GLENVIEW – As offices and businesses across the state begin to reopen under new health and safety guidelines, the Illinois Secretary of State will reopen driver services facilities to offer limited services starting June 1, State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview) announced Wednesday.

“There’s no rush to get to a facility, since expiration dates have been extended and services are still available online,” said Fine. “But it’s good to see the Secretary of State’s office reopening their facilities with employees’ and customers’ safety in mind.”

SPRINGFIELD — The General Assembly passed a revamped hospital assessment plan Friday that infuses an additional $450 million annually to Illinois hospitals.

“One of the most important things we can do right now is ensure the long term viability of Medicaid and our hospital system,” said State Senator Heather Steans (D-Chicago). “I’m grateful for the quick work my colleagues did in negotiating and passing this legislation.”

SPRINGFIELD – Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) led a measure through the Senate Saturday to expand disability benefits for some frontline state employees, protect retail workers from assault, and allow horse racetrack casino, or racino, employees to organize.

“The current pandemic has underlined the need for securing basic rights for working class people with disproportionate infection rates among populations with a high number of essential workers,” Lightford said.

SPRINGFIELD – To provide much needed flexibility and relief as businesses and counties begin to reopen, State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) sponsored legislation that would give property owners the means to continue meeting the challenges presented by COVID-19.

"I led the Senate’s economic revitalization working group with one goal in mind. We had to provide people with real, tangible solutions to the enormous challenges brought on by the pandemic,” Koehler said. “Implementing property tax relief measures and extending payment deadlines is where we have to start as we begin to work toward the recovery of our local economies.”