Caucus News

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 the Senate Thursday.

“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 owning a home until discrimination is addressed on a systemic level.”

The Real Estate Valuation Task Force is a response to an unresolved history of federal housing agencies, including the Federal Home Owners' Loan Corporation and the Federal Housing Administration, discriminating against Black and Brown people when underwriting real estate loans.

SPRINGFIELD – A measure led by State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) to protect access to low cost prescription drugs passed the Senate Wednesday.

“Prescription drugs are a health need for a lot of people, and therefore, they should be more affordable and easier to access,” Hunter said. “We must ensure that people don’t go broke trying to keep themselves healthy.”

House Bill 4595 protects access to low cost "340B" prescription drugs for uninsured and low-income patients by prohibiting pharmacy benefit managers and third party payers from using certain contractual provisions in contracts they enter into with safety-net healthcare providers.

The federal 340B Drug Pricing Program allows entities to stretch scarce federal resources as far as possible, reaching more eligible patients and providing more comprehensive services.

“People living with different diseases and disorders need access to medication, and we have to make it easy for them to get it,” Hunter said. “The Drug Pricing Program was created to lower medication costs, and this measure stays true to that.”

Similar laws have been passed in 16 other states.

House Bill 4595 passed the Senate Wednesday and goes to the House for concurrence.

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.”

The Real Estate Valuation Task Force is a response to an unresolved history of federal housing agencies, including the Federal Home Owners' Loan Corporation and the Federal Housing Administration discriminating against Black and Brown people when underwriting real estate loans.

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.