SPRINGFIELD - Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) released the following statement regarding reports that fewer than 600 non-citizens were added to voter rolls due to administrative error:

“There is absolutely no room for administrative error when it comes to properly conducting our election system. Democrats and Republicans came together and unanimously approved automatic voter registration, and we expect it to be done correctly. We need a gaugeable plan of action from the Secretary of State’s office to make sure such errors never happen again. If it takes a Senate committee hearing to get those answers, that’s the course I’ll pursue.”

CHICAGO – Child care providers in certain downstate Illinois counties will see their reimbursement rates increase by 20% under the Child Care Assistance Program, Governor J.B. Pritzker announced this week.

In order to address Illinois’ early childhood workforce crisis, child care reimbursement base rates for all child care centers and home-based providers are increasing by 5% statewide, with an additional 15% increase for providers in counties that are categorized as predominately rural, including Macon County.

State Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) said the move will improve access to child care in Central and Southern Illinois communities and boost wages of child care workers.

SPRINGFIELD – Legislation sponsored by State Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) to allow the city of Pana to move forward with a plan to develop 140 acres of dormant land around Pana Lake was signed into law this week by Governor JB Pritzker. The legislation was brought to Senator Manar by Pana Mayor Don Kroski.

“This is very exciting for everyone involved in the planning of the Pana Lake development. This allows us to develop hiking trails, camp sites and other recreational amenities. We’re grateful to Senator Manar for his effort in removing this barrier,” said Pana City Engineer Greg Holthaus on behalf of Mayor Don Kroski.

Senate Bill 1597 authorizes the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to relinquish the state’s contractual right to manage and develop the Pana Lake dam and the land surrounding it.

CHICAGO - State Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) was today named co-chair of the Governor’s Commission for Equitable Funding for Early Childhood Education and Care by Illinois Governor J.B Pritzker. The commission will make recommendations on how to fund equitable access to high-quality early childhood education and care services for all children birth to age 5.

“Governor Pritzker has demonstrated real commitment to early education, and I’m confident that the commission can find a data-driven early childhood education financing plan that meets that needs of families in every region of the state and enables every child to benefit from a high-quality preschool experience,” Manar said.

Manar, who engineered the state’s historic Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) reform for K-12 schools in 2017, has long advocated equitable funding for early childhood education programs.

HILLSBORO – State Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) this week welcomed Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Director Erin Guthrie to Montgomery County to meet with Hillsboro Mayor Brian Sullivan and tour Atlas 46, a Hillsboro-based premium manufacturer of high quality nylon tactical products used by construction workers, law enforcement, military personnel, and similar industries.

Following the closure of the Coffeen Power Plant by Vistra Energy, Atlas 46 has been a leading economic driver for Hillsboro and Montgomery County.

“Given all that has happened, I’m excited for what’s in store for Hillsboro and wanted Director Guthrie to see this resilient community firsthand,” Manar said. “DCEO will play a critical role in many infrastructure and job growth projects that are currently in the works.”

(The following op-ed from Senator Andy Manar has been published recently in The Telegraph and the Springfield Journal-Register)

This summer, my colleagues and I traveled the state to talk to regular citizens affected by the skyrocketing cost of insulin, a crippling financial burden for thousands of families in Illinois, and to garner support for legislation to make Illinois the second state in the country to cap the price of insulin. We knew it would be a tough fight against powerful special interests, which is why grassroots supporters from all across Illinois who spoke up against the abuses of the pharmaceutical, pharmacy benefit manager (PBM), and insurance industries were so critical.

SPRINGFIELD – With Gov. Pritzker’s signature, pharmaceutical companies would have a harder time lining their pockets on the backs of Illinoisans with diabetes.

The General Assembly today approved Senate Bill 667, sponsored by State Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill), which would cap co-payments for insulin at $100 per month for all patients regardless of the supply they require. The cap would only apply to commercial insurance plans regulated by the state.

“Thanks to countless grassroots advocates and the brave individuals who stepped up and shared their testimonies, the Illinois General Assembly just sent a clear message that our state will no longer allow pharmaceutical companies to take advantage of Illinoisans living with diabetes by charging exorbitant prices for lifesaving insulin medication,” Manar said.

SPRINGFIELD – Throughout American history, only 32 individuals have lain in state in the rotunda of the United States Capitol, an honor reserved for the most esteemed American military heroes and statesmen. A resolution approved unanimously today by the Illinois Senate seeks to extend that privilege to the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from World War II as a tribute to all 16 million Americans, often referred to as the “Greatest Generation,” who served in our Armed Forces from 1939 to 1945.

Senate Joint Resolution 50, sponsored by State Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill), would urge President Trump and the United States Congress to take all necessary measures to ensure the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from World War II be offered a state funeral, including, but not limited to, the option to lie in state in the rotunda of the United States Capitol.

“An understanding of the Greatest Generation’s immeasurable sacrifice is something that all Americans share, and it’s something that has the power to unify Americans in a way that transcends our current divisions,” Manar said. “It would block out the political noise of the day and bring us together in reverence of the intrepid Americans who fought and died to ensure that the United States remains a beacon of hope and a blueprint for democracy across the globe.”