LOCKPORT – State Senator John Connor (D-Lockport) announced Tuesday that local governments in the 43^rd Legislative District will be receiving nearly $16 million in the newest round of Rebuild Illinois grants.

“I am very pleased to see such a considerable investment being made in our district.” Connor said. “Having safe and reliable infrastructure not only makes a positive impact on our communities every day, but brings good jobs and boosts our local economy for years to come as well.”

The funding is being distributed in an effort to ensure that local governments have the necessary resources to repair and maintain infrastructure, as well as create jobs and boost the economy on a local level. Cities and municipalities may choose to use the grant for road and bridge improvements, traffic signal upgrades, new storm sewers and bike paths, sidewalk replacements and other long-term maintenance needs, with financial oversight from the Illinois Department of Transportation.

“When we invest in the roads we drive on and the bridges we cross, we invest in our communities, and I’m excited to see what these grants mean for the future of the 43^rd District,” Connor said.

This funding comes as the fourth of six rounds of $1.5 billion in grants through the Rebuild Illinois program. Those interested can find a complete list of awards here.

SPRINGFIELD – Legislation sponsored by State Senator John Connor (D-Lockport) to increase groundwater monitoring in areas near quarry fill sites advanced out of committee on Wednesday afternoon.

“Water is one of our most precious natural resources,” Connor said. “We have to make protecting it a priority so that our residents have reliable, clean water to drink for generations to come.”

House Bill 653 is an initiative of the Illinois Environmental Council and the Environmental Law and Policy Center that provides funding to hire additional inspectors and carry out increased testing of clean construction and demolition debris facilities. This testing and monitoring will help to ensure that contaminants are kept out of fill sites where clean construction demolition debris is dumped, and in turn kept out of groundwater.

“Investing in our environment is investing in our future,” Connor said.

The legislation remains in the Senate for further discussion.

SPRINGFIELD – Legislation sponsored by State Senator John Connor (D-Lockport) to identify and report racial bias in hiring processes that rely on artificial intelligence to determine suitable applicants passed out of Senate committee Tuesday afternoon.

“We work every day to monitor and root out systemic racial bias in our institutions, but we also need to make sure we’re addressing it in our technology,” Connor said. “If companies are using systems that are inadvertently singling out people of color and keeping them from opportunities they deserve, we need to know and we need to put an end to it.”

JOLIET – Lion Electric Company, a Canadian-based electric vehicle company, will be building its first U.S. manufacturing facility in Joliet State Senator John Connor (D-Lockport) announced Friday morning.

“This partnership will let Lion Electric and Will County look toward the future together,” Connor said. “By bringing hundreds of jobs to the Joliet area to manufacture zero-emission electric vehicles, we are working toward a stronger economy and a healthier environment for us all.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator John Connor (D-Lockport) is promoting Work Zone Awareness Week in an effort to remind Illinoisans to take extreme caution as the Illinois Department of Transportation begins a new construction season.

“We’re no strangers to construction projects in the Joliet area, and it’s easy to become impatient when those projects are ongoing or we have to drive through a work zone on a day to day basis,” said Connor. “We have to stay alert, though, because even one moment of inattention can cost someone their life.”

Work Zone Awareness Week is meant to honor of those who have died in work zones and to raise awareness going into the summer construction season. Joliet is one of many cities across the state undergoing major construction projects beginning this summer, and residents are encouraged to continue to be wary of work zones even after the close of Work Zone Awareness Week.

LOCKPORT – State Senator John Connor (D-Lockport) congratulates 84 Joliet area high school students in the 43^rd District who were named 2021-22 Illinois State Scholars by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.

Illinois State Scholar winners rank in approximately the top 10% of the state’s high school seniors from 676 high schools in all 102 counties. Selection is based on a combination of standardized test scores and class rank or unweighted GPA at the end of the student’s junior year. ISAC works in conjunction with the students’ high school guidance counselors to determine the winners.

“I couldn’t be prouder to recognize these outstanding students and all of the hard work they’ve put in,” Connor said. “It’s been a difficult year and these students, their families, and our teachers and school administrators all deserve congratulations on their dedication.”

ROMEOVILLE – State Senator John Connor (D-Lockport) spoke at a press conference held by the Southwest Suburban Immigrant Project at the VNA Health Care Clinic on Monday morning alongside State Representative Dagmara Avelar, Congressman Bill Foster and Congresswoman Marie Newman to help bring attention to vaccination sites sponsored by the organization in Will County.

“The Southwest Suburban Immigrant Project has been working hard to expand vaccine accessibility here in Will County,” Connor said. “Their focus on our Black and Brown communities has been vital to ensuring vaccine equity in our district and I couldn’t be more grateful for their efforts to keep our community safe.”

The Southwest Suburban Immigrant Project was founded in 2010 and has grown into a well-known advocacy group for immigrant residents in Will and DuPage counties. The organization has been especially active during the COVID-19 pandemic by helping keep community members up to date on the latest information about the pandemic and fighting for vaccine access for communities of color.

“Members of the SSIP are doing the work that helps get us to the other side of this pandemic,” said Connor. “I am grateful we have their dedication as we all work to protect all members of our community.”

Those wishing to learn more about the SSIP and their vaccination sites can find them on Facebook or visit their site at www.ssipchicago.org.

LOCKPORT – State Senator John Connor (D-Lockport) is announcing that school districts in the Joliet area will receive nearly $64 million in additional funding to help address the many challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Teachers and students both have worked incredibly hard to adapt to new methods of learning over the past year,” Connor said. “I know that this extra funding will give them the resources they need to continue moving forward.”

The funding comes as part of the most recent federal COVID-19 relief packages. Schools, students and parents have overcome challenges that no one could have imagined before the pandemic began, including remote and hybrid learning, digital connection issues, new processes for receiving state and federal aid that normally flow through schools, and more.

Joliet area school districts are set to receive the following amounts:

• Joliet Public School District 86 - $ 42,595,457
• Joliet Township High School District 204 - $ 14,782,792
• Channahon School District 17 - $2,115,173
• Laraway Community Consolidated School District 70C - $1,715,538
• Union School District 81 - $351,091
• Rockdale School District 84 - $837,369
• Chaney-Monge School District 88 - $1,436,211
• Elwood Community Consolidated School District 203 - $691,737

The majority of the funding comes from the American Rescue Plan, which gives local schools a great deal of flexibility in how they can use the money over the next 3 ½ years. At least 20% of the funding must be used to address learning loss, but beyond that, school districts can use the money to address many different issues and costs. For example, it can be used to better equip schools for safe learning, to prevent layoffs, to address students’ social and emotional needs, to fund summer programs, or to ensure all students have access to reliable Wi-Fi and technology.

The State Board of Education, in collaboration with other state agencies that address education, has produced a guide for local school districts to help them decide how to best use their resources. While the guide and other state-sponsored services are completely voluntary, the state aims to support local districts during this difficult time.

“I’m glad that we’re able to give back to our school districts and our educators after such a harrowing and difficult year,” Connor said.

In total, Illinois received nearly $7 billion to support local school districts.