SPRINGFEILD - State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) and advocates introduced the REACH Act at a press conference this morning. 

This legislation requires all K-12 public schools to offer a comprehensive and age-appropriate course on personal heath and public safety. The program would be phased in slowly, thus granting schools a smooth orderly transition to the new curriculum.

SPRINGFIELD – Smaller businesses will once again be able to benefit from a tax credit for creating new full-time jobs under a plan announced by Senator Ram Villivalam and Representative Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz (D-Glenview) today.

“Small businesses make a community vibrant and unique, and this encourages them to seek out more employees,” said Villivalam, a Chicago Democrat. “This tax credit was introduced during the recession, and it should not have been allowed to lapse under the previous governor.”

The proposed legislation would provide small businesses with a tax credit worth $5,000 per new employee making at least $15 an hour and working 35 hours per week. A total of $75 million in tax credits will be awarded, with the credit set to sunset after six years.

SPRINGFIELD, IL - Today, State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) and State Representative Bob Morgan (D-Deerfield) join legislators from around the country in unveiling a national bipartisan campaign to phase out corporate giveaways by establishing an interstate compact. This bold proposal seeks to liberate states from participating in tax-payer funded subsidy battles by having states join together and refuse to provide companies with tax breaks or other incentives, as in the case of the Amazon HQ2 bidding war.

As of January 28, the legislation is filed in New York, Hawaii, Maryland, Florida, Iowa, Illinois, West Virginia and New Hampshire.

The legislation would bring each state into a formal agreement with other states to phase out corporate giveaways through two main provisions. First, member states agree to end the practice of offering tax breaks to a facility located in another member state as an inducement for the company to move. Second, member states participate in a national board of appointees to discuss and propose enhancements to the existing agreement for future consideration by each state.

SPRINGFIELD - State Senator Ram Villivalam has been appointed to the Senate Special Committee on Pension Investments by Senate President John J. Cullerton to fill the vacancy created by the departure of former State Senator Toi Hutchinson.

“I’m committed to ensuring the state upholds its promise to compensate our hardworking employees upon their retirement and to make sure these investments are indeed smart ones for taxpayers,” Villivalam (D-Chicago) said. “It is our responsibility to ensure that all Illinoisans who dedicate their lives to serving the state are not left without the means to support themselves and to provide fair opportunities for minority-owned businesses that have long struggled to break into the investment industry.”

SKOKIE – State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) hosted a fireside chat with a panel of activists that included Ela Gandhi, granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi.

Mandali Buddha Prasad, former Deputy Speaker of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, and David Grengan, President of the Pietermaritzburg Gandhi Committee RSA, also sat on the panel. Villivalam and the panelists discussed Gandhi’s civil rights work, his commitment to nonviolent resistance and his dedication to bridging racial and religious divides.

SKOKIE – State Senator Ram Villivalam will host a fireside chat this Thursday with Ela Gandhi, peace activist and granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi.

Mandali Buddha Prasad, former Deputy Speaker of Andhra Pradesh, and David Grengan, President of the Pietermaritzburg Gandhi Committee RSA, will also be on the panel.

The conversation will center on the panelists’ work towards the pursuit of justice and the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi.

SPRINGFIELD – Legislation sponsored by State Senator Ram Villivalam to advance equity for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) older adults was signed into law on Friday.

“Older members of the LGBTQ community face difficulty and discrimination,” Villivalam (D-Chicago) said. “It is crucial that we protect LGBTQ elders’ right to age with dignity, and to access resources without fear. I am proud to say that SB 1319 does just that.”

“LGBTQ older adults face many challenges as they age, including fears about neglect, abuse, and harassment because of their identities,” said Brian C. Johnson, CEO of Equality Illinois. “Sometimes, LGBTQ older adults are forced by circumstances to go back into the closet as they age because of the absence of inclusive programming by service providers and a lack of affirming care in long-term care facilities. As they age, we must ensure laws and programming support and affirm them. Thank you, Sen. Villivalam, for leading the charge on SB 1319 in the State Senate.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Ram Villivalam’s legislation to streamline the process of appointing a guardian for those children whose parents have been taken into federal immigration custody was signed into law today.

“Now more than ever, it is our duty at the state level to support immigrant families impacted by Donald Trump's horrendous immigration policies," Villivalam (D-Chicago) said. "We need to do whatever is in our power to give parents and guardians at risk of detainment or deportation some peace of mind. That starts with giving them the opportunity to choose who will care for their children should they be forcibly separated, ensuring their children are being taken care of in a safe, nurturing environment. It's the least we can do. Additionally, I want to thank Representative Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz for bringing this issue to the fore and for her tireless dedication.”