Measure by Ellman to establish Illinois as a Hydrogen Hub advances out of committee

SPRINGFIELD – A measure by State Senator Laura Ellman (D-Naperville) to establish a Hydrogen Economy Task Force in Illinois advanced out of the Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee on Thursday.

"Through the establishment of our Hydrogen Economy Task Force, we set Illinois on track to become a hydrogen powerhouse in the Midwest, and nationwide,” Ellman said. “As a center of a potential Midwest Hydrogen Hub, we can harness our excess energy in the state to generate hydrogen, and in turn use it to support the agricultural, refining, and transportation industries in Illinois and across the Midwest.  Hydrogen Hub investment means innovation and good jobs.”

Read more: Measure by Ellman to establish Illinois as a Hydrogen Hub advances out of committee

Koehler’s measure to expand renewable recycling advances out of committee

SPRINGFIELD – Legislation sponsored by State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) to establish a plan for renewable recycling in Illinois advanced out of the Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee on Thursday.

“When talking about renewable energy, we sometimes overlook that while the energy itself may be renewable, too often the technology used to harness it isn’t,” Koehler said. “Expanding opportunities to recycle and reuse the raw materials used to build solar panels won’t just save taxpayer dollars, it will help protect our environment and keep sustainable energy truly sustainable.”

Senate Bill 3790 creates a Renewable Energy Component Recycling Task Force, which is responsible for investigating options for recycling and other end of life methods for renewable generation components and energy storage devices. The Task Force must report its findings to the General Assembly by March 1, 2023.

Read more: Koehler’s measure to expand renewable recycling advances out of committee

Pacione-Zayas advances measure to support students, address teacher shortage

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago) is spearheading two measures to give high school students more options for careers following graduation. Both measures passed the Senate Education Committee Tuesday.

“Students have big life decisions to make after high school, whether they choose to further their education or enter a career field,” Pacione-Zayas said. “It’s important that they know what opportunities are available to them as early as possible to give them a plan of action before the school year ends.”

Senate Bill 3990 will require school counseling services to include Career and Technical Education to help students determine any secondary education plans following high school. Counseling students on CTE will better allow some students to find educational and career opportunities that better fit their goals and skills. This is more important than ever as provisions regarding workforce development of the Clean and Equitable Jobs Act begin to go into effect and the state begins to move toward a clean energy economy.

Read more: Pacione-Zayas advances measure to support students, address teacher shortage

Peters measure to help youth in state care transition to adulthood advances

Springfield- Youth in the care of the Department of Children and Family Services are one step closer to receiving the financial resources they need to be ready for adulthood thanks to a measure championed by State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago).

“The state needs to be proactive at helping youth in care build a strong future during their final years of care,” Peters said. “We need to do all we can to ensure that they have access to a financial head start before they have to live on their own.”

Senate Bill 3470 would require DCFS to save or invest a minimum percentage of a youth's benefits once they reach the age of 14. This will ensure that when DCFS no longer serves as the financial representative of the youth, they will have some money to help them transition into a successful adult life.

Read more: Peters measure to help youth in state care transition to adulthood advances