SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs) advanced a bill from the Senate Judiciary Committee that would allow state agencies that purchase food through a contract to donate leftovers.
“Millions of Americans struggle with hunger while billions of pounds of food are wasted,” Glowiak Hilton said. “The state needs to lead by example and do all it can to curb food waste and ensure that the most vulnerable of us are fed.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that 30-40 percent of the total food supply is wasted each year. Most food waste occurs at the retail and consumer levels.
SPRINGFIELD – Rising tuition costs have made higher education inaccessible to many Illinois students, but State Senators Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) and Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant (D-Shorewood) hope to put college back within their reach by expanding grant programs for students in need.
“As high school students begin to explore options for higher education, many are turned off by the rising cost and lack of need-based assistance,” Bertino-Tarrant said. “It is imperative students who want to get an associate’s degree or certificate have the opportunity to do so without going into debt.”
Murphy and Bertino-Tarrant are sponsoring separate measures that would expand grant programs to students entering college.
Read more: Murphy, Bertino-Tarrant propose grant programs to offset tuition
SPRINGFIELD – To battle increasing suicide rates, State Senator Tom Cullerton advanced a measure to ensure suicide prevention information is readily available to college students.
Cullerton (D-Villa Park) advanced Senate Bill 2495, which requires state public universities and community colleges to publish numbers for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and the Crisis Text Line on the back of each student identification card.
“Improving access to mental health resources is a simple step state universities and community colleges can take to save lives,” Cullerton said. “Students are constantly required to use their student ID card to access sporting events, dorm rooms or utilize their meal plan. Ensuring these lifesaving helplines are easily accessible can be the difference between life and death.”
Read more: Tom Cullerton: Accessible suicide hotlines could save lives
SPRINGFIELD – After a weeklong water shortage at a mobile home park in her district, State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) is taking action to ensure that residents can count on the owners of their parks to maintain livable conditions.
Last winter, residents of the Blackhawk Estates mobile home park in unincorporated Des Plaines were unable to shower, do laundry or wash dishes after pipes froze, cutting off access to clean running water across the park.
“Water is a vital resource. During the situation in Blackhawk Estates last year, people couldn’t cook, perform household tasks or care for their pets. Without water, their homes became unlivable,” said Murphy. “I want to make sure that it never happens again.”
Read more: Mobile home parks must ensure clean water, Murphy demands
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