CHAMPAIGN, IL (Chambana Today) – U.S. Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) is hosting a high-level roundtable today, July 28, in Springfield to address growing concerns about mail delivery performance and access to postal services across Central and Southern Illinois.
The event, held at Lincoln Land Community College’s Trutter Center from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., brings together elected officials, union leaders, agricultural representatives, and postal workers for a collaborative discussion on the future of the U.S. Postal Service in rural and underserved parts of the state.
Key topics on the agenda include improving on-time mail delivery, protecting postal jobs, stopping facility consolidations, and opposing privatization efforts that could harm communities reliant on local post offices.
Among the featured participants are:
- Rep. Nikki Budzinski, IL-13
- State Sen. Doris Turner
- State Rep. Mike Coffey
- Mike Murphy, President, Springfield Chamber
- Barbara Bridges, Champaign postal worker and activist
- Pam Shumard, Illinois Rural Letter Carriers Association
- Harry Wright, National Postal Mail Handlers Union
- Johnny Bishop, American Postal Workers Union
- Chad Ludwig, National Association of Letter Carriers
- John Galer, National Newspapers Association
- Michael Winters, National Association of Postal Supervisors
- Zach Brys, National Star Route Mail Contractors Association
- Mark Bunselmeyer, Illinois Corn
The forum aims to give a voice to postal employees and local leaders from across downstate Illinois—including cities like Champaign, Decatur, and Carbondale—who are seeing firsthand how mail service delays and facility consolidations impact their communities.
“This conversation is about protecting a service that’s essential for every resident, every small business, and every rural town in Illinois,” said Budzinski in a statement ahead of the event.