Last weekend, multiple Chicago-area senators helped their communities prepare for the end of summer with various events providing their residents with resources and services.

State Senators Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) and Laura Fine (D-Glenview) hosted a Shred Day event in Skokie on Saturday. The event allowed residents to shred personal documents like old medical records, tax documents, receipts and more to prevent potential identity theft and fraud.

“I was happy to partner with my colleagues in state and local governments to bring shredding services to our community,” Villivalam said. “Safely disposing of sensitive documents is essential to protecting our neighbors from scammers and identity thieves.”

The event was a success, with many residents coming out to shred documents and help protect their identities.

"Many residents in our communities were looking for a safe and secure way to shred and dispose of documents they no longer needed," said Fine. "It was wonderful to partner with Senator Villivalam, a couple of my colleagues in the House of Representatives, and local leaders to provide access to this service."

Villa, Belt champion laws to strengthen access to feminine hygiene products

SPRINGFIELD — State Senators Karina Villa (D-West Chicago) and Christopher Belt (D-Swansea) sponsored laws signed last week to ensure no woman has to go without necessary feminine hygiene products

House Bill 641, championed by Villa, requires public colleges and universities to make menstrual hygiene products available to students at no cost in campus bathrooms.

“Every student on campus deserves equal access to a proper education, but that access can be severely limited if a student is stuck at home because they can’t afford menstrual hygiene products,” Villa said. “We need to treat period poverty like the public health crisis it is and fight for change across our state to increase access to necessary menstrual hygiene products.”

House Bill 155 requires the Department of Human Services to apply for a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service permitting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children benefit recipients to use their benefits to purchase diapers and menstrual hygiene products.

Belt led House Bill 310 through the Senate, which prioritizes providing feminine hygiene products at no cost at all homeless shelters to people who need them.

“I cannot personally imagine the indignity of having to use some other item as a makeshift sanitary product, but I believe people who have already been deprived of so much should not have to suffer that, too,” Belt said. “These are essential products for health, safety, and cleanliness, and we need to treat them as such when we supply our homeless shelters.”

Aquino, Villanueva laws to help and protect immigrants signed

SPRINGFIELD — State Senators Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago) and Omar Aquino (D-Chicago) and sponsored laws signed last week to protect immigrants and refugees.

Senate Bill 667, championed by Aquino, creates the Illinois Way Forward Act, which prohibits law enforcement from cooperating with immigration authorities.

“We are providing certainty for immigrant communities across Illinois,” Aquino said. “This law ends the practice of hosting immigration centers in our state, because their very existence opposes who we are: one of the most welcoming states for immigrants in the nation. Also, immigrant families will no longer live in fear of being questioned about their immigration status by local law enforcement officers.”

Villanueva sponsored Senate Bill 2665, which reinstates the Immigrant Impact Task Force to protect the well-being of immigrant communities.

“This task force will help determine where improvements can be made in how the state invests in immigrant communities,” Villanueva said. “We must address systemic disinvestment in our communities across the state and continue building a recovery that works for all Illinoisans, regardless of status.”

Call4Calm here to stay

SPRINGFIELD — The state’s Call4Calm text line to support Illinois residents' mental health needs is now permanent thanks to an initiative led by State Senator Patricia Van Pelt (D-Chicago).

“Due to the pandemic, mental health outcomes are more concerning than ever, and this text line is an essential outlet,” Van Pelt said. “Call4Calm can still benefit those who struggle with their mental health even after this pandemic is over, and must remain a mental health resource.”

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SPRINGFIELD –State Senator Cristina Castro (D- Elgin) spearheaded a new law to update standards for nonwoven disposable wipes that can damage sewer systems when improperly disposed through being flushed down toilets.

“Non-flushable wipes that are improperly disposed of cause millions of dollars of damage to our sewer systems every year,” Castro said. “The law will help clear up confusion that consumers might have about what kind of products can and cannot be flushed, which will help protect our systems.”

SPRINGFIELD – Presently, homeowners’ insurance policies are allowed to place limitations based on discrimination against certain dog breeds or mixes. Discrimination in all forms is suspect, and Senator Linda Holmes’ (D-Aurora) bill to restrict this practice was signed by the governor Friday.

“When you have a dog and need to move, it can be difficult to find a place that may allow your breed of dog,” Holmes said. “Humane organizations have been fighting these breed stereotypes for years, and this moves the ball forward to make pet ownership and housing more compatible.”

SPRINGFIELD – Public school teachers and employees who are about to become new parents will have greater flexibility on how they can use their sick time for parental leave as part of a new law sponsored by State Senator Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago).

“In 2021 families are formed in their own unique ways. Teachers and employees who have earned sick time should have flexibility in how and when they use this earned time” Feigenholtz said. “Many new families today, especially LGBTQ+ and single-parent families, function differently than when these laws were written. Every family is unique and deserves the right to decide how to use their sick time in the way that best suits them.”

SPRINGFIELD – To prevent families from having to give up beloved pets to find affordable housing, Assistant Majority Leader Linda Holmes’ (D-Aurora) measure was signed by the governor Friday. It will allow tenants to keep two cats or a dog, regardless of breed, size or weight, in their residence.

“Eighty-one million American households now share their homes with 173 million dogs and cats,” Holmes said. “Regardless of their income, people love their pets and view them as members of the family. Affordable housing should be accessible for all types of people, and that includes people with pets.”

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois students with learning disabilities who historically would have been sent to out-of-state schools will now have the opportunity of gaining an in-state education thanks to a plan backed by State Senator Doris Turner’s (D-Springfield)

“We have a responsibility as a state to protect our most vulnerable residents,” Turner said. “This duty means protecting our students and putting their needs first. I hope this law meets the needs of every student in this state while ensuring them a safe learning environment.”

CHICAGO – The final pieces of a legislative package aimed at fighting human trafficking will become law today after Gov. JB Pritzker signed three key measures sponsored by State Senator Jacqueline Collins (D-Chicago). Collins’ plan comprises House Bill 588 and Senate Bills 1599 and 1600.

Collins is particularly concerned about the issue because a disproportionate number of the missing people in the United States are Black. According to the National Crime Information Center, there were 609,275 missing people in the U.S. in 2019. Nearly 34% of that number – 205,802 – were Black.