SPRINGFIELD—The Illinois Legislative Black Caucus (ILBC) responded to an incident in Kenosha, Wisc. where officers shot Jacob Blake in the back seven times at point blank range. The footage of the Sunday afternoon shooting has been shared widely, and has continued protests against police brutality across the country. Senate Majority Leader and Chair of the ILBC Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood released the following statement:

“Mr. Blake exemplified community by taking the initiative to deescalate a domestic dispute, and somehow he ended up being shot by an officer multiple times. I do not know how to explain that, but I do know that this is not what public safety looks like.

CHAMPAIGN – State Senator Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) is pleased to congratulate the University of Illinois for their innovative work to create a saliva test for COVID-19, which is now operating under FDA Emergency Use Authorization.

“I am so proud of the University of Illinois for their innovation and commitment to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic,” Bennett said. “As the need for testing continues to grow, this is a tremendous step toward making testing easier and more accessible, not just in Illinois, but across the country.”

GRANITE CITY – In an effort to help teachers adapt to a school year that will rely heavily on e-learning, State Senator Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) coordinated with officials at Granite City Community Unit School District #9 to ensure 3,000 Chromebooks were ready for students to begin class next week.

“Spending the day unboxing Chromebooks is not how I think anybody expected to be spending their time leading up to school this year, but teachers have stepped up to the task of teaching students while also keeping them and their community safe,” Crowe said.

CHICAGO – Mercy Hospital announced plans to close by May 2021 last month, and State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) is advocating against it, saying Mercy should remain open.

“This decision could devastate our community, which is already struggling in the middle of this global pandemic,” Hunter said. “Mercy owners requested hundreds of millions of dollars just to close it down, and turn it into a clinic. But we don’t need a clinic, we need a hospital, which has the resources necessary to save lives in times of urgency and in times of severe illness.”