Local Issues

Keeping Our Communities Safe From Sexual Predators

Child Sex offenders are 90% less likely to re-offend when monitored by a GPS satellite tracking device. Rep. Bradley has been working to protech our kids from child predators and co-sponsored House Bill 154. Under Bradley’s bill, Illinois would join 13 other states requiring sex offenders who usued or threatened the use of violence to commit their crimes to wear a GPS bracelt for the rest of their lives. The new supervision tool will help law enforcement monitor the wherabouts of sexual predators and ensure that they do not go near prohibited areas, such as schools and daycare centers. Rep. Bradley co-sponosred Senate Bill 710 to require sex offenders in jail to submit a DNA sample to a statewide database used by state and national law enforecement officals to close unsolved cases and quickly locate those who commit crimes.

Bringing Resources Home to Southern Illinois

For the fifth straigh year, Rep. Bradley was able to increase the foundation level funding for schools in Southern Illinois. In total, schools in Bradley’s district will recieve an estimated $81.4 million in state funding. The new budget also provides $1.65 million for axpanded air services at the Williamson County Airport in Marion and addtional funding to continue efforts to fight methamphetamine at the Franklin County Juvenile Detention Center in Benton. Bradley will keep fighting to make sure we in Southern Illinois recieve our fair share of state dollars.

Protecting Landowners’ Rights

Southern Illinois is abundant in natural recourses like oil, and when drilling for these resources, the rights of landowners must be respected. After decdes of debate, Rep. Bradley brought surface and minderal right owners to craft legislation, Senate Bill 1041, requiriung farmers and other landowners to be further compensated if and drilling results indamage to their land.

Defending Our Second Amendment Rights

Illinois is one of only two states in the country that doesnt allow residents, in some capacity, to carry concealed firearms to protect themselves and their families from harm. Rep. Bradley is working to change that by introducing House Bill 1304, which allows the state to issue concealed firearm permits to qualified and lawful gun owners. Every year, gun-grabbing politicians try to place more restrictions on our right to keep and bear arms. This year was no exception. But bradley once again stood up to the anti-gun special interests and worked to defeat their priorities. Bradley opposed legislation pushed by gun–contool supporters that would have banned so-called “assult weapons” used by sportsment to hunt.

Honoring Fallen Soldiers and Their Families

Every day, members of the Armed Forces fighting the War on Terror put thier lives on the line to ensure the safety and security of their fellow citizens back home. Some, however, will never return, having made the ultimate sacrafice. To honor their service, Rep. Bradley helped pass House Bill 3618 to require state and local government facilities to lower their flags to half staff on the day of the sercvice member’s funeral, ass well as two days prior.

Electric Rate Relief

With Southern Illinois as the epicenter of the electric rate crisis, Rep. Bradley worked side-by-side with local residents as he fought for a one billion dollar electric rate package with signifigant short-term and logn-term relief for local consumers. Under the agreement, Ameren’s victims will receive rebates offsetting 40 to 70 percent of the increased rates paid since January 1, 2007. In addition consumers will recieve credits on future bills until 2010, and a new state agency, the illinois Power Agency (IPA), will be created to purchase electricity and break Ameren’s monopoly over hte power indistry. The IPA also has the ability to build power plants fueled by Southern Illinois coal.