Cunningham expands access to ABLE accounts

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Bill Cunningham spearheaded legislation that expands access to savings accounts for people living with disabilities, known as the Senator Scott Bennett ABLE Program.

“ABLE accounts provide much-needed protections for people living with disabilities and their families by allowing them to build financial wellness without risking their federal government benefits,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs. “We chose to expand this program because it’s proven to work and is a testament to our commitment to those who deserve our support.”

House Bill 3641 makes expansive changes to the Senator Scott Bennett ABLE Program, which helps people with disabilities and their families save and invest for expenses related to living with a disability without jeopardizing their eligibility for certain government benefits. The measure allows people over the age of 18 to start an IL ABLE account and enables the accounts to conserve additional benefits, such as VA benefits.

Read more: Cunningham expands access to ABLE accounts

Pet safety this Thanksgiving and holiday season

As we approach this holiday season, it is important to stay informed on what you can do to keep your pets healthy and safe.

To avoid health risks to your pet:

• Do not share food with your pets. Fatty foods are hard for pets to digest, and some foods that people eat are toxic to animals. Consider making or buying a treat that is made just for them.
• When cleaning up, put your trash away from your pet. Dispose of any food scraps in a tightly secured trash bag placed in a closed trash container outdoors or behind a closed, locked door.
• Be careful with your decorative plants, some can be toxic to pets. The safest plan is to keep your pet away from all plants and table decorations.
• Quick action saves lives. If you think your pet may have been poisoned, immediately call your veterinarian or local veterinary emergency clinic.

Read more: Pet safety this Thanksgiving and holiday season

Preston introduces measure to address antiquated officer hiring decisions

SPRINGFIELD — State Senator Willie Preston (D-Chicago) released the following statement regarding new legislation to diversify the state’s pool of law enforcement officers by prohibiting the use of credit history in hiring decisions:

“An applicant's poor credit history should not preclude that person from becoming a police officer. If we want to address the decrease in officers applying and diversify our law enforcement, we have to remove these outdated, classist policies.

“Senate Bill 2608 would prohibit police departments across Illinois from denying employment and promotions based on someone’s credit. Looking at the Chicago Police Department alone, data shows that only 20% of the force is Black.

Read more: Preston introduces measure to address antiquated officer hiring decisions

Illinois takes major step toward lowering emissions, thanks to Ventura

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois is leading the way toward a cleaner, greener future thanks to a measure from State Senator Rachel Ventura to require state-owned vehicles to be zero emission.

“Zero emission vehicles deliver big gains for both our environment and our economy,” said Ventura (D-Joliet). “Taking bold steps to cut pollution puts us closer to our nation-leading goal to become a 100% clean energy state.”

Highway vehicles release about 1.4 billion tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere each year — mostly in the form of carbon dioxide — which contribute to the global climate crisis. The continuous adoption of zero-emission vehicles has the ability to move the nation close to an 80% decrease in transportation greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Senate Bill 1769 will require passenger vehicles purchased or leased by the state to either be a manufactured zero-emission vehicle or converted into a zero-emission vehicle by 2030. Exceptions will be made for law enforcement and IDOT vehicles. Currently 13 other states have adopted similar zero-emission vehicle requirements, Minnesota being the only other Midwestern state to do so.

Read more: Illinois takes major step toward lowering emissions, thanks to Ventura