SPRINGFIELD – Food deserts are areas with low access to affordable and nutritious food, disproportionately affecting low income communities. State Senators Chris Belt and Paul Faraci obtained relief for two food deserts in their communities with the Illinois Grocery Initiative Grant.
“I’m thrilled to see the continued success and impact of the Illinois Grocery Initiative,” said Belt (D – East St. Louis). “This funding is essential to ensuring every family in Illinois has reliable access to healthy food while also helping the state work towards the goal of eliminating food deserts.”
SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Willie Preston is leading legislation to provide formerly incarcerated individuals resources to acclimate the person to life outside of a correctional facility.
“By providing resources to formerly incarcerated individuals, we are giving them a chance to succeed, empower and uplift their communities,” said Preston (D-Chicago). “We must treat all Illinoisans with respect and give them a chance to succeed regardless of their background.”
Read more: Preston bill to provide formerly incarcerated individuals with a pathway to society
SPRINGFIELD – In response to the growing trend of bullying that uses artificial intelligence to create and distribute sexually explicit materials, State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel passed a bill through committee that further expands the definition of cyberbullying and addresses the use of bullying by artificial intelligence in the school code.
“With artificial intelligence on the rise, we are seeing a lot more cyberbullying scenarios that deal with altered, harmful images,” said Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood). “It’s essential for our students and families to know that although there may be good uses for AI, it can also be a harmful tool and there will be consequences for students if it’s used inappropriately.”
Read more: Loughran Cappel works to crack down on cyberbullying via AI technology
SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Bill Cunningham advanced a measure that would specifically set aside funding for the city of Chicago to purchase and repair emergency service vehicles like firetrucks and ambulances.
“When there is an emergency, people want to know that a working fire truck and ambulance are going to arrive at the scene,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs. “This measure will ensure that funds collected from ambulance rides will be used to upgrade emergency service vehicles and not be raided for other purposes.”
Read more: Cunningham moves to upgrade Chicago’s firetrucks and ambulances
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