Toro legislation advocating for cyclist safety goes to the Senate floor

SPRINGFIELD — After a 16-year-old in her district was struck and killed by a car while riding his bike, State Senator Natalie Toro has been working to improve the safety features of Chicago bike lanes to prevent further tragedies. Her new bill, which prioritizes cyclist safety, passed the Senate Transportation committee, bringing it one step closer to becoming law.

“Biking should be a safe pastime for kids—not something that could end up getting them killed,” said Toro (D-Chicago). “It is horrific to think that children—like 16-year-old Josh Anleu—who are just trying to visit their friends or a local park never make it home because of unsafe bike lanes. Something has to change, and I believe this initiative is the first step to better protect our bikers.” 

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Loughran Cappel measure protecting youth from e-cigarettes advances

SPRINGFIELD – To protect youth from the dangers of vaping, State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel is sponsoring a measure that would prohibit shipping e-cigarettes to anyone in the state.

“The internet makes it easy for kids to access vapes,” said Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood). “We have to do what we can to protect our youth from the risks e-cigarettes pose to their health.”

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Villanueva measure to increase business loan opportunities for underserved communities

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Celina Villanueva advanced a measure that would give minority-owned, women-owned and veteran-owned businesses the opportunity to apply for up to $2 million in loans.

“Establishing better business incentives for our underrepresented populations, such as minorities, women, veterans and individuals with disabilities, helps create a more inclusive business ecosystem,” said Villanueva (D-Chicago). “This will greatly impact communities that have traditionally faced systemic barriers to entry and growth.”

Senate Bill 3807 will encourage more people to apply to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s Minority, Veteran, Female and Disability Loan Program by increasing the maximum loan amount from $400,000 to $2 million.

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Castro works to bring tax relief to emergency services volunteers

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Cristina Castro advanced a measure that would enable volunteers who serve at local disaster and emergency services agencies in Illinois to qualify for the volunteer emergency worker tax credit.

“When disaster strikes, emergency services volunteers are there to provide assistance, perform damage assessments, remove debris and, ultimately, help our communities recover,” said Castro (D-Elgin). “Giving them the ability to claim the same tax credit as volunteer firefighters is one small way we can extend our gratitude for their service while providing an incentive for others to volunteer in their communities.”

Senate Bill 2704 would allow certain municipal and county volunteer emergency workers to qualify for the Illinois volunteer emergency worker tax credit beginning in taxable year 2024. The volunteer would be eligible if they serve for at least 100 hours at a local emergency services and disaster agency during the taxable year, do not earn more than $5,000 for their service, and are registered with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. These requirements would only apply to volunteers working with a local emergency services and disaster agency. Volunteer firefighters and emergency service volunteers with a fire department are already eligible for the tax credit.

Read more: Castro works to bring tax relief to emergency services volunteers