SPRINGFIELD — Assistant Majority Leader Iris Y. Martinez (D-Chicago) is continuing her work to ensure the needs of immigrant communities in Illinois are met.

Her new law creates the Immigration Task Force to examine specified issues related to immigrant communities in Illinois, as well as possible solutions.

“Immigrants in our state are facing an extremely difficult time due to toxic rhetoric and policies from the federal government,” Martinez said. “I am glad the governor shares my commitment to making sure they know they are welcome and protected in Illinois.”

SPRINGFIELD – A state commission overseeing charter school applications will be abolished under a new law sponsored State Senator Linda Holmes (D-Aurora). Gov. JB Pritzker has signed the measure that will keep those decisions in local hands.

Senate Bill 1226 would change the charter school application process to abolish the State Charter School Commission by July 1, 2020, and transfers most of its duties to the Illinois State Board of Education. Locally elected school boards and parents would decide if a charter school is good for their community.

Charter schools currently in the renewal process would be transferred to ISBE. The bill also provides that a local school board may not revoke or not renew a charter except for obvious justifying circumstances.

SPRINGFIELD — A new law sponsored by Assistant Majority Leader Iris Y. Martinez (D-Chicago) creates rules to allow small distilleries to self-distribute spirits.

Martinez’s measure creates a class 1 craft distiller licensee, which allows a licensee to manufacture up to 50,000 gallons of spirits and to self-distribute or sell not more than 5,000 gallons of spirits to retail licensees or consumers.

The bill also creates a class 2 craft distiller license, which allows production of up to 100,000 gallons and allows the licensee to transfer up to 5,000 gallons of spirits to a distilling pub wholly owned and operated by the class 2 distiller.

SPRINGFIELD — A new law sponsored by Assistant Majority Leader Iris Y. Martinez (D-Chicago) seeks to crack down on the practice of notaries falsely advertising legal services.

Martinez’s measure strengthens the notice requirements for people who are advertising notary public services in a language other than English and who are not licensed to practice law or accredited as an immigration representative.

“We know that there are some bad actors taking advantage of those for whom English is not their first language and charging them for services they are not legally able to provide,” Martinez said. “I am glad the governor took this issue seriously and signed my legislation into law.”

SPRINGFIELD – A package of proposals passed by State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield) reforming the troubled Department of Children & Family Services (DCFS) agency was signed into law recently by Gov. Pritzker.

One of the most sweeping proposals signed is Senate Bill 1778, a proposal Morrison worked with advocates and fellow lawmakers on for years to update the confusing set of state rules governing reporting of child abuse in Illinois.

“The first step in addressing potential child abuse is the reporting of that behavior,” Morrison said. “If the abuse is not being reported – or if individuals don’t know the signs of abuse or who to even report to – the entire system is in jeopardy of not working, leaving abused children in dangerous situations.”

SPRINGFIELD – To protect consumers from being taken advantage of due to misinformation from alternative retail electric suppliers, Senate Majority Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) led legislation that was signed into law on Tuesday.

“The data clearly demonstrates that alternative suppliers focus their signup efforts on low-income neighborhoods, those where English is a secondary language and communities of color,” Lightford said. “I am proud to stand with Governor Pritzker and Attorney General Raoul to protect our most vulnerable residents from unknowingly signing contracts that will result in rate hikes they cannot afford.”

According to the Attorney General’s Office, over the last three years consumers who are enrolled with alternative retail electric suppliers have paid almost $400 million more in electricity costs than consumers who stayed with their default public utility.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Christopher Belt’s legislation that will increase minority representation on corporate boards was signed into law today.

Under the legislation, all publicly held corporations whose principal executive offices are located in Illinois will be required to submit information with their annual report regarding the gender and racial/ethnic make-up of their board of directors. 

The University of Illinois would then conduct a study to make recommendations on how to improve minority and female representation.

“With this new law, we will be able to pinpoint the corporations who aren’t diversifying,” said Belt (D-Centreville). “Illinois is a very diverse state, and boards should reflect the diversity of its employees, consumers and community.”

OAKBROOK TERRACE—Illinois Alzheimer’s caregivers and patients will now have an advocate within the Illinois Department of Public Health to oversee the state’s Alzheimer’s efforts, thanks to State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton.

Glowiak Hilton’s measure, Senate Bill 1726, which creates the position of Dementia Coordinator in the Department of Public Health to oversee the implementation of the Illinois Alzheimer's Disease State Plan, was signed into law on Monday.

“As someone who cared for a husband and mother with Alzheimer’s disease, I know how impossible it can seem,” Glowiak Hilton said. “Under the leadership of a statewide Dementia Coordinator, those living and caring for those with Alzheimer’s will have an advocate to fight for state policies that will improve their level of care.”