SPRINGFIELD – To center and support the power of the Polish community in Chicago, State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago) is sponsoring a measure to designate Milwaukee Avenue from Sangamon Street in Chicago to Greenwood Road in Niles as the Milwaukee Avenue Polish Heritage Corridor.

“Polish communities have always had a large impact on the Chicago area, even far beyond their unique and recognizable cultural touchstones like food and the arts. Their local businesses have historically anchored neighborhoods and sustained local social and economic development,” Pacione-Zayas said. “I remain firmly committed that stronger communities means a stronger Illinois. We in Springfield will continue to innovate and construct public policy to that end.”

SPRINGFIELD – Illinoisans across the state are struggling to make ends meet, including university students. To help students find assistance programs, State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago) is sponsoring a measure to require universities to designate a Benefits Navigator.

“There are so many assistance programs available that are underutilized,” Pacione-Zayas said. “Ensuring students are aware of their options to get support is important, especially for individuals struggling to make ends meet while in college.”

House Bill 4201 requires the each public university and community college in Illinois to designate a Benefits Navigator to assist students in identifying and applying for benefit programs and campus-wide and community assistance programs.

CHICAGO – As the state and country loosen COVID-19 restrictions, State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago) issued a statement regarding the health concerns associated with the pandemic for children and people who are immunocompromised:

“This past winter, the Omicron surge was responsible for 20% of all child deaths from COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic. This statistic instigates the need for continued action as the pandemic continues.

“Because children under five are still unable to get vaccinated, they are at a much higher risk for infection and acute illness, warranting the need for continued masking for them as well as immunocompromised people.

SPRINGFIELD – In a Wednesday press conference, State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago) joined members of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation to introduce a resolution urging the U.S. Congress to recognize the illegal selling of the Shab-eh-nay reservation in 1849.

“As U.S. inhabitants, it’s important to recognize the indigenous communities who called this land home before us and continue to call it home,” Pacione-Zayas said. “The land of Chief Shab-eh-nay and his band was illegally sold, and recognition of this act of injustice by the federal government will begin to repair the harm and ensure that the land is recognized as reserved for the Potawatomi people in northern Illinois.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago) advanced a measure to ensure Illinois’ youngest students are not subject to developmentally inappropriate standardized tests. The legislation passed the Senate on Thursday.  

“Young children are developing at rapid and different rates. Standardized tests aren’t able to accurately measure where a student may be based on the set parameters,” Pacione-Zayas said. “By allowing teachers to focus on how children play and interact, educators will be able to gauge student development better than a standardized test will.”

Senate Bill 3986, or the Too Young to Test Act, would ensure the Illinois State Board of Education does not develop or administer standardized tests for students Pre-K through second grade, except for the case of diagnostic and screening tests including determining eligibility for special education services, bilingual services, dyslexia interventions, observational tools like the Kindergarten Individual Development Survey, and the federally mandated English Learner assessments.

SPRINGFIELD – To offer students more options following graduation from high school, State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago) advanced two measures out of the Senate Wednesday.

“Many students are pushed toward college from a young age, but it’s important for them to know that there are other options if that’s not what they want to do,” Pacione-Zayas said. “From furthering education in the trades or going straight into a career, these young adults deserve to know what else is out there.”

Senate Bill 3990 requires school counseling services to include Career and Technical Education to help students consider secondary education plans following high school. Notably, provisions in Illinois’ Clean and Equitable Job Act will create new opportunities for technical jobs in the clean energy sector.

SPRINGFIELD – To increase accessibility for higher education, State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago) has advanced a measure to allow the state treasurer’s office to make payments to Children’s Savings Accounts specifically for students from financially insecure households.

“Historically, Black and Latine families have faced systemic barriers to higher education including affordability, and we need to make sure the programs we have in place to help children are as equitable as possible,” Pacione-Zayas said. “Children’s Savings Accounts are a great mechanism for helping students afford education expenses, but we need to make sure families who need help get assistance.”

The Illinois Children’s Savings Account program will go into effect in 2023. Under the current program, applicable families will receive a seed deposit of $50. Senate Bill 3991 allows the state treasurer’s office to supplement CSA’s for financially insecure households with additional funds.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago) is spearheading two measures to give high school students more options for careers following graduation. Both measures passed the Senate Education Committee Tuesday.

“Students have big life decisions to make after high school, whether they choose to further their education or enter a career field,” Pacione-Zayas said. “It’s important that they know what opportunities are available to them as early as possible to give them a plan of action before the school year ends.”

Senate Bill 3990 will require school counseling services to include Career and Technical Education to help students determine any secondary education plans following high school. Counseling students on CTE will better allow some students to find educational and career opportunities that better fit their goals and skills. This is more important than ever as provisions regarding workforce development of the Clean and Equitable Jobs Act begin to go into effect and the state begins to move toward a clean energy economy.