SPRINGFIELD – Ponds of coal ash created by the Waukegan Power Generating Station have polluted the Lake Michigan shore for decades, and State Senator Adriane Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove) advanced a measure to offer restoration and protection.

“Coal-burning plants have caused irreparable damage to our communities and ecosystems,” Johnson said. “We must make strong efforts for coal ash clean-up around Lake Michigan and protect our region’s largest water source from lingering toxins.”

With requirements outlined under the Environmental Protection Act, Johnson’s initiative requires the removal of coal combustion residual, or coal ash, stored in ponds on Lake Michigan’s shore at the Waukegan Generating Station. The plant’s owner must also conduct a site investigation sufficient to identify and characterize the scope and extent of all coal ash placed, stored or disposed.

SPRINGFIELD – To draw awareness to the importance of soil health protection, State Senator Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) is leading an effort to create a week-long celebration of soil health.

Senate Joint Resolution 44 would create a Soil Health Day and Week celebration to take place March 7 – 11, with Soil Health Day falling on March 9.

“Illinois should be actively raising awareness of the importance of soil health and promoting its stewardship to safeguard this resource for future generations,” said Bennett, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. “With this joint resolution, my hope is that we can come together to find ways to educate people on the importance of healthy soil.”

SPRINGFIELD – As school districts around the state continue struggling to fill teaching positions, Senate Democrats hosted a press conference in Springfield on Thursday announcing a number of legislative measures that would help address the void.

“Illinois is facing an overall teaching shortage and an immediate staffing shortage in schools,” State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood) said. “Over the past two years, we’ve seen school districts take an all-hands-on-deck approach and our schools can no longer operate under that system. We need to take steps toward alleviating the teacher shortage through legislative action.”

According to the Illinois State Board of Education, there are more than 4,000 unfilled positions in schools. In an attempt to address the vacancies and increase the substitute teacher pool, Loughran Cappel introduced a plan – Senate Bill 3915 – that would waive the application fee for short-term substitute teaching licensees when the governor has declared a disaster due to a public health emergency.

SPRINGFIELD – To recuperate from the discrimination older LGBTQ adults have faced historically, State Senator Karina Villa (D-West Chicago) has passed legislation that would allocate a designated advocate under the Department on Aging for addressing mistreatment.

“The LGBTQ community has faced a lot of stress and overcame amble amounts of adversity historically,” Villa said. “A designated advocate would allow this misrepresented community the support they need to continue on.”

Villa’s measure would require the Department on Aging to provide older LGBTQ adults with a designated advocate and creates an LGBTQ Older Adult Curriculum and Training Program for Department on Aging service providers and contractors.

SPRINGFIELD – The Department of Children and Family Services could soon be required to establish a three-year pilot program to maintain safety and eliminate risks for minority children in in DuPage and Williamson County, under new legislation championed by Senator Karina Villa (D- West Chicago).

“Removing a child from the home is a traumatizing experience for everyone involved, and the disparity of Black children in the child welfare system is deeply concerning,” said Villa.

Under Villa’s measure, DCFS would be required to establish a three-year program to promote unbiased decision making in the child removal process while maintaining and reducing the risk of safety and disparity among minority children. The decision making process would include the child protection specialist to remove all demographic information including but not limited to,  the child’s name, race or ethnicity, the child’s sexual orientation, religious beliefs, and political affiliation. In addition, an advisory board would be established to determine if the decisions made are warranted.

SPRINGFIELD – During Alzheimer’s Week of Action, the Senate Democrats joined advocates to show their support for people affected by Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia by wearing purple.

As someone who looked after loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease, I know the toll it takes on the individual, the families and the caregivers involved,” said State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs). “During the Alzheimer’s Week of Action, we can promote advocacy, offer support to residents affected by the disease and prioritize improvements to state resources.”

SPRINGFIELD –  Emergency medical dispatchers are one step closer to receiving the recognition of the role they play in responding to emergencies after a measure supported by State Senator Robert Martwick (D-Chicago) passed the Senate on Wednesday.

“Dispatchers have a tough job, and their efforts need to be recognized,” Martwick said. “Dispatchers are the first line of defense in an emergency, hearing unspeakable circumstances while staying calm and helping the caller. They deserve the utmost  appreciation for the vital job they do.”

Emergency medical dispatchers are special trained call-takers who identify complaints, triage patients’ severity and provide pre-arrival instructions to callers. Senate Bill 3127 would amend various laws already on the books to include emergency medical dispatchers in reference to first responders.

SPRINGFIELD – In response to the current mental health professional workforce’s struggles to keep up with increasing demand, State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview) is leading a measure aimed at growing the workforce in Illinois. 

“For people who are bravely taking the first steps to seek mental health care, overbooked providers are major deterrents to receiving the care they need,” Senator Fine said. “I am committed to making mental and behavioral health care more accessible for those who need it, which includes addressing the shortage of mental health providers needed for the demand we are seeing in our communities.”  

In Illinois, there are only 14 behavioral health care professionals for every 10,000 Illinois residents. Many people are forced to wait longer for essential treatment or forego health care entirely because of this gap. This can be detrimental to their mental and physical well-being.