July 24, 2026
Ammons Special Investigating Committee Update
State Representative Ryan Spain was appointed by House Republican Leader Tony McCombie to serve as Minority Spokesperson of the Special Investigating Committee (SIC) formed in the wake of federal criminal indictments against Democrat State Representative Carol Ammons.
The Special Investigating Committee was created by petition of 11 members of the House Republican caucus pursuant to House Rule 91. The SIC is empowered to review allegations of misconduct involving Rep. Carol Ammons. Rep. Ammons was indicted in early July on multiple counts of wire fraud and one count of making a false statement to the FBI. She has since refused to resign her seat in the Illinois House.
“We need to hold public officials to a much higher ethical standard,” said SIC Minority Spokesperson Spain. “I take seriously the committee’s role to investigate these charges and how Representative Ammons’ alleged misappropriations were intertwined with fraudulent delivery of services to taxpayers. She is accused of skirting grant accountability and transparency requirements and using other mechanisms of power for personal kickbacks and jobs, for herself and her family.”
The people of Illinois deserve elected officials who respect the public trust, follow the law, and are held accountable when serious allegations arise. When a sitting member of the General Assembly faces federal criminal charges, the institution has a responsibility to ensure a transparent and thorough review. The allegations against Rep. Ammons are serious. Petitioners say the allegations require a bipartisan, impartial review by the body in which Ammons serves.
The Special Investigative Committee process is allowed for in the Illinois House Rules. This process provides accountability by ensuring the Illinois House fully examines allegations of misconduct involving its members. If the SIC finds reasonable grounds to authorize a charge(s), a bipartisan disciplinary committee will be appointed to determine whether further action (up to, and including, expulsion) is warranted for consideration by the full House.
In addition to Deputy House Republican Leader Ryan Spain, Democrat Assistant Majority Leader Curtis J. Tarver II will chair the committee, along with Democrat caucus appointees, Assistant Majority Leader Jay Hoffman and Rep. Lilian Jimenez. Joining Spain as Republican caucus appointees are Assistant Minority Leader Dan Ugaste and State Representative Adam Niemerg.
Next steps for the Special Investigating Committee will be the initial hearing on August 6 where the petition and formal charges will be entered into the record.
Stopping Gerrymandering; the latest on Fair Maps
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IDNR accepting land acquisition grant applications through August 31
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Update: Princeton Red Covered Bridge on its way to full restoration
Plans to renovate Princeton’s Red Covered Bridge will transition from pen and paper to hammer and nail soon.
With the detailed construction plans wrapped up, the 163-year-old structure was advertised on June 26 to request bids for the July 31 construction letting. Depending on the results of the winning bid being approved and awarded, procurement of needed materials, and other factors, work to bring the bridge back to service could begin this fall and will take several months to complete.
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State Representative Ryan Spain touts efforts to lower Rx costs & protect rural access
Representative Spain was Chief Co-Sponsor and helped pass the Prescription Drug Affordability Act (Public Act 104-027), a new law that puts patients first and reins in pharmacy benefit managers. It holds Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) accountable by addressing their predatory practices, delivering lower drug costs for Illinois families and protecting local pharmacies.
“Through the Prescription Drug Affordability Act, we have helped stabilize our community pharmacies, provide critical access to rural and low-income communities, and empower consumers with tools to receive direct benefits through pharmaceutical manufacturer rebates and discounts,” said Rep. Spain
Through grant funds generated by fees on pharmacy benefit managers (the companies responsible for steering patients toward their own affiliated pharmacies to boost profits), Representative Spain supported grant funding to local pharmacies to help them compete and protect rural access to healthcare. Rural Access Pharmacies receiving a share of state grant dollars, serving consumers living in the nine counties in the 73rd District:
The Local Impact of Springfield Policy Decisions
Thank you to Dr. Nathan Vorac, of Geneseo, and other area independent pharmacists, for sharing the local impact of the Prescription Drug Affordability Act. Dr. Vorac traveled to Springfield to advocate for this policy to help serve his customers in Henry County.
AROUND THE DISTRICT
Flag on OSF Healthcare harkens back to Downtown Peoria’s past
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Peoria 911 Dispatch Center
I toured the Peoria Emergency Communications Center (ECC) on July 7. The ECC is the telecommunications link between citizens of Peoria County and the City of Peoria contacting 9-1-1 and local Police, Fire, and EMS. Thank you for the great tour and explanation of your important work.
Rep. Spain enjoyed visiting April House Children’s Advocacy Center in Morrison on July 21 after having met Carrie Melton and her team previously when they visited Springfield. Rep. Spain appreciated the great tour and discussion about the important mission of April House CAC.
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