SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) advanced legislation through the Senate Environment and Conservation Committee Thursday to continue efforts to protect Illinois communities from toxic coal ash pollution.

“Coal ash, the byproduct of burning coal in a power plant, is extremely hazardous and can leave a lasting impact on the environment, even after a plant has closed,” Bennett said. “It’s important that we take precautions to protect Illinois residents, water sources and wildlife from toxic spills."

Bennett introduced House Bill 3783 to establish training standards for workers constructing, installing, modifying or closing Coal Combustion Residual (CCR) surface impediments, otherwise known as coal ash pits.

Under Bennett’s plan, anyone working on a coal ash pit would be required to participate in training programs approved by the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration. The training would cover erosion control and environmental remediation, as well as the operation of heavy equipment and excavation. 

SPRINGFIELD – Undocumented college students could find tailored support on campus under legislation sponsored by State Senator Karina Villa (D-West Chicago), which passed a Senate committee Wednesday.

“Undocumented students on campus may be under an immense amount of stress regarding their immigration status, in addition to the already stressful higher education experience,” Villa said. “A dedicated liaison will help ensure students have equitable and inclusive access to campus programs.”

The legislation would require public universities and community colleges in Illinois to designate an employee as an Undocumented Student Resource Liaison, as well as encourage schools to establish an Undocumented Student Resource Center on campus to assist undocumented students.

SPRINGFIELD – Hospitals across Illinois would be required to participate in the Illinois State Police sexual assault evidence tracking system and explain the tracking process to survivors under legislation sponsored by State Senator Karina Villa (D-West Chicago), which passed a Senate committee Wednesday.

“The Illinois State Police sexual assault evidence tracking system can only be used to its full potential if all hospitals participate in the system,” Villa said. “Survivors who are brave enough to submit evidence for a rape kit deserve to have all the information on how to track their evidence through every step of the process.”

In 2020, the Illinois State Police launched an online tracking system for rape kits that allows survivors of sexual assault to track evidence in their cases, but not all hospitals in Illinois opted to participate. Villa’s measure would require hospitals to enter collected sexual assault evidence into the tracking system.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) marked his 100th day serving and representing the 7th District of Illinois on May 18, 2021. Simmons has sponsored 100 pieces of legislation and passed three of his introduced bills, including SB 817, SB 2133, and SB 828.

Beginning his career during the peak legislative period, Simmons connects with the district daily. He has met with 253 community organizations and prioritized over 700 constituent requests via email, mail, and phone. In April, he hosted two vaccine clinics delivering 200 vaccines to residents. Senator Simmons prepared a 100 days briefing video for his constituents.

Senator Simmons prioritizes equity and systemic change while in Springfield.

“There is still so much work to do to ensure that diversity, accountability, and progressive policy are not the exceptions, but the rule, in Springfield,” Simmons said.

He is co-sponsoring significant reforms such as the Clean Energy Jobs Act, Repeal Parental Notification of Abortion, and multiple measures protecting BIPOC communities. Simmons is a member of the Senate Progressive Caucus, Senate Black Caucus, and the Asian-American and Pacific Islander Caucus.

Simmons was sworn in to serve in the 7th Illinois Senate District, trailblazing as the first Black person to serve the 7th Senate District and the first openly gay member of the Illinois Senate.

In the next 100 days, Simmons will build focus groups, or People’s Councils, to listen to constituents and build his 2022 legislative agenda.

“In the days ahead, I hope to invite more of my constituents to have greater opportunities to be a part of that process by making their stories and their voices heard,” Simmons said.

The councils will focus on health care access, income inequality, supporting single mothers, and affordable housing.

More information on Senator Simmons’ accomplishments and plans is available here.

SPRINGFIELD – Workers at high hazard facilities could soon be required to undergo advanced safety training thanks to legislation passed by the Senate Executive Committee yesterday.

State Senator Michael E. Hastings (D-Frankfort) is the chief sponsor of this initiative.

“Safety training is crucial at every job site, but the need at facilities where workers are handling dangerous substances is especially prudent,” Hastings said. “Those who have gone through proper training are statistically less likely to be at risk of making a mistake that could result in an accident. We cannot afford to lose lives on the job site due to neglect, and we certainly cannot afford to let these dangerous chemicals seep into our communities.”

A program where Black businesses finally get the resources they need

SPRINGFIELD – To better support Black-owned businesses, State Senator Napoleon Harris, III (D-Harvey) is pushing to create the Black Wall Street Program to increase the progress of Black businesses in Illinois.

"We can reduce the challenges Black businesses face by providing access to resources that help them develop," Harris said. "Supporting Black businesses helps not just the businesses, but the entire community that surrounds them."

House Bill 1960 would require the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to create and administer this program to stimulate black businesses' growth and development in under-served communities throughout the state of Illinois.

SPRINGFIELD –There are 17 pet stores in Illinois that offer predatory installment contract loans for the purchase of a cat or dog. House Bill 572, sponsored by Senator Linda Holmes (D-Aurora) to prohibit these loans, passed the Senate Commerce Committee today.

“This is predatory lending with interest rates anywhere from 30 to 150 percent and higher,” Holmes said. “Most pet stores have issues with their animals coming from unprincipled breeders and puppy mills, which means many of their customers buy a pet for thousands of dollars that could be in poor health and may possibly die. Those consumers can end up thousands in debt and grieving as well.”

SPRINGFIELD – To expand access to birth control – especially for women with limited financial resources – State Senator Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake) is championing a measure to allow people to receive contraceptives without visiting a doctor.

“Birth control is a basic health care service and should be treated as such,” Bush said. “Providing greater access to contraceptives is providing a more equitable health care system.”