SPRINGFIELD – A new law signed Friday championed by State Senator Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) works to update state practices aimed at protecting older residents.

“Even preceding the pandemic, older residents are a top target for scams, financial exploitation and other abuses,” Crowe said. “To face the growing challenges surrounding abandonment, abuse and isolation, this law creates comprehensive solutions that enact effective change for older Illinoisans.”

MARYVILLE – Felicity Guttman, a recent graduate of Edwardsville High School, was one of just five students statewide selected by the Illinois Conservation Foundation to receive the Conservation Achievement Scholarship, State Senator Rachelle Aud Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) announced Tuesday.

Guttman was chosen for the scholarship because of her work to reduce pollution in farming.

“It’s encouraging to see our state recognize students who make an effort to preserve and protect our natural resources,” Crowe said. “The Metro East community is fortunate to have Felicity promoting sustainable practices in the agriculture industry and representing local environmental interests.”

Last year, Guttman began raising chickens and found a creative way to reduce waste: she composted chicken manure to use as fertilizer in her garden beds.

Guttman is also passionate about keeping her neighborhood clean and always carries a bag on walks to pick up trash along the way.

According to ICF, awardees must be Illinois high school seniors who demonstrate efforts to enhance and promote Illinois' natural resources. All five scholarship recipients will receive $2,000 to use for college expenses.

Guttman plans to study crop and soil science while pursuing a degree in agronomy at the University of Missouri in Columbia.

“Caring for the environment should be inherent in us,” Crowe said. “I applaud the scholarship recipients for taking an active role in promoting sustainable practices, as well as all other young people working to care for our planet.”

More information on the scholarship program and a list of other recipients can be found on ICF’s website.

MARYVILLE – To ensure local emergency services are prepared to protect Metro East communities, State Senator Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) announced four local fire departments will receive funding through the Small Equipment Grant Program, administered by the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal.

“Fire departments and protection districts in downstate oftentimes have difficulty purchasing equipment due to budget constraints,” Crowe said. “With these investments in public safety, our state can help ensure our firefighters have adequate equipment, and are ready to serve and protect our families and communities.”

The Small Equipment Grant Program was established by OSFM to provide grants of up to $26,000 to support small firefighting and ambulance equipment purchases. A total of $3.3 million was awarded to 149 fire departments and EMS providers across the state through the program.

Four grant recipients are located within the 56th Senate District:

• Collinsville Fire Department – $20,000
• Edwardsville Fire Department – $9,554
• South Roxana Fire Protection District- $26,000
• Village of East Alton Fire Department – $25,367.25

A complete list of recipients and awards can be found on the OSFM website.

EDWARDSVILLE – Under the leadership of vice-chair State Senator Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon), members of the Senate Tourism and Hospitality Committee met Thursday at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville to allow Metro East industry leaders and owners the opportunity to address lawmakers and give feedback on the state’s economic recovery plan.

“The COVID-19 pandemic put a pause on the state economy, keeping residents close to home and taking a particularly staggering toll on Illinois’ tourism industry,” Crowe said. “By giving local business owners the opportunity to address lawmakers directly, we can work to truly recover from the pandemic’s hardships to craft plans and policies at the state level to help our communities bounce back.”

SPRINGFIELD – In tribute to a fallen firefighter from East Alton, State Senator Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) passed a resolution through the Senate to designate West Delmar Avenue between Pierce Lane and Valhalla Cemetery in Godfrey as the “Captain Jake Ringering Memorial Highway”.

“Captain Ringering was an incredible person, mentor and family man,” Crowe said. “This will serve as a reminder to our community of his selfless sacrifices.”

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Senate has approved a plan led by State Senator Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) to create a state task force designed to review and address discrepancies in laws regarding child physical and sexual abuse.

“In my background as a prosecutor, I have witnessed the effects of abuse on sexual assault survivors, particularly children,” Crowe said. “By creating a task force with the common goal to improve the state’s handling of these incidents, we can defend our children as they undergo tremendous trauma.”

To address concerns in the medical response to child abuse, the Child Sexual and Physical Abuse Task Force will investigate, assess and make recommendations on the Sexual Assault Survivors Emergency Treatment Act (SASETA).

SPRINGFIELD – In alliance with advocates from Chestnut Health Systems in Granite City and Centerstone in Alton, State Senator Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) voted to enhance behavioral health care resources across Illinois.

“Following the pandemic, the availability of quality mental health and addiction services is more critical than ever,” Crowe said. “Implementing a new approach to treatment will help facilitate a more accessible, community-centered health care system in disadvantaged areas.”

Crowe sent a letter to the Legislative Medicaid Working Group in April on behalf of Chestnut Health Systems and Centerstone urging the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services to develop a pilot program for the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) model. The initiative was included in the proposal passed by the Senate.

SPRINGFIELD – To give young people the tools to recognize and prevent opioid abuse, State Senator Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) advanced legislation through the Senate to educate students on the dangers of opioid addiction.

“Young students and athletes may be prescribed opiates to relieve pain from injuries or surgeries before learning the risks of abuse,” Crowe said. “It’s important that kids know the health consequences associated with opioid misuse and dependency before entering high school.”

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, 54 Illinois residents ages 15-24 fatally overdosed in 2019, with an additional 581 non-fatally overdosing. Crowe’s plan would begin engaging students in age-appropriate discussions on opioid abuse from kindergarten to eighth grade.