PLAINFIELD – State Senator Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant (D-Shorewood) is excited to announce construction will begin soon on much-needed improvements to the intersection of Illinois Route 59 and Champion Road in Will County.

Bertino-Tarrant secured more than $900,000 in funding to install a traffic signal at the intersection after residents started several petitions and reached out to her office for assistance. The signal will aid drivers while crossing lanes and making a left turn onto northbound Route 59 from their subdivisions during rush hour. 

“This intersection has been a safety hazard for years, and we must take steps to make these construction improvements sooner than later,” said Bertino-Tarrant. “This stoplight will go a long way toward increasing road safety and reducing the number of accidents at the busy crossroad during rush hour traffic.”

Work will also be done to reconstruct the median, install ADA-compliant sidewalks and make drainage improvements at the intersection.

Residents of Naperville’s South Pointe subdivision claimed that given the size, traffic volume and speed at which cars travel through this intersection, a traffic signal was warranted at this location. Their input and Bertino-Tarrant’s advocacy led the Illinois Department of Transportation to speed up the timeline for the traffic signal to be installed and road improvements to be made.

Bertino-Tarrant secured funding for this vital traffic improvement under the Rebuild Illinois Capital Program.

“The construction of this new traffic signal illustrates that government works best when elected officials are in constant communication with constituents,” Bertino-Tarrant said.

PARK FOREST – The Illinois State Board of Education has launched a new text program to help parents prepare young learners for school, and State Senator Patrick Joyce (D-Essex) is encouraging parents to enroll.

“There’s no question that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused parents pandemic stress, as they are balancing working from home and homeschooling their children,” Joyce said. “To help working parents cope, this program will encourage learning and ensure well-being for children during this crisis and beyond.” 

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Laura Murphy released the following statement regarding the postponement of the upcoming General Assembly veto session:

“I’m disheartened to learn we will not be able to move forward on the legislation we’ve been working on, but especially given recent surges in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations across the state, postponing veto session is the most responsible choice.

“With many regions experiencing peaks even higher than we saw in the spring, convening the General Assembly could contribute to the spread of the virus both in Springfield and in legislators’ home communities.

“Although we won’t be in the Capitol, the work doesn’t stop. I plan to continue negotiating with my fellow lawmakers to find ways to support working families, improve higher education, and keep Illinoisans in Illinois.

“When we return to Springfield, I look forward to hitting the ground running.”

MARYVILLE – State Senator Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) will host a Facebook Live with Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs on Monday, Nov. 16 at 11:30 a.m. to share details about programs within the Illinois Treasurer’s Office, including the popular I-Cash program. 

“The Illinois Treasurer’s Office offers a wide variety of opportunities for individuals and government bodies across our state,” Crowe said. “This event will be a great resource for residents that may have unclaimed property, have questions about college savings, or interested in learning more about our state’s investments.”

Frerichs is the state’s Chief Investment and Banking Officer and actively manages approximately a $35 billion portfolio. Frerichs’ office protects consumers by safeguarding more than $3.5 billion in unclaimed property, encouraging savings plans for college or trade school, increasing financial education among all ages, assisting people with disabilities save without losing government benefits, and removing barriers to a secure retirement.

“Thank you to Senator Crowe for helping to spread the word about opportunities within the Treasurer’s Office,” Frerichs said. “We want Illinois residents to know that our office can help them find their unclaimed property, assist with saving for college for a loved one and provide relief to small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The virtual event will be streamed live on Sen. Crowe’s Facebook page.

EAST ST. LOUIS – As wage gaps, workplace inequities, and unfair practices against people of color continues in Illinois, State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Centreville) supports the decision of ensuring fair wages for Black workers after a committee hearing on Thursday.

“Income inequality and reluctant growth in the workers’ rights for low- and moderate-income Illinoisans have become defining features of our society,” Belt said. “Eliminating the wage gaps would provide much-needed income to people of color, whose wages sustain their households.”

ASSUMPTION – To improve the city’s water system, Assumption has been named a recipient of a low-interest $877,249 loan from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency’s State Revolving Fund, State Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) announced Thursday.

Manar, who chairs the Senate Appropriations II Committee and serves as a lead budget negotiator for the Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus, advocated for this loan during last spring’s budget-making process.

“I’ve always said, ‘Small towns deserve good things too,’ and that’s why last spring I fought to fund these crucial projects in places like Assumption,” Manar said. “Regular maintenance of water systems is something that can easily be taken for granted but must not be overlooked.”

Through this loan, which is eligible for forgiveness, the City of Assumption will install a system for nitrate removal, a phosphate feed system, replace all active water meters, and replace undersized water main. If the loan is forgiven, it would not need to be paid back.

“I truly commend Senator Manar and his dedication to working with IEPA and Assumption so that we can have safe drinking water and an infrastructure in place for decades to come,” Assumption Alderman Derek Page said. “These funds made it necessary that the city won’t have to raise rates and make water bills more burdensome than they already are.”

Illinois EPA’s State Revolving Fund includes two loan programs, the Water Pollution Control Loan Program (WPCLP) which funds both sewer and stormwater projects, and the Public Water Supply Loan Program (PWSLP) for drinking water projects.

Funding for this loan is provided through the bipartisan Rebuild Illinois statewide construction plan.

DEERFIELD – As a steadfast advocate of helping underserved children, State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest) is excited to congratulate the Lake County Children’s Advocacy Center on achieving re-accreditation from the National Children’s Alliance.

The Lake County Children's Advocacy Center is a safe, child-focused environment where a child visits after police or the Department of Children and Family Services believes the child is being abused. The child tells their story to the trained interviewer, who then works with a team to help the child.

CHICAGO – As COVID-19 cases rise to levels worse than they were during the initial outbreak, State Senator Jacqueline Collins said the Illinois General Assembly’s decision to postpone legislative session is the right one, but lawmakers must not lose sight of efforts to fight systemic racism.

“We must treat this virus seriously,” said Collins (D-Chicago). “While the safe and responsible thing to do now is to postpone meeting, one of our top priorities when we do return should be legislation tackling racism in Illinois.”

Collins led a Senate committee hearing to highlight systemic racism in access to home lending during the fall, part of an ongoing effort by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus to identify measures that will put Illinois on a course for racial and economic equity. The Black Caucus has focused on reform in the areas of criminal justice and police accountability, education and workforce development, economic access, and health care and human services as its major policy goals.

Since September, the Senate has hosted subject matter hearings on these four policy pillars in an effort to provide legislators and the public with a deeper look into the Black experience in Illinois. The hearings, which are set to wrap up this week, have served as an opportunity to gather facts and recommendations to help the Black Caucus formulate a specific legislative agenda for when the General Assembly next convenes.

“When race is still the greatest predictor of whether someone gets a home loan, whether someone can cash a paycheck at a bank, whether they die by police or from the coronavirus, then we are forced to reckon with the sobering truth that our systems are racist,” Collins said. “I believe more Illinoisans than ever are grappling with this truth, and I urge them to make their voices heard to all their representatives in government as we await the next legislative session.”

The General Assembly is expected to convene prior to the spring session.