SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) and U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth are applauding PNC Financial Services’ decision to reverse plans to shutter its branch on Springfield’s East Side.

“I appreciate that PNC’s leadership team listened to our concerns and will continue serving the East Side. The damaging effects that branch closures have on families and businesses is well-documented and both a contributor to and a reflection of widening racial wealth inequality,” Manar said. “We can’t begin to address the immense economic disparities facing our state and country when banks are leaving underserved communities and predatory lenders are setting up shop.”

PNC Financial Services’ Pittsburgh-based government affairs office notified Manar by email last week that the branch at 802 S. 11th St. would close in September.

Manar immediately contacted PNC’s government affairs director to urge the bank’s leadership to rethink the decision, given the economic impact on customers and the community.

Manar then contacted Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, who also made calls to demand the branch remain open.

“Access to capital is critical for small business, and that’s especially true for Black-owned businesses that may have fewer options in their communities due to the closure of major bank branches,” Durbin said.  “Without lending partners, entrepreneurship is starved of oxygen and turns towards predatory lenders that charge exorbitant fees and trap people in an endless cycle of debt from which it is nearly impossible to emerge. I’m glad to hear that the bank will continue to serve the community and I thank Senator Manar for his leadership on this issue.”

The 11th Street branch is one of few remaining banks serving Springfield’s East Side. Numerous other financial institutions have shuttered their facilities, reflecting a national trend of banks abandoning majority-Black neighborhoods.

“I’m proud that we, along with Senator Durbin, called for the continuation of this essential service,” Duckworth said. “I’m pleased that PNC has decided to keep their location on Springfield’s East Side open and will continue serving constituents there.”

A 2019 study published in the American Economic Journal found that even when there are other banks located within a few miles, branch closures in low-income and minority neighborhoods result in drastic declines in credit supply and opportunity for nearby small businesses.

“Springfield's East Side PNC branch is a trusted and valuable economic cornerstone for the community and has assisted in the building of new residential and business properties, leading to a more vibrant community,” said Springfield Ward 3 Alderwoman Doris Turner. “It provides banking near residents, and its closure would have certainly led to a financial desert and an extremely negative impact upon this community.”

An analysis by S&P Global Market Intelligence found that majority-Black communities with positive economic trends lost more of their branches than non-Black communities with negative trends.

WORDEN – Village of Worden Mayor Preston Hall welcomed State Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) on Wednesday to tour the former Worden Elementary School, which could soon be home to a facility for Madison County residents to host civic events, family activities, and other outings.

Manar is working with the village to secure state grant funds to support Mayor Hall’s plan to repurpose the building as the Worden Community Center.

“As a former mayor of a small, rural town, I know they rarely have the resources to support projects like developing a community center from the ground up, meaning municipal leaders must find creative ways to develop and improve recreational amenities,” Manar said. “Worden is a small town doing big things thanks to Mayor Halls’ resourcefulness and relentless advocacy. The Worden Community Center will be a benefit to local families, youth and senior organizations, and the village for decades.”

“This Community Center project will not only preserve the memories of many Worden residents, but it will create new memories for many years to come,” Mayor Hall said. “The funds secured for this project will help bring life back to a building that was built in the 1930s by the Works Progress Administration in the center of our town. We are very thankful for the senator’s effort in securing these funds and for his understanding of the importance of helping small towns in his district that often get overlooked in favor of bigger towns.”

After Worden merged into the Edwardsville Public School District, the facility was acquired last year by the Village of Worden.

DECATUR – To support Decatur’s frontline health workers leading the fight against COVID-19, State Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) partnered with John Deere, the United Auto Workers, and the Illinois Manufacturers Association today to deliver 350 face shields to Crossing Healthcare.

“Crossing Healthcare is extremely grateful to Senator Manar and the team at John Deere for their generous donation of 350 face shields to our clinic. These face shields will allow our medical providers to continue to provide COVID testing and ongoing care to the community,” said Crossing Healthcare CEO Tanya Andricks. “Supporting community health centers in this way means supporting our mission and values. At a time when health disparities are being exposed, Crossing Healthcare will continue to work diligently to fill those gaps for everyone. We are glad to be joined in these efforts by Senator Manar and John Deere.”

Crossing Healthcare is a Federally Qualified Health Center that provides primary outpatient medical care to Macon and surrounding Counties. It is one of two COVID-19 testing sites serving the Decatur Community, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health website.

“Crossing Healthcare is integral to Decatur’s COVID-19 response. We wanted to find a way to support the efforts of Tanya Andricks and the Crossing staff as they continue provide high quality primary care and health services, while also serving as a leading testing hub in this community,” Manar said. “Thank you to John Deere, the United Auto Workers, and the Illinois Manufacturers Association for their partnership.”

Personal protective equipment prices are volatile due to the current shortage, and some providers have struggled to acquire adequate supplies.

Face shields are a type of personal protective equipment used by medical personnel that protect the wearer's entire face from hazards such as flying objects, chemical splashes, or potentially infectious materials.

SPRINGFIELD— State Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) announced this week that an $80,047 grant has been awarded to Route History in Springfield as part of the state’s Minority-Owned Business Capital and Infrastructure Program.

Route History is an organization focused on teaching the stories of tragedy, resilience, and triumph of Black people along the Historic Route 66 and in Springfield – stories that serve as a reminder of struggles and consistent perseverance towards excellence in spite of overwhelming systemic racism and injustices. Route History also leverages resources to support sustainable and transformative community projects.

“Route History plays an important role in Springfield, not only by telling the stories that shaped this community, but by taking initiative to help build a brighter future for its children,” Manar said. “At this particular moment in society, Route History’s mission and purpose couldn’t be more important. The state’s investment in Route History will strengthen programs and projects that educate, uplift and empower African-American youth in Springfield.”

"I'm very pleased that Route History will be receiving a Minority-Owned Business Capital and Infrastructure Grant," said Springfield Alderwoman Doris Turner. "They are doing extremely important work regarding race reconciliation and community engagement around Springfield's racial history that has, until this point, been lost."

Created by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s Office of Minority Economic Empowerment, the grants will equip minority-owned firms with resources to create jobs, build capacity, and revitalize properties in underserved communities. Recipients were required to outline project proposals as part of a competitive application process.

In total, the program awarded $11 million in grants to 32 businesses and organizations throughout the state. Grant recipients represent underserved communities across Illinois, as defined by the Community Development Block Grant program.

Individual applicants were eligible to receive up to $500,000 per project, and the amount of the award is based on anticipated costs associated with meeting project requirements and bond guidelines.

A list of Minority-Owned Business Capital and Infrastructure grant recipients can be found here.

SPRINGFIELD – With Gov. Pritzker’s signature, Illinois Medicaid recipients would be eligible for life-saving clinical trials to treat cancer and other serious diseases.

During the abbreviated session last week, the Illinois General Assembly approved a plan by State Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) that would require Medicaid to cover routine care costs incurred for an approved clinical trial involving the prevention, detection, or treatment of cancer or any other life-threatening disease, as long as Medicaid would normally cover those same routine care costs for a non-clinical procedure.

“This is a major stride toward health care equity that will save lives. Access to the latest, most advanced cancer treatments can mean the difference between life and death for patients, treatments that they are unable to access today,” Manar said. “The type of insurance you have shouldn’t disqualify you from accessing treatment that could save your life.”

More than 20% of Illinoisans are covered by Medicaid, making it the second largest type of insurance behind Medicare.

Medicare and private insurance carriers are already required to provide coverage for routine care costs in clinical trial participation. Medicaid is not. This legislation would align Medicaid coverage for clinical trials with coverage under those insurance plans.

Because routine costs would be paid for by Medicaid if the patient were not on a clinical trial, there is minimal cost difference for Medicaid to cover these costs within a clinical trial.

This legislation was an initiative of the American Cancer Society.

“We thank the legislature for taking this step and look forward to working with them to continue to reduce Illinois’ cancer burden in the near future,” said Shana Crews, Government Relations Director at the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois General Assembly today approved legislation to help rank-and-file teachers and school districts address the unique challenges to Illinois’ education system created by COVID-19.

Senate Bill 1569 makes a number of changes that help schools adjust to remote learning, including the following:

• • Allows for the creation of remote learning days and remote learning plans
  • Allows for a combination of remote learning and in-person instruction
  • Suspends clock hour requirements when a disaster is declared
  • Affirms graduation modifications granted to Spring 2020 graduates
  • Allows mandated exams to be completed remotely

“This package provides school districts more flexibility and creativity to work around the limitations posed by COVID-19,” said State Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill). “This will help them deliver the best possible learning experience for their students as the circumstances evolve over the next year.”

Because teacher evaluations for the 20-21 school year have been paused due to COVID-19, SB 1569 extends teacher license renewals by one year.

The legislation also extends a law allowing retired teachers to return to the classroom as substitutes for up to 120 paid days or 600 paid hours without impairing their retirement status. Originally passed by Senator Manar in 2017, the program has helped address the severe teacher shortage facing downstate school districts.

“Over the past few months, aspiring, current, and retired teachers have stepped up to serve their communities in ways many of them have never imagined they would,” Manar. “They’ve gone above and beyond to be there for their students, despite a host of administrative and financial challenges. I’m pleased that we were able to remove some of those hurdles and sources of uncertainty.”

Finally, the legislation also makes it easier for college students who receive financial assistance through the Aspirational Institutional Match Illinois Grow Higher Education Grant Pilot Program, also known as AIM HIGH, to retain their aid for the duration of their four years of undergraduate studies.

AIM HIGH provides financial assistance to eligible low-income students who attend one of the state’s 12 public universities. Under the measure, the income of a student when entering the program will be the income of the student for the life of the program.

SPRINGFIELD - Marking the first step of its reopening plan, the Illinois secretary of state’s office will reopen seven driver services facilities, including Springfield-Dirksen, to provide drive-thru services for vehicle registration sticker transactions beginning Tuesday, May 19.

“This has been a source of major concern for some of the people I represent,” said State Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill). “I appreciate the thoughtful planning by the secretary of state’s office to ensure that Illinoisans can access these vital services in a safe way that doesn’t compromise the health of staff or customers.”

Located at 2701 S. Dirksen Parkway, the facility will be open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. All employees will wear face masks, and customers are encouraged to do the same.

Since Gov. JB Pritzker’s Stay at Home Order took effect, more than 600,000 people have renewed their stickers online, an increase of approximately 65%.

Customers are still encouraged to renew their vehicle registration stickers online at www.cyberdriveillinois.com. Driver’s licenses can also be renewed online.

BUNKER HILL – Following pressure from members of the Senate Agriculture Committee, the Illinois Secretary of State has opened three Commercial Drivers License (CDL) facilities to meet the increasing demand being placed on commercial and agricultural enterprises engaged in delivering and producing essential goods.

“The trucking industry plays an extraordinary role in the health and safety of Illinois residents during this difficult time. A shortage of drivers could restrict our food supply, pandemic response efforts, and economic recovery,” said State Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill), who serves on the Senate Agriculture Committee. “We must make sure that testing and licensing services are available and that facilities can meet the high volume of new drivers with permits who are ready to test.”

The Secretary of State’s Office will be taking the necessary precautions to protect the health and safety of employees and applicants.

The locations and hours of the facilities open include:

• Springfield Dirksen, 2701 S. Dirksen Pkwy, Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Marion, 1905 W. Rendelman St., Tuesday 8 a.m.- 5:30 p.m., Wednesday-Friday 8 a.m. -5 p.m., Saturday 7:30 a.m.-noon 
• West Chicago, 120 Powis Rd., Tuesday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m.

CDL driving tests will be conducted by appointment only and can be scheduled by calling 217-785-3013. All other CDL transactions will be conducted on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Secretary of State’s Office will be taking the necessary precautions to protect the health and safety of employees and applicants.

For more information, please visit cyberdriveillinois.com.