SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Rob Martwick (D-Chicago) passed a measure Monday that creates transparency regarding the true conditions of the Chicago firefighter pensions system and provides an accurate path for stability.

“This legislation shines a light on the true financial condition of the fund and prevents the city from intentionally kicking the can down the road and forcing bigger tax increases in the future,” Martwick said.  “The only way to truly fix our finances is to first acknowledge the true depth of the problem.”

House Bill 2451 removes outdated language that understates the true value of the pension benefit paid to firefighters while allowing the city to structurally underfund its payments. Two firefighters could have started on the force the same day, but could receive different benefits based on their dates of birth. 

SPRINGFIELD – Recognizing that essential employees and first-responders face increased risk of COVID-19 infections, State Senator Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights) voted to extend a set of emergency provisions designed to streamline worker’s compensation.

“This pandemic has shown just how vulnerable working people are if they get sick on the job,” Gillespie said. “Essential workers and first-responders deserve a safety net, so they and their families are protected from the economic fallout of catching COVID-19.”

Under normal circumstances, employees are responsible for proving their injuries or illness stem from the workplace to qualify for worker’s compensation benefits. Because first-responders and essential workers face increased exposure to the COVID-19 virus, state lawmakers changed the law in May to assume an essential worker who contracts the virus did so in the workplace and qualifies for benefits. An employer must now prove the infection happened outside work and the workers doesn’t deserve coverage.

If signed into law, the extension runs through June 30, 2021. House Bill 4276 passed in the Illinois Senate without opposition and awaits consideration in the Illinois House.

SPRINGFIELD – Black children across Illinois are a step closer to being ensured a quality education under a plan led by Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) that passed the Illinois Senate today. The legislation is part of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus’ plan to rid Illinois of systemic racism.

The measure addresses education and workforce development from early childhood to adulthood. To help ensure school readiness, it strengthens early intervention services and sets a kindergarten readiness assessment in statute. Early intervention services, which help support the development of children with delays and disabilities, will now be available until the beginning of the school year after the child turns 3.

Rooted in equity, House Bill 2170 pivots away from teaching history from a Eurocentric perspective by reforming the state’s history curriculum through an Inclusive American History Commission that will make sure students learn about people from all backgrounds.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Laura Ellman (D-Naperville) has taken action to remove an antiquated law that prohibits drinking alcohol on trains, which hasn’t been enforced in nearly a century.

“Last year I learned of this law and was surprised. People have technically been breaking the law by ordering drinks on the Amtrak,” Ellman said. “There’s no reason why responsible adults shouldn’t be able to enjoy these types of beverages on a train.”

House Bill 3878 repeals the Railroad Intoxicating Liquor Act of 1911, which prohibits drinking alcohol on trains and around train stations, and gives conductors the ability to arrest violators and charge them with a Class C misdemeanor.

“Just because a law isn’t generally enforced, doesn’t mean that it can’t be,” Ellman said. “Today, many trains include alcoholic beverages on their menus.”

The measure passed the Senate with a vote of 51-0-0 and now goes to the governor’s desk, where it will await being signed into law. 

“This law hasn’t been enforced since the 1920s, during Prohibition,” Ellman said. “Last year COVID-19 sidelined this legislation, but it’s time to get back on track by repealing this archaic and arbitrary law.”

Ellman is also encouraging people to use safe transportation, such as Metra, as an alternative to driving under the influence. 

SPRINGFIELD – During the first peak of the COVID-19 pandemic last spring, the Illinois General Assembly passed a law offering additional workers’ compensation protections to first responders and essential workers. Today, State Senator Bill Cunningham led the Illinois Senate in passing a measure to extend those protections by six months.

The law allows essential workers and first responders to file for workers’ compensation benefits if they contract COVID-19 during the course of their employment – providing them with additional economic support while they recover from the illness. Employers have an opportunity to rebut workers’ claims by demonstrating they followed all applicable public health guidelines.

SPRINGFIELD – Following more than a century of systemic racism and inequality in schools across the state and nation, State Senator Adriane Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove) helped pass a measure that will expand resources to marginalized students and reform education policies that disproportionately harm minority students.

“For far too long, children have faced systemic racism and inequities within their school systems,” Johnson said. “We cannot undo more than a century of systemic racism within schools without a complete overhaul of education programs.”

House Bill 2170, the education pillar of the Illinois Black Caucus’ legislative agenda, does a number of things to rid the state of systemic racism in schools, including creating an inclusive American history curriculum to reform the Black history curriculum and curriculums for teaching about other minority groups.

It also creates a Whole Child Task Force to address trauma in children and create an equitable, inclusive, safe and supportive environment for all children, in addition to working to increase minority teacher representation.

“Access to high quality education should be available for every student – no matter their ZIP code, socioeconomic background or the color of their skin. It’s so important for children to be in an environment where they see people who look like them and understand them,” Johnsons said. “Today is a monumental day – one that will give young boys and girls an opportunity to succeed and know they are worthy.”

The measure, co-sponsored by Senator Johnson, passed the Senate Monday. It now heads to the House for further consideration.

SPRINGFIELD – To help all Illinois students succeed in higher education and the career world, State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview) is supporting legislation to improve equity in the Illinois school system.

“In some school districts, students who graduate high school don’t meet the requirements to attend the University of Illinois—our state’s flagship public university,” Senator Fine said. “Establishing equitable, inclusive standards statewide will ensure every single student, no matter their race, income level or hometown, has access to the same opportunities.”

The legislation makes a number of changes to education policy in the state, from expanding eligibility for early childhood services to revamping the American history curriculum, in an effort to reduce systemic inequities in K-12 and higher education.

The bill modifies several K-12 course requirements to meet colleges’ prerequisites, establishing that students must take two years of laboratory science and two years of a foreign language (or sign language) to graduate high school starting in the 2024-2025 school year. Additionally, to ensure all students are prepared for the demands of college and the modern workforce, students must receive one year of computer literacy training.

The legislation also takes specific steps to improve outcomes for Black students, including reforming the way Black history is taught through an inclusive American history curriculum and removing barriers that prevent Black people and other people of color from becoming teachers.

“The purpose of a public education system is to make sure every student gets a solid foundation and is able to pursue their dreams after graduation,” Senator Fine said. “Some school districts are already there, but this legislation will help make sure all of our schools reach that bar.”

House Bill 2170 passed the Senate and now heads to the House for final consideration before heading to the governor.

SPRINGFIELD - To empower health care providers to prevent opioid abuse, State Senator Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) voted on a measure Sunday to give every medication prescriber, including e-prescribers, access to the same database.

“By allowing all prescribers access to a universal database, we can give health care providers an accurate resource to make educated decisions when prescribing medications,” Crowe said. “Armed with a patient’s full medical history, a provider may decide the best course of action is to prescribe one of the many viable opioid alternatives.”

The Illinois Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) collects information on controlled substance prescriptions dispensed in Illinois. The PMP website allows prescribers and dispensers to view a current or prospective patient's prescription history. 

The ultimate goal of the PMP is to assist prescribers and dispensers in the effective treatment of patients seeking medical care. However, currently not every prescriber has access to the database.  

House Bill 2488 would tackle that issue. The measure would ensure every person who has prescribing authority has access to the PMP. 

Crowe, chair of the Senate Special Committee on Opioid Crisis Abatement, has gathered stakeholders from across Illinois to learn more about the state’s response to the opioid epidemic and is working to draft additional legislation to support the fight against the public health crisis.

HB 2488 advanced out of the Senate Sunday.