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Senator Mike Simmons

SPRINGFIELD – Thanks to State Senator Mike Simmons, Illinois is prepared to have a renewed focus on identifying and tackling health care disparities through a newly established Health Outcomes Review Board, which was signed into law on Friday.

Simmons' new law puts us on the path to the creation of an equitable Health Outcomes Review Board, overseen by the Illinois Department of Public Health, which will be dedicated to collecting and reporting de-identified health data with a focus on demographic factors like race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity and languages spoken.

“The Health Outcomes Review Board will be able to identify and address disparities in health care and improve policies for communities that have not been well-served by our health care systems,” said Simmons (D-Chicago). “Whether it’s the unacceptable maternal mortality rates of African American mothers, or inadequate access to specialty care for LGBTQ+ communities, the board will help identify those gaps and provide recommendations for addressing them.”

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SPRINGFIELD – Advocating for immigrant employees, State Senator Javier Loera Cervantes’ new law will protect marginalized workers from unfair enforcement action during their employment.

“Many immigrant employees have run into a problem where their documentation may have misinput their name with slight differences of dashes, spaces, letters with or without an accent, only to be flagged during the work verification process,” said Cervantes (D-Chicago). “With this law, we can correct bureaucratic errors that would otherwise be detrimental to their income and livelihoods. By adjusting the system to allow workers more time to correct issues with documentation, we can make a huge impact for marginalized workers across Illinois.”

Federal immigration law requires employers to verify the legal work status of their employees through the E-Verify system. E-Verify compares information from an employee’s I-9 Form to records available to the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration to confirm eligibility. If discrepancies are found, immigrant workers have the possibility of receiving a “no match” letter for a variety of reasons, including instances where the individual changed their name due to marriage. Many employers terminate employees upon receiving this notice, even though they could be legally working in the United States.

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vapesSPRINGFIELD – Nicotine companies are creating vapes that are designed to look like school supplies and therefore are easily concealed, leading State Senator Julie Morrison to pass a law to prevent these products from being advertised to children.

“With more high school students using vapes today than cigarettes 10 years ago, youth e-cigarette use is a public health threat,” said Morrison (D-Lake Forest). “This law will prohibit tobacco companies from pulling the wool over the eyes of educators and guardians whose job it is to keep kids safe.”

Educators have complained to the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services about finding electronic cigarettes on school property that are designed to look like school supplies such as highlighters, erasers and pencil sharpeners. Senate Bill 2662 will prohibit the advertising, marketing or promoting of an electronic cigarette in a manner that is likely to cause a person to mistake it for an object that is anything other than what it is, a tobacco product.

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Sen. Robert Martwick

SPRINGFIELD — The property tax system in Illinois will face a comprehensive review thanks to a measure championed by State Senator Robert Martwick.

“Through this legislation, we are going to be able to take the time to examine assessment practices, valuation methodologies and relief mechanisms that will help enhance accountability and reduce disparities,” said Martwick (D-Chicago). “By evaluating the property tax system, we can ensure future reforms prioritize homeowners, especially middle- and low-income households that disproportionately pay more.”

Martwick’s measure tasks the Department of Revenue and Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity with conducting a comprehensive study evaluating the entire property tax system in the state.

More Articles …

  1. Preston’s legislation to expand access to colonoscopies signed by governor
  2. Peters’ law improves Crime Victims Compensation Program
  3. Villivalam, Senate Transportation Committee hosts third subject matter hearing on how transit supports community quality of life
  4. Johnson law to ensure housing resources for students

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