SPRINGFIELD - State Senator Mike Halpin passed a measure through the Senate aimed at creating incentives to recruit much-needed emergency medical technicians in Illinois fire departments.

“Now that we’ve gotten this passed, we need to ensure the money is appropriated in this year’s budget,” said Halpin (D-Rock Island). “I look forward to working with Senator Anderson to get it done.”

Senate Bill 1750 would require the board of trustees of a fire protection district to reimburse the mandatory training expenses of EMTs, EMT-Is, A-EMTs or paramedics who are employed by or under contract with the district. The mandatory training expenses would be covered by a state-funded program.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mike Halpin’s legislation creating the Rock Island Regional Port District passed the Senate on Thursday.

"There’s nothing more rewarding than passing legislation that helps our local community," said Halpin (D-Rock Island). "This legislation is another tool for economic growth in the City of Rock Island."

The establishment of the Rock Island Regional Port District aligns with the goal of encouraging the use of waterways to efficiently transport goods and provide for economies of scale. The Port District will also boost recreation and tourism activities along the river. The Rock Island Regional Port District will be the twentieth public port district in Illinois, joining the likes of the Waukegan Port District and the Illinois International Port District.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mike Halpin passed a measure through committee with bipartisan support that creates the Rock Island Regional Port District Act. The Rock Island Regional Port District will be established within the limits of the City of Rock Island, with the Rock Island City Council serving as the governing and administrative body of the district.

"There are 19 other Regional Port Districts in Illinois, and I believe that it makes sense economically to create one here in Rock Island," said Halpin (D-Rock Island). "The Rock Island Regional Port District has the potential to bring economic development and job creation to the area, and I look forward to seeing the positive impact this district will have on our community."

The establishment of the Rock Island Regional Port District aligns with the goal of encouraging the use of waterways to efficiently transport goods, and to provide for economies of scale. The Port District will also boost recreation and tourism activities along the river. The Rock Island Regional Port District will be the twentieth public port district in Illinois, joining the likes of the Waukegan Port District and the Illinois International Port District.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mike Halpin and State Senator Neil Anderson announced the advancement of Senate Bill 1750, aimed at creating incentives to recruit much-needed emergency medical technicians in Illinois fire departments.

"EMTs are critical to the safety and wellbeing of our communities," said Halpin (D-Rock Island). "We hope to create incentives for individuals to pursue a career in emergency medical services and to help alleviate the shortage of EMTs in our fire departments. By reimbursing the mandatory training expenses for EMTs, we can make this career path more accessible and affordable for aspiring candidates and ensure that our fire departments have the necessary personnel to respond to emergencies."

The bill would require the board of trustees of a fire protection district to reimburse the mandatory training expenses of EMTs, EMT-Is, A-EMTs, or paramedics who are employed by or under contract with the district. The mandatory training expenses would be covered by a state funded program.

MOLINE – State Senator Mike Halpin join Moline Mayor Sangeetha Rayapati’s press conference on Monday regarding the Quad Cities Passenger Rail project that has been in talks for years.

“This money was there when I first took office in January 2017 and Governor Pritzker announced its renewal with our 2019 budget during his first year in office,” said Halpin (D-Rock Island). “Too much time has passed to simply rely on Iowa Interstate Railroad to do the right thing.”

The rail project has had the support of multiple presidential administrations, governors, state representatives, state senators, mayors and city councils. Despite agreement on the need for the project, Iowa Interstate Railroad, a private company that controls the 50 miles of track that would connect Chicago and the Quad Cities, has been a barrier to getting the project finalized.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mike Halpin advanced a measure through the Senate State Government Committee which will require lodging establishments in Illinois to provide Human Trafficking Recognition Training (HTRT) to their employees in order to receive state and local funds.

"Human trafficking is a terrible crime that destroys lives and tears apart families," said Halpin (D-Rock Island). "We have a responsibility to do everything we can to combat this heinous practice and ensure that our state is a safe and welcoming place for all people.”

The legislation aims to combat human trafficking in Illinois by ensuring that employees of lodging establishments are trained to recognize and report signs of human trafficking. By making HTRT a requirement for lodging establishments to receive state and local funds, the bill will create a strong incentive for businesses to invest in training their employees and help prevent human trafficking from occurring in Illinois.

MACOMB – Western Illinois University is set to receive $840,211 in funding for academic and social-emotional learning support through a grant provided by the Illinois Board of Higher Education.

“It is important to provide Western Illinois with funding that will translate directly to greater student outcomes,” said Halpin (D-Rock Island). “This funding will assist Western in improving services on the Macomb and Quad Cities campuses.”

This is the second round of GEER grants to Illinois institutions of higher education to help mitigate the effects of the pandemic. More than $10.5 million in grants have been distributed to 21 universities in the state, both public and private institutions. Western Illinois University has been awarded over $840,000 as a result of the second round of grants.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mike Halpin will serve as chair of the Senate Higher Education Committee and Representative Gregg Johnson will serve on the House Labor and Commerce Committee for the 103rd General Assembly.

“I will work to not only protect higher education funding, but look to make increases where we can,” said Halpin (D-Rock Island). “We need to make sure that the tremendous higher education institutions in Western Illinois and across the state retain and recruit more in-state residents.”

Senator Halpin will also serve on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. To see the full list of Halpin’s committee assignments, click here.