Simmons pushes to require air conditioning and heating for older residents

SPRINGFIELD – To ensure property owners who limit rental, ownership or occupancy to people ages 55 and up have ample heating and cooling, State Senator Mike Simmons advanced a House bill out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday.

“Senior residents are at a higher risk for heat stroke during summer months,” said Simmons (D-Chicago). “This bill will hold landlords, condominium associations and other property owners accountable in ensuring our older resident neighbors, both in the 7th District and across the state, live in safe and humane housing conditions.”

Read more: Simmons pushes to require air conditioning and heating for older residents

Belt measure to help with teacher shortage passes committee

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Christopher Belt advanced a measure through the Senate Education Committee Tuesday that would help address the ongoing teacher shortage in Illinois.

“Illinois is facing a crisis when it comes to recruiting and retaining qualified teachers, particularly in underserved communities,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “We need to address this issue so our children have access to quality education.”

House Bill 3801 would provide retention bonuses of $4,000 per year, for two consecutive years to teachers who are National Board Certified who are employed in hard-to-staff schools. A hard-to-staff school is a public school that no less than 30% of the student enrollment is considered low-income. Becoming a National Board Certified teacher is a career continuum for those that starts in pre-service teacher preparation, leading aspiring teachers to pursue and achieve National Board Certification.

Read more: Belt measure to help with teacher shortage passes committee

Right to read protected under Murphy measure

SPRINGFIELD – In order to protect the freedom of allowing people to read, State Senator Laura Murphy championed legislation to prevent the banning of books.

“The First Amendment protects more than just our right to speak, it includes the right to access resources from libraries that are free from censorship driven by partisan or doctrinal disapproval,” said Murphy (D-Des Plaines). “These coordinated campaigns to censor books stand as a direct affront to the principles our country was founded upon.”

Under this measure, a library or library system must adopt the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights or develop a written statement prohibiting the practice of banning books or materials in order to be eligible for state grants.

Read more: Right to read protected under Murphy measure

Senator Sims stands up for survivors of violence

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Elgie R. Sims, Jr. joined the Alliance for Safety and Justice Team to push for commonsense solutions to public safety at a rally Thursday.

“I see so many times across my community the pain – the extraordinary pain – that individuals feel because they are suffering from loss,” Sims told nearly 250 advocates at the Capitol. “Enough is enough. We are far too tired of being sick and tired.”

The Chicago Democrat and hundreds of local crime victims joined forces to speak for the need to make communities safer. Aside from the rally in the rotunda, many advocates met with a number of Senators and Representatives to outline their ideas for public safety solutions that stop the cycle of crime.

Read more: Senator Sims stands up for survivors of violence