SPRINGFIELD – Illinois and the nation are in the midst of a local journalism crisis, with news outlets closing or shrinking at an alarming rate. State Senator Steve Stadelman and the members of the Local Journalism Task Force spent the last year studying the decline of local journalism, and outlined its findings and policy recommendations at a news conference Wednesday.

“As local journalism declines so does the checks and balances on democracy. It’s an issue facing newsrooms across both the state and nation – due in large part to dwindling revenue that leads to a dwindling number of reporters,” said Stadelman (D-Rockford). “A disruption in finances is a disruption in talent. It was long past time for us to have serious conversations about the future of journalism and how that affects the future of our communities.”

Stadelman – a former TV news anchor – chaired the Local Journalism Task Force. Representatives from media, academia and government met nearly a dozen times throughout the previous calendar year to study the decline of local media, its impact on democracy, and potential policy changes that could increase revenue to newsrooms across the state.

SPRINGFIELD – Members of the Illinois Underground Railroad Task Force had its first meeting where they selected State Senator Dave Koehler and State Representative Debbie Meyers-Martin as co-chairs, and outlined its findings from the first meeting and goals for the coming months.

“This task force will bring a better understanding of how the Underground Railroad operated, as slaves escaped the south for freedom and a better life in Illinois,” said Koehler (D-Peoria). “By giving Illinoisans a clear understanding of the past, we are creating a greater future.”

The Illinois Underground Railroad Task Force was created through legislation championed by Koehler last year – Senate Bill 1623. The task force will create a statewide plan to connect existing local projects and new projects to create a cohesive statewide history of the Underground Railroad in Illinois, while establishing new educational and tourism opportunities.

CHICAGO – State Senators Elgie R. Sims and Ann Gillespie are encouraging local chambers of commerce to apply for funding to help them recover from the continuous financial distress brought forth by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We know that many businesses across the state have been historically disadvantaged when it comes to economic investments, but the State of Illinois is making tremendous strides in investing in the communities that need it the most," said Sims (D-Chicago). "This funding is critical in ensuring businesses and chambers of commerce, no matter where they are in the state, have the economic resources they need to be successful."

SPRINGFIELD — Standard fertility preservation services, including storage, could soon be covered under Illinois-regulated health insurance plans, regardless of medical necessity or diagnosis of infertility, thanks to legislation introduced by State Senator Natalie Toro. 

“Fertility preservation services can be life-changing for people who want to have children, but for many different reasons, are not ready to start a family,” said Toro (D-Chicago). “I believe all Illinoisans should have access to reproductive health care, and this treatment is one more component of this important care.”

Fertility preservation is the freezing of embryos, eggs, ovarian tissue, sperm or testicular tissue for future reproduction. These treatments give people more flexibility and options when planning when to start a family. However, under current law, Illinois-regulated health insurance plans are only required provide coverage for medically necessary standard fertility preservation services, making these treatments largely inaccessible because of their high out-of-pocket costs.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Adriane Johnson’s law to ensure children with behavioral and mental health needs in DCFS’s care get timely access to essential treatment went into effect Monday, Jan. 1.

“It is our responsibility to ensure the well-being of our youth is prioritized,” said Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove). “This law reflects our dedication to encouraging a supportive and nurturing environment for every child’s growth and development.”

Johnson’s law requires DCFS to develop a strategic plan to improve timely access to in-state residential treatment, evidence-based alternatives to treatment, and specialized foster care for youth with significant behavioral health needs.

CHICAGO – Illinois formally implemented the nation's biggest reform to contractor redlining in public works law. The General Assembly passed, and Governor JB Pritzker certified on Dec. 8, House Bill 2878. Part of the new law is a larger exception from the requirement that contractors purchase wealth-based surety bonds on public contracts. The law tripled the exception for local governments (from $50K to $150K) and increased it by ten times for IDOT and the Tollway (from $50K to $500K). As of Jan. 1, 2024, contracts under that amount no longer will require surety bonds.

 “I am grateful to all the stakeholders for their work on this vital legislation which will remove barriers for small businesses, many of which are women, veteran, and minority owned," said Senator Villivalam. "This legislation will help make our state more equitable and assist agencies in completing projects more efficiently."

“We are over-insuring public contracts, leading to higher costs and locking out minority- and women-owned businesses from participating and growing, because insurance is priced on the wealth of the owner, not on his or her capabilities. Right-sizing insurance requirements like surety bonds will lead to more projects and more generational wealth for communities that need it the most.” said Representative Kam Buckner, who filed HB2482 that would have raised the contract exemption to $5,000,000. 

Illinois Senate Democrats celebrate successful year

SPRINGFIELD – Throughout 2023, the Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus passed hundreds of measures to serve and assist Illinoisans in all corners of the state. Efforts focused on public safety, workers’ rights and becoming the most equitable and inclusive state in the nation.

Read more.

Villa law aids grieving families after child loss

SPRINGFIELD – People that lose a child to suicide or homicide now have the right to extended bereavement leave thanks to a new law championed by State Senator Karina Villa establishing the Zachary’s Parent Protection Act.

After Laura Kane lost her son, Zachary, to suicide, she was expected to return to work just three days later. Her story inspired the law to protect grieving families from being put in the same situation.

Read more.

Ellman law requires Fentanyl education in all Illinois high schools starting this year

SPRINGFIELD – At the start of the 2024-2025 school year, every state-required health course will provide mandatory fentanyl education to high school students, thanks to a new law supported by State Senator Laura Ellman that took effect Jan. 1.

“In order to combat the ongoing opioid epidemic on all fronts, we need to educate our most vulnerable populations, which includes young people,” said Ellman (D-Naperville). “The age of fentanyl exposure is younger than we think, and I am pleased this law implements such indispensable education for students.”

Read more.

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Copyright 2024 - Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus - All Rights Reserved

SPRINGFIELD – Throughout 2023, the Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus passed hundreds of measures to serve and assist Illinoisans in all corners of the state.

Efforts focused on public safety, workers’ rights and becoming the most equitable and inclusive state in the nation.

Some of the most significant laws passed by the Illinois Senate Democrats include:

• Becoming a safe haven (House Bill 4664): Protects health care professionals in Illinois from restrictive laws from other states
• Tackling food deserts (Senate Bill 850): Requires the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to provide grants and other forms of financial assistance to grocery stores located in or to be located in a food desert
• Supporting workers (Senate Bill 208): Requires all employers to provide their employees with a minimum of 40 hours of paid leave per year that can be used for any reason
• Lowering the cost of EpiPens (House Bill 3639): Limits the cost of an EpiPens to a maximum of $60 per twin-pack
• Providing insurance coverage for hearing aids (House Bill 2443): Requires insurance providers to cover hearing aids and related services for people of all ages
• Addressing the teacher shortage (Senate Bill 2236): Removes the number of days for short-term substitute teachers to teach in the classroom – allowing them to spend more time in the classroom if needed
• Combatting the opioid crisis (House Bill 1121): Increases access to fentanyl test strips to improve public health outcomes by potentially preventing fatal overdose
• Educating on fentanyl (House Bill 3924): Requires all high school students enrolled in a state-required health course to learn about the dangers of fentanyl and fentanyl contamination
• Addressing the teacher shortage (House 3801): Supports teachers in hard-to-staff schools by providing retention bonuses for two consecutive years