Caucus News

SPRINGFIELD — Assistant Majority Leader Iris Y. Martinez (D-Chicago) joined Gov. JB Pritzker and advocates today as her legislation providing relief from high interest on consumer debt was signed into law.

The bill, which passed both the House and the Senate with bipartisan support, takes two steps to lower the financial burden on Illinoisans struggling with these debts.

First, it lowers the interest rate on consumer debt under $25,000 from 9% to 5%. It also lowers the timeframe in which debt collectors can collect on a judgment from 26 to 17 years, preventing families from being trapped by decades-old debts.

“Debt can be a real, crushing thing that keeps people trapped in a cycle of poverty,” Martinez said. “By making it easier for people to make payments, we are not only making it more likely for the debt to be paid but also helping people move toward financial independence.”

According to the Heartland Alliance, a nonprofit anti-poverty organization, 1 in 3 Illinois residents is in the debt collection process.

House Bill 88 takes effect on Jan. 1, 2020.

ELGIN — State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) announced today that adult literacy programs in her district will receive nearly $290,000 in state grants.

Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White awarded the grants through the Adult Literacy Grant Program, which helps learners develop and enhance their reading, math, writing and English-language skills.

“English as a Second Language and adult literacy classes are vital services that help people develop the language skills they need to be successful,” said Castro. “This investment from the Secretary of State will ensure that Literacy Connection and the YWCA can continue to provide these life-changing services to those who rely on them.”

The programs receiving funding in the 22nd District are:

• Adult Volunteer Literacy Program, Literacy Connection: $91,346
• ESL Family Literacy (Children 2-5 Years), YWCA of Elgin: $50,000
• ESL Family Literacy (Infants and Toddlers), YWCA of Elgin: $50,000
• Lakewood Elementary Family Literacy Program, Literacy Connection: $48,866
• Meadowdale Elementary Family Literacy Program, Literacy Connection: $48,866

CHICAGO — State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago) announced today that adult literacy programs in his district will receive nearly $140,000 in state grants.

Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White awarded the grants through the Adult Literacy Grant Program, which helps learners develop and enhance their reading, math, writing and English-language skills.

“These programs offer invaluable services to those seeking to improve their reading skills and to those learning English for the first time,” said Peters. “Programs like these don’t shame folks for their language abilities, but instead lift them up and provide them with the opportunity to learn and develop those skills. I am grateful that the Secretary of State made these meaningful, people-centered investments.”

The programs receiving funding in the 13th District are:

• Learning for Life, Family Legacy Foundation: $125,000
• Delta Literacy Project, D’Estee, Inc.: $14,259

BELLEVILLE – State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Centreville) announced today that Southwestern Illinois College will receive a $36,094 state grant for its Project READ Adult Volunteer Literacy Program.

Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White awarded the grants through the Adult Literacy Grant Program, which helps learners develop and enhance their reading, math, writing and English-language skills.

“I want to thank Jesse White for his commitment to funding the crucial services the Project READ program provides,” Belt said. “This program helps give all adults the tools they need to succeed and makes an incredible difference in the lives of the men and women it serves.”

A total of 14,352 learners will be served by adult literacy programs around the state. A total of 6,086 volunteer tutors will provide training for learners putting them on the path to lifelong learning. Adult literacy projects help adults who read below the ninth-grade level or speak English at a beginning level to improve their reading, writing, math or use of English as a new language.

SPRINGFIELD – The number of adults in the United States with hearing loss is expected to jump from 44 million to 73 million by 2060. With a growing number of individuals residing in nursing homes and long-term care facilities, State Senator Terry Link (D-Indian Creek) championed a measure requiring the use of closed captioning on televisions in hospitals and other care facilities.

Link’s plan – House Bill 3468 – was signed into law last week by Gov. Pritzker.

“For many experiencing hearing loss, background noise can make it especially difficult to hear what is being said,” Link said. “Turning on the closed captioning feature is a simple step that staff can take to ensure all viewers can enjoy what they are watching.”

House Bill 3468 requires hospitals, alternative health care models, Community Living Facilities, long-term care facilities, MC/DD facilities, ID/DD facilities, specialized mental health rehabilitation facilities, and community-integrated living arrangements to make reasonable efforts to have the closed captioning feature on a television activated at all times in a common area provided for use by the general public or in a patient's room.

CHICAGO RIDGE – The Chicago Ridge Public Library is the recipient of a $7,642 mentoring grant from the Illinois secretary of state, State Senator Bill Cunningham announced.

The grant was awarded through the FY20 Project Next Generation program, which is a mentoring program administered through Illinois public libraries. Mentors work with middle and high school students to help them develop skills needed to use technology and find success through project-based learning. Mentors also help with developing life skills, such as effective communication, goal setting and conflict resolution.

Chicago Ridge is one of 29 public libraries in the state to receive the grant.

“This program provides students with the tools that they need to succeed both in and out of the classroom,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the southwest suburbs. “Mentorship can make an incredible differences in the lives of young people and I want to thank Jesse White for his commitment to serving at-risk students in the south suburbs.”

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois residents’ genetic testing results will now be protected under a new state law passed by State Senator Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) and signed by Gov. JB Pritzker today.

“As technology advances, we have to update our laws to reflect ways it can be improperly used, and the personal data of private citizens is being used inappropriately every day,” Crowe said. “Keeping genetic information confidential is crucial to protecting a person’s right to privacy.”

The legislation prohibits companies that provide direct-to-consumer commercial genetic testing, such as Ancestry.com and 23andMe, from sharing any test results with health or life insurance companies without the consumer’s consent.

SPRINGFIELD – Legislation sponsored by State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Centreville) that will make it easier for the state to ensure its buildings are energy efficient was signed into law today.

The measure will allow the Capitol Development Board to require new state buildings, and any renovations or additions to existing state buildings, to be able to support solar panels, even if they are not installed at the time of construction.

“The state should find every way possible to save money and protect the environment,” Belt said. “Allowing state buildings to be energy efficient will do just that.”

This legislation brings the state in line with federal policy by closing a loophole that prohibits the board from requiring new buildings to be solar-ready.

House Bill 2652 takes effect immediately.