Turner measure expanding ASL curriculum passes Senate

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Doris Turner passed a measure through the Senate to give students and teachers more materials to learn about American Sign Language.

“We have so many residents across Illinois who are either deaf or hard of hearing who use ASL to communicate,” said Turner (D-Springfield). “If we teach our children about ASL at a young age, we could foster a generation of people who can reach out to those in the deaf and hard-hearing communities.”

Read more: Turner measure expanding ASL curriculum passes Senate

Belt bill to expand manufacturing programs in the Metro East passes Senate

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Christopher Belt scored a win for Metro East manufacturing and labor with the passage of his bill to enhance career and technical education opportunities.

“If we want to bring back and build up manufacturing in the Metro East, we need to build the labor pool,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “Career and technical education can help a young person create a stable career, leading to a stable family and ultimately a stable Metro East.”

Senate Bill 58 would expand a current program that is successful in other parts of the state to the Metro East. The program allows manufacturing companies to partner with local community colleges and high schools to set up technical training programs that would translate directly into a job. This creates a targeted labor pool that connects prospective workers with the manufacturers in their community.

Read more: Belt bill to expand manufacturing programs in the Metro East passes Senate

Collins pushes for transition plan for youth aging out of foster care

SPRINGFIELD – To ensure all youth in foster care have a pathway to independence, State Senator Lakesia Collins moved legislation that would establish a transition process to ensure youth aging out of care are provided with opportunities to succeed.

“As someone who has experienced the hardships of growing out of foster care, I know how important it is to create pathways for children to succeed,” said Collins (D-Chicago). “By giving foster children opportunities to learn and navigate adulthood, we are giving them a better future.”

Under Senate Bill 1504, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services would be required to develop a transition plan for youth age 15 and older to help prepare them for their transition out of care. Currently, youth in care are not eligible to receive most services after the age of 21, and the vast majority transition out of DCFS care on their 21^st birthdays or earlier.

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Walker seeks to stamp out cryptocurrency fraud across Illinois

SPRINGFIELD — Through a new bill, State Senator Mark Walker aims to crack down on more than $163 million lost to cryptocurrency fraud in Illinois in 2023.

“The rise of digital assets has opened the door for financial opportunity, but also for bankruptcy, fraud and deceptive practices,” said Walker (D-Arlington Heights). “We must set standards for those who have evolved in the crypto business to ensure they are credible, honest actors.”

Senate Bill 1797, also known as the Digital Assets and Consumer Protection Act, would allow the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to manage guidelines that crypto companies must follow. Through Walker’s bill, IDFPR would be able to adopt rules to protect consumer assets and investments.

Read more: Walker seeks to stamp out cryptocurrency fraud across Illinois