SPRINGFIELD –State Senators Laura Fine and Ram Villivalam were joined by their colleagues and representatives from the Simon Wiesenthal Center at a press conference to denounce the rise of hate speech on social media in the past year, and to call on social media companies to actively address and take down posts inciting hate and violence.

“This hateful rhetoric can lead to irrational hatred and discrimination toward groups of people and incite violence against those targeted,” Senator Fine said. “I implore mainstream social media platforms to consider the safety of marginalized people in our communities when they allow hate speech to go unchecked.”

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is a human rights organization committed to fighting anti-Semitism and hate around the world. Each year, the group publishes a digital terrorism and hate report to evaluate social media platforms’ policies on online hate speech. While some platforms introduced efforts to curb misinformation and hate speech, the report found that posts including hate speech were on the rise on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Google, giving the Center and the Senators cause for concern.

SPRINGFIELD – Members of the General Assembly stood together in solidarity during a press conference Wednesday to condemn the anti-Semitic literature anonymously distributed recently in the district State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview) represents, and to provide members of the community actionable ways they can stand up against antisemitism and hate speech.

“This incident is disturbing and intolerable,” Senator Fine said. “As an individual, and as a Jewish woman, I am disgusted by these displays of hate. However, we will not cower from these threatening messages. Instead, I am asking my colleagues and members of my community to stand up against antisemitism to prevent situations like this, or more dangerous incidents, from ever happening again.”

Over the last few weeks, anti-Semitic flyers in plastic bags were left on driveways in Niles, Glenview, and Park Ridge. The flyers included images of prominent Jewish politicians—including Senator Fine—and businesspeople from Illinois and across the country.

SPRINGFIELD –State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview) is one step closer to ensuring human services professionals are provided student loan repayment assistance to encourage more people to enter this essential field through SB 3925.

“Employees in human services are required to have specialized college degrees to best serve vulnerable communities, and while this requirement is necessary, it comes with large financial sacrifices for workers,” Senator Fine said. “It is essential to break down barriers for qualified people to enter this field.”

Employees in the human services industry include welfare caseworkers, youth service providers, social workers, and many other positions specializing in working with marginalized communities. However, the industry is experiencing a shortage in employees due to a number of financial barriers. Many of these professions require a bachelor’s or master’s degree in education. Because salaries in this field tend to be less generous than in the private sector,  paying off student loans can be challenging and discourage people from entering the field.

SPRINGFIELD – To encourage employers to hire people in recovery for mental health or substance abuse disorders, State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview) introduced a bill offering eligible employers tax credits for hiring and retaining employees with these conditions.

“Far too often, hard-working, experienced employees are turned away because of a mental health or substance use disorder,” Senator Fine said. “This bill will incentivize employers to give qualified candidates in a state of recovery and wellness an opportunity to succeed.”

Stigma around mental health and substance use disorders can be a deterrent for employers to hire candidates who disclose their mental health conditions. This disproportionately impacts people of color and women who suffer mental health disorders. This may prevent people with mental health conditions from holding secure employment, impacting their financial stability and their ability to receive necessary treatment.

SPRINGFIELD – In response to the current mental health professional workforce’s struggles to keep up with increasing demand, State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview) is leading a measure aimed at growing the workforce in Illinois. 

“For people who are bravely taking the first steps to seek mental health care, overbooked providers are major deterrents to receiving the care they need,” Senator Fine said. “I am committed to making mental and behavioral health care more accessible for those who need it, which includes addressing the shortage of mental health providers needed for the demand we are seeing in our communities.”  

In Illinois, there are only 14 behavioral health care professionals for every 10,000 Illinois residents. Many people are forced to wait longer for essential treatment or forego health care entirely because of this gap. This can be detrimental to their mental and physical well-being.

SPRINGFIELD –Illinois will soon fund and maintain a 24-hour suicide prevention hotline available to people in crisis, thanks to legislation sponsored by State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview).

“Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in our country,” Senator Fine said. “It saddens me that many of these deaths could have been prevented if mental health resources were more accessible. Providing access to behavioral and mental health resources with this hotline will be essential to saving lives.” 

SPRINGFIELD –Thanks to a new measure sponsored by State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview), people with disabilities may soon be able to choose their spouse to serve as their provider of personal care instead of having to hire a personal assistant.

“Many times, a spouse must leave his or her job to care for a loved one. This results in a loss of family income,” Senator Fine said. “This measure will ensure these families are not forced to choose between the health of their loved one and financial stability.”

Currently, people with severe disabilities may hire their own personal assistant to help care for them through agreements between the patient and the Division of Rehabilitation Services. Under this agreement, DRS supplies and pays personal assistants to support designated patients. However, there is a current shortage of medical staff to fill these vacancies. This is causing many families to choose between the quality of life of disabled family members or financial stability, as many spouses are leaving the workforce to help care for their loved ones without compensation.

SPRINGFIELD – Student loan debt is the 2nd highest consumer debt category, just behind mortgages.  To help address this issue, today, State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview)’s Senate Bill 3032 passed the Senate unanimously. Part of this legislation prohibits universities from withholding official transcripts from potential employers as a means of debt collection.

“It is discouraging for students who have made immense sacrifices to earn their degrees to be denied access to their transcripts until their debt is paid off,” Senator Fine said. “Having access to their transcripts is essential for students to seek the jobs necessary to pay off their debts, as well as finding a fulfilling career.”

Under Senator Fine’s legislation, universities would be prohibited from withholding transcripts as a means of debt collection. The bill also requires colleges to institute a hardship policy to ensure students that have to withdraw due to significant financial or physical hardship leave school with as little debt as possible. Additionally, the legislation would prevent student debt that gets sent to a collection’s agency from being used against a student’s credit score.