Preston’s measure to ban harmful food additives passes Senate
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SPRINGFIELD — State Senator Willie Preston advanced legislation to ban harmful chemicals in candy, soda and other food items sold and produced in Illinois.
“The FDA has failed to take action on this pressing issue,” said Preston (D-Chicago). “Safer alternatives are already being used in the EU and other places. We need to make sure that safer choices are available to families in Illinois and hopefully, other states will follow so all consumers have access to the healthiest options.”
Over the last few decades, studies show that the number of chemicals being added to foods is steadily increasing and are linked to heightened health risks.
Read more: Preston’s measure to ban harmful food additives passes Senate
Stadelman measures aim to help local newsrooms
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SPRINGFIELD – As newsrooms across the state and nation continue to shrink, State Senator Steve Stadelman’s measures to encourage local ownership of newsrooms and recruit more students to the journalism profession have passed the Senate.
“Investing in journalism education is investing in the future of our democracy,” said Stadelman (D-Rockford).
One part of the measure involves the sale of local news organizations to other companies. The issue is private equity firms are buying newspapers and consolidating them until they provide very little local news with few to no local journalists, eventually shutting them down. The legislation would require a local news organization to notify the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and employees 120 days before a sale occurs. The goal is other local newspapers, companies or non-profits will have the opportunity to step in to keep the publication local.
Belt measure to address financial disparities passes Senate
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SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Christopher Belt advanced a measure out of the Senate that aims to identify and correct inequities some individuals face when seeking loans, mortgages or other financial services.
“We should be welcoming and encouraging residents to take the steps needed to buy a home or own a small business, not deter them through unfair lending practices,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “This legislation will help combat those issues and empower individuals with the financial tools and resources necessary to thrive.”
Senate Bill 3235 builds off previous legislation that incentivizes state-regulated financial institutions to meet the financial service needs of areas where there is a lack of access to affordable banking, credit for small businesses, reasonable interest rates, mortgages and other lending services.
Read more: Belt measure to address financial disparities passes Senate
Lightford fights to keep families together
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SPRINGFIELD – Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightfordis working to keep families together by preventing children from being wrongfully removed from their homes due to an unfounded allegation of abuse or mistreatment.
“While we need to take child abuse and mistreatment seriously, we must also remember that kids will be kids and accidents happen,” said Lightford (D-Maywood). “Cases of abuse and mistreatment must be thoroughly, accurately and transparently investigated before making a decision to remove a child from their home.”
Families across the state have faced wrongful allegations of child abuse or neglect due to medical conditions, birth injuries and normal childhood accidents that result in findings that are misinterpreted as signs of abuse.
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CHICAGO - Senator Willie Preston commended the Food and Drug Administration for its decision to ban brominated vegetable oil, a harmful food additive that has posed significant health risks to consumers for decades. "It’s great that the FDA has final...
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