EAST ST. LOUIS – Three St. Clair County fire districts are set to receive grant funding for equipment totaling more than $75,000, thanks to support for State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Swansea).

“The men and women who work at our local fire departments risk their lives to keep our communities safe,” Belt said. “They are the first people we call in a crisis.”

Grants were awarded to over 100 fire departments and districts across Illinois totaling $2.5 million to purchase small firefighting and ambulance equipment. The initiative derives from fire departments and not-for profit ambulance services in Illinois that have struggled financially to buy small equipment.

SPRINGFIELD – Receiving strong bipartisan support for many of its proposals, the Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus passed over a dozen public safety measures and allocated more than $500 million toward the efforts during the spring legislative session, pegged as their Protecting All Communities plan.

“Everyone in every ZIP code should feel comfortable being able to walk down the street,” said State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago). “No matter where you are, or who you are or where you live you should deserve to feel comfortable and safe.”

Peters is a strong advocate of finding the root cause of rising crime rates. The Crime Reduction Task Force – which will be created under his House Bill 4736 – will be made up of a bipartisan group of legislators, law enforcement and legal and criminal justice professionals, as well as crime victims and witnesses. The task force will develop a plan of action to reduce crime across the state and report its findings to the General Assembly and the governor.

SPRINGFIELD – To recognize the critical role of women in U.S. Armed Forces, State Senators Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights) and Jil Tracy (R-Quincy), co-chairs of the Senate Women’s Caucus, are sponsoring a resolution to declare June 12 as Women’s Veterans Day in Illinois.

“Women have sacrificed much for our nation while serving at home and abroad,” Gillespie said. “We are grateful for their service and honor the contributions of the over two million women veterans who have served our country.”

House Joint Resolution 64 declares June 12, 2022, as Women’s Veterans Day and pays homage to the signing of the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act, which formally allowed women to serve as regular members of the U.S. Armed Forces. The act was signed by President Harry S. Truman on June 12, 1948.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Michael E. Hastings shepherded a bipartisan relief package to assist and provide financial assistance to all Illinoisans. 

Hastings (D-Frankfort) sponsored Senate Bill 157, a comprehensive revenue package to provide tax relief to families throughout the state.

“We are slowly recovering from the most severe public health crisis that our state, country and the world has seen in the last century,” Hastings said. “These vital tax dollars belong in the hands of Illinois families. This measure prioritizes families by giving them the much needed and deserved relief they’ve been longing for.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senate John Connor (D-Lockport) was a chief sponsor on two recent measures to provide law enforcement with better technological tools to solve crime.

“I have been an advocate for better tech tools for law enforcement since before I entered the legislature.  Expecting better results from law enforcement while not providing them with 21st century tools is not a formula for success.  Highway cameras can help not just with highway shootings but with many other dangerous crimes where the perpetrators travel to and from the crime on our highways,” said Connor. “By giving local law enforcement wider access to camera technology that’s already in existence, we are giving them better tools in the toolbox to build cases and make arrests.” 

Senator Connor was a chief co-sponsor on House Bill 260, which allows more municipal law enforcement agencies to use images from expressway cameras to investigate shootings, carjackings, terrorism and forcible felonies. The measure would require the agencies to create a webpage with details about the program objectives and counties where the program is operational.

SPRINGFIELD – To help correctional officers and deputy sheriffs utilize their training for secondary employment, State Senator Bill Cunningham passed a measure through the Illinois Senate that would allow correctional officers and deputy sheriffs to carry a firearm off duty.

“Our law enforcement officers are overworked and underpaid,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs. “The ability to utilize peace officer training in secondary employment will help them financially and protect businesses in our community.”

SPRINGFIELD – As the cannabis industry continues to grow in Illinois, State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) has championed a measure to ensure prospective employees at dispensary or cultivation centers have an equitable application process.

“The cannabis industry has provided a boost to the Illinois economy,” Castro said. “Streamlining the process for people to get involved in this business will ensure a more equitable, diverse workforce and bring multiple cannabis laws on the books in line with each other.”

Currently, individuals who wish to work for a cannabis dispensary or cultivation center are subject to two different application processes – one for medical and one for adult-use. However, practically speaking most medical dispensaries also serve adult use cannabis.  House Bill 2380 streamlines the process for prospective dispensary and cultivation center employees to receive their identification cards by consolidating the application process.

SPRINGFIELD – More counties across the state may soon have access to funding for expressway cameras, thanks to a measure championed by State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines).

“Crimes on expressways are not exclusive to Cook County,” Murphy said. “If we want to prioritize public safety, we need to make sure Illinoisans in all parts of the state have access to the best crime deterring technology—expressway cameras assist the police as they investigate crimes on the road.”

Cameras are an important resource for law enforcement to investigate crimes that occur on the road. Under current law, the Illinois Department of Transportation must use revenue from the Road Fund to fund any cameras on expressways under their jurisdiction. Murphy’s House Bill 4481 would expand the funds available for cameras by including expressways under the Illinois Tollway Authority’s jurisdiction. The Tollway must include funds intended for cameras in their annual budget request.