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.

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Aquino: Illinoisans need access to healthcare, not to be targeted as political puns

SPRINGFIELD. Senate Majority Caucus Chair Omar Aquino released the following statement following House Republican lawmakers' press conference in which they criticized the Medicaid expansions Illinois has achieved so far under the Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults Program:

"Over the last few years, I have been the proud chief sponsor of legislation that expands Medicaid-like services for non-citizens, which positions Illinois as the nation's leader in healthcare equity. That is a fact. Thanks to the hard work of a broad coalition, we achieved that over 15,000 underserved Illinoisans now have access to healthcare.

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Preston spearheads new educator diversity measure

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Willie Preston passed a measure through the Senate Education Committee to increase educator diversity by overhauling the outdated teacher evaluation system.

“I recognize that diversity is necessary to ensure that students are given the perspectives of multiple backgrounds, cultures and ethnicities to better prepare themselves for the workforce and to have a more well-rounded education,” said Preston (D-Chicago). “We can start diversifying our educator workforce by making necessary changes to the current educator evaluation system in place.”

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Hastings advances measure to fight crime

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois may soon have a law on the books to help law enforcement quickly track stolen vehicles, thanks to State Senator Michael E. Hastings. 

Hastings (D-Frankfort) advanced House Bill 2245, which requires Cook County to establish a vehicle theft hotline to facilitate the location of a stolen vehicle.

“We must embrace technology to give law enforcement the tools to track carjackers and tackle this epidemic,” Hastings said. “The quicker we are able to locate where a carjacker is, the safer our communities will be.”

Law enforcement officers said they are at a disadvantage when it comes to putting a stop to the crime because they can’t access real-time tracking information after the incident.

This measure would also allow law enforcement to contact auto manufacturers around the clock to ping where the car is located – allowing police to find the perpetrator and arrest them before they get away.

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