SPRINGFIELD – Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto Friday of legislation intended to improve relations between immigrant communities and law enforcement is a step backward that will punish victims and shield criminals, said Illinois Senate President John J. Cullerton, the lead sponsor of the proposal.

“This is a slap in the face to crime victims who happen to be immigrants. The whole idea was to foster trust between police and immigrant communities. You want immigrants to report crime, because criminals aren’t checking immigration status,” Cullerton said. “Gov. Rauner’s veto is a misguided step in the wrong direction that will ultimately shield criminals and punish victims.”

PLAINFIELD – To make college more affordable, State Senator Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant (D-Shorewood) spearheaded a new measure to increase availability of dual-credit classes in Illinois.

Bertino-Tarrant’s initiative, Senate Bill 2838, requires a public university or community colleges to work with local high schools to grant dual credit to a student who completes an accredited course. It was signed into law on Thursday.

CHICAGO – Every year, influenza hits thousands of families, and hospitals need to do all they can to help stop the spread of influenza. A measure championed by State Senator Bill Cunningham, House Bill 2984, was signed into law today to address the issue.

Under the new law, certified local health departments and any facility licensed by the Illinois Department of Public Health may implement more stringent flu vaccination policies for their employees. The aim is to protect patients from exposure to the flu and improve vaccination rates.

SPRINGFIELD – A bill sponsored by State Senator Linda Holmes (D – Aurora) to fight the growing epidemic of obesity in Illinois was vetoed by Gov. Bruce Rauner this week.

The measure, Senate Bill 2572, would require schools to provide a minimum of 150 minutes of physical education per school week for students in kindergarten through 12^th grade.

“Governor, why do you want to limit a school’s flexibility in scheduling PE?” Holmes asked. “It is still such a minimal amount of time for physical activity that impacts health with respect to obesity-related diseases and proven research on how exercise positively affects the brain and the ability to learn.”

“A greater and greater percentage of adults in Illinois are obese, and that number only keeps rising year after year,” Holmes said. “In the past we’ve set minimum requirements on a variety of subjects meant to keep students’ minds healthy, and with this we sought to do the same with a subject meant to keep their bodies healthy as well.”