VILLA PARK – State Senator Tom Cullerton (D-Villa Park) praised the Illinois State Police crime lab’s efforts to reduce the massive backlog of cases awaiting DNA analysis.

This month, ISP posted 26 job postings for forensic scientists to get to work on the massive backlog of cases. Filling these positions will allow the agency to address the backlog.

“Forensic evidence can make or break the outcome of a case,” Cullerton said. “This highly scientific process continues to become increasingly important in solving crimes. The Illinois State Police is working diligently to help solve this crisis and eliminate this catastrophic backlog once and for all, and to do it, they need more experts.”

Cullerton sponsored House Joint Resolution 7, which directs the Illinois State Police to take all steps possible to comply with the Federal Rapid DNA Act of 2017. The measure was adopted by the House and Senate with unanimous support in May.

VILLA PARK—Illinois may soon have new regulations and rules in place to prevent water-borne illnesses like Legionnaires’ disease.

A General Assembly rulemaking committee has given the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) the authority to more than double the minimum amount of chlorine required in public water supplies. This move is proposed to prevent the outbreak of heinous water-borne diseases such as Legionnaires’.

State Senator Tom Cullerton (D-Villa Park), a fierce advocate for the Illinois Veterans Home at Quincy throughout the facility’s Legionnaires’ crisis, called the policy a major step toward preventing similar tragedies from occurring in Illinois homes.

“The Legionnaires’ crisis at the Quincy veterans’ home has emphasized the need for the state to be proactive in policies to ensure Illinois’ water supply is safe,” Cullerton said. “This step will empower the IEPA to protect homes and facilities throughout Illinois from these preventable illnesses. It is our duty to learn from the deaths of these brave heroes to ensure this never happens again anywhere in our great state.”

VILLA PARK – Over the next five years, businesses will gradually cease to pay the archaic franchise tax under legislation championed by State Senator Tom Cullerton (D-Villa Park).

“As a state it is our duty to adopt policies that encourage economic growth and development,” Cullerton said. “The elimination of this convoluted tax will encourage business owners to expand and grow in our communities.”

Created in 1872, the corporate franchise tax is a tax on “paid in capital” for the privilege of doing business in Illinois. Last year, 346,000 companies paid about $172 million in taxes. After Illinois’ franchise tax is eliminated, only seven states in the nation will still impose a similar tax.

“Taxing businesses sends the wrong message,” Cullerton said. “Business owners should not be penalized for doing businesses in Illinois.”

VILLA PARK— Schools across the 23rd State Senate District are set to receive record-level funding from the bipartisan budget passed by the Illinois State Senate.

State Senator Tom Cullerton (D-Villa Park) fought to ensure schools across Illinois received state funding as promised by the mandated education funding outlined in the new evidence-based funding formula.

“The most important investment we make as a state is in our children,” Cullerton said. “We upheld our commitment to our schools with a new funding formula that will ensure children have the opportunity to receive a superior education regardless of where they live.”

The budget allocates more than $544 million in dedicated funding to early childhood education to give Illinois kids a strong foundation before they enter kindergarten.

“Studies continue to emphasize the fact that the time and money we allocate in educating students at an early age pays dividends in the future,” Cullerton said.