CHICAGO – To bring attention to the many West Side seniors who aren’t getting the help they need during the coronavirus pandemic, Senator Patricia Van Pelt (D-Chicago) held a press conference Sunday and urged the community to get involved with relief efforts.

“What are these seniors supposed to do?” said Van Pelt. “They have no resources, no transportation, which means no access to testing, no way to get groceries, no basic sanitary products. Somebody’s got to act on their behalf.”

Van Pelt was joined at the press conference by a number of community leaders, including:

• Robin Hood, Senior Liaison for the 5^th District;
• Rosemary Coleman, Local Advisory Council President (LAC) for Chicago Housing Authority;
• Louvenia Hood, Executive Director, Mothers Opposed to Violence Everywhere; and
• Valencia Pringle, Executive Director, Family Cares Mission.

They discussed the needs of the senior community, and how they have been neglected. Seniors are the most susceptible to the virus, with nearly half of the state’s cases being reported in nursing homes.

Before the press conference, Van Pelt and her team distributed 10,000 pairs of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to hundreds of residents at Albany Terrace and Patrick Sullivan Apartments. Patrick Sullivan is one of three homes in the senior living community that has suffered coronavirus-related casualties, according to LAC President Rosemary Coleman.

“I feared this would happen,” said Rev. Hood. “These seniors have been left in the dark, deprived of the resources they need to stay alive. I’m not going to sit here and wait for them to die.”

Despite the PPE packages the seniors received on Sunday, Van Pelt says that won’t be enough to protect them against the worst of the coronavirus.

“For the sake of our seniors’ health and safety, we can’t let the current conditions continue,” Van Pelt said. “I urge members of the community to step in and donate what they can to help make sure our older citizens can get the help they need.”

Van Pelt’s office is partnering with Family Cares Mission and asks that anyone interested in helping the city’s seniors donate here.

CHICAGO — Nearly 140,000 Illinoisans could benefit from a new effort to help people struggling to pay their student loans. In light of the countless Americans falling behind due to the unprecedented economic hardships faced on both a statewide and national level, State Senator Patricia Van Pelt (D-Chicago) emphasized the importance of seeking relief.

“Paying student loans is the last thing people should have to worry about during this pandemic,” Van Pelt said. “I urge everyone impacted to contact their loan providers as soon as possible. Borrowers need to be aware of all student loan deferment options available to them.”

Introduced by Gov. JB Pritzker and Secretary Deborah Hagan of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, this initiative will allow people with commercially-owned Federal Family Education Program Loans or privately held student loans who are having a hard time making their payments due to COVID-19 to be eligible for expanded relief.

Borrowers in need of assistance are encouraged to contact their student loan provider immediately to set up a plan.

Relief options are based on a person’s individual needs and include:

• Providing a minimum of 90 days of forbearance,
• Waiving late payment fees,
• Ensuring that no borrower is subject to negative credit reporting,
• Ceasing debt collection lawsuits for 90 days,
• Working with borrower to enroll them in other borrower assistance programs, such as income-based repayment.

Anyone having problems contacting their student loan servicer should call the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation Division of Banking at 217-785-2900 or the attorney general’s student loan helpline at 1-800-455-2456.

SPRINGFIELD – Senator Patricia Van Pelt (D-Chicago) introduced legislation that would allow incarcerated mothers to remain with their child for 72 hours after giving birth, unless a medical professional determines otherwise.

“It’s crucial for a baby to spend its first moments with its mother, and we want to ensure that,” Van Pelt said. “This way the baby gets the care it needs, while the mother is inspired to stay on her best behavior in the hopes she may return to her child.”

The bill would also provide the mother with hygiene products and diapers for her infant. Even before the baby is born, Van Pelt wants to guarantee that incarcerated mothers are cared for by requiring corrections officials to incorporate health care training and education for their specific needs.

SPRINGFIELD – This afternoon, the Illinois Senate Public Health Committee, chaired by Senator Patricia Van Pelt (D-Chicago), heard from the Illinois Department of Public Health on the status of the response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Illinois.

Illinois Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike explained the testing process. First, samples are taken to a state lab. If a result is positive, it is sent to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for confirmation.

IDPH’s turnaround for test results is less than a day, while it can take up to a week for a case to be confirmed by the CDC.

SPRINGFIELD – Senator Patricia Van Pelt (D-Chicago) recently filed legislation that would require an employer to reimburse an employee within 30-45 days after the receipt of a required business expense, a common workplace scenario that currently isn’t governed by any sort of statute.

“A lot of employees despair of ever seeing their business expenses reimbursed,” Van Pelt said. “This should be a common labor protection, just as a 40-hour workweek is. Employees who float costs for their employers should receive reimbursements in a timelier manner.”

SPRINGFIELD – Last April, a man named Elisha Brittman was found naked and unresponsive under a car in Chicago, beaten so badly his face was unrecognizable. The police failed to identify him through fingerprints or DNA. Instead, they used a mugshot to identify him as Alfonso Bennett. In turn, the hospital notified Bennett’s family, who decided to take Brittman off life support. Now, both of the families involved are filing a lawsuit.

After learning of what happened to her constituent, Senator Patricia Van Pelt (D-Chicago) is leading an effort to make sure no other family is ever faced with such an unthinkable situation.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Patricia Van Pelt (D-Chicago) is leading an initiative with the Department of Human Services that will expand eligibility for special education facilities.

The proposed legislation would allow people with an orthopedic or other physical disability to attend the Illinois Center for Rehabilitation and Education-Roosevelt.

“As we become more knowledgeable about various kinds of disabilities, it is important to revise our policies so that they are as inclusive as need be,” Van Pelt said. “Our understanding has grown, so our legislation must be changed to address that.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Patricia Van Pelt (D-Chicago) listened as families relived the terrible days their loved ones were murdered during a Senate Public Health Law committee hearing this afternoon.

“Our voice is not being heard, “said Kristena Hopkins, Director of Missing and Murdered Women and Girls, whose cousin, Shantieya Smith, was slain back in 2018. “I feel like they want us to just shake it off and keep moving, but I refuse to because she has a eight-year-old daughter who deserves to know what happened to her mom.”

Latonya Moore, Shantieya’s mother, was also in attendance. After nearly two years of painfully awaiting any updates on her daughter’s case, she expressed her frustration about the lack of justice. This was her third time testifying before this committee.

“…My daughter, to me, feel like a John Doe... She don’t even exist.” Moore cried. “If you was born in my same shoes, how would you feel? Because it feel like I’m reaching out and I’m not getting no help.”

Director Brendan Kelly of the Illinois State Police said they have made progress in reducing the backlog by using new technology to reduce the delay in processing evidence and by hiring additional forensic scientists. The number of delayed cases are down by 16 percent since the changes were made.

“We want those kits to be tested. That has to be done.” Kelly said about the rape and murder kits.

After hearing from several witnesses and organizations during the committee, Van Pelt was unwavering in her pursuit of justice for these families.

“I am encouraged to see that ISP has made some progress in the last several months regarding the backlogs, but there is still a lot of work that needs be done.” Van Pelt said. “People have been waiting for due process for too long. I don’t care how we fix the problem, as long as it gets fixed.”

The task force is set to meet again near the end of February.