Career
Prior to his 2008 appointment to the, Bivins served for two decades as the Lee County Sheriff. Bivins previously served as sheriff of Lee County, Illinois, which includes Dixon. He was elected sheriff in 1986 and served until 2006, retiring as Lee County"s longest serving sheriff.
He served on security details for President Ronald Reagan, Vice President George H. Bush, Vice President Dan Quayle, House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, Governor Jim Edgar, Governor Jim Thompson, Governor George Ryan, and United States Senator Peter Fitzgerald.
During his tenure as Sheriff, Tim served as President of the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association. Tim also served on the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission, having been appointed by then-Governor Jim Edgar.
Committee assignments: State Government & Veterans Affairs (Minority Spokesperson). Agriculture and Conservation.
Appropriations I; Commerce.
Criminal Law. Committee of the Whole. Joint Commander on Government Reform.
Criminal Law Subcomm. on Firearms.
Subcommittee on Animal Welfare. Subcommittee on Coal Mining. Subcomm. on Fertilizers & Chemicals.
To get the state budget back on track, he advocates a return to fiscal discipline and spending restraint, rather than increasing debt.
He supports tax cuts. He is a strong supporter of gun rights.
Four of five bills sponsored by Senator Bivins in his first legislative session – covering ethics, local schools, county jails and law enforcement – were passed by lawmakers. The 45th District Senator also finished the fiscal year with money to spare in his legislative account – which he returned to the state’s coffers.
During the fall of 2008, he sponsored a number of public hearings in northwestern Illinois about the closing of state parks and historic sites by former Governor Rod Blagojevich.
