SPRINGFIELD - In an effort to support seniors and provide them with greater access to the resources they rely on, State Senator Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) initiated a measure that will create the Senior Housing Residents' Advisory Council.

“Our seniors have been through a lot the past couple of years,” said Simmons. We owe them a dignified and comfortable living, and this measure will bring together seniors from across Illinois to lift up some of these common systemic issues that they deal with so we can find improvements in how we deliver services to seniors, how we outreach to seniors, and how we make our state more livable for the seniors who have done so much for us.”

Senate Bill 702 would create the Senior Housing Residents' Advisory Council to evaluate available resources, services, and state outreach for seniors and review the impact of COVID-19 on senior living arrangements. The council will meet quarterly and comprised of a bi-partisan appointees including two seniors who reside in affordable senior housing developments, and two seniors who reside in assisted living facilities.

SPRINGFIELD – Community members and professionals on State Senator Karina Villa’s (D-West Chicago) Senior Advisory Committee are making strides on a measure that would ensure nursing home residents are treated with courtesy and are able to maintain their human and civil rights while receiving medical care. 

“It is essential that we, as a community, support nursing home residents, who are among one of our most vulnerable populations,” Villa said. “Families should have full confidence in the facility and their staff to perform the best medical practices and be courteous of the patient’s wishes.”

Villa’s legislation would prohibit nursing home residents from performing labor for the facility unless it is for documented therapeutic or medical purposes. It also ensures timely delivery of basic needs for residents. 

This initiative provides nursing home residents the right to courteous treatment, the right to protection and the right to advocacy services. It outlines a grievance procedure for residents and protects them through the process of expressing grievances. This measure will make residents and their advocates better aware of their rights in the home and ensure that they are protected in executing their rights,  

“It is already stressful enough to make the decision to put a loved one in a nursing home. They should not have to worry about facilities taking proper care of their family members,” said Villa. “My hope is that under this measure, there will be improved accessibility to ensure residents are treated with dignity and respect at all times.”

This legislation was in partnership with my senior advisory committee. “The committee is filled with seniors living in the community and a community member who voiced her experiences in a long term care facility where she was neglected,” said Villa.

Senate Bill 1633 passed the Senate and now heads to the House for further consideration.

Senator Villa is a strong promoter of the senior community. She hosts a monthly Senior Advisory Committee on the second Friday of each month at 10 a.m. via Zoom. To receive the link and agenda contact Villa’s office at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

SPRINGFIELD – A measure by State Senator Laura Ellman (D-Naperville) to create the Hydrogen Economy Task Force and establish Illinois as a Hydrogen Hub in the Midwest advanced out of the Senate on Friday.

“Through this legislation, Illinois has the opportunity to take the lead on a nationwide effort to spur clean energy and hydrogen generation,” Ellman said. “As a potential Midwest Hydrogen Hub, we can support our agricultural, refinery and transportation industries and create jobs for workers across the state.”

The Hydrogen Economy Task Force established under Senate Bill 3613 would be responsible for publishing a plan to create a Hydrogen Hub in Illinois, identifying opportunities to integrate hydrogen into the economy, analyzing barriers to hydrogen development, and recommending policies to catalyze deployment of hydrogen in the state economy.

SPRINGFIELD– State Senator Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) advanced a measure that will set forth a plan to restore vehicle emissions testing in the city of Chicago.

In 2016, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shut down four vehicle emissions sites in the city of Chicago. Since then, there has been demand to restore testing locations.

“The city of Chicago has a population of 2.8 million,” said Feigenholtz. “It’s time to bring back testing sites.” 

Under Feigenholtz’s measure, the Illinois EPA will report to the General Assembly by Oct. 1, 2022 on a plan to restore emissions testing locations, to include information on possible locations within Chicago, information on programs implemented in other states, and a projected date for full operation.

This initiative has support among colleagues and the Illinois Environmental Council.

“Having a plan will bring residents of Chicago one step closer to accessible testing locations,” said Feigenholtz.

Senate Bill 1234 passed the Senate unanimously and now heads to the House with bipartisan support.

SPRINGFIELD – The achievements and accomplishments of Career and Technical Education programs across the state will be recognized this February, thanks to the help of State Senator Scott Bennett.

Bennett (D-Champaign) championed a measure that declares February Career and Technical Education Month in Illinois.

“CTE incorporates many types of education, from classroom learning to certification programs and work-based learning opportunities outside the classroom,” Bennett said. “I’m proud to dedicate the month of February as CTE Month to highlight the important role it plays in our workforce.”

Approximately 12.5 million high school and college students are enrolled in CTE courses across the country. Advance CTE reports that the high school graduation rate for students who concentrate on CTE is about 90%– 15 percentage points higher than the national average.

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Senate supported an effort led by State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood) to declare February Career Technical Education Month in Illinois.

“CTE Month celebrates the importance of career and technical programs across the state and raises awareness to the trades,” Loughran Cappel said. “Students that go into a skilled trade learn life-changing skills through hands-on opportunities and training. I’m proud to draw attention to this important career path that has jumpstarted so many bright futures.”

Approximately 12.5 million high school and college students are enrolled in CTE courses across the country. Advance CTE reports that the high school graduation rate for CTE concentrators is about 90%– 15 percentage points higher than the national average.

SPRINGFIELD – The burden of silence many people face when returning to the workplace almost immediately following the loss of a pregnancy can cause emotional upheaval. State Senator Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake) is leading a proposal to allow people to take leave following pregnancy loss, stillbirth, or other fertility issues.

“The emotional anguish suffered after a miscarriage or stillbirth is often debilitating,” Bush said. “Returning to work sooner than they’d like leaves little room for grief, mourning and healing.”

Bush’s Senate Bill 3120 expands the Child Bereavement Act by providing up to 10 days of unpaid leave following a pregnancy loss, stillbirth or an unsuccessful intrauterine insemination, among other issues negatively impacting pregnancy or fertility.

SPRINGFIELD – To clean up the ponds of coal ash created by the Waukegan Power Generating Station along Lake Michigan and hold the company accountable for its pollution, State Senator Adriane Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove) took action by advancing a measure through the Senate to restore safety to the area and offer environmental protection.

“Lake Michigan is an essential water source to Waukegan and other shore-line communities,” Johnson said. “Waukegan has too long been burdened by environmental hazards, and by requiring the plant to clean up its ash ponds, we are one step closer to reaching environmental justice in the area and progressing to a cleaner, greener future.”

With requirements outlined under the Environmental Protection Act, Johnson’s initiative requires coal combustion residual, or coal ash, stored in ponds on Lake Michigan’s shore at the Waukegan Generating Station to be removed from the site. The plant’s owner must also conduct a site investigation to identify and characterize the scope and extent of coal ash pollution on the site.