SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood) advanced legislation out of the Senate to create a Children’s Mental Health Council in Illinois.

The council would provide recommendations to the governor and General Assembly each year regarding children with mental health conditions and behavioral disabilities.

“As a former special education teacher in Joliet, I’ve seen firsthand the importance of addressing our children’s mental health,” Loughran Cappel said. “I am proud to be the Senate sponsor of this legislation to address this issue and help our students and their families better cope with their mental health conditions.”

SPRINGFIELD – A measure co-sponsored by State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood) to require the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to issue state licenses in four weeks passed the Senate.

“We have a variety of professionals waiting months for their licenses to be issued by the state, which is delaying them from getting to work” Loughran Cappel said. “By expediting the licensing process, we are making life and finances just a little easier for our vocational workers.”

The legislation was introduced after hearing word from local residents that the professional licensing process was taking too long. Under the legislation, IDFPR will be required to process applications within four weeks as long as there were no deficiencies submitted. The measure would expedite licenses for health care workers, accountants, speech pathologists and other professionals.

SPRINGFIELD – Legislation spearheaded by State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood) to waive application fees for short-term substitute teaching licenses cleared the Senate Wednesday.

“As a parent and former teacher, I believe we have an obligation to ensure our children have access to a high-quality education,” Loughran Cappel said. “A student’s education should not stop when their teacher is sick or unable to be in the classroom, which is why we need to simplify the process for qualified individuals to substitute teach.”

ROMEOVILLE – State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood) is inviting Romeoville residents to attend her February Coffee and Conversation event on Monday, Feb. 28.

“These casual events provide the perfect opportunity for constituents to meet with their elected officials,” Loughran Cappel said. “This is a great way to hear from community members first-hand and learn what is important to them.”

The event will be held from 3-4:30 p.m. at the Romeoville Branch of the White Oak Library located at 201 Normantown Rd. in Romeoville.

SPRINGFIELD – Application fees may soon be waived for short-term substitute teaching licenses under a plan by State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood) that advanced out of the Senate Education Committee Tuesday. 

“Staffing is one of the most important, if not the most important, challenges that our schools are facing during this awful pandemic,” said Senate Education Committee Vice-Chair Loughran Cappel. “We have a responsibility to do all we can to ensure our students have access to teachers, and it’s my goal to get them there.”

SPRINGFIELD – Following Governor JB Pritzker’s budget address Wednesday, State Senator Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood) is pleased to see the state fully fund K-12 education and provide more funding for need-based higher education grants.

“The pandemic has created many difficulties for families with school-aged children and adults seeking further education,” said Loughran Cappel, vice-chair of the Senate Education Committee. “Now, more than ever, we must support educators and students — and this is a good starting point as we begin the budget process.”

The budget proposal builds upon the state’s promise to allocated money toward the K-12 education evidence-based funding formula, as well as increasing funds for early childhood education, state universities, and career and technical education programs. Loughran Cappel is especially supportive of proposed increases to MAP, or Monetary Award Program funding, which greatly improves access to higher education for low-income students. Under the proposal, more than 24,000 additional students would be able to receive assistance.

SPRINGFIELD – February 2022 may soon be Career and Technical Education Month in Illinois, thanks to State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood).

“Career and technical education is another tool to give our children real-world skills to excel in their future careers,” Loughran Cappel said. “CTE connects and creates a pathway for Illinois students to be prepared for the jobs of the future.”

Approximately 12.5 million high school and college students are enrolled in CTE courses across the country. Advance CTE reports that the high school graduation rate for CTE concentrators is about 90%– 15 percentage points higher than the national average.

Loughran Cappel’s district is served by the Wilco Area Career Center, which works with area students to develop skill sets that provide a pathway to college and career readiness.

PLAINFIELD – State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood) will host a virtual Theft and Scams Prevention Workshop with the office of the Illinois comptroller Wednesday.

The hour-long workshop, which takes place Wednesday, Jan. 26 at 12 p.m., will inform residents of the best practices to avoid becoming a victim of fraud, scams and identity theft.

It will be livestreamed through State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel’s Facebook Page, at @SenatorMegLoughranCappel.