Welcome to the Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus

Martwick’s measure to keep artificial intelligence from grading student work passes

SPRINGFIELD — State Senator Robert Martwick’s legislation that would require students be graded by teachers and not artificial intelligence has passed.

“Decisions about grading and student assessment require oversight and fairness from trained professionals, not large language models prone to hallucination and implicit bias,” said Martwick (D-Chicago). “We are in a new world where AI is trying to creep into every aspect of our lives. It is vital to place guardrails for our children to ensure they are protected in educational settings.”

Senate Bill 416 would prohibit teachers from using artificial intelligence to grade a student’s work. It also requires that any other use of AI in a classroom setting be approved by the school board.

Read more: Martwick’s measure to keep artificial intelligence from grading student work passes

Stadelman champions bill to give fans a fair shot at tickets

SPRINGFIELD – As ticket-buying becomes more competitive, State Senator Steve Stadelman is working to strengthen consumer protections in the ticket sales marketplace, prevent the use of bots from buying up tickets and crack down on deceptive online purchasing practices.

“Attending a live event should be about excitement and anticipation, not frustration and unfair obstacles,” said Stadelman (D-Rockford). “This bill puts fans first by stopping bots, cracking down on misleading resellers, and making the ticketing process more transparent.”

As artificial intelligence proliferates in the ticket sales marketplace, consumers are increasingly forced to compete against automated bots that bypass ticket limits and deceptive resale websites that appear to be officially affiliated with artists or venues. Existing federal protections address some of these issues, but gaps in enforcement and transparency continue to frustrate consumers when attempting to purchase event tickets.

Read more: Stadelman champions bill to give fans a fair shot at tickets

Guzmán effort to combat private equity in health care has passed the Senate

SPRINGFIELD –Senator Graciela Guzmán’s bill to monitor private equity in our health care system passed the Senate.

“Health care is not a luxury to be profited off of, but a human right,” said Guzmán (D-Chicago). “We have seen private equity take over portions of our economy and sell off whole industries for parts. We need to understand how much of Illinois’ health care system is controlled by private equity and how it affects both care and access to it. .”

Guzman’s measure would require health care facilities and health care provider organizations, which are parties to a transaction involving a merger or acquisition (i.e., a "covered transaction") to provide notice of the transaction to the Office of the Attorney General. This includes parties to the transaction that are not a health care facility or provider organization but own or control, directly or indirectly, one or more of the two or more health care facilities or provider organizations that will be under common ownership.

Read more: Guzmán effort to combat private equity in health care has passed the Senate

Edly-Allen advances critical AI safety measure to address catastrophic risks, increasing transparency

SPRINGFIELD – Senator Mary Edly-Allen advanced legislation Thursday to establish safety standards and transparency requirements for the largest artificial intelligence developers as AI systems become increasingly integrated into critical infrastructure, cybersecurity and public safety operations.

“Artificial intelligence is advancing rapidly and is like the ‘Wild Wild West’ with little to no guardrails in place. This bill balances the great promise of AI with its possible peril,” said Edly-Allen (D-Grayslake). “This measure is about putting responsible safeguards in place before a preventable catastrophe occurs. Illinois has an opportunity to lead the nation by setting clear expectations for transparency, accountability and public safety.”

Read more: Edly-Allen advances critical AI safety measure to address catastrophic risks, increasing...