SPRINGFIELD – To promote race amity and highlight the importance of interracial friendships, State Senator Rachel Ventura sponsored a resolution declaring June 8, 2025 as Race Amity Day in Illinois.

“Race Amity Day encourages people to come together and celebrate the diversity within our communities,” said Ventura (D-Joliet). “In times where hate and violence far too often persist, this resolution calls attention to the interracial friendships that make our communities stronger.”

SPRINGFIELD – In a continued effort to expand access to health care while protecting affordability, State Senator Rachel Ventura and State Representative Hoan Huynh passed House Bill 1577 through the Senate on Thursday.

The legislation, which clarifies university participation in Illinois’ dependent coverage law, ensures student health insurance plans remain affordable and sustainable for those who rely on them most.

“Expanding health care access must go hand in hand with protecting affordability,” said Ventura (D-Joliet). “This legislation supports the intent of the original law while making sure we don't unintentionally burden students with higher premiums. We’re committed to building a more inclusive health care system — one that meets people where they are, including our students.”

SPRINGFIELD – Despite repeated promises from the federal government, high-speed internet access remains a distant goal for many communities — especially in rural Illinois, where service is often spotty, unreliable or altogether unavailable. In response to federal inaction and recent funding withdrawals, State Senator Rachel Ventura worked alongside State Representative Amy Briel to lead the passage of House Bill 1062 in the Senate, providing a strategic state-level response to a growing digital divide.

“Broadband access should be available to all. This legislation aims to prioritize anchor institutions to quickly improve our state’s broadband network in the most cost-effective way possible,” said Ventura (D-Joliet). “By utilizing existing and nearby infrastructure, vulnerable communities can increase access to high-speed internet, which is critical for daily life.”

The Illinois Century Network (ICN) delivers wholesale internet services to public entities across the state — including schools, libraries and higher education institutions. However, without sufficient federal investment, the burden of expanding reliable broadband increasingly falls to the state.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Rachel Ventura and State Representative Michelle Mussman worked together to spearhead legislation to expand the types of contraception pharmacists can dispense to include emergency contraception and non-hormonal options.

“Women come in all shapes and sizes so it only stands to reason that medication should be tailored to them as needed,” said Ventura (D-Joliet). “By allowing pharmacists to prescribe all types of contraceptives, including non-hormonal options, this bill aims to improve access so that every individual can make the best choice for birth control.”

House Bill 3489 expands the type of contraception pharmacists can offer to include hormonal, non-hormonal and emergency contraceptives, including Phexxi (non-hormonal), Plan B (levonorgestrel pill) and Ella (ulipristal acetate pill).

SPRINGFIELD – High-speed internet for the entire state has yet to become a reality, leaving rural areas with patchy and often unreliable services. State Senator Rachel Ventura worked alongside State Representative Amy Briel to lead House Bill 1062 through the Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee.

“Broadband access should be available to all. This legislation aims to prioritize anchor institutions to quickly improve our state’s broadband network in the most cost effective way possible,” Ventura (D-Joliet). “By utilizing existing and nearby infrastructure, vulnerable communities can increase access to high-speed internet, which is critical for daily life.”

SPRINGFIELD – Recognizing the devastating impact of parental alienation on families across Illinois, State Senator Rachel Ventura successfully advanced Senate Resolution 66, declaring April 25, 2025 as Parental Alienation Awareness Day in the state. The resolution aims to increase understanding, promote prevention and encourage intervention efforts to support healthy family relationships.

“The emotional and psychological toll of parental alienation can have lasting effects on children,” said Ventura (D-Joliet). “Fostering unfounded fears about a parent or guardian can create serious barriers to a child's emotional and psychological well-being. By raising awareness, we can foster healthier relationships and ensure that all children have the opportunity to maintain meaningful connections with both parents.”

SPRINGFIELD – A measure from State Senator Rachel Ventura stipulating the odor of raw or burnt cannabis could not alone constitute a search of a motor vehicle, driver or passenger passed through the Senate, aiming to clarify law enforcement’s handling of driving situations involving cannabis.

“A recent state Supreme Court ruling gave a conflicting directive between raw and burnt cannabis, shifting a huge burden to law enforcement to know the difference,” said Ventura (D-Joliet). “This bill aims to bring clarity by directing law enforcement to consider all factors — not just odor — in deciding if the law has been broken.”

The Illinois Supreme Court recently ruled on two separate cases contradictory to each other on whether the scent of cannabis is a probable cause. The Court held in People v. Redmond that the odor of burnt cannabis alone is insufficient to provide probable cause for police officers to perform a warrantless search of a vehicle. In People v. Molina, the Court ruled that the odor of raw cannabis alone gave police probable cause to search a vehicle because the statute mandates odorless packaging.

SPRINGFIELD – To address ongoing efforts in mitigating the climate crisis, State Senator Rachel Ventura advanced legislation through the Senate to support green infrastructure loans for municipalities and counties.

“As we grapple with the effects of climate change, such as abnormally large and powerful storms, we must invest in climate resilience projects to protect Illinoisans from future disasters,” said Ventura (D-Joliet). “Meeting our state's clean energy goals and tackling the climate crisis requires real investment in our communities. That’s why expanding low-cost financial options for local governments is critical to accelerating the transition to clean energy.”