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.

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SPRINGFIELD – To lay the groundwork for a regional public transportation network, State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) passed legislation in the Illinois Senate to require the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning to submit legislative recommendations to achieve long-term financial viability for the network.

“We must strive to provide reliable access to public transit, and with it access to job opportunities, health care and other essentials,” Villivalam said. “Illinois must build an equitable future for public transportation that prioritizes all of our neighbors.”

Senate Bill 3848 requires CMAP to work in tandem with the Regional Transit Authority to submit legislative recommendations on how to ensure long-term funding for a regional public transportation system by Jan. 1, 2024. The legislation also requires RTA to better address racial equity, climate change and economic development in areas under its domain. CMAP and RTA are also required to include meaningful public input in their report.

SPRINGFIELD – Widows of Chicago firefighters and police are one step closer to receiving additional support after a measure advanced by State Senator Robert Martwick (D-Chicago) passed the Senate Thursday.

“Despite the false narrative of an overgenerous pension system, widows of Chicago first responders have been living with great financial hardship for decades,” Martwick said. “This adjustment is essential if we are going to support the widows of our Chicago firefighters and police officers who put themselves in the line of duty to keep all of us safe. This is a small step that we can take to support the families who sacrifice so much for all of us.”

Senate Bill 4053 would change the Chicago police and Chicago firefighter articles of the Illinois Pension Code to increase the minimum annuity for widows to no less than 150% of the Federal Poverty Level. It is currently set at 125%. In 2022, the Federal Poverty line is set at a mere $13,590 for a single person. This measure would ensure that if a Chicago firefighter or police officer dies in the line of duty, the widow’s annuity could not fall below 150% of the Federal Poverty Level for that family.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) supported a bill to remove a sales tax on breast pumps and related supplies to help new mothers access the products they need more affordably.

“Breast pumps are a basic necessity for nursing parents, especially ones who need to return to work and can’t breast feed regularly,” said Castro, a longtime advocate for new mothers. “A sales tax on these products is just one more financial barrier for mothers to try to overcome.”

Senate Bill 3634 would exempt breast pumps, breast pump collection and storage supplies and breast pump kits from sales tax, which is currently 6.25% of the cost. These supplies are necessary for mothers who choose to breastfeed, and many insurance companies do not cover the cost of these products.

SPRINGFIELD – Recognizing that music therapy is a necessary treatment option for vulnerable communities, State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) advanced a measure which allows for the licensure of musical therapists and creates a Musical Therapy Advisory Committee.

“Musical therapy can be life-changing for children suffering from traumatic brain injuries, seniors, stroke survivors, veterans experiencing PTSD, and many other conditions,” Murphy said. “This initiative will ensure musical therapists are qualified to work with vulnerable communities, as well as encourage patients and their families to seek out this form of care.”

Musical therapists are skilled musicians who use music interventions to achieve therapeutic goals. After assessing their client’s functioning through response to music, they design music interventions and therapy sessions based on the client’s needs. Common conditions treated with music therapy include autism, Alzheimer’s disease, mental diseases, developmental disabilities, stroke, and traumatic brain injury, and is often recommended to veterans and seniors—making many people receiving this care some of the most vulnerable in our communities.

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SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago), chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, advanced legislation to allow an alternative project delivery method on infrastructure improvements from the Illinois Senate on Friday.

“Streamlining the implementation of infrastructure improvements will save taxpayer dollars and rebuild our roads, bridges and mass transit systems in a transparent and equitable manner,” Villivalam said. “Finding alternative ways to deliver on rebuilding Illinois remains a top priority for me on the Senate Transportation Committee.”

Senate Bill 2981 creates the Innovations for Transportation Infrastructure Act, which authorizes the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Tollway Authority to use the design-build delivery method on highway construction projects. Currently, IDOT uses the design-bid-build project delivery method where the department designs a plan in-house, then reviews bids from contractors. Design-build would expedite that process by allowing a single entity to both design and start construction on the project. Projects that use this method would be capped at a combined total of $400 million.

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund employers could have more flexibility in determining how to structure IMRF payments under the Illinois public pension system through a measure championed by State Senator Karina Villa (D-West Chicago).

“This adjustment is necessary to support IMRF from being hit with additional payment requirements,” said Villa. “This is one step toward providing more flexibility for IMRF employers to determine how to structure payments.”

Under Villa’s legislation, IMRF employers would be exempt from paying Accelerated Payment (AP) charges or increases through retributions due to a members receiving workers’ compensation. Similar to other statewide systems, IMRF employers are required to pay the employer cost of pension due based on the members earnings but unlike other systems, IMRF employers are liable for paying any AP charges made through the process.

SPRINGFIELD – A measure removing sales taxes on supplies related to child nursing passed the Senate Friday thanks to the work of State Senator Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago).

“Sales taxes on basic necessities create unnecessary barriers that only add to the challenges of motherhood,” Villanueva said. “A mother’s ability to provide for her child should not be stunted by these needless financial obstacles.”

The measure, an initiative spurred by Parity for Pumps, exempts breastfeeding supplies from sales tax to include these supplies with existing feeding exemptions. Eight other states already provide these exemptions, and infant formula is exempt from sales tax in nearly every state. Adding nursing tools to the list of exemptions allows mothers to generate and collect breast milk more easily by removing some of the financial burden associated with maintaining their milk supply. In doing so, Illinois moves toward more equitable feeding options for mothers and their children.