SPRINGFIELD - To protect the community from the often deadly impact of lead, State Senator Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) is leading a measure to strengthen lead mitigation procedures.

“Virtually every community across the state is affected by lead in our water supply,” said Simmons. “This bill provides a systemic response to a problem that is systemic in nature, is decades in the making, and often does the most injury to Black and Brown communities.”

House Bill 4369 would require the Illinois Department of Public Health to follow up on lead mitigation notices by carrying out inspections to ensure the work has been completed. The current law merely permits an inspection, while this legislation will require and enforce lead mitigation efforts.

Adds special education staff to the current dissolution process

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois has 852 school districts, some of which have sought consolidation in recent years. One consideration is personnel issues such as contracts, compensation and seniority, and they affect educators, support staff and other faculty members.

State Senator Linda Holmes (D-Aurora) introduced a measure to help address one personnel concern: special education staffers' contracts would transfer to the newly formed districts when public school districts or special education cooperatives are being formed, annexed or reorganized.Senate Bill 3709 passed in the Senate Wednesday.

SPRINGFIELD – To offer support to workers, a group of pro-business Democratic lawmakers held a press conference Wednesday to advocate for an initiative to require the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to expedite complete professional license applications.

“Health care workers, accountants, speech pathologists and a variety of others are eager, qualified and ready to enter their respective industries but are waiting months for professional licenses to be issued by the state,” said State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs), chief Senate sponsor of Senate Bill 670. “Improving convenience, timeliness and accessibility for working people is a necessary step to building our economy and focusing efforts on recovery.”

ROCKFORD – Thanks to support from State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) three local museums will receive a combined $838,000 to make improvements and create new exhibits.   

“Museums provide extraordinary opportunities for education and are great environments to explore and learn about our history,” Stadelman said. “The grants going to these museums will provide the resources necessary to serve the community.”

The Department of Natural Resources announced three museums in Rockford that will be receiving grants. The Rockford Art Museum will receive $301,000, the Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum and Gardens will receive $104,000, and the Discovery Center Museum will receive $433,000.

SPRINGFIELD – With support staff in community living facilities facing high turnover rates and low wages, State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) joined advocates to support legislation to increase pay for these frontline workers.

“For too long, the funding meant for essential workers has not reached their wallets,” Villivalam said. “The staff who care for our most vulnerable neighbors deserve a living wage, and I stand with them in calling for better and fairer working conditions.”

SPRINGFIELD — State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) and State Representative Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz (D-Glenview) announced the formation of the bipartisan, bicameral Illinois Assyrian Caucus today. The Illinois Assyrian Caucus will bring together members of the General Assembly to advocate for Illinois’s Assyrian community by providing a unified platform to educate the public on Assyrian-American identities and issues. Illinois is the first in the nation to establish a statewide caucus on Assyrian issues.

“Illinois is the most welcoming state in the nation and home to hundreds of diverse ethnic communities,” Villivalam said. “Together, we can elevate the voices of our Assyrian-American neighbors and partner in a united effort in addressing the issues their community faces.”

SPRINGFIELD- State Senator Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) joined the Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association to urge the General Assembly to pass the Hotel Jobs Recovery Program, which would allocate funds toward rehiring workers after a two year record low occupancy rate caused by the pandemic.

“Nationally and right here in Illinois, the tourism industry took the hardest hit throughout the pandemic,” said Feigenholtz. “Unlike other industries, hotels and lodging were not given federal relief and need an infusion of 250 million in order to keep larger hotels that are destinations for convention visitors afloat. Without this funding, hotels and lodging businesses could be forced to close and many jobs will be lost.”

SPRINGFIELD – To help alleviate the nationwide teacher shortage, State Senator Michael E. Hastings (D-Frankfort) supported the passage of a package of legislative measures to help recruit substitute teachers, teacher assistants and support educators in the classroom.

According to the Illinois State Board of Education, there are more than 4,000 unfilled positions in schools. Hastings believes a multifaceted approach is necessary to address the void.

“Like most states across the nation, Illinois is facing a teacher shortage,” Hastings said. “It is vital that we work with our schools administrators and teachers to help recruit and retrain staff to help educate and mentor the future leaders of our great state.