SPRINGFIELD - State Senator Robert Martwick’s (D-Chicago) legislation that would provide students with five excused absence days for mental health per school year passed the Illinois Senate Thursday.

“As society continues to increase the importance of addressing mental health as a part of health care, we must ensure that our students have the ability to address issues they are dealing with,” Martwick said. “This bill removes the stigma and allows students to prioritize their mental health and stability.”

Currently, state law requires that any child who is physically or mentally unable to attend school must be granted temporary absence from a physician or principal in order for the student to receive excused time off from school.

According to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, suicidal thoughts among teens ages 18 or 19 increased 46% from 2008 to 2017, and suicide attempts among people ages 22 or 23 have doubled. A study conducted in 2019 showed that the rate of suicide increased by 56% from 2007 to 2017 among people ages 10 to 24. Suicide, in recent years, has become the second-most-common cause of death among teens and young adults. It has overtaken homicides and is outpaced only by accidents.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Robert Martwick’s (D-Chicago) legislation creating property tax exemptions of up to $5,000 for police and firefighters with qualifying duty-related disabilities passed the Illinois Senate on Wednesday.

“First responders put their lives at risk everyday to protect all of us and our families,” Martwick said. “This bill provides some much needed tax relief for those first responders who have become injured and disabled while serving.”

Senate Bill 1572 creates a property tax homestead exemption of up to $5,000 for police officers and firefighters with qualifying duty-related disabilities. Such exemptions would only apply if their homes have an assessed value of less than $250,000.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Robert Martwick’s (D-Chicago) legislation that would create an elected Chicago Board of Education, starting with the 2022 primary election, passed the Senate Executive Committee Wednesday.

“This democratic step will allow the people of Chicago to vote on the school board members who make important decisions about their children’s future,” Martwick said. “Chicago parents deserve to take more control over the leaders in charge of their kids.”

Martwick’s legislation would create 20 school board member districts in order to ensure diversity and limit the influence of money on elections, while the board president would be elected at large. The board would initially be elected in the 2023 consolidated election for four year terms.

SPRINGFIELD – Today the Governor signed a new law sponsored by State Senator Rob Martwick (D-Chicago) that removed a provision in Illinois law that allowed the City of Chicago to underfund the Chicago Firefighter’s Pension System for more than 40 years.

“By signing this legislation, Gov. Pritzker has once again demonstrated his commitment to fiscal responsibility and protecting future generations of middle-class Chicagoans from massive tax increases,” Martwick said.  “If we ever hope to right our financial ship, we must finally put an end to the irresponsible behavior that put us here in the first place.  This law simply ensures that the city confronts the true costs of its pension obligations and makes the difficult decisions it needs to make today.”

The law removes the birth date restrictions that could have prevented thousands of firefighters born after Jan. 1, 1966 from receiving a 3% non-compounded annual cost of living increase in retirement. Two firefighters could have started on the force the same day but received different benefits based on their dates of birth.

Under the measure, any Chicago firefighter who is eligible for benefits and reaches 55 years of age – no matter what year they were born – would receive the 3% increase. In practice, firefighters who were born after 1966 have received the cost-of-living adjustment, but this measure ensures every firefighter does by law.

While the city claims the law is a benefit enhancement, Martwick says that is not the case.  

“For 45 years, the city has given every firefighter a higher benefit than was written into the law. This change makes the law comply with those four decades of practice to ensure the city budgets the appropriate amount for that benefit.”

Martwick also pointed out that the benefit in question is substantially lower for Chicago Firefighters than it is for every firefighter in every town, village and city in the rest of the state, and remains lower even after the passage of this law.

“Chicago firefighters have one of the hardest jobs in the world, yet they have a lower pension benefit.  That remains fundamentally unfair,” Martwick said. “However, this law at least ensures that their retirement assets do not continue to be systematically underfunded by the City of Chicago.”

House Bill 2451 of the 101^st General Assembly has been signed by the governor and passed into law.

Martwick legislation creating mental health database for first responders passes committee

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Robert Martwick (D-Chicago) is sponsoring legislation that would require the Department of Human Services to create a mental health database for first responders, with the goal of connecting men and women in these high-stress occupations with resources to help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as to prevent violence and suicide.

“First responders are subjected to many stressful interactions on a day to day basis,” Martwick said. “This database would help many who may be struggling but don’t know where to look for help.”

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, first responders experience mental illness at a higher rate than the general population, with 30% of first responders suffering from conditions like depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, compared to 20% of the population at large. In addition, firefighters reported higher attempts and ideation of suicide, and nationally, between 125 and 300 police officers commit suicide each year.

SPRINGFIELD - State Senator Robert Martwick (D-Chicago) is sponsoring legislation that provides students with five excused absence days for mental health per school year.

“Our focus on mental health needs to change,” Martwick said. “Students need to be able to prioritize their mental health and stability, and letting a kid take a day off can help in the long run.”

CHICAGO – State Senator Robert Martwick (D-Chicago) is promoting the reopening of the ACA Health Insurance Marketplace during a Special Enrollment Period set up in response to COVID-19, allowing individuals and families to apply for and enroll in 2021 health insurance coverage.

“Health insurance should not be something you have to worry about during a pandemic,” Martwick said. “Take advantage of this enrollment window if you or your family have lost coverage.”

CHICAGO – Temperatures outside are falling quickly, and State Senator Robert Martwick (D-Chicago) is encouraging homeowners to check that their heaters are in working order, as well as their carbon monoxide and smoke detectors.

“Take a few minutes out of your day to check the air filters in your furnace and smoke detectors in your home,” Martwick said. “Many fires are started around faulty heating equipment in the home, and I recommend following proper safety practices to keep you and your family safe this winter.”

Between 2012 and 2016, U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 52,050 fires each year involving heating equipment, accounting for 15% of all reported home fires during that time. Half of heating-related fires are reported during December, January and February.

It’s not just fires that pose a danger during these cold months. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that is only detectable by special detectors and alarms. These alarms, just like smoke alarms, need to be tested monthly to ensure they are working properly.

Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea and dizziness. If you are experiencing these symptoms, if you smell natural gas leaking in your home, or if your carbon monoxide alarm activates, evacuate the home immediately and open windows on the way out, if possible.

The Illinois Office of the State Fire Marshal recommends homeowners keep these tips in mind when it comes to winter heating safety:

• Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional.
• Change furnace filters frequently.
• Keep interior and exterior air vents clear of blockages or obstructions.
• Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, like a furnace, fireplace, wood stove or portable space heater.
• Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms at least once a month and be familiar with the sounds they make.
• Install carbon monoxide and smoke detectors on each floor of your home and within 15 feet of each sleeping area.
• Check the manufacturer’s instructions for information on replacement of carbon monoxide and smoke detectors.

For more tips and information on winter heating safety, visit the Illinois Office of the State Fire Marshal website.