State Rep.-elect Stuart invites residents to ‘Coffee with Katie’ in Edwardsville
COLLINSVILLE — State Rep.-elect Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, invites residents to her first “Coffee with Katie” community meeting on Saturday, Jan. 14, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Sacred Grounds Café, 223 N. Main St. in Edwardsville.
“One of my top priorities as state representative is to be accessible to the community and proactively seek the ideas and thoughts of local residents,” said Stuart. “As state representative, I am accountable to the people I represent and not to Springfield leaders or special interests. I will continue to host community meetings, advisory council meetings, and go door-to-door to better understand the issues of local residents.”
Stuart’s “Coffee with Katie” events give local residents the opportunity to meet with Stuart in a casual, informal setting. “Coffee with Katie” events will be held at coffee shops and diners throughout the region, and all of Stuart’s events are open to the public. As a first-term state representative, Stuart is refusing to accept a paycheck until a state budget is finalized and is rejecting taxpayer-funded perks such as a lucrative lawmaker pension and state-funded health insurance.
“For more than a year, Illinois has lacked a full-year budget. Metro East residents deserve a responsible common-sense approach to state government that protects their tax dollars from the special interests,” Stuart added. “I decided to run for office for the first time because I was frustrated with the status quo. I believe that some of the best solutions to our state’s problems come from the community, not from career politicians. I look forward to using ‘Coffee with Katie’ meetings as one opportunity to engage the community in finding real solutions.”
Stuart is the newly elected representative for Illinois’ 112th District, which includes all or parts of Edwardsville, Collinsville, Granite City, Glen Carbon, Maryville, Fairview Heights, O’Fallon and Caseyville. She will take office on Jan. 11.
