McCarter will be on five Illinois Senate committees

SPRINGFIELD – 54th District state Sen. Kyle McCarter, R-Lebanon, will serve on five Senate committees in the new 99th General Assembly, which begins meeting this week.

The assignments include committees that McCarter says often handle issues critical to Southern Illinois including Agriculture, Higher Education, Labor and State Government & Veterans Affairs.

He will also serve as the minority spokesman on the Environment & Conservation Committee.

“Agriculture is a mainstay of the 54th Senate District and it’s Illinois’ number one industry,” said McCarter (left). “I’m pleased to serve on a committee that is so important to the economic lifeblood of our communities.”

McCarter said he has a keen interest in higher education because it is a certain pathway to success. He believes his background as a small business employer will also serve him well on the Labor Committee.

“One of the most important issues facing Illinois today is job creation,” said McCarter. “We’ve seen too little of it over the past decade and while recent reports about our declining unemployment rate give us hope, there remains the unfortunate fact that job creation has not kept pace as young people come of age and graduate, looking to start their careers and families. A turnaround can and must happen.”

McCarter said he will introduce legislation this spring that could help improve Illinois’ climate for business expansion and job growth.

The State Government & Veterans Affairs Committee could also have an important role to play in 2015 as the state government begins a process of reform and renewal as promised by new Gov. Bruce Rauner and members of the military continue to return home as overseas combat comes to a close, he said.

Regarding the Environment & Conservation Committee, he said: “”Illinois is blessed with tremendous natural resources. These are resources we can use to grow our economy and benefit us all but we also must recognize that we are stewards of these resources and it is our responsibility to use them thoughtfully and respectfully.”

McCarter will serve on the committees during the 99th General Assembly, which will meet over the next two years. Committees are part of the legislative process that provides public hearings, witness testimony and a thorough vetting of on issues and proposed new laws before they are decided by the entire Senate.