SPRINGFIELD – To meet the needs of defendants who have been determined to be unfit for trial languishing in county jails, State Senator Karina Villa advanced a measure Tuesday.

“As is, our justice system is unable to care for every individual living with mental health conditions who is unfit for trial which leads to people being sent to jail rather than receiving the treatment they need to undergo fair court proceedings,” said Villa (D-West Chicago).“Modeling best practices within the criminal justice system and focusing on effective rehabilitation efforts will result in better mental health outcomes for impacted individuals.”

House Bill 3572 would clarify standards to determine whether someone unfit to stand trial should be diverted to outpatient state mental health treatment programs.

SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus condemns the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s visit to Springfield this week, viewing it as yet another attempt by this administration to instill fear within our Latino and immigrant communities. In response, the ILLC released the following statement:

“It is both sinister and cowardly that Noem would choose Latino Unity Day—a celebration of community advocacy—to undermine immigrant voices. This calculated move aims to fuel anxiety and polarization while exploiting our resilience for political gain.

“The federal administration’s troubling actions reflect a pattern of disrespect, particularly evident in allegations of detaining immigrants without due process. In Illinois, we stand firm in our commitment to protect immigrant communities under the Illinois TRUST Act, which limits local law enforcement's role in federal immigration enforcement.

SPRINGFIELD –State Senator Karina Villa led a measure through committee to crack down on landlords that may maliciously or ignorantly place a minor on an eviction action, resulting in negative consequences affecting a child’s future ability to rent.

“While eviction is traumatic for families in its own right, including a child in an eviction filing can negatively impact their lives for years to come,” said Villa (D-West Chicago). “Through no fault of their own, a minor’s record will reflect that eviction. Illinois must protect these innocent people from the careless actions of landlords.”

SPRINGFIELD – An initiative championed by State Senator Karina Villa that fortifies safe drinking water standards passed the Senate on Wednesday.

“Every water source we rely on should meet safe drinking water standards to secure the health of our communities,” said Villa (D-West Chicago). “Safe water is invaluable. Our water sources must be reliable.”

Senate Bill 2266 would allow the Illinois Department of Public Health to impose civil penalties against non-community water supplies that violate drinking water standards and clarifies that the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency is the primary agency responsible for implementing the Safe Drinking Water Act, consistent with federal law.

SPRINGFIELD – A measure addressing increased congenital syphilis cases in Illinois championed by State Senator Karina Villa advanced Wednesday.

“As we continue to see a trend in rising congenital syphilis cases across the country, it is critical that our laws reflect best practice to ensure the health and safety of an expecting parent and their child,” said Villa (D-West Chicago). “The earlier it is caught, the better it can be treated.”

Senate Bill 119 would require the second syphilis test conducted on pregnant individuals to be done between 27 and 32 weeks of pregnancy to ensure treatment can begin at least 30 days before delivery. The measure would also expand authorization to administer the test to health care professionals who are qualified in addition to physicians.

SPRINGFIELD – An initiative addressing discriminatory school disciplinary practices championed by State Senator Karina Villa passed the Senate on Wednesday.

“A student being ticketed for behavior at school can result in them being thrown into the system, hindering their future opportunities,” said Villa (D-West Chicago). “School discipline that mirrors law enforcement practices is ineffective at addressing the root causes of student behavior.”

Senate Bill 1519 would ensure that no person is allowed to issue a fine or fee to a student as a disciplinary consequence for behavior during school. The bill would also require school districts with a school resource officer to have a memorandum of understanding with their local law enforcement agency, establishing that SROs are properly trained and do not use fines or tickets for disciplinary infractions.

SPRINGFIELD – A measure led by State Senator Karina Villa that would increase access to alternative options for opioid prescription medication passed the Senate on Thursday.

“With the potential risk of developing a serious addiction from prescription opioids, our health care system should provide alternative options for pain management if that is what a patient is looking for,” said Villa (D-West Chicago). “The thousands of individuals across our state who depend on pain management treatment should have access to alternatives that do not put them at risk of developing a substance use disorder.”

SPRINGFIELD – To combat housing insecurity and uphold human rights, State Senator Karina Villa advanced a measure that would place restrictions on municipal and county crime-free and nuisance property ordinances (CFNOs).

“Ensuring that our communities are safe is a top priority, but misguided crime-free housing and nuisance property ordinances can do more harm than good in our communities,” said Villa (D-West Chicago). “Individuals should not fear eviction as a result of contacting police. This is counterintuitive and puts the lives of vulnerable and working-class families at risk.”

CFNOs often require landlords to deny housing, evict, fine or penalize tenants for general connection to criminal activity. The breadth of these ordinances leads to unfair penalties and evictions, which disproportionately affect vulnerable groups who are more likely to contact law enforcement agencies.