Caucus News

SPRINGFIELD – Under a new law supported by State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs), more paraprofessionals, or teacher aids, will have access to classrooms sooner.

“Paraprofessionals are vital members of a school’s support staff,” Glowiak Hilton said. “By lowering the eligible age, Illinois is offering an opportunity to an aspiring educator or other responsible adult while working to address the statewide teacher shortage.”

In Illinois, paraprofessionals are currently required to be at least 19 years old. Under the new law, the age would be lowered to 18 years old, as long as the individual meets the other license requirements. Paraprofessionals are required to have a high school diploma, an associate degree and pass a competency test.

SPRINGFIELD – To support retailers, update prosecuting resources and promote statewide economic growth, the Illinois Senate adopted a measure led by State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs) to curb organized retail crime and hold ringleaders accountable.

“Organized retail crimes across the state have disturbed residents, wreaked havoc on businesses and stunted growth within local economies,” Glowiak Hilton said. “By advancing the Organized Retail Crime Act, Illinois has an opportunity to enact one of the most comprehensive crime-curbing efforts in the nation.”

In partnership with the Illinois Retail Merchants Association and the office of the attorney general, Glowiak Hilton’s initiative defines organized retail crime as a criminal charge and gives prosecutors additional resources to charge crime ringleaders. Specifically, the measure codifies ORC as the theft of retail merchandise with the intent to sell.

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Senate adopted a plan by State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs) to invest in child care services for workers with non-traditional schedules, such as law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMS personnel and more.

“Finding reliable child care can be difficult for first responders and other third shift emergency workers,” Glowiak Hilton said. “By creating the Off-hours Child Care Program Fund, Illinois is working to increase accessibility for parents in public service who work non-traditional hours.”

Under Glowiak Hilton’s proposal, the Department of Human Services would be required to establish and administer an Off-Hours Child Care Program to assist first responders and other workers with access to off-hours, night, or sleep time child care. The program is subject to appropriation.

SPRINGFIELD – To improve accessibility and offer additional protections to workers, the Illinois Senate approved an initiative by State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs) to modernize the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

“Illinois’ OSHA protects all state and local government workers,” said Glowiak Hilton, chair of the Senate Commerce Committee. “To ensure employees have adequate working conditions, it’s critical for employers to have inspection details and citations as quickly as possible.”

SPRINGFIELD – To offer stability to retailers, bring support to state prosecutors and promote statewide economic growth, State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs) joined officials with the Illinois Retail Merchants Association and Attorney General’s office to discuss a legislative proposal to curb Organized Retail Crime in Illinois at a press conference Tuesday.

“In recent months, high-profile smash-and-grab crimes have created local concerns for store owners, patrons and communities statewide,” said Glowiak Hilton, chair of the Senate Commerce Committee. “To make a collaborative effort at controlling the frequency, magnitude and severity of Organized Retail Crimes, this proposal addresses systemic concerns raised by prosecutors and retail advocacy groups to bring offenders to justice.”

OAKBROOK TERRACE – Small businesses in Cook and DuPage counties across the 24th Senate District were awarded more than $1.8 million in funding from the Back to Business program thanks to advocacy and support from State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs).

“Businesses have begun moving forward from the COVID-19 pandemic, however, there are still some needing support to fully recover,” Glowiak Hilton said. “The Back to Business grant program is vital to keeping doors open for thousands of small businesses across the state.”

The B2B grants are awarded by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity using funds allocated by the American Rescue Plan.

OAKBROOK TERRACE – To improve facilities and develop new exhibits, three facilities in DuPage County were awarded funding through the Illinois Public Museum Capital Grant Program with support from State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs).

“Museums offer educational and cultural opportunities for communities to celebrate a collective heritage,” Glowiak Hilton said. “By investing in programs and infrastructure, Illinois is working to support our local keepers of history.”

The Public Museum Capital Grants Program through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources will distribute a total of $19.7 million in grants to 36 museums and support upgrades to facilities, new exhibits and other features.​

Grantees awarded nearly $2.2 million combined in the 24th Senate District include:

• Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, Mayslake Peabody Estate – $750,000
• Elmhurst Art Museum, roofing and HVAC renewal – $750,000
• City of Elmhurst, community performance venue – $698,500

Investments for the Illinois Public Museum Capital Grants Program are funded by Rebuild Illinois. More information about the program is available here.

SPRINGFIELD – To increase microchip production and attract companies to invest in Illinois, State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs) advanced legislation through the Senate to create a series of tax credits to support the semiconductor industry.

“The United States relies on microchip imports to fulfill local manufacturing needs,” said Glowiak Hilton, chair of the Senate Commerce Committee. “With semiconductor supply chain and worker shortages intensified by the pandemic, we can use this opportunity to serve local production, build the industry in Illinois and create job opportunities for residents.”

In partnership with the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, Glowiak Hilton’s proposal creates the Manufacturing Illinois Chips for Real Opportunity (MICRO) Act to provide a range of tax credits for semiconductor, microchip and component part manufacturers to support new employee training while also encourage companies to develop operations in underserved communities and energy transition areas.