SPRINGFIELD – To meet the needs of defendants who have been determined to be unfit for trial languishing in county jails, State Senator Karina Villa advanced a measure Tuesday.

“As is, our justice system is unable to care for every individual living with mental health conditions who is unfit for trial which leads to people being sent to jail rather than receiving the treatment they need to undergo fair court proceedings,” said Villa (D-West Chicago).“Modeling best practices within the criminal justice system and focusing on effective rehabilitation efforts will result in better mental health outcomes for impacted individuals.”

House Bill 3572 would clarify standards to determine whether someone unfit to stand trial should be diverted to outpatient state mental health treatment programs.

SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus condemns the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s visit to Springfield this week, viewing it as yet another attempt by this administration to instill fear within our Latino and immigrant communities. In response, the ILLC released the following statement:

“It is both sinister and cowardly that Noem would choose Latino Unity Day—a celebration of community advocacy—to undermine immigrant voices. This calculated move aims to fuel anxiety and polarization while exploiting our resilience for political gain.

“The federal administration’s troubling actions reflect a pattern of disrespect, particularly evident in allegations of detaining immigrants without due process. In Illinois, we stand firm in our commitment to protect immigrant communities under the Illinois TRUST Act, which limits local law enforcement's role in federal immigration enforcement.

SPRINGFIELD - During a busy legislative session day, members of the Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus put on their best sneakers with their usual session attire to demonstrate support for cancer patients and survivors throughout the state.

“This day is more than a symbolic gesture, it’s a reminder that cancer can touch every community, every family and every heart,” said State Senator Paul Faraci (D-Champaign). “For members of the General Assembly, wearing sneakers with our professional attire highlights the importance of funding cancer research, promoting early detection and ensuring access to care for all. It’s a small step that speaks to a much larger cause, calling for continued awareness, advocacy and action.”

This is a tradition that is inspired by the Coaches vs. Cancer program, a joint initiative between the American Cancer Society and the NCAA to raise cancer awareness.  Additionally, this initiative coincides with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network’s Cancer Action Day, a key advocacy event dedicated to empowering those affected by cancer to raise their voices at the state Capitol.

SPRINGFIELD –State Senator Karina Villa led a measure through committee to crack down on landlords that may maliciously or ignorantly place a minor on an eviction action, resulting in negative consequences affecting a child’s future ability to rent.

“While eviction is traumatic for families in its own right, including a child in an eviction filing can negatively impact their lives for years to come,” said Villa (D-West Chicago). “Through no fault of their own, a minor’s record will reflect that eviction. Illinois must protect these innocent people from the careless actions of landlords.”

SPRINGFIELD – According to the Food Allergy Research & Education organization (FARE), 33 million Americans have a food allergy, with the most common allergies including milk, tree nuts, shellfish and peanuts. To increase the accessibility of epinephrine to help those having an allergic reaction, State Senator

Mary Edly-Allen worked with House Assistant Majority Leader Maurice West to bring House Bill 2462 to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

SPRINGFIELD – Ensuring middle school students receive equal opportunity to earn high school credits, State Senator Laura Ellman is sponsoring a measure to provide seventh- and eighth-grade students with the option to earn high school credit for high school level courses.

“Students statewide work diligently to achieve success in their academic careers,” said Ellman (D-Naperville). “A middle school student, whose course is not taught by a teacher with a certain certification level, may not receive the necessary high school credits to enroll in the next level of their education.”

Under current Illinois law, middle school students are able to receive credit for high school level courses, as long as the course is offered by the high school in the student’s district and the instructor holds a professional educator license and is endorsed for the grade level and content area of the course.

SPRINGFIELD - State Senator Willie Preston passed a measure through the Senate Licensed Activities Committee to expand implicit bias training for health care workers in Illinois.

“Having implicit bias training in our health care system is essential as Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related cause of deaths than white women,” said Preston (D-Chicago). “We must protect the maternal health of every women in our state.”

SPRINGFIELD – To ensure all educators, including substitute teachers, know what to do in case of an emergency at school, State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel passed a bill out of committee that requires them to be trained in evacuation and lockdown procedures.

“Parents send their children to school expecting their teacher to know what to do if there’s an emergency,” said Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood). “Ensuring every teacher, substitute or full-time, is trained for emergency response situations is the logical thing to do.”