SPRINGFIELD – To help eliminate the teacher shortage in Illinois, State Senator Patrick Joyce (D-Essex) advanced a plan out of the Senate Education Committee to increase the number of days substitute teachers may cover for licensed teachers in the classroom.

“We need to provide our superintendents with every tool to assist with the ongoing teacher shortage,” Joyce said. “This legislation allows substitutes to stay in the same classroom for longer, giving students more consistency.”

Currently, Illinois law allows substitute teachers to cover for licensed teachers for up to 90 days. Joyce’s initiative would increase the amount of days substitute teachers can stay in the classroom to 120. This measure helps keep substitute teachers in the same classroom, instead of having to teach lessons they are less familiar with after 90 days.

SPRINGFIELD – Assistant Senate Majority Leader Linda Holmes (D-Aurora) passed legislation Tuesday to help the Kendall County Courthouse grow to serve the demand for additional facilities and more timely resolution of court cases for area residents.

Senate Bill 3737 would allow the county to finish space that was built but never completed, and to house additional judicial staff hired to support the increasing needs for court services in the growing county.

SPRINGFIELD – To address cases of sexual abuse against mothers while giving birth, State Senator Rachelle Aud Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) advanced legislation to allow parents to remove the physician’s name from a copy of the child’s birth certificate.

“When giving birth, women trust their physician to offer support, guidance and encouragement on one of the happiest, most memorable days of her life,” Crowe said. “Unfortunately, there are multiple cases where mothers endure sexual assault and abuse in the process, and this measure aims to remove the disgraced physician’s name from the child’s birth certificate.”

In Illinois, the short form birth certificate does not include the physician’s name. Under Crowe’s proposal, a parent or 18 year old child can request a long form birth certificate with the physician’s name removed. The redacted certified copy of the birth certificate does not replace the original certificate.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) is partnering with the Illinois treasurer’s office to bring an I-Cash event to Champaign.

The event will be held 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Feb. 28 at the Champaign Public Library located at 200 W. Green St. in Champaign.

“Many people who have unclaimed property with the state aren’t aware they’re owed money,” Bennett said. “I’m thrilled to partner with the treasurer’s office to help folks claim property that belongs to them.”

SPRINGFIELD –To bring more awareness to the impact Career and Technical Education has on student's success, Senator Karina Villa (D-West Chicago) is supporting an effort to make February 2022 Career and Technical Education Month.

“Career and Technical Education programs not only provide technical skills for the future, but also provide academic and employability skills students can use for years,” Villa said. “These programs play a vital role in helping students choose career paths and explore other opportunities for success in and out of the classroom.”

Career and Technical Education, or CTE, are programs designed to prepare students for careers in major industries, such as finance, health care, information technology, advanced manufacturing and education. Coursework includes both academic and technical materials, allowing many students to use their knowledge from the programs to earn industry-recognized credentials or college credits. This makes careers in these fields much more accessible for many students who may struggle to complete coursework in traditional academic programs.

Many students have found massive success with the innovative program. Across the state, around 30,000 students earned college credit from their CTE courses, saving them time and money when earning their degrees. In addition, 97% of students who complete CTE programs in Illinois graduate from high school, compared to only 88% from traditional high schools. This year, almost 415,000 Illinoisans are enrolled in CTE programs.  Villa wants to highlight the bright futures of these students as well as the success of CTE programs through this measure. 

“CTE programs make it easy for students to begin earning college credits and receive industry-specific targeted learning toward post education,” Villa said. “My hope is that these programs will showcase the success of students who have found their career path and help contribute to our community and society.”

Senate Resolution 698 passed the Senate Education Committee.

SPRINGFIELD –State Senator Robert Martwick (D-Chicago) is leading a measure to address Illinois’ ever-growing teacher shortage by bringing back retired educators.

“There are thousands of classrooms across the state where students are going without any instruction,” Martwick said. “We need this bill to put teachers in classrooms and ensure our children thrive academically.”

Good news kicks off Senate budget talks

SPRINGFIELD – Members of the Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus heard the governor’s state budget proposal Wednesday and will immediately begin bipartisan, bicameral conversations to bring forth a balanced budget that prioritizes Illinoisans in all corners of the state.

“I’m not accustomed to good news in a budget speech. This is a budget proposal unlike any I’ve seen in my time in the Senate,” said Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park). “It speaks to the work we’ve done, together, to bring stability to our state finances. That stability allows us to invest back in our state and provide relief to those hit hardest by the pandemic and associated economic downturn.”

Read more.

Harris combats teacher shortage by extending retired teachers' classroom days

SPRINGFIELD - As the ongoing teacher shortage persists, State Senator Napoleon Harris, III (D-Harvey) is leading a measure to allow retired teachers to return to the classroom for a longer period of time.

“The ongoing teacher shortage is affecting our children but allowing retired teachers to bring their expertise back to the classroom for longer would help students thrive,” Harris said. "The teacher shortage is a burden that our educational system is currently having."

Read more.

Feigenholtz introduces measure to help Medicaid patients get mental health services faster

SPRINGFIELD – To help patients seeking Medicaid community mental health services, State Senator Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) has introduced a measure setting new guidelines to create a more user-friendly and noninvasive assessments.

“Mental health services are essential for many people in today’s society,” Feigenholtz said. “Creating an easier way for Medicaid patients to get these services will streamline the process and help patients get the services they need in a timely manner.”

Read more.

We are hiring!

Interested in working for the Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus? We are now hiring District Outreach Specialists and Communications Specialists.

District Outreach Specialists will work in state senators' district offices within an assigned region to coordinate outreach events and help district offices with constituent services. Learn more and apply here.

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SPRINGFIELD – Families of students with disabilities will be more fully informed of the resources available to them thanks to a measure by State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) that passed out of the Senate State Government Committee on Wednesday.

“Students with disabilities face seemingly insurmountable challenges every day,” Koehler said. “For many of these students and their families, the COVID-19 pandemic has only added to their worries; and helping families access much-needed assistance should be a priority.”

Senate Bill 3474 requires school districts to provide informational materials about the Achieving a Better Life Experience account program directly to the parent or guardian of students with disabilities.