URBANA – In honor of Mental Health Awareness month, State Senator Scott Bennett is reminding farmers and ranchers experiencing stress to take advantage of the Farm Family Resource Initiative hotline.

“It’s important for farmers to break the stigma of internalizing their stress and understand they can ask for help,” said State Senator Scott Bennett (D-Champaign), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. “The FFRI program has already proven its success over the past couple years and has given farmers the opportunity to talk about their struggles to avoid negative consequences.”

PEORIA – A new law backed by State Senator Dave Koehler to establish the Co-Responder Pilot Program in an effort to offer crisis management and emotional support to survivors of crime was signed Tuesday afternoon.

“Addressing crime and violence in our communities requires a dynamic approach,” said Koehler (D-Peoria). “This program takes a fresh look at ways to provide support to survivors to ensure no one falls through the cracks or goes without assistance.”

The new law, formerly House Bill 4736, requires police departments in Peoria, East St. Louis, Springfield and Waukegan to establish a co-responder unit of social workers responsible for conducting follow-up visits for victims who may benefit from mental or behavioral health services, connecting survivors with appropriate resources, and providing other necessary assistance. Mental health professionals additionally have the potential to both deescalate situations as they occur and reduce recurrent calls for assistance by helping to identify and address the root causes of many overarching issues.

SPRINGFIELD – In an effort to provide law enforcement agencies with new tools to recruit and retain officers, State Senator Patrick Joyce supports a new law signed on Tuesday.

“We are taking the nationwide rise in crime seriously by providing law enforcement more tools to recruit and retain officers,” said Joyce (D-Essex). “This new law aims to help the law enforcement community deal with the pain of staff shortages we are seeing across every industry.” 

House Bill 3863 provides grants to law enforcement agencies for hiring and retention of officers. Funds can be used for mental health care for officers, safety equipment and training, or improvements in jails.

SPRINGFIELD– Thanks to State Senator Jacqueline Collins (D-Chicago), Illinois will ease the financial and emotional burden of families paying for respectable funeral and burial services with the Funeral and Burial Assistance Act –an initiative she sponsored in honor of Mychal Moultry, Jr. and other children murdered by gun violence.

“We have a responsibility to the families in Illinois who go through the tremendous pain of burying their child after fatal gun incidents,” Collins said. “While we legislators continue to provide resources and opportunities that prevent and reduce the violence in our communities, we must support the victims of these crimes by streamlining the assistance process for those in need.”

The Funeral and Burial Assistance Act was signed into law by the governor Tuesday. Collins, who partnered with the Strength to Love Foundation to make this assistance a reality for qualifying families, has been an unwavering advocate for anti-violence efforts. As a beacon for public safety initiatives, Senator Collins played a critical role in the passage of legislation aimed at providing for families’ basic needs and investing in community-based initiatives that mitigate factors perpetuating criminal activity.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Doris Turner (D-Springfield) released the following statement on the appointment of Judge Lisa Holder White to the Illinois Supreme Court:

“I wanted to take time to congratulate Judge Lisa Holder White on her appointment to our state’s highest court. She is the first Black woman to ever serve on the Illinois Supreme Court, and I commend her on her years of hard work and commitment to equal justice under the law which led her to this momentous occasion.”

SPRINGFIELD – Two new measures were recently signed into law to provide greater support for law enforcement agencies to hire and retain officers. Both laws were backed by State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel.

“Our law enforcement officers selflessly protect our communities and keep us safe in the face of danger,” said Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood). “This new law will offer additional support to recruit the next generation of police officers.”

Loughran Cappel advocated for House Bill 3863, which creates the Law Enforcement Recruitment and Retention Fund to support departments through the hiring and training processes and help with retention strategies.

EAST ST. LOUIS – The East St. Louis Police Department will have a pilot program to provide essential resources and assistance to victims thanks to a measure supported by State Senator Christopher Belt that was signed into law Tuesday.

“Crime victims need to have sufficient resources to recover after a traumatic event,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “Bringing a pilot program to East St. Louis gives Metro East residents affected by crime access to vital resources.”

The new law creates the Co-Responder Pilot Program in the East St. Louis Police Department in the 57^th Senate District. The unit’s primary focus will be providing crisis intervention, case management, advocacy and ongoing emotional support to victims of all crimes, particularly to victims of crimes that cause a high level of trauma.

Peoria - A trio of public safety measures were signed into law Tuesday, which will empower crime survivors, protect victims and address the root causes of crime while also helping law enforcement recruit qualified officers.

One new law, formerly House Bill 4736, authorizes the creation and funding of the Co-Responders Pilot Program. The pilot will support police in areas across the state in teaming up with social service agencies to address the root causes of disturbances or crime. Initial programs will launch in Peoria, Springfield, East St. Louis, and Waukegan in the next six months. The new law also creates a grant program to create tip hotlines or other victim and witness resources. 

“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, who you are or where you live you should deserve to feel comfortable and safe. This measure does that by expanding witness protection and by incorporating the voices and needs of stakeholders and survivors.”