MARION, Ill. — The Southern Illinois Mayors Association meeting gathered regional leaders and state legislators Wednesday night to address various topics their communities face.
Improving local government control, bills, education, and healthcare were topics of discussion. However, the use of kratom in the state and the lack of regulations on it took precedence, as many considered it a crisis in the state.
Approximately two dozen Southern Illinois leaders and lawmakers gather Wednesday evening at Seasoning Bistro in Marion, Illinois.
Jeremiah Hatcher
Illinois State Rep. Patrick Windhorst expressed his desire to preserve local government control. Windhorst said he feels that local government should make decisions, saying, "We don’t need to be dictating from Springfield what the policy is for local governments of cities and our counties."
In adding to his call for lesser state government oversight, Windhorst wants to do away with unfunded mandates, which he feels "drive up cost for local government and taxpayers." He also said that unfunded mandates often lead to tax increases, so he believes avoiding them would provide more stability in local government budgets.
Windhorst also spoke to the group about various bills that did not pass into law. He mentioned an energy bill passed by the Senate that failed to pass the House. He said he did not see elections on the bill, said it was brought up during the last hour of their session, and no ethics legislation was called for a committee vote in the House or the House floor.
Illinois State Rep. Patrick Windhorst, center, at the Southern Illinois Mayors Association on Wednesday.
Jeremiah Hatcher
He also spoke about the Chicago Transit Authority, which is facing an $800 million deficit starting next year. Windhorst said the issue remains unsolved, but he did propose solutions. Windhorst mentioned that there were discussions about a statewide or expanded sales tax and services to address the transit funding issue. However, no bill came of that.
Windhorst took a strong stance against kratom at the meeting. Kratom is a herbal supplement commonly sold as an energy booster or for pain relief. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, kratom can produce an opioid and stimulant-like effect. Windhorst said it’s a problem not only in Southern Illinois, but across the state.
He mentioned that legislative efforts at the state level are underway to address the growing issue.
"There are also ordinances that are being passed at the local level to address it," Windhorst said. "It’s going to be an issue we’ll have to take up in Springfield, hopefully soon. We don’t go back officially till October, but it’s possible we’re going to be called back in this summer, once the federal government finishes its budget, to address issues that occur with the state and federal."
The City of Marion Mayor Mike Absher also asked about state legislators’ actions and position regarding kratom, specifically that of Gov. J.B. Pritzker. Allison Flood with the governor’s office replied that she didn’t have an "official position" for Absher.
He said two people from Illinois are believed to have died from kratom use and the most disturbing part, for him, is receiving reports from first responders that they found bottles of kratom on the floors of cars during fatal crashes.
Absher asked each representative their stance, to which Windhorst replied, "Given the whole makeup of the General Assembly, what we’ll likely see is more regulation if anything passes, rather than a ban."
He believes since Kratom most likely won’t be banned statewide, he asked state legislators to consider giving special legislative authority to counties to ban it.
He mentioned there are two competing bills: one that wants to tax kratom, and one seeking to ban it. Ashber said the City of Marion banned kratom from being sold within city limits.
City of Marion Chief of Staff Cody Moake, left, and Marion’s Mayor Mike Absher, center, are speaking with Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s Director of Public Engagement Allison Flood.
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"Counties don’t have all the authority," Absher said. "We’ve got very limited agreement, this substance is insidious, it’s causing harm and death, and tactics that are being used to sell it are unbelievably dishonest, and it needs to go away. Taxing, gentlemen, is not the issue. No, it’s not the answer. Maybe there isn’t for the governor."
He said his argument was probed into whether "taxing something would be to close a budget hole is the wrong societal thing to do."
Although passionate conversations regarding kratom shifted the focus of the meeting, Ashber viewed the gathering as a success, saying, "They did not get too partisan tonight, that it was just pretty much fact-based."
"I found that encouraging, and I very much appreciated them telling us what might be coming up in the next legislative session," he said. "It’ll be interesting to see where some of those bills they talked about, and how those shake out at the end. But a very enjoyable evening. I’ve enjoyed being a part of this group. It’s always informative."
