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Cunningham advances measure to expand leave for new parents

Details
Category: Senator Bill Cunningham News
Thursday, May 15, 2025 02:30 PM
  • Parental Leave
  • Parents
  • HB2978
  • NICU
  • Work Leave

Senator CunninghamSPRINGFIELD – State Senator Bill Cunningham advanced a measure that would ensure protected leave for employees whose newborns require intensive care after birth.

“Parents shouldn’t have to choose between keeping their job and sitting by their baby’s side in the NICU,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs. “This measure provides working people the breathing room they need during a medical crisis.”

Read more: Cunningham advances measure to expand leave for new parents

Cunningham moves to upgrade Chicago’s firetrucks and ambulances

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Category: Senator Bill Cunningham News
Thursday, May 15, 2025 08:43 AM
  • Cunningham
  • Chicago First Responders
  • Emergency Services
  • HB2977

Sen. Bill Cunningham

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Bill Cunningham advanced a measure that would specifically set aside funding for the city of Chicago to purchase and repair emergency service vehicles like firetrucks and ambulances.

“When there is an emergency, people want to know that a working fire truck and ambulance are going to arrive at the scene,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs. “This measure will ensure that funds collected from ambulance rides will be used to upgrade emergency service vehicles and not be raided for other purposes.”

Read more: Cunningham moves to upgrade Chicago’s firetrucks and ambulances

Cunningham snuffs out unregulated gambling at Dave & Buster’s

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Category: Senator Bill Cunningham News
Wednesday, April 30, 2025 04:16 PM
  • Cunningham
  • Gambling
  • HB2724

Sen. Cunningham

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Bill Cunningham advanced a measure to ban unregulated wagering at arcades like Dave & Buster’s. 

“We have been extremely careful with how we regulate gambling in Illinois, whether that is on sports, table games or video poker,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs. “Arcades marketed as family fun shouldn’t be in the business of exposing minors to gambling.”

Last year, the family amusement company Dave & Buster’s announced it would begin allowing adult rewards customers to bet against each other in arcades. Cunningham’s legislation would prohibit family amusement establishments like Dave & Buster’s from promoting or facilitating wagering on games.

“I’d like to see the state deal with this issue before it becomes a problem,” said Cunningham. “Arcade places are not built to oversee unregulated gambling activities.”

House Bill 2724 passed the Senate Executive Committee.

Cunningham receives award for stalwart support of Illinois labor

Details
Category: Senator Bill Cunningham News
Wednesday, March 12, 2025 04:24 PM
  • AFL-CIO
  • Reuben G. Soderstrom Award
  • Illinois Labor Ally

cunningham 031225SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Bill Cunningham has received the Reuben Soderstrom Award for being a labor champion.

“Unions represent an essential pillar for protecting Illinois workers and our communities as a whole,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs. “Standing in solidarity with labor is something one should do regardless of recognition, but I am happy to accept the award and encourage my colleagues to keep up the good fight.”

 

Read more: Cunningham receives award for stalwart support of Illinois labor

Cunningham introduces clean energy legislation that would save consumers $2.4 billion

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Category: Senator Bill Cunningham News
Tuesday, February 25, 2025 03:52 PM

Sen. Bill Cunningham

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Bill Cunningham held a press conference Tuesday to introduce legislation aimed to address a projected energy deficit for Illinois.

“With energy prices skyrocketing across the country and leaders in Washington opening the floodgates for fossil fuels, our bill makes it clear that Illinois will remain at the forefront of lowering energy costs while investing in clean energy,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs. “This legislation proves to the nation that we don’t have to choose between taking care of our communities, our economy, or our planet.”

Senate Bill 2497 would address Illinois’ energy crisis caused by rapid inflation and steep tariffs on many goods used to build and maintain energy infrastructure. The bill would also address and rectify significant delays in connecting clean energy projects to regional energy grids.

Read more: Cunningham introduces clean energy legislation that would save consumers $2.4 billion

Cunningham passes legislation to boost renewable energy storage

Details
Category: Senator Bill Cunningham News
Tuesday, January 07, 2025 05:22 PM
  • Renewable Energy
  • HB587

cunningham 010725SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Bill Cunningham’s energy package to put Illinois on a path to reach its climate goals, meet increasing electricity demand and provide reliability for residents is one step closer to becoming law.

“This is a very important next step in energy policy in Illinois,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs. “We will not be able to meet the increasing demand for electricity in our state without a robust energy storage plan.”

Energy storage is the capture of electricity produced at one time for use at a later time by storing it in a rechargeable battery.

Read more: Cunningham passes legislation to boost renewable energy storage

Cunningham’s law requires new training for skin cancer identification

Details
Category: Senator Bill Cunningham News
Tuesday, August 20, 2024 01:34 PM
  • Cunningham
  • HB 5135
  • skin cancer

CunninghamSPRINGFIELD – State Senator Bill Cunningham led a law adding new training requirements to identify potential skin cancer for chiropractors, nail technicians, cosmetologists and massage therapists.

“We wanted every ‘hands-on’ profession to receive this training so skin cancer can be more easily identified early on,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs. “We know that if skin cancer is detected early, it can be dealt with before serious issues arise.”

The legislation came about because of a nail technician who was able to identify carcinoma near their client’s fingernail. The nail tech had seen this in the past with a previous client, and the previous client reported back to the tech that it was indeed a cancerous growth. When the tech notified the new client about an abnormal skin growth, the client went to get it checked out, confirming the growth was cancerous and proceeding with medical treatment from their doctor.

Read more: Cunningham’s law requires new training for skin cancer identification

Cunningham’s measure to rein in rogue towing companies signed into law

Details
Category: Senator Bill Cunningham News
Wednesday, August 07, 2024 01:17 PM
  • Cunningham
  • Towing Regulations
  • Rogue Towing Companies
  • SB2654

cunningham tow truck 080724SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Bill Cunningham’s measure to protect vehicle owners by updating towing regulations often abused by rogue towing companies was signed into law.

“We have residents getting a surprise $1,500 bill when all they’re trying to do is pick up a vehicle that was stolen from outside their residence,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs. “This measure will stop towing companies from charging any storage fees on stolen vehicles and makes sure that a proper notification process is set up.”

Read more: Cunningham’s measure to rein in rogue towing companies signed into law

More Articles …

  1. Updates to Illinois’ biometric privacy signed into law thanks to Cunningham
  2. Cunningham’s initiatives for first responders signed into law
  3. Cunningham’s initiatives for first responders pass Senate
  4. Cunningham advances new initiatives for first responders
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