CHICAGO – The Illinois Legislative Black Caucus will be in Chicago this week to release their Economic Access, Opportunity and Equity pillar as part of their agenda to rid systemic racism for veto session. They will share details on Thursday, October 1st at 1:00 p.m. at Teamwork Englewood, 815 W. 63rd Street, Suite 2, Chicago IL 60621. House and Senate members will be in attendance to offer recommendations that will increase economic development and mobility for black people across the state.

Economic access, equity and opportunity is the third of four pillars the Black Caucus is using as the foundation for their agenda to address systemic racism. They include:

• Criminal justice reform, violence reduction and police accountability
• Education and workforce development
• Economic access, equity and opportunity
• Health care and human services

A virtual joint hearing of the Illinois Senate Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Executive, Financial Institutions, and Local Government Committees on affordable housing and land use policies will follow the press conference at 3 p.m. on Thursday. The Black Caucus is set to have a series of hearings for each pillar. Five hearings have already been held on criminal justice reform and education.

What: Press conference, followed by virtual joint Senate committee hearing

Who: Illinois Legislative Black Caucus

When: Thursday, October 1, 1:00 p.m.

Where: The press conference will be held at Teamwork Englewood, 815 W. 63rd St. in Chicago in Suite 2. It can also be viewed on www.blueroomstream.com, a subscription-based service.

CHICAGO – To help remedy Chicago's dire blood shortage caused by COVID-19, State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) and Rev. Byron Brazier of Apostolic Church of God are partnering to hold a community blood drive Friday. African-American blood donors are especially needed to help patients battling sickle cell disease. Blood banks have seen donations by African-Americans drop by more than 50% since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Those who are interested in being part of this community solution are asked to add their name here and make an appointment to donate blood at vitalant.org using the group code F932. Even one donation could save the life of a community member.

What: Blood Drive

Who: State Senator Mattie Hunter, Rev. Byron Brazier, and other community officials 

When: Friday, Oct. 2 from noon-5 p.m.

Where: Apostolic Church of God, 6320 S. Dorchester, Chicago, IL 60637

CHICAGO — Members of the Illinois House and Senate came together to discuss sentencing reform and violence reduction in a joint Senate hearing on Tuesday.

“We must confront the vast disparities in how individuals throughout the state are sentenced,” State Senator Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (D-Chicago), chair of the Senate Criminal Law Committee, who co-chaired the joint committee alongside State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago), who heads the Senate Public Safety Special Committee. “We have to ensure that our justice system treats everyone fairly regardless of their race, religion and economic status. That often is not the case. These issues are important to achieve a more fair and equitable system.”

HANOVER PARK – To make it more convenient for residents of the Northwest Suburbs to monitor their health, State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) announced the Illinois Department of Public Health will operate a temporary COVID-19 testing site this Wednesday, Sept. 30 and Thursday, Oct. 1 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Evangel Church, located at 5700 Bartels Road in Hanover Park.

“Testing is a critical part of our state’s recovery plan,” said Murphy. “This testing site will give residents a fast, easy and free opportunity to ensure they’re keeping themselves, their families and their communities healthy.”

Anyone will be able to get tested at the site for free, regardless of symptoms. No appointment is necessary, but daily testing supplies are limited, so residents are encouraged to visit early.

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, cough and shortness of breath. Other symptoms may include chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and new loss of taste or smell.

However, people with COVID-19 can spread the virus before they start showing symptoms, and some individuals may be asymptomatic. For this reason, IDPH recommends testing for anyone who has recently been part of a large gathering or has been in contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus.

For more information about COVID-19 testing, visit http://www.dph.illinois.gov/testing.

CHICAGO—State legislators will discuss violence reduction and sentencing reform during a hearing on Tuesday.

State Senator Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (D-Chicago) of the Senate Criminal Law Committee and State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago) of the Senate Public Safety Special Committee will co-chair the joint hearing. State Representative Justin Slaughter (D-Chicago) of the House Judiciary-Criminal Law Committee and other members of the committee will also be guests during the virtual hearing.

CHAMPAIGN—State Senator Scott Bennett is urging business owners to utilize the Illinois Department of Economic Opportunity’s webinar to navigate the Business Interruption Grant (BIG) program this week.

Businesses across Champaign and Vermilion county businesses can register to participate in the free, informative webinar on Tuesday, September 29 at 3 p.m.

“The Business Interruption Grant program will help give our local businesses a helping hand during this awful pandemic,” Bennett said. “I urge area businesses to take advantage of this program and utilize this informative webinar to ensure they are completing applications correctly in order to receive the full amount of assistance they qualify for.” 

Registration is required for this event. Interested participants can click here to register.

Applications for Round 2 of the BIG program were launched last week. The latest round has allocated $220 million in assistance for movie theatres, performing arts venues, concert venues and more to help them stay afloat through this time of crisis and ensure they have the resources to open safely in the coming months.

The intention of the second round is to provide relief for all types of small businesses, with a focus on businesses located downstate. It also includes $60 million for heavily distressed industries, such as movie theaters, performing arts venues, concert venues, indoor recreation, amusement parks, event spaces located at banquet halls and hotels, and more. And another $70 million has been set aside for businesses in economically distressed communities that have been the most vulnerable to COVID-1

“During this pandemic, our local businesses have served our communities and worked diligently to keep their employees and customers safe,” Bennett said. “It is our duty to support our small businesses – as always I urge folks to frequent small businesses but especially during these trying times. Whether you are picking up dinner this weekend, in need of a new shirt or looking for a birthday gift, please shop local.” 

Applications open are open and can be found on the Illinois DCEO’s website. Bennett urges business owners who are unable to attend the September 29 webinar to visit DECO’s website to sign up for another webinar. 

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NAPERVILLE – September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and State Senator Laura Ellman (D-Naperville) is addressing the stigma attached to mental health issues and the mental health crisis in Illinois.

“Sadly, there’s still a lot of stigma surrounding people with mental health issues in America,” Ellman said. “We need everyone to look at mental health the same way they do physical health and make sure anyone who needs help knows they’re not alone.”

The goal of National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month is to raise awareness of the realities of suicide, help open up a conversation about mental health and connect individuals with mental health resources.

Research by the National Alliance on Mental Illness shows that about half of individuals who die from suicide are diagnosed with a mental disorder, but about 90% show symptoms of mental illness. Since the COVID-19 crisis began, the Center for Disease Control estimates that one quarter of young adults have contemplated suicide. If you, or someone you know is experiencing crisis or suicidal thoughts, call the national suicide hotline at 1-800-TALK (8255) or text NAMI at 741-741 to speak with a crisis counselor.

“There are so many people who are dealing with serious mental health issues, but they’re often afraid to ask for help,” Ellman said. “If you or anyone you know is experiencing mental health issues, please use the resources that are available, especially during these uncertain times we find ourselves living through.”