This week I joined my great state legislative colleagues from around the United States at the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) spring executive committee meeting. We hosted the meeting in beautiful Toronto, Ontario where we welcomed the Ontario Legislative Assembly as an affiliate member of @ncslorg
I had the honor of introducing the Honorable Donna Skelly Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to our committee. I spoke about the many economic, social and cultural connections Ontario currently has with the United States and how we should be better aware of those connections, celebrate them and build more.
To commemorate our partnership President Emeritus Wayne Harper (R-Utah), Vice President Bob Duff (D-Connecticut), NCSL CEO Tim Storey and I joined the full committee in a signing ceremony to officially welcome the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. @senatorduff@laurasmithmpp
๐๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ง๐๐จ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ช๐จ ๐พ. ๐๐ซ๐๐ฃ๐จ, ๐ ๐ง. ๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ก ๐พ๐ค๐ฃ๐๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ค๐ ๐๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐จ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ง๐๐จ (๐๐พ๐๐)
This week I had the honor of welcoming and speaking with my communityโs future leaders from Horace Mann Academy.
The wonderful 7th grade class traveled from Chicago to Springfield to learn firsthand how state government works at the Capitol.
Itโs always inspiring and humbling to be part of the Capitol experience for young people in our community.
Thank you to school counselor Chiquita Shed and Principal Karon Purkett for making this trip possible and for investing in the next generation of leaders.
Celebrating all of the mothers in my family. ๐น
Celebrating all of the women in my life who give me motherly love. ๐ธ
๐๐ง๐๐ฎ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐๐ค๐ข๐๐ค๐ง๐ฉ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐๐ก๐ก ๐ฉ๐๐ค๐จ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ค ๐๐๐ฃโ๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ค๐ง ๐๐ช๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ง ๐ข๐ค๐ฉ๐๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐ค๐๐๐ฎ. ๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ฎ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ช๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฅ๐ช๐จ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ค๐ช๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ง๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ก. ๐๐๏ธ
๏ผจ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ ๏ผญ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ ๏ฝโ๏ฝ ๏ผค๏ฝ๏ฝ
Celebrating my mother Sharon Davis๐น
๏ผจ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ ๏ผญ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ ๏ฝโ๏ฝ ๏ผค๏ฝ๏ฝ to you and thanks for being a phenomenal mother to me and Johnny.
๐๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ธ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ฒ๐? ๐๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ปโ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐โ๐ ๐ผ๐ธ, ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ ๐น๐ผ๐ ๐ด๐ผ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ผ๐ป ๐น๐ฒ๐ ๐บ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐น๐น ๐๐ผ๐.
The State of Illinois had 118 representative district areas, basically the state map cut into 118 pieces. The Illinois House of Representatives 118 members are elected from each of those districts. The top leader is called โThe Speakerโ.
*Core responsibilities:
โก๏ธ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐จ: They write, introduce, debate, and vote on bills that can become state law.
โก๏ธ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ง๐๐จ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐พ๐ค๐ฃ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐จ: They speak on behalf of the people in their district (about ~100,000 residents each).
โก๏ธ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ช๐๐จ: Help residents navigate state agencies (e.g., unemployment, licensing, benefits).
โก๏ธ ๐ผ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐ซ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ฝ๐ช๐๐๐๐ฉ: Decide how Illinois spends State tax money (education, infrastructure, healthcare, etc.). We call it the appropriation process.
โก๏ธ ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐จ๐๐๐๐ฉ: Monitor state government programs and agencies.
โก๏ธ ๐๐ค๐ง๐ ๐๐ค๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ: State Representatives work at the State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois and most have local district offices.
โก๏ธ ๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฟ๐ค ๐๐๐๐ฎ ๐๐ค๐ง๐ : All year around but most Capitol legislative work is done from January - May and October.
All questions and concerns are valid. If ever have any questions or concerns about politics or government just ๐๐ฆ๐ ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐จ๐ฆ or feel free to talk to your State Representative.
๐๐ข๐ณ๐ค๐ถ๐ด ๐ด๐ฆ๐ณ๐ท๐ฆ๐ด ๐ข๐ด ๐ข ๐๐ต๐ข๐ต๐ฆ ๐๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ด๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ท๐ฆ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ 33๐ณ๐ฅ ๐๐ช๐ด๐ต๐ณ๐ช๐ค๐ต ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ช๐ด ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐ด๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ด๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ท๐ฆ๐ด + ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ช๐ต๐ต๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ค๐ณ๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ค ๐๐ต๐ข๐ต๐ฆ ๐๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ณ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ช๐ต๐ต๐ฆ๐ฆ.
Ways you can โ๐๐ช๐ฃ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฅโ State Representative Marcus C. Evans, Jr.
โช๏ธInvite Marcus out to speak to your organization, youth, seniors about politics and/or government.
โช๏ธMeet with Marcus about your legislative ideas and community improvement ideas.
โช๏ธFollow Marcus on social media and SHARE his post with your network.
โช๏ธ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ: Always let Marcus know how you feel, share facts and info with Marcus so he can make the best decisions for our community.
๐๐ข๐ณ๐ค๐ถ๐ด ๐ด๐ฆ๐ณ๐ท๐ฆ๐ด ๐ข๐ด ๐ข ๐๐ต๐ข๐ต๐ฆ ๐๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ด๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ท๐ฆ ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ช๐ด ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐ด๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ด๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ท๐ฆ๐ด + ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ช๐ต๐ต๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ค๐ณ๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ค ๐๐ต๐ข๐ต๐ฆ ๐๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ณ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ช๐ต๐ต๐ฆ๐ฆ.
Today I had the pleasure of participating in the Lansing Area Chamber of Commerce Good Neighbor Parade in the Village of Lansing
A huge thank you to the for hosting such a great event, and a special thank you to Lansing Mayor Brian Hardy, the Village Trustees, all the public works employees, Lansing Human Relations Commission, Lansing Police Department, Lansing Fire Department and businesses for keeping the village a wonderful community ๐๏ธ
Today I had the pleasure of participating in the Lansing Area Chamber of Commerce Good Neighbor Parade in the Village of Lansing
A huge thank you to the for hosting such a great event, and a special thank you to Lansing Mayor Brian Hardy, the Village Trustees, all the public works employees, Lansing Human Relations Commission, Lansing Police Department, Lansing Fire Department and businesses for keeping the village a wonderful community ๐๏ธ
Yesterday, I was honored to share some uplifting and encouraging words with a group of young Black men at Robert A. Black Magnet Elementary School! ๐ I cherish every moment I get to inspire young Black scholars. @mr_ballen
I was invited by my friend Reginald Guy (@thegreatblackgatsby ) a great leader in my community who is dedicated to giving back. Thanks and admiration to Dean Keith Wilson and Principal Rhonda Butler being there daily for our kids, and creating a space for our black boys to feel special.
Honored to speak with the Student Government members from Rickover Junior High and Strassburg Elementary in Sauk Village, sharing my experience in government and offering guidance along their leadership journeys. Itโs always inspiring to connect with young people who are already stepping up and working toward their future goals.
Thank you to Superintendent Donna Leak for the invitation, Administrative Assistant Porscha Mazzari for coordinating, and Principal Phillip Bazile for the warm welcome. The future is bright!
Yesterday, I had the incredible honor of attending Horace Mann Elementary Schoolโs Centennial Celebration ๐
For 100 years, Horace Mann has been a beacon of light and stability in the South Shore community, uplifting generations through times of change. Being invited to speak with students and alumni was truly a humbling experience.
A heartfelt thank you to Assistant Principal Tamika Romayne for the invitation, Principal Karon Purkett for the opportunity to be part of this special day, and Betty Wilson for her continued dedication to the students, teachers, and the entire community.
Hereโs to celebrating a remarkable legacy and an even brighter future ahead!
Yesterday, I had the incredible honor of attending Horace Mann Elementary Schoolโs Centennial Celebration ๐
For 100 years, Horace Mann has been a beacon of light and stability in the South Shore community, uplifting generations through times of change. Being invited to speak with students and alumni was truly a humbling experience.
A heartfelt thank you to Assistant Principal Tamika Romayne for the invitation, Principal Karon Purkett for the opportunity to be part of this special day, and Betty Wilson for her continued dedication to the students, teachers, and the entire community.
Hereโs to celebrating a remarkable legacy and an even brighter future ahead!
