SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Bill Cunningham, who has been deeply involved in negotiations on a piece of legislation meant to spark Illinois’ renewable energy sector and preserve and create tens of thousands of jobs, praised the legislation’s Senate passage.

“This plan would make Illinois a national leader in fighting climate change,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the southwest suburbs. “It also will help transition our energy workforce from fossil fuels to renewables earlier than any other state, giving those workers a distinct advantage in training and experience.”

SPRINGFIELD – A newly signed law sponsored by State Senator Bill Cunningham will make it easier for small breweries, meaderies, and winemakers to sell their products at local grocery and liquor stores, reaching customers more easily.

“Local craft breweries, wineries, and meaderies have become very popular, and their customers would like to be able to buy their products at local grocery stores,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the southwest suburbs. “Our system was not set up for small producers, which is why we need this change.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Bill Cunningham and State Representative Fran Hurley have passed a new law – recently signed by the governor – that will help promote mental health treatment for police officers and firefighters by providing better focus for the First Responder Suicide Prevention Task Force.

“Our first responders risk their lives to protect us every day working stressful, traumatic jobs,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the southwest suburbs. “It’s incumbent upon us to make sure they have access to the mental health resources they need.”

SPRINGFIELD – Part of a nationwide effort, a new law sponsored by State Senator Bill Cunningham will help reduce sexual assault and harassment at Illinois’ colleges and universities by requiring an annual sexual misconduct survey.

An initiative of the Every VOICE Coalition, the results of the survey would then be posted on the university’s website and sent to the Illinois Board of Higher Education.

SPRINGFIELD – Under a new law sponsored by State Senator Bill Cunningham and State Representative Fran Hurley, special education students will get to graduate with their classmates starting with the 2021-2022 school year.

“We are righting a long-standing wrong by allowing special education students to finish out their final year of school,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the southwest suburbs. “Starting this year, they will get to graduate with their classmates and say proper goodbyes to their friends and teachers.”

SPRINGFIELD – Senator Bill Cunningham passed a plan out of the Illinois Senate that would allow small breweries, meaderies, and winemakers to distribute their products to local bars, grocery stores, and liquor stores directly rather than through a third party, helping local businesses reach their customers.

“We’ve seen an explosion of small beer, wine, and mead makers in recent years, and they’ve become staples of our local bar and restaurant scene,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the southwest suburbs. “People want to be able to buy their products at local grocery and liquor stores, and we should make that easier to do.”

Under current Illinois law, most companies that produce alcohol have to sell their products to local grocery and liquor stores through a third-party distributor. Tracing back to the post-prohibition era, this set up is meant to help prevent the unregulated sale of alcohol and aid in the collection of alcohol-related taxes. It is still employed by almost every state in the U.S.

SPRINGFIELD –State Senator Bill Cunningham advanced legislation out of the General Assembly that would allow special education students to graduate with their peers, rather than leave school the day they turn 22.

“Special education students deserve a natural end to their final school year,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the southwest suburbs. “They should be able to graduate with their friends and say goodbye the same way every other student does.”

CHICAGO – State Senator Bill Cunningham announced the Illinois Department of Transportation has slated six miles of Harlem Avenue for major upgrades this year. The more-than-$7 million project includes repaving and increasing access for people with disabilities.

“Harlem Avenue is an important road connecting the southwest suburbs,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the southwest suburbs. “The stretch seeing improvements is a heavily trafficked business corridor, so we need to keep it in good repair.”