Stephanie Kifowit proudly served her country in the United States Marine Corps, the city of Aurora as Alderman for over 9 years, and now as State Representative of the 84th District. As a registered financial adviser, Kifowit helped families make the best long-term decisions for their futures. In her first term as State Representative, Kifowit introduced and supported legislation that would freeze property taxes, assist veterans, and help restore integrity to state government. She is a proud alumna of Northern Illinois University, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science and a Masters degree in Public Administration.
Issues that Stephanie Kifowit has worked on while representing YOU.
Keeping Property Taxes as Low as Possible
Kifowit does not think it’s fair that property taxes continue to skyrocket even as home values drop and families struggle to keep their homes. She voted for legislation to lower property taxes. Kifowit opposes any measure to shift the burden of public employee pension costs on to local homeowners through property tax increases.
Representative Government
As an advocate for responsible government, Representative Kifowit sponsored and passed Senate Bill 3387, which changed the Fox Valley Park District board from an appointed board to an elected board. The Fox Valley Park District is the largest park district outside Chicago and the only park district except Chicago to have an appointed board. Kifowit believes that residents have the right to elect members of the taxing bodies and to hold them accountable. The first election of the Fox Valley Park District Board was in 2017.
Budget cuts line by line
As Vice Chairman of a key House budget committee, Kifowit helped to lead a line-by-line review of state agency expenditures to identity sources of savings and protect taxpayer dollars. As a result, the State of Illinois has received six credit upgrades in the past year, has paid down the bill backlog and pays it's bills within 30 days, in addition to putting money in a "rainy day" fund for the future. Illinois is now on the right track, and she intends to make sure it continues that way.
Supporting Our Veterans
As a Veteran of the United States Marines, Kifowit is a strong advocate in the Capitol for veterans and military families.
Stephanie Kifowit helped pass into law property tax relief for veterans that are severely disabled. These veterans have given so much for our country; they deserve to be given relief from their property taxes.
Kifowit passed long-awaited recognition for Vietnam Veterans with an official "Welcome Home Proclamation" to honor veterans of the Vietnam War.
Supporting veterans as they return home is a top priority of Kifowit’s. Representative Kifowit passed legislation to address Veteran Suicide and will work with the community to help prevent the suicide of service members after they have returned from serving.
Creating Jobs at Home
Too many Illinoisans are still out of work, underemployed, or working multiple low-paying jobs just to make ends meet. Representative Kifowit knows it is important to support employers who create jobs in our communities and support our families with good-paying jobs. Kifowit co-sponsored Senate Bill 226 to increase the amount of American-made and Illinois-made products sold. In addition, she co-sponsored legislation that requires the State Police and other state agencies to buy and lease vehicles that are assembled in America.
To help workers that have been displaced, or whose jobs have been moved overseas, Kifowit supported legislation to allow displaced, unemployed workers to apply for grants to attend college and retrain in a new field. She will continue to support initiatives that will put people back to work and jump start our local economy.
Keeping our Families Safe
Representative Kifowit has worked hard to protect our children from dangerous sex offenders. She fought for legislation to crack down on convicted child sex offenders who take advantage of a legal loophole to stalk children.
Kifowit supported a Constitutional Amendment, “Marsy’s Law,” to protect crime victims’ ability to enforce their rights in a court of law. She also advocated for victims of domestic abuse by passing a law that requires insurance companies to forward patient information to an alternative address if the person is a victim of domestic abuse.
Kifowit passed and signed into law "Ann Marie's Law" to bring more awareness to youth suicide. This law enables school districts to be more proactive in identifying the warning signs of young students who might be at risk of taking their own life. Ann Marie was an 11 year old girl who sadly took her own life, and through this legislation we hope to prevent other youth from doing the same.
Paid for by Friends of Stephanie Kifowit. A copy of our report is filed with the State Board of Elections and is (or will be) available on the board's official website (www.elections.il.gov) or for purchase from the State Board of Elections, Springfield IL. Donations are not deductible as a charitable contribution.