SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Senate has passed legislation sponsored by State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) that would ensure local sales tax revenue approved by Winnebago county voters is used for mental health and substance abuse resources.

“The voters spoke. They said they want this money to go to mental health and substance abuse treatment. I want to make sure it does,” Stadelman said. 

In March of 2020, the residents of Winnebago County passed a referendum that increased the county’s sales tax rate. The additional revenue from the increase is meant to go to community-based mental health and substance abuse resources and support. This legislation requires counties that have approved this sales tax referendum to create seven-member boards made up of health advocates and professionals to help administer the funding produced by the referendum, as the taxpayers intended.

The county expects to see up to $14 million in additional revenue a year for these programs.

“This legislation eliminates barriers to mental health and substance abuse treatment by supporting private sector and non-profit alternatives to handling these public health crises. It does so by creating a greater number of access points to treatment. It allows counties to gap-fill specific services and shape mental health and substance abuse treatment according to the needs of the community, rather than through an arbitrary statewide mandate that will help the communities most in need,” said David Gill, President of NAMI Northern Illinois.

Senate Bill 2278 passed the Illinois Senate by a vote of 56-0 and now heads to the Illinois House of Representatives for further consideration.

SPRINGFIELD – Two measures introduced by State Senator Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights) that would assist school social workers with earning and paying off their degrees passed the Illinois Senate today.

“Illinois schools face a shortage of professional, culturally competent social workers,” Gillespie said. “We must make it easier for our future social workers to finish and pay off their education so that schools can hire the positions they desperately need to fill.”

Senate Bill 661 would require the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) to award up to 250 Post-Master of Social Work Professional Educator License scholarships each year. Scholarship recipients would be required to work at a public or not-for-profit P-12 school in Illinois for at least two of the five years immediately following their graduation.

Though the work of fully implementing the laws will take years – perhaps decades – the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus’ year-long effort to cleanse Illinois’ government systems of racism is officially the law of the land. The fourth and final pillar of their agenda – health care and human services – was signed by the governor in late April.

When George Floyd’s murder at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer sparked worldwide protests, Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Chicago) – who was chair of the Black Caucus – called together her colleagues to take advantage of that anger and energy to enact real change.

The caucus gathered and decided that rather than focusing solely on police reform, they would push forward with an ambitious agenda. The goal was to confront problems they had been trying to solve for the entirety of their careers – problems that had held them back, their children back, and so many others in the Black community, problems that were baked into the very fabric of American society.

They decided to go back to the very beginning and examine Illinois’ laws for inherent racist policies born out of the eras when they were written. They also looked at societal problems confronting Black Illinoisans (and often by extension Brown or lower-income Illinoisans) to try to figure out if different government policies could be used to improve people’s lives.

SPRINGFIELD – In effort to support new employees of Illinois’ educational system, Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) is working to create a New Teacher Induction and Mentoring Program and a New Principal Mentoring Program. 

“Ensuring all new educators receive support while developing essential knowledge, skills, and experience will result in a high-quality education for all students,” Lightford said. “A mentoring program would be a great way to build our new educators’ confidence and teaching strategies, helping create a great learning environment and experience for Illinois’ diverse learners.”

Senate Bill 814 would enable the state to invest in high-quality mentoring and induction programs for new teachers and leaders, which can increase retention, accelerate novice teachers’ and leaders’ professional learning, and improve student achievement.

ELGIN – This week is Work Zone Awareness Week, and as temperatures warm and construction ramps up throughout Illinois, State Senator Cristina Castro (D- Elgin) is reminding people to slow down and be vigilant when driving through work zones.

“We’re hitting the time of year when road construction is increasing,” Castro said. “It’s important that we keep those hardworking men and women who fix our roads and bridges safe by slowing down and moving over when we see orange lights and signs.” 

Illinois averages 6,400 crashes in work zones each year, resulting in 1,700 injuries and 34 deaths. When it comes to deaths associated with accidents in work zones, more than nine out of ten are someone other than a worker, including drivers, passengers, pedestrians and bicyclists.

SPRINGFIELD – In efforts to raise awareness and honor those who have died in work zones across Illinois, State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) is highlighting the Illinois Department of Transportation’s Work Zone Awareness Week.

Bridges and buildings throughout the state will be turning orange this week to honor those who have died in work zones and to raise awareness as the Illinois Department of Transportation signals the start of another construction season.

“If you’re driving over the Morgan Street Bridge at night and notice the orange lights, take a moment to recognize all of the Illinoisans we’ve lost to work zone construction accidents,” Stadelman said. “I’m grateful that the city of Rockford is participating in this statewide effort.”

Bennett plan to prevent pharmacies from hiding drug prices passes Senate

SPRINGFIELD — To improve transparency around prescription drug costs, State Senator Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) moved a measure through the Senate requiring pharmacies to post a notice informing consumers that they may request current pharmacy retail prices at the point of sale.

“Consumers deserve to know the lowest drug prices at their pharmacy so they can make an informed decision about where they buy their prescriptions,” Bennett said. “High prescription drug prices affect us all, and this legislation seeks to provide truth and transparency.”

Read more.

Belt: When young Illinoisans are going hungry, wasting food is not an option

SPRINGFIELD — A measure sponsored by State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Centreville) that would require the Illinois State Board of Education to create an unused food program for schools passed the Senate last week.

“No child in Illinois should go to bed hungry,” Belt said. “This program will build on the success of the free lunch and breakfast program the state already has in place.”

Read more.

Stadelman measure protecting sexual assault survivors passes Illinois Senate

SPRINGFIELD — A measure sponsored by State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) that would make civil no contact orders permanent for sexual assault survivors whose assailants are criminally convicted of sexual assault passed the Senate last week.

“People who’ve been through a sexual assault will live with the trauma for the rest of their lives,” Stadelman said. “I believe it’s our responsibly to help ease their burdens and not make them relive that trauma by forcing them to return to court year after year.”

Read more.

Redistricting process underway

The Illinois Senate Redistricting Committee is holding a series of hearings across the state to receive input for the once-in-a-decade process of drawing new legislative boundaries.

This week, the Senate will host a number of those hearings. The dates are as follows:

• Peoria, Tazewell and Macon Counties: Thursday, April 29 at 3 p.m. (virtual)
• Sangamon and Macon Counties: Friday, April 30 at 11 a.m. (virtual)
• Chicago West/Cook County West: Saturday, May 1 at 10:30 a.m. - This is a hybrid committee, so you can watch either online or in-person at Malcolm-X College auditorium, 1900 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago 60612
• Statewide Redistricting: Saturday, May 1 at 5 p.m. - This is a hybrid committee, so you can either watch online or in-person at Chicago State University, 9501 S. King Street, Chicago 60628

To watch the committees, visit ilga.gov then click "audio/video" under the Senate tab at its start time. If you would like to testify or submit written testimony, contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Additionally, The Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus has launched an online portal that allows the public to draw and submit proposed legislative boundaries.

The portal presents the first time in Illinois history that the public can go online to craft proposed maps, allowing for greater access and public participation in the once-a-decade redistricting process. All maps submitted through the portal will be reviewed as part of the public record. The portal can be accessed online day or night at ilsenateredistricting.com.

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CHICAGO – To honor the working people who have died in work zones, State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago), Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, is reminding drivers to slow down and move over when passing through work zones this upcoming construction season.

“Road builders keep commuters and our economy moving, so please give them the space they need as you drive through work zones,” Villivalam said. “We all want to make it home to our families at the end of the day.”