Johnson joins coalition to unveil Home for Good proposal to strengthen public safety and support successful reentry

SPRINGFIELD — At a press conference on Wednesday, State Senator Adriane Johnson joined advocates and community leaders to unveil the Home for Good proposal — a comprehensive plan to expand housing and support services for people returning home from incarceration.

“Public safety starts with stability,” Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove) said. “When people return home from incarceration, access to safe, stable housing gives them the foundation to work, support their families and successfully reintegrate into their communities. This proposal is about aligning our public safety goals with smart, long-term investments.”

The proposal aims to reduce homelessness, improve public safety and generate long-term savings for taxpayers by establishing a coordinated, statewide reentry strategy.

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Joyce looking to expand hunting industry in Illinois

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Patrick Joyce advanced a bill that would allow for more humane hunting and an expansion of the hunting industry in Illinois.

“Many hunters I know tend to pass on using centerfire rifles,” said Joyce (D-Essex). “If we can pass this legislation, we will see a significant increase in the use of this hunting rifle.”

Senate Bill 2756 would increase the max capacity of centerfire rifles from one to three rounds. This would put Illinois on par with all other states, as Illinois is the only state that institutes a single-shot limit on centerfire rifle capacity. Joyce led previous legislation that formally legalized the use of single shot centerfire rifles for deer hunting season. Since its introduction, centerfire rifle use among youth hunters has jumped to just over 50 percent. 

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Guzmán speaks on need for thriving wages for human service workers

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Graciela Guzmán spoke at a press conference Wednesday to advocate for her measure to boost funding to human services organizations.

“I come to this work not just as a legislator, but as someone whose family and community have relied on human services to survive and to heal,” said Guzmán (D-Chicago). “I have seen what happens when care is delayed, when programs are understaffed, and when the people doing the most essential work are stretched past their limits.”

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Halpin bill to address teacher shortage passes committee

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mike Halpin’s bill to allow retired teachers to work additional paid hours as substitutes in order to address the statewide teacher shortage passed committee Tuesday.

“Illinois schools need more teachers and more substitute teachers. Allowing retired teachers to continue to work more substitution hours gives the support our education system needs,” said Halpin (D-Rock Island). “If we are going to solve the teacher shortage we will need creative solutions, this legislation represents one of them.”

Senate Bill 2953 would extend the sunset of a provision that allows retired teachers to work up to 120 days or 600 paid hours as a substitute teacher without impacting their retirement status – in turn addressing the substitute teacher shortage across the state.

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