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- Category: Member News
On January 1, 255 new laws will take effect. Will they affect your daily life? We've selected some of the more interesting new laws to showcase. Click on the image above to see what's in store.
A complete list of new laws is available here.
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- Category: Senator Laura Murphy News
SPRINGFIELD – Lobbyists are now required to disclose more information regarding their clients and relationships to local government units under new legislation co-sponsored by Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines).
“It’s clear that we need to introduce larger reforms to change the way elected officials do business,” said Murphy, who served as chief co-sponsor of the legislation in the Senate. “Increasing lobbying transparency is just a start—there’s much more still to do.”
Read more: Murphy pushes to increase lobbying transparency in Springfield
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- Category: Senator Heather A. Steans News
CHICAGO — Less than a month before cannabis cultivation and sale become legal in Illinois, Gov. JB Pritzker signed legislation finalizing certain parts of the new statute alongside the bill’s sponsor, State Senator Heather A. Steans, at a ceremony in Chicago’s Cabrini-Green neighborhood.
“When we embarked on the long road to legalization of adult-use cannabis, we set out not just to end bad drug policy and lay the groundwork for opportunity in a new industry,” Steans said, “we also sought ways to make amends for how drug enforcement has ravaged communities. As we stand poised for legalization on Jan. 1, I want to thank everyone who worked tirelessly to make this legislation a reality, and I want to remind all of us that to ensure we see justice, we must listen to the community and respond to their concerns swiftly.”
Read more: As legalized cannabis poised to begin, Pritzker signs Steans’ tweaks to new law
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- Category: Senator Napoleon Harris III News
SPRINGFEILD – On Tuesday’s National Day of Giving, State Senator Napoleon Harris III (D-Chicago) attended the Rocky Clark Memorial Scholarship Fundraiser at South Suburban College and donated $2,500 to the Rocky Clark Memorial Scholarship Fund.
"Schools across the state must continue to prioritize the education and well-being of students with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” Harris said. “South Suburban College is doing an amazing job to provide resources to promote equity for students with disabilities, and I am pleased to support this cause.”
The Rocky Clark Memorial Scholarship Fund was established in 2012 to assist students with disabilities at South Suburban College. The scholarship was named after Rocky Clark, a former football player at Eisenhower High School in Blue Island.
Read more: Harris donates $2,500 to the Rocky Clark Scholarship Fund
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- Category: Senator Napoleon Harris III News
SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Napoleon Harris III (D-Chicago) will help Will County residents stay warm during the winter by partnering with fellow lawmakers to launch a winter clothing drive.
The Winter Clothing Drive will be from Nov. 25 to Dec. 13. Local and state elected officials will work with State Senator Jenifer Bertino-Tarrant (D-Shorewood) to provide organizations throughout the region with the necessary goods that benefit Will County residents.
“I’m honored to join my colleagues to make sure residents of Will County have access to warm clothing during these extreme winter months,” Harris said. “Winters in the Midwest are brutal and people need warm gear to be able to withstand the cold weather.”
Read more: Harris assists Will County residents with winter clothing drive
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- Category: Senator Dave Koehler News
SPRINGFIELD – Yesterday, Gov. JB Pritzker vetoed House Bill 3902, which would reinstate Illinois’ sales tax exemption for aircraft materials, prioritizing jobs in the aviation-repair industry and allowing business to compete with 35 other states.
State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) issued the following statement:
“The reality of the situation is that this exemption helps our state remain competitive in the aviation industry, and it needs to be reinstated. Without it, aviation companies will outsource these good-paying jobs to other states. We should prioritize the nearly 3,400 jobs across the state that are being threatened due to the governor’s decision.”
Peoria is home to Byerly Aviation, a state of the art facility offering maintenance, charters, and aircraft sales.
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- Category: Senator Andy Manar News
(The following op-ed from Senator Andy Manar has been published recently in The Telegraph and the Springfield Journal-Register)
This summer, my colleagues and I traveled the state to talk to regular citizens affected by the skyrocketing cost of insulin, a crippling financial burden for thousands of families in Illinois, and to garner support for legislation to make Illinois the second state in the country to cap the price of insulin. We knew it would be a tough fight against powerful special interests, which is why grassroots supporters from all across Illinois who spoke up against the abuses of the pharmaceutical, pharmacy benefit manager (PBM), and insurance industries were so critical.
Read more: Never underestimate the power of ordinary people who speak up and demand change
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- Category: Senator Kimberly A. Lightford News
BROADVIEW – Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) led a discussion at a town hall hosted by Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson on the implementation of the new Illinois cannabis law that goes into effect on Jan. 1.
The town hall covered the legislative, business and law enforcement perspectives of legalizing cannabis and gave residents a chance to have their questions answered.
“Mayor Thompson and I wanted to bring information on the new cannabis law to make sure our local communities understand how they can get involved in the new industry, and if they choose to, how to use cannabis within the restrictions in the law,” Lightford said.
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