SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) supported legislation that would direct state money to cover several outstanding debts in order to improve the Illinois’s credit.

“The state has been on a trajectory toward better credit ratings, and I believe this initiative will only continue that trajectory,” Hunter said. “This initiative lessens the state’s debt and upholds our commitment to families and state employees.”

In total, Senate Bill 2803 allocates $2.7 billion to the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund, with $898 million to pay off old group health insurance bills, $230 million to pay off the College Illinois program, and $300 million in extra pension payments.

SPRINGFIELD – Legislation sponsored by State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) to create the Real Estate Valuation Task Force to combat discrimination in the housing industry passed an important hurdle Wednesday.

“Discrimination in the housing industry goes back decades, and it has yet to be rectified today,” Hunter said. “Black and Brown people won’t have a fair chance at renting and home ownership until discrimination is addressed on a systemic level.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) is spearheading a measure that would develop a program to award grants for apprenticeship programs.

“Many people are interested in participating in apprenticeship programs but often don’t have access to reliable transportation,” Hunter said. “Being able to afford transportation or child care would make a huge difference for many pursuing a career in trade.”

House Bill 5225 creates the Job Training Assistance and Support Services Pilot Program Act which requires the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to develop a program to help aid individuals participating in an apprenticeship program, pre-apprenticeship program, or work-based learning program.

SPRINGFIELD – For decades, dozens of women have been missing or murdered in Chicago with little to no answers for their families. That’s why State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) is sponsoring legislation to address this issue.

“When a loved one goes missing or is murdered, that takes a huge toll on a family, and that is a pain that will never go away,” Hunter said. “That pain is magnified when the family is left with no answers, which is why we need a task force to offer guidance for how to handle these cases better.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) advanced a measure out of the Senate Wednesday to address the teacher shortage in Chicago Public Schools.

“This teacher shortage is affecting schools nationally as well as in our state,” Hunter said. “We must do everything we can to ensure qualified teachers are in the classrooms so our children can get the education they deserve.”

Senate Bill 4000 would allow retired members of Chicago Teachers Pension Fund to be re-employed as a teacher or administrator for up to 140 days on a temporary non-annual basis without his or her retirement annuity being cancelled. 

SPRINGFIELD – A measure led by State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) to end hair discrimination in the workplace passed the Senate Wednesday.

“No one should have to miss out on a job opportunity or miss a school graduation because of the hair that grows naturally out of their head,” Hunter said. “It’s 2022. As a nation, we should be past this petty discrimination.”

Senate Bill 3616 – also known as the Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act – amends the Illinois Human Rights Act to provide that the term “race” includes traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles such as braids, locks and twists.

A recent study from Dove uncovered that 80% of African American women felt they needed to switch their hairstyle to align with more conservative workplace standards in order to fit in.

SPRINGFIELD – A 2019 Dove study found that African American women face the highest rates of hair discrimination and are more likely to be sent home from the workplace because of their hair. State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) introduced legislation to end that practice in Illinois.

“No one should have to miss out on a job opportunity or miss a school graduation because of the hair that grows naturally out of their head,” Hunter said. “It’s 2022. As a nation, we should be past this petty discrimination.”

Senate Bill 3616 – also known as the Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act – amends the Illinois Human Rights Act to provide that the term “race” includes traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles such as braids, locks and twists.

The Dove study also uncovered that 80% of African American women felt they needed to switch their hairstyle to align with more conservative standards in order to fit in at work.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) advanced a measure from the Senate Pensions Committee on Wednesday to address the teacher shortage in Chicago Public Schools.

“This teacher shortage is affecting schools nationally as well as in our state,” Hunter said. “We must do everything we can to ensure qualified teachers are in the classrooms so that our children can get the education they deserve.”

Senate Bill 4000 would allow retired members of Chicago Teachers Pension Fund to be re-employed as a teacher or administrator for up to 140 days on a temporary non-annual basis without his or her retirement annuity being cancelled.