AURORA – Thanks to a $500,000 investment acquired by State Senator Karina Villa, construction and building trades apprenticeships will be expanded in the 25^th Senate District.

“The expansion of the Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship programs will bring more opportunities to Aurora residents and boost the number of jobs in the area,” said Villa (D-West Chicago). “Growing job opportunities in the building trades will not only help individuals, but will help to build and strengthen our communities.”

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity awarded $13 million in grants to 30 recipients, including St. Augustine College – Aurora, to expand the talent pipeline of diverse candidates in construction and the building trades. Through the program, St. Augustine students with diverse backgrounds will have greater access and opportunities to excel in pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Karina Villa will lead the Senate Committee on Public Health in the 103^rd General Assembly. 

“I am honored to have been appointed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Public Health,” said Villa (D- West Chicago). “Access to strong public health services is vital, whether it be for reproductive care, mental health, nursing homes or the emergency rooms. I will fight for legislation that will improve our state’s public health with my time leading this committee.”

The Senate Committee on Public Health primarily deals with legislation and policy that will affect all types of health care for residents throughout the state. A priority of the committee this legislative session will be workplace safety.

SPRINGFIELD –State Senator Karina Villa championed a bill that will cut down on the school bus driver shortage.

“Accessible transportation to and from school is important to provide to our students,” said Villa (D-West Chicago). “This bill will help provide transportation to our students by clarifying confusing training requirement for bus drivers of vehicles of different sizes.”

Senator Villa, alongside the Secretary of State’s office, streamlined the training and permit process for school bus drivers. House Bill 1688 will establish an initial course and annual refresher training courses for Small School Bus Driver Permits and maintain the existing courses for Larger School Bus Driver Permits.

WEST CHICAGO – In partnership with WeGo Together for Kids and more than 30 local businesses and organizations, State Senator Karina Villa and State Representative Maura Hirschauer distributed nearly 1,000 backpacks filled with school supplies to local families ahead of the new school year.

“It really does take a village, and I couldn’t be more proud to represent a community that so willingly takes care of its own,” said Villa (D-West Chicago). “We asked our neighbors to give, and they donated their time, money, and goods without hesitation. Thanks to this tremendous outpouring of generosity by the community, nearly 1,000 of our students will be starting the school year off right.”

Villa and Hirschauer attended the 7^th Annual WeGo Together for Kids School Supply Event and assisted in distributing the backpacks to West Chicago District 33 families.

Several community organizations also pitched in to help make the drive a success. Casa Michoacan in West Chicago provided a space for staging and packing, as well as volunteers to distribute bags, and Dynamic Utility Solutions donated supplies, provided volunteers, and offered the use of their trucks to transport the backpacks.

The full list of donors includes:

• Art of Fadez
• Atlas Chicken
• AVIENT
• ComEd
• Costco Wholesale
• DuPage County Regional Office of Education
• Dynamic Utility Solutions
• Elgin Sweepers
• Ethekos Consulting
• Farmers Insurance
• Graham Packaging
• Hearth & Hammer
• Integrated Pain Management
• JelSert
• Lakeshore Recycling Systems
• LandCare
• Marian Chicago
• Mars
• Meridian
• Nationwide
• North Arrow Partners
• Owens & Minor
• Realty of Chicago
• Red Hive Market
• RJ Lipscomb Engineering
• Sandi Llano and Associates
• Andrew Lutheran Church
• Suncast
• The Kelly Family
• The Slice Spot
• Thoro Bred Fitness
• UPS
• Wise Plastics

"We are grateful for the outpouring of support from local organizations and the community as a whole," said Hirschauer (D-Batavia). "I am so excited to see our students grow and succeed in the classroom thanks to the supplies we helped provide to them."

More information about the WeGo Together for Kids initiative is available on West Chicago Elementary School District 33’s website.

WEST CHICAGO – A staunch advocate for reproductive health and autonomy, State Senator Karina Villa (D-West Chicago) released the following statement in response to the Supreme Court decision to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade decision:

“Today’s decision is a violation of human rights and autonomy across our nation. People of all ages and walks of life deserve the right to make decisions about their reproductive health, but today that right has been taken away from many Americans.

WEST CHICAGO – Parents who are deaf or have limited English proficiency now have expanded access to interpreters in school meetings thanks to a new law sponsored by State Senator Karina Villa.

“Parents who don’t speak English or have another communication barrier still have every right to be involved in decisions regarding their child’s education,” said Villa (D-West Chicago). “By expanding the availability of interpreters in situations where those decisions are being made, we ensure that all parents feel comfortable and able to participate.”

An initiative of the Learning Disabilities Association of Illinois, House Bill 5214 expands the current Identification, Evaluation and Placement portion of the School Code to include additional instances that interpreter services may be necessary. The law ensures that parents are made aware of decisions regarding the identification, evaluation or educational placement of their children, with the ability to present any complaints they may have, and ensures that interpreters are made available at no cost for IEP meetings, multidisciplinary conferences, 504 meetings, mediation sessions, and due process hearings.

WEST CHICAGO – In partnership with community members and other professionals on her Senior Advisory Committee, State Senator Karina Villa championed a new law to protect the dignity and rights of nursing home residents across Illinois and ensure they are afforded the highest quality of care.

“Many families struggle with the decision to placed loved ones in long-term care facilities,” said Villa (D-West Chicago). “With everything that goes into this decision, families shouldn’t also have to worry about abuse or neglect.”

Previously Senate Bill 1633, the new law amends and expands the existing Nursing Home Care Act to offer more comprehensive protection for nursing home residents. In addition to ensuring residents' rights must be maintained and basic needs are met, the law creates requirements for grievance procedures at nursing facilities, protects residents from being forced to perform unpaid labor and requires information on how to submit complaints be posted publicly and available to residents at request.

SPRINGFIELD – Legislation sponsored by State Senator Karina Villa (D-West Chicago) requiring the Governor’s Office of New Americans to create and oversee the implementation of a New American Statewide Plan was signed into law on Friday.

“One in seven Illinoisans is an immigrant,” Villa said. “People from across the world come here to make a new life, and we should do all we can to assist them in that endeavor.”

House Bill 1567 seeks to address immigrant and refugee integration issues in Illinois through the establishment of a New American Statewide Plan. Under the legislation, the Governor’s Office of New Americans would be required to put together a plan to ensure their essential duties are being performed.