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SPRINGFIELD – To protect the wellbeing of public school employees, State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) passed legislation in the Illinois Senate that would offer the same terms and conditions as the federal Family and Medical Leave Act.

“Illinois should expand access to family and medical leave for working families,” Villivalam said. “Our educators and school staff work on the frontlines every day to provide a quality education for our youth and deserve their leave with no strings attached.”

SPRINGFIELD – To uphold the rights of working people, State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) introduced a Constitutional amendment that would ban “Right to Work” legislation in Illinois.

“Workers in all industries should have the right to organize and bargain for better wages and conditions,” Villivalam said. “Illinois is one of the last bastions of the labor movement, and we must act to preserve and protect it.”

The amendment would provide that no law passed may prohibit the ability of workers to collectively bargain over wages, hours, terms and conditions of work. The measure would effectively ban “Right to Work” laws in Illinois, which prohibit union security agreements in which an employer and a labor union agree on the extent to which employees are compelled to pay for the administering of collective bargaining.

CHICAGO – To better serve undocumented and immigrant communities, State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) passed legislation in the Illinois Senate on Thursday that would allow municipal ID cards to be used to access state services and facilities.

“All residents of Illinois, regardless of immigration status, should be able to receive essential state services,” Villivalam said. “Allowing municipal IDs to be used for this will allow the most vulnerable among us to get the assisstance they need.”

SPRINGFIELD – To protect the wellbeing of public school employees, State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) passed legislation in the Senate Labor Committee that would offer the same terms and conditions as the federal Family and Medical Leave Act.

“Illinois should expand access to family and medical leave for working families,” Villivalam said. “Our educators and school staff work on the frontlines every day to provide a quality education for our youth and deserve their leave with no strings attached.”

Government agencies and elementary and secondary schools are covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act, which allows for up to 12 weeks of unpaid job-protected leave for specified reasons. Employees must have worked for the employer for at least 12 months and have worked at least 1,250 hours. The legislation would lower the current work hour requirement from 1,250 hours to 1,000 hours, which is the federal standard.

SPRINGFIELD – To allow students of all faiths to practice freely, State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) passed legislation out of the Senate Education Committee that would provide them with up to five days of excused absences for religious holidays.

“Illinois is a diverse state with several religious communities,” Villivalam said. “Our school calendar should reflect the diversity of our state and allow students of all faiths the flexibility to practice according to their religious calendar.”

The legislation would allow for excused absence from public schools to observe a religious holiday or participate in religious instruction. No more than five days per school year would be given to students. The legislation is an initiative of the Northern Illinois American Muslim Alliance (NIAMA).

“This would provide school children the ability to celebrate important religious holidays and strengthen the bond between their families,” said Vaseem Iftekhar, Chairman and Founder of NIAMA. “This change would be greatly welcomed by Muslim and other religious communities.”

“As the Muslim population grows in Chicagoland, it is important for school systems to recognize our holidays and customs,” said Kamran Hussain, President of the Muslim Community Center. “This would allow Muslim youth to have a sense of pride that their school recognizes and respects their values.”

“This measure ensures every student, family and community is respected, and it supports the diverse faith identities across our state,” said Dr. Dilara Sayeed of the Illinois Muslim Civic Coalition. “We are proud to support this bill moving forward."

House Bill 169 passed the Senate Education Committee and awaits consideration before the full Senate.

CHICAGO – To honor the working people who have died in work zones, State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago), Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, is reminding drivers to slow down and move over when passing through work zones this upcoming construction season.

“Road builders keep commuters and our economy moving, so please give them the space they need as you drive through work zones,” Villivalam said. “We all want to make it home to our families at the end of the day.”

WHO: State Senator Ram Villivalam, State Rep. John D’Amico, State Rep. Margaret Croke, Alderman Samantha Nugent, Commissioner Bridget Degnen, Compassionate Care Network, Jewel-Osco, Salvation Army

WHAT: COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic

WHERE: Salvation Army Mayfair Community Church, 5200 N. Pulaski Rd., Chicago, IL 60630

WHEN: Thursday, April 29 at 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.

CHICAGO – This Thursday at 8 a.m. local leaders and organizations will host a COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Salvation Army Mayfair Community Church, providing 1,200 doses of the Pfizer vaccine to members of the community.

Open to all over the age of 16, regardless of residency, insurance or immigration status, this community-driven event invites those who have experienced difficulty finding vaccination appointments, particularly due to disparities in health care. Appointments will take place every 15 minutes and photo ID is required. Registration is available online, by phone at 872-208-5188 and by text at 224-592-5819.

“We need to reach out to underserved communities so they can get the help they deserve. The pandemic may have separated us, but the vaccine is bringing us together,” said Abrar Quader, Executive Director for the Compassionate Care Network (CCN), a public health non-profit which has been at the forefront of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout since early February.

“For the health and safety of our communities, it is critical that all those eligible are able to access a vaccine. This event is centered on those who have had the most difficulty doing so,” said State Senator Ram Villivalam.

Alderman Samantha Nugent also encouraged her community to register for the clinic.

“Vaccine accessibility gets us one step closer to eliminating COVID-19 and resuming normalcy,” she said.

“The Salvation Army is excited to partner in this effort to ensure our most vulnerable neighbors can access the vaccine at a location they know and trust," said Lt. Col. Lonneal Richardson, Divisional Commander for The Salvation Army Metropolitan Division. "We have been here before and during the pandemic, and we will be here long after to help.”

SPRINGFIELD – To provide quality care to patients with Alzheimer’s disease, State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) passed legislation in the Illinois Senate that would add Alzheimer’s and dementia training to the license renewal process for doctors and other healthcare providers.

“Diagnosing Alzheimer’s early is essential for receiving the best treatment possible,” Villivalam said. “This legislation will better enable doctors and all healthcare providers to identify and recommend treatment to patients showing early signs of dementia.”