AURORA – The Illinois Department of Employment Security will now begin to restore its in-person workforce and limited unemployment services at the American Job Center in North Aurora, State Senator Linda Holmes (D-Aurora) announced Monday.

“Restoring in-person unemployment and workforce facilities will make it easier for area residents to get back to work and address any issues regarding unemployment claims,” Holmes said. “The devastating effect of the pandemic on the economy have brought working families unprecedented adversity.”

SPRINGFIELD – During her first legislative session in the Illinois Senate, State Senator Karina Villa (D-West Chicago) championed landmark legislation to help families in every corner of Illinois.

“One of the greatest joys of my time as a legislator has been meeting with my various advisory committees to listen to community members and gather input to inform meaningful legislation,” Villa said. “From issues affecting students to mental health initiatives, I’m grateful for everyone who helped push for these important laws.”

Villa passed House Bill 155, which will allow Illinoisans receiving aid through federal and state food assistance programs to use their benefits to purchase menstrual hygiene products or diapers. The measure ensures benefits programs cover necessary menstrual hygiene products, which Villa said are as essential to a woman’s well-being as food and water.

Villa went on to continue her fight to end period poverty on Illinois college campuses with the passage of House Bill 641. Public universities and community college districts are now required to make menstrual hygiene products available to students at no cost in campus bathrooms under the legislation.

In an effort to reduce drug waste and help families struggling to afford prescription drugs, Villa championed House Bill 119, which will create the Illinois Prescription Drug Repository Program – or I-DROP – to redistribute unused prescription drugs to Illinoisans who need them. Under Villa’s I-DROP program, unused prescription drugs that may have otherwise been thrown out could be redistributed to families who are struggling to afford critical prescription medications.

Undocumented college students can find tailored support on campus under Villa’s House Bill 3438. The legislation requires public universities and community colleges in Illinois to designate an employee as an Undocumented Student Resource Liaison, as well as encourages schools to establish an Undocumented Student Resource Center on campus to assist undocumented students.

“I’m incredibly proud of the work I accomplished with the General Assembly this spring to pass laws to help students, women and working families across our great state,” Villa said. “As we approach the next legislative session, I look forward to continuing to prioritize health care, education and workplace safety.”

A full list of legislation sponsored by Villa can be found on the Illinois General Assembly’s website.

CHICAGO – Illinois officially became a national leader in the fight for clean energy Wednesday, as the state’s historic climate bill was signed into law.

“Our goal all along was to enact reliable, renewable and affordable energy policies that create thousands of jobs in a burgeoning green energy economy and put Illinois at the forefront of addressing the undeniable threats of climate change,” said Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park). “With the governor’s signature today, that shared goal becomes our new reality.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Patrick Joyce (D-Essex), who has been a strong advocate for protecting energy jobs, backed a comprehensive energy package saving thousands of jobs and protecting Illinois’ future as a leader in cutting-edge energy production. Following the General Assembly’s passage of this important legislation, Joyce issued the following statement:

“For months now, working families in my community have gone to sleep every night not knowing if they would wake up and have a job. We have taken a major step forward today with the passage of this bold energy legislation, which will help preserve the livelihoods of more than 1,500 hardworking Illinoisans at the Byron and Dresden nuclear plants.

SPRINGFIELD – In response to the Senate’s passage of comprehensive clean energy legislation, State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago) released the following statement:

“As extreme weather conditions currently threaten thousands across this country, we must realize that a 100% renewable energy future is not a dream, but an imperative. I’m proud to see Illinois take action to definitively end our reliance on fossil fuels that also protects communities that have been historically and systematically marginalized and harmed by the practices of corporate polluters.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Robert Martwick (D-Chicago) believes energy legislation that passed the General Assembly today takes firm steps to address climate change by setting deadlines for increased clean energy use and, fossil fuel-burning plant closures, as well as establishing incentives to speed up the adoption of electric vehicles.

“Climate change is everyone’s problem,” Martwick said. “If we don’t act now, our children and grandchildren will face an increasingly harsh world, dominated by heat, extreme weather, droughts, and water scarcity.”

The legislation, Senate Bill 2408, would set a goal of a 100% clean energy economy in Illinois by 2050. It also would establish deadlines along the way for the adoption of more renewable energy and the closure or conversion of fossil fuel-burning plants. To help encourage more people to purchase electric vehicles, it would create a consumer rebate and incentives to build more charging stations in locations across the state.

The comprehensive measure also would create a number of safeguards for Illinois’ energy consumers, helping lower costs and increase utility company accountability. For example, it would formally empower the Illinois Commerce Commission to investigate ComEd – and any other utility companies found guilty of criminal behavior – and impose penalties that could include returning money to customers. It also would ban the practice of charging “convenience fees” for customers who prefer to pay using debit or credit cards rather than enrolling in auto-pay or direct bank transfers.

“We not only need to fight climate change, we need to modernize Illinois’ entire utility system,” Martwick said. “That means creating good-paying clean energy jobs and requiring utility companies to accept common forms of payment without charging extra fees.”

The legislation, which now goes to the governor for his signature, is expected to create or preserve tens of thousands of good-paying jobs in the clean energy economy, supported by a robust network of training programs.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago) praised the energy plan that passed the General Assembly Monday, saying it will help fight climate change and transition Illinois to a renewable energy economy that includes minority workers.

“I represent a district that borders Chicago’s lakefront, and we’re seeing the results of climate change now,” Peters said. “Changing water levels are causing increased erosion and endangering parks, businesses, and homes on Lake Michigan. But, those are just short-term effects – in the long term, we’re talking about making sure humans can still live on the planet.”

“Across the state, people have been left wondering when lawmakers and stakeholders would step up to the plate to protect the environment,” Bush said. “Finally, after years of fighting the clean energy battle, there is hope. I am proud to have supported the most forward-thinking energy legislation this country has seen.”

The comprehensive energy plan sets Illinois on a path toward 50% renewable energy by 2040 and 100% renewable energy by 2050. Municipally owned coal- and natural gas-fired power plants would also have to reduce their carbon emissions to zero by 2045.

The measure creates the Energy Transition Barrier Reduction Program to support people impacted by the transition, as well as the Energy Transition Assistance Fund to provide money to workforce development and just transition programs. New wind and solar installations to power communities across the state will also support employees in the energy sector by creating thousands of new jobs.

“We are prioritizing equity, providing job resources and training for communities that have historically been left out of the process,” Bush said. “As we continue down this road, moving away from dirty energy – as we continue to move forward – we are making sure there’s something to help the communities that depend economically on traditional power generation facilities.”

The measure passed the Senate Monday and now heads to the governor’s desk for final approval.