NW Illinois News

The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) announced a revised deadline for implementing necessary updates during a subject matter hearing held at the Capitol last week. The agency has been facing ongoing delays, breakdowns in communication, lost applications, and general dysfunction, sparking bipartisan frustration. These issues were initially brought to light during a subject-matter hearing last summer. Since then, deadlines for improvement have come and gone, with the new date of June 8th revealed last Wednesday.

While IDFPR is grappling with significant delays impacting countless Illinois residents, including essential workers, another state agency continues to improve efficiency. The Secretary of State offers "do it online" renewals for drivers licenses - a stark contrast to IDFPR's troubles as it only provides online renewals for some licenses.

House Minority Leader Tony McCombie expressed her concerns about the ongoing issues at IDFPR and has been proactive in finding solutions. "House Republicans want to get people to work, so let’s fix the simple things, address the growing procurement issues and eliminate red tape," said McCombie. She introduced the License Convenience Act (House Bill 4855), mandating the department to accept electronic payments for licenses and fees. However, despite bipartisan support, the bill was prevented from moving forward in the Illinois House.

"This is about fixing things in our state that aren’t working; this agency is not adequately serving residents and we must invoke change," McCombie continued. The status of McCombie’s legislation can be found here: Illinois General Assembly – Bill Status for HB4855 (ilga.gov).