Podcast: McNamara talks local impact of One Big Beautiful Bill and more
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Mayor Tom McNamara joined Steve Summers on This Week in the Stateline to recap his recent State of the City address, including the potential impact of the One Big Beautiful Bill on Rockfordians.
“I’m not here to say every single thing in that bill is bad,” McNamara said on This Week in the Stateline. “When you look at those who will be most negatively impacted by that bill, it will hit Rockfordians incredibly hard. …
“We have spoken with nonprofits in our community that will literally be losing tens of millions of dollars and not be able to serve tens of thousands of residents in our area.”
McNamara also discussed Fire Chief Michele Pankow’s recent selection to serve as the next Illinois state fire marshal. Pankow is making history as the first woman to serve as state fire marshal in Illinois history.
“She has done so much great work here at the city of Rockford for more than 30 years as a member of the Rockford Fire Department,” McNamara said. “I think all of Rockford should be proud. There’s only one fire marshal in the state of Illinois, and that fire marshal now comes from the city of Rockford.”
Related: 8 takeaways from McNamara’s 8th State of the City address
Listen to the full podcast at the top of this article.
