CHICAGO –Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) has been reinstated as Chair of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus after a vote that rejected her resignation that was submitted in May.

“Since I initially offered my resignation as Chairman of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, the world has changed.

DES PLAINES – Hospitals have experienced a dire shortage of blood donations during the COVID-19 crisis, inspiring State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) to host a community blood drive Wednesday, July 29, from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Prairie Lakes Community Center, located at 515 E. Thacker St. in Des Plaines.

“At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many blood drives were cancelled, causing a shortage that put many patients at risk,” said Murphy. “Now that we have the necessary safety protocols in place, I encourage healthy people to make an appointment to donate.”

CHICAGO – State Senator Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights) welcomed legislators and staff to tour two safety-net hospitals on Tuesday. Attendees included members of the bipartisan Legislative Medicaid Working Group and Senate leadership.

“Our working group and Senate leaders were able to see first-hand the important role of safety-net hospitals and the work they do for underserved communities,” Gillespie said. “The patients served by safety-net hospitals are largely uninsured or are covered by Medicaid or Medicare; as a result, safety-net hospitals often look beyond traditional health care to addressing social determinants of care to better serve their communities.”

CHICAGO – After President Trump released a memorandum that calls for an unprecedented change that would exclude undocumented residents from the U.S. Census, State Senator Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago) released the following statement:

“Both citizens and non-citizens have been included in the official count since the first U.S. Census. The purpose of the census is to count all residents, regardless of status, so that the communities they live in receive adequate resources and accurate representation.