties because brave Americans have stood up to protect and defend them for nearly 250 years.
Thank you to those who served in the Armed Forces and their families for all the sacrifices you made for us.
More news from across the state
Illinois State Police offers flexible, streamlined training for side recruits
Illinois Department of Agriculture maintains state of emergency to protect poultry
The Feds Recorded Mike Madigan Teaching Ex-Political Aide Secret Payments
IDNR reminds boaters to wear life jackets, sober boat
Illinois Joins ‘Border-to-Border’ Effort to Enforce Seat Belt Laws and Reduce Injuries and Deaths