Villivalam passes plan to provide halal and kosher food options in public schools

CHICAGO – Three months after Governor JB Pritzker vetoed a bill that would provide halal and kosher food options to students upon request in Illinois public schools in addition to those options being available at state facilities and the University of Illinois Hospital, State Senator Ram Villivalam passed a measure that was agreed upon by stakeholders and the governor.

“I am proud of our collaborative work to make the technical changes requested by the governor to ensure the successful implementation of this legislation,” said Villivalam (D-Chicago). “We are recognizing the cultural needs of our community and this is a big step for families who eat kosher or halal. Everyone deserves to have an option that fits their needs and feel included.”

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Senate Democrats applaud executive order to begin transition for new early childhood agency

CHICAGO – Members of the Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus joined Governor JB Pritzker at the Carole Robertson Center for Learning to announce a proposal to create a new state agency to house early childhood programs and funding.

“The foundation of a child’s success and well-being is built starting the moment they are born,” said Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood). “As a state, it is our duty to provide the necessary support and resources to build such stability. The creation of this unique agency will break ground on our transition to a whole, trauma-informed approach to meeting children’s diverse needs.”

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Villanueva welcomes funding to strengthen mental health services for youth across Illinois

CHICAGO – State Senator Celina Villanueva announced more than $1 million was awarded to Alivio Medical Center, Chicago Public Schools and Cicero School District 99 through the Illinois Department of Public Health to support post-pandemic child and adolescent mental health.

“Our youth were presented with numerous challenges during the pandemic and need direct resources for support,” said Villanueva (D–Chicago). “This funding will allow us to strengthen school-based programs and local agencies that serve the mental health needs of young people in our district.”

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Senate Democrats introduce legislation outlining electoral process and ethical standards for new Chicago Elected School Board

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus introduced legislation outlining the electoral process for the new Chicago Elected School Board and establishing ethics requirements and conflict of interest provisions for members.

Under the attached proposal, 20 districts will be created for the 2024 election. Of those, 10 districts will be up for election in 2024, and 10 districts plus the Board Chair will be appointed by the mayor. A map detailing which districts will be elected and which districts will be appointed is available here and online at www.ilsenateredistricting.com. Beginning in 2026, the 10 districts with appointed members will be up for election.

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CHICAGO –State Senator Celina Villanueva announced more than $1 million was awarded to Alivio Medical Center, Chicago Public Schools and Cicero School District 99 through the Illinois Department of Public Health to support post-pandemic child and adolescent mental health.

“Our youth were presented with numerous challenges during the pandemic and need direct resources for support,” said Villanueva (D–Chicago). “This funding will allow us to strengthen school-based programs and local agencies that serve the mental health needs of young people in our district.”

BURBANK— Last week a Chicago Public Schools teacher in Garfield Ridge was murdered. Days later, the alleged killer attacked and shot an Illinois State Police officer in Springfield, leaving the officer critically wounded.

In response, State Senator Mike Porfirio released the following statement regarding the urgency to take action and pass legislation to prevent situations like these from occurring in the future:

“I am devastated by the tragic shooting that occurred in our district, resulting in the loss of a valued public servant and member of our community. The murder of Adrianna Lopez in such a cruel and violent manner is unacceptable. We owe it to Ms. Lopez’s memory to take concrete steps to prevent similar tragedies from occurring.

CHAMPAIGN – State Senator Paul Faraci was proud to accept the 2023 Legislator of the Year award from the Illinois Association of School Social Workers. 

"I am proud of the work we were able to accomplish this year to protect students and educators,” said Faraci (D-Champaign). “School social workers play an important role in supporting our children, especially children living with disabilities.”

The Illinois Association of School Social Workers is the largest school social work organization in the world. Each year they honor legislators in Illinois who have worked hard to promote and advocate for students in the public education system.

CHICAGO — From hosting three policy roundtables, attending over 60 events and meetings with community organizations and individuals, and introducing and sponsoring 12 bills and resolutions, it’s hard to believe State Senator Natalie Toro has only been in office for 100 days – but the freshman senator says she’s just getting started.

“Since taking office over the summer, my team and I have hit the ground running to get out in our community to hear about the issues most impacting residents and working on policies to address them,” said Toro (D-Chicago). “All of these meetings and brainstorming have helped us build a thorough legislative plan for the upcoming session, and I am excited to put it into action.”

LIBERTYVILLE – President Joe Biden issued a landmark executive order to establish new safety and security stands for artificial intelligence, a move applauded by State Senator Mary Edly-Allen and State Representative Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz.

“We need to balance rapidly progressing technology that maximizes artificial intelligence possibilities while also protecting against the potential harms it can cause,” said Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville). “We are starting to see how unrestricted technology can do harm without practical safeguards in place. I applaud the Biden administration for taking urgent action to work toward ending the exploitation, humiliation and harassment that AI has caused.”

CHICAGO – Three months after Governor JB Pritzker vetoed a bill that would provide halal and kosher food options to students upon request in Illinois public schools in addition to those options being available at state facilities and the University of Illinois Hospital, State Senator Ram Villivalam passed a measure that was agreed upon by stakeholders and the governor.

“I am proud of our collaborative work to make the technical changes requested by the governor to ensure the successful implementation of this legislation,” said Villivalam (D-Chicago). “We are recognizing the cultural needs of our community and this is a big step for families who eat kosher or halal. Everyone deserves to have an option that fits their needs and feel included.”

SPRINGFIELD — Members of the Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus joined Governor JB Pritzker at the Carole Robertson Center for Learning on Tuesday to announce a proposal to create a new state agency to house early childhood programs and funding.

“The foundation of a child’s success and well-being is built starting the moment they are born,” said Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood). “As a state, it is our duty to provide the necessary support and resources to build such stability. The creation of this unique agency will break ground on our transition to a whole, trauma-informed approach to meeting children’s diverse needs.”

The new agency – which would be created legislatively – would focus on administering early childhood education programs to provide a more equitable, integrated and holistic system of services for young children and families in Illinois. The proposal would make access to such state programs easier for parents and providers to navigate.

Combining streamlined oversight to state-funded early childhood programs within the State Board of Education, Department of Human Services and Department of Children and Family Services, the new agency would house the responsibility of the Early Childhood Block Grant, among other items.