SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Toi Hutchinson (D-Olympia Fields) was honored today with a retirement resolution in the Illinois State Senate.

The resolution highlights Hutchinson’s legislative accomplishments and reputation as a highly effective and well-regarded public servant throughout her career in the General Assembly.

“Serving the people of District 40 has been the honor of my lifetime,” Hutchinson said. “I’m proud of the progress we made over the past decade to advance justice and equity in this state and I look forward to carrying those principles into the next chapter of my career serving the people of Illinois.”

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois non-profits will be spared a tax hike thanks to legislation passed by State Senator Toi Hutchinson (D-Chicago Heights) that was signed into law on Friday by Gov. Pritzker.

Hutchinson’s new law – passed under Senate Bill 1257 – decouples Illinois from a new tax on nonprofits that was included in President Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

“Across Illinois, nonprofits take care of our seniors, ensure children are safe in the community and support individuals with disabilities,” Hutchinson said. “Imposing a new tax on these organizations would only risk disrupting vital services that Illinoisans rely upon every day.”

SPRINGFIELD – Jurors in Illinois who are LGBTQ will no longer be able to be excluded from jury service simply because of their sexual orientation or gender identity under a new law signed recently by Gov. Pritzker that was passed by State Senator Toi Hutchinson (D-Chicago Heights).

“Ensuring jury pools represent the diversity of Illinois is a vital part of ensuring our criminal justice system is fair,” Hutchinson said. “Allowing jurors to be excluded simply because of who they love or who they are flies in the face of the kind of criminal justice reforms we are all working toward.”

Hutchinson’s new law, contained in Senate Bill 1378, ensures LGBTQ jurors cannot be excluded from jury service simply on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

In 2014, the 9th United States Circuit ruled that sexual orientation cannot be used as the sole basis for exclusion of a juror, protecting lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals from being excluded on jury panels. Since Illinois sits in the 7th United States Circuit, however, that ruling didn’t apply to the state.

KANKAKEE – The Kankakee Public Library is the recipient of a $17,000 mentoring grant from the Illinois secretary of state, State Senator Toi Hutchinson (D-Chicago Heights) announced today.

The grant was awarded through the FY20 Project Next Generation program, which is a mentoring program administered through Illinois public libraries. Mentors work with middle and high school students to help them develop skills needed to use technology and find success through project-based learning. Mentors also help with developing life skills, such as effective communication, goal setting and conflict resolution.

Kankakee is one of 29 public libraries in the state to receive the grant.

“This grant will provide additional support and mentoring opportunities for the children of Kankakee,” Hutchinson said. “The skills they learn from this important mentoring program will be beneficial today and will help them in all of their future endeavors. Thank you to Secretary of State Jesse White for his longstanding support for public libraries and underserved youth in Illinois.”