Cullerton: Crisis hotlines are vital for suicide prevention

SPRINGFIELD – As rates of suicide and depression among young people rise, State Senator Tom Cullerton (D- Villa Park) advanced a measure that would ensure suicide prevention information is readily available to college students.

“This past year has not been easy on anyone, including our college students, many of whom lost their jobs or were forced to move unexpectedly,” Cullerton said. “Crisis hotlines are vital resources for those who feel like they have nowhere else to turn. The easier these resources are to access, the better.”

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Payday loan rates capped under new law

CHICAGO – State Senator Jacqueline Collins (D-Chicago) joined Gov. JB Pritzker Tuesday as he signed the Predatory Loan Prevention Act, the culmination of years of work on the part of Collins and advocates to rein in the payday loan industry.

The legislation caps payday loan rates at 36%. Illinois will join 17 states and the District of Columbia in instituting such a cap.

“I was proud to stand as chief co-sponsor to this legislation,” Collins said. “Payday loans are targeted directly at communities of color and only reinforce the dynamics that keep poor families poor. I applaud Governor Pritzker’s action today and thank the people who have called for this long-overdue new law.”

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Van Pelt to expand consumer choice for Black mothers

SPRINGFIELD – In order to combat higher rate of maternal mortality, Black mothers would have more birth options under a measure sponsored by State Senator Patricia Van Pelt (D-Chicago) that was advanced out of the Senate Healthcare Access and Availability Tuesday afternoon.

“So many Black mothers have died unnecessarily due to racism within our health care system and a lack of options for care,” Van Pelt said. “We must ensure that more options are available to them for pre- and post-natal care, so that we can avoid the grave statistics of maternal mortality.”

Senate Bill 1826 requires the Task Force on Infant and Maternal Mortality Among African Americans to partner with community-based maternal care providers to develop a Medicaid voucher pilot program.

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Connor teams up with AFSCME, Citizens Utility Board to require voter approval for water privatization

SPRINGFIELD – Any municipality seeking to privatize its water company will be required to first receive approval from voters if Senate Bill 164 becomes law. State Senator John Connor (D-Lockport), sponsor of SB 164, joined the Citizens Utility Board and AFSCME to discuss the measure in a press conference Monday morning.

“There are communities right now in Illinois who have been fighting to get back control of their water systems from private companies, and they're not winning on behalf of their citizens,” Connor said. “Illinois private water companies are seeing record profits as a result of legislation that opened an express lane up for them to acquire public water systems from towns and villages.”

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