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The Majority Report - July 29, 2019 - Murphy promotes mental health resources for students

The Majority Report - August 26, 2019 - Manar law to increase minimum teacher salary

The Majority Report - September 3, 2019 - Martinez law works to protect students from sexual abuse

The Majority Report - July 22, 2019 - Manar seeks review of Land of Lincoln Goodwill state contracts

The Majority Report - July 15, 2019 - Senators work in district on job creation, fraud prevention

The Majority Report - July 8, 2019 - Take a look: New laws are in effect

The Majority Report - July 1, 2019 - Steans, Hutchinson bill legalizing adult-use cannabis is law

The Majority Report - June 24, 2019 - Mulroe retires from Senate to become circuit court judge

The Majority Report - June 10, 2019 - Senate Democrats pass major legislation during landmark session

The Majority Report - June 3, 2019 - Senate passes balanced budget, first capital bill in a decade

The Majority Report - May 20, 2019 - Munoz works to prevent roadway fatalities

The Majority Report - May 13, 2019 - Lawmakers introduce plan to legalize adult-use cannabis

SPRINGFIELD – Senate Education Chair Jennifer Bertino Tarrant lead the Senate in declaring May 6 to 10 as Teacher Appreciation Week in Illinois.

Bertino-Tarrant (D-Shorewood) passed Senate Joint Resolution 40 which emphasizes the General Assembly’s gratitude for teachers across Illinois.

“Our teachers are responsible for developing the minds of our future leaders,” Bertino-Tarrant said. “Their days do not end when the last school bell rings. Educators across Illinois provide knowledge, support and skills that positively impact students. This week the Senate honors teachers across Illinois for their hard work and dedication to our children.”

In 1985 when the National PTA established Teacher Appreciation Week as the first full week of May.

Senate Joint Resolution 40 passed the Senate with bipartisan support.

The Majority Report - May 6, 2019 - Senate votes to update tax structure, protect middle-class and working families

Illinois State Police Trooper Christopher Lambert was assisting in a traffic accident on the Tri-State Tollway in January when he was struck by a speeding motorist and killed. A five-year member of the State Police, Trooper Lambert was traveling home to Highland Park when the crash occurred.

A ceremony this week at the newly finished Illinois State Police Memorial Park honored Trooper Lambert’s service to the people of Illinois.

“Trooper Lambert’s selfless sacrifice toward ensuring the safety of Illinoisans is why we are all here today,” State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield) said. “In the months and years ahead, let us never forget the thousands of Illinois State Police officers and others in law enforcement who get up every day in the service of their fellow Illinoisans.”

The Majority Report - April 29, 2019 - Local construction needs continue to be revealed at statewide hearings

The Majority Report - April 22, 2019 - Senate Dems prioritize mental health care for first responders

The Majority Report - April 15, 2019 - Teacher shortage, fair tax, worker protections. Check, check, check.

On the heels of a new era beginning in Illinois this year with a new governor, the City of Chicago has set a new course as well by electing Lori Lightfoot as its incoming mayor. Lightfoot is already reaching out to the General Assembly and was introduced by President John Cullerton in the Senate Thursday afternoon.

In her comments, Lightfoot spoke to cooperation and shared concerns, saying solutions forged together should have resonance across the entire state. She is open and eager to work together.

Lightfoot grew up in a union household and, having seen workers lose their pensions due to financial mismanagement, said she believes pensions are a promise and wants to work together to ensure these commitments.

SPRINGFIELD – A set of measures designed to address Illinois’ teacher shortage crisis passed the state Senate Wednesday night, championed by State Senator Andy Manar, the plan’s sponsor.

Senate Bill 1952 received bipartisan support and will go to the House for consideration.

The measure contains the following provisions:

• It reinstates the 6 percent cap for teacher salary increases to be covered by the state. Last year, lawmakers lowered the cap to 3 percent.
• It removes the requirement that teachers must pass a basic skills test to be licensed.
• It permits K-12 student teachers and early childhood student teachers to be paid.
• It creates a refund program for teachers in underfunded, hard-to-staff school districts to recoup the cost of the teacher performance assessment.
• It allows early childhood student teachers to be paid and receive credit.

“We have to continue making changes to the things that are detrimental to the teaching profession and are driving would-be teachers to other states,” said Manar, a Bunker Hill Democrat. “I think this package is a necessary step, and I am excited that it contains excellent ideas that originated with teachers on the frontlines in schools throughout the state.”

Illinois’ teaching shortage is more profound in rural and downstate communities, studies show.

Last year, Manar passed a different set of measures to address the teacher shortage crisis, including slashing red tape to encourage educators outside of Illinois to apply for hard-to-fill jobs here, creating a short-term substitute teaching license and allowing downstate retired teachers to substitute in classrooms without jeopardizing their retirement benefits. The packaged was signed into law in June.