SPRINGFIELD – Agricultural sciences will now be added as a type of course that may be counted towards the requirement for three years of sciences in order to gain admission to an Illinois public university under a plan backed by State Senator Doris Turner’s (D-Springfield).
“This is simply an effort to highlight the importance of agricultural science,” said Turner. “It is my hope that students are encouraged to work and study in the field now that we’ve expanded our current curricula to include specialized sciences.”
Read more: Illinois to expand agricultural education for students
SPRINGFIELD –State Senator Tom Cullerton (D- Villa Park) spearheaded a measure that was signed on Monday to help connect residents of long-term care facilities to loved ones during disasters like the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’ve learned from this pandemic how social isolation can have such a negative effect on mental health, especially for older adults in our state,” Cullerton said. “It’s so important that if anything like this pandemic happens again, long-term care facilities have a plan of action to make sure their residents have the opportunity to call their loved ones frequently.”
Read more: Cullerton celebrates signing of legislation to help long-term care facility residents
SPRINGFIELD – Schools will have to follow specific trauma-informed guidelines for school shooting lockdown drills under State Senator Karina Villa’s (D-West Chicago) new law.
“We should be doing everything in our power to stop school shootings and avoid the trauma that comes from shooting events — including that caused by involvement in graphic simulations during lockdown drills,” Villa said. “Our students should feel safe at school, and these trauma-informed guidelines will help them prepare for the worst without carrying the weight of a simulated tragedy.”
Read more: Villa law mandates trauma-informed school shooting lockdown drills
SPRINGFIELD – This year, State Senator Cristina Castro (D- Elgin) spearheaded a measure to enhance the Voices of Immigrant Communities Empowering Survivors Act in order to encourage people to report crimes without fear of jeopardizing their immigration status. The legislation was signed into law on Monday.
“Everyone deserves to be able to protect themselves from crime, and a big part of that is having the ability to report wrongs against them or their loved ones to law enforcement,” Castro said. “The VOICES Act and these enhancements will help both victims harmed by criminal activity and law enforcement looking to investigate the criminal activity.”
Read more: Castro celebrates signing of legislation to empower immigrant victims of crime to report
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