Faraci honors Senator Scott Bennett through memorial highway initiative

SPRINGFIELD – To honor the life and legacy of the late Senator Scott Bennett, State Senator Paul Faraci advanced a measure to name portions of I-74 the "Senator Scott M. Bennett Memorial Highway."

“Senator Bennett was treasured by friends, family and his community,” said Faraci (D-Champaign). “His camaraderie and his dedication to serving his constituents will forever be missed. However, this is a way we can continue to honor him for decades to come”

Senator Scott Bennett joined the Senate as the unanimous choice to fill the vacancy in the 52^nd State Senate District in 2015. Since the beginning of his career, Senator Bennett dedicated his service to spurring economic development, supporting family farming, providing Illinois’ students with greater opportunities, and promoting bipartisanship across the state. As chair of the Senate’s Higher Education Committee, he was a champion for higher education facilities by advocating for funding and student rights.

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Joyce champions measure allowing three-year hunting, fishing and trapping license

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Patrick Joyce championed a measure that passed the Senate Thursday that will allow an easier way to obtain a hunting, fishing, trapping and sportsmen license.

“This is a commonsense measure that will save people time,” said Joyce (D-Essex). “People will have more time to engage in outdoor activities without having to worry about if their license is expired.”

House Bill 3677 will allow Illinois residents to obtain a three-year fishing, hunting, sportsmen’s combination or trapping license at three times the cost of an annual one.

Under current law, people have to renew their license for these activities every year. This legislation will make the process easier for individuals by allowing them to renew the licenses after three years rather than one.

“This is a big convenience factor for people who hunt, fish and trap, but it also helps out our state’s conservation,” said Joyce. “By switching to three-year license options, we will save people the hassle of renewing their license every year while also helping generate more revenue at a time for the state’s conservation efforts.”

House Bill 3677 passed the Senate.

Loughran Cappel advances measures to further tackle teacher shortage

SPRINGFIELD – As a strong advocate for teachers, State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel spearheaded two measures through the Senate to continue her efforts to address the teacher shortage that would increase the number of days substitute teachers can be in a classroom and increase the annual pay cap for teachers who mentor or provide professional development.

“I want to express my support for teachers and acknowledge the difficulties faced by many school districts in finding teachers and substitutes,” said Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood). “It’s important that we collaborate with school districts to provide them with the flexibility they need to adapt to different situations.”

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Ventura leads measure to restore degraded forests and prairies

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Rachel Ventura advanced a new measure that would create a grant for local governments to help mitigate the impact of climate change.

“We need to encourage local governments to plant native trees and grasses, which are proven to help mitigate climate change through carbon capture,” said Ventura (D-Joliet). “With the climate crisis that is happening across the world, it is evident that legislation through every level of government needs to focus on important issues like this to ensure our children have a healthier planet.”

Senate Bill 2357 creates the Healthy Forests, Wetlands, and Prairies Act which requires the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to establish a grant program for local governments for the purpose of restoring degraded forests and prairies to help remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to mitigate the impact of climate change.

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