SPRINGFIELD – Building upon their commitment to pass a balanced budget that benefits communities across the state, the Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus unveiled a $1.8 billion tax relief plan to put money back in people’s pockets – including a proposal sponsored by State Senator Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights).

“Homeowners need help and this plan delivers direct relief to them,” Gillespie said. “As we continue to build an equitable recovery, working people across the state will see tangible relief on multiple fronts.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights) passed legislation in the Illinois Senate to waive school fees for students experiencing homelessness on Tuesday.

“A student’s ability to pay should not determine the learning resources they have available to them,” Gillespie said. “Students of all backgrounds deserve access to the tools they need for success.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights) passed legislation in the Illinois Senate to end surprise medical bills on Tuesday.

“After an already expensive medical procedure, the last thing a patient needs is to be strapped with additional costs,” Gillespie said. “Our plan will protect consumers from receiving surprise bills long after receiving treatment.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights) advanced legislation to end surprise medical bills in Illinois on Wednesday.

“After an already expensive medical procedure, the last thing a patient needs is to be strapped with additional costs,” Gillespie said. “Our plan will protect consumers from receiving surprise bills long after receiving treatment.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights) advanced legislation to waive school fees for low-income families on Tuesday.

“A student’s ability to pay should not determine the learning resources they have available to them,” Gillespie said. “Students of all backgrounds deserve access to the tools they need for success.”

House Bill 5265 requires school districts to waive all school fees for low-income families, including fines for loss of school property such as textbooks. The measure further requires school districts to purchase enough textbooks for students whose families are unable to purchase them.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS – State Senator Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights) released the following statement after President Joe Biden called for nursing home reform in his State of the Union address on Tuesday:

“President Biden noted tonight that too many nursing homes continue to provide an unacceptably low quality of care, despite receiving billions of state and federal dollars. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated an already troubling situation and showed how at risk nursing home residents are when quality and staffing levels fall.

SPRINGFIELD – Two measures to assist social workers with earning and paying off their degrees, introduced by State Senator Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights), passed the Illinois Senate on Wednesday.

“Incentivizing students of social work to start their careers in Illinois will help our local governments recruit the qualified professionals they need, while mitigating the student debt crisis,” Gillespie said.

Senate Bill 3912 expands the Post-Master of Social Work Professional Educator License scholarship to municipal social workers. Recipients would be required to work for an Illinois municipality for at least two of the five years immediately following graduation.

SPRINGFIELD – Following Gov. JB Pritzker’s annual budget address, State Senator Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights) issued the following statement:

“This proposal makes critical investments in working families, public safety and home health care providers all while meeting our full pension commitment.

“The governor’s Family Relief Plan will save taxpayers an estimated $1 billion by freezing taxes on essentials like gas and groceries, offering property tax rebates to working families and other relief.

“Public safety initiatives were more than tripled in funding and make the largest single investment in our partners in law enforcement for officer training. The proposal builds on the public safety reforms we passed last year and will help create safer communities across Illinois.