SPRINGFIELD – Part of a nationwide effort, a new law sponsored by State Senator Bill Cunningham will help reduce sexual assault and harassment at Illinois’ colleges and universities by requiring an annual sexual misconduct survey.

An initiative of the Every VOICE Coalition, the results of the survey would then be posted on the university’s website and sent to the Illinois Board of Higher Education.

CHICAGO – Parents of Chicago Public Schools students will soon have more transparency around misconduct and discipline thanks to the efforts of State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago).

“I think every parent probably expects that fights in schools are going to happen, but that doesn’t mean they should be kept in the dark when they do,” Peters said. “If parents aren’t aware of what’s going on at their kids’ schools, then it’s entirely possible that their kids might not get the treatment for trauma they need simply because their parents don’t know they need it.”

SPRINGFIELD – Menstrual hygiene products will be available to college students at no cost under a new law sponsored by State Senator Karina Villa (D-West Chicago).

“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.”

Public universities and community college districts will be required to make menstrual hygiene products available to students at no cost in campus bathrooms under Villa’s law.

“Period products are necessary items, like soap and toilet paper, that should be easily accessible to anyone who needs them,” said State Representative Katie Stuart (D-Edwardsville), who sponsored the bill in the House. “Many of us know a student, or have been that student, who is late to class because they are trying to find a teacher they trust to ask for a tampon. By tackling period poverty at our schools and universities, we’re helping students stay healthy and focused on their education.”

House Bill 641 was signed into law Thursday and takes effect immediately.

Aurora, Ill. - Assistant Senate Majority Leader Linda Holmes (D-Aurora) has released the following statement after hearing the news of AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka passing today:

“I’m saddened to hear of President Trumka’s untimely passing, and my heart is not just with his immediate family but also with the millions of working people throughout the U.S. who have lost his leadership and his advocacy for them.

NAPERVILLE – State Senator Laura Ellman (D-Naperville) has been selected to be part of the ninth annual Edgar Fellows Program out of a pool of 187 nominees from all levels of government, nonprofit organizations, and the business world.

“The names of those chosen as this year’s Edgar Fellows have been released, and I am incredibly honored to be among them,” Ellman said. “I look forward to experiencing the program with this class, and I expect to learn a lot.”

CHICAGO – Health screenings, giveaways, live entertainment, and family activities will be available at this year’s Family Health & Fitness Fair, hosted by State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago).

Held at the Illinois Institute of Technology for the seventeenth year in a row (minus last year due to COVID-19) this grand event will feature free immunizations, school supplies, and haircuts. More than 50 vendors will participate, which is the most in the event’s history.

­CHICAGO – State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) released the following statement after the passing of AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka today:

“My heart is heavy with the loss of Richard Trumka. Millions of working people across the nation are grieving, as we have lost a pillar of the labor movement.

“Richard Trumka was a devoted fighter for working people who knew that when we stand together, we can make life better for ourselves and each other. His passing will be felt deeply by those in the AFL-CIO and all our brothers and sisters in labor.”

EDWARDSVILLE – Feminine hygiene products will be required at homeless shelters for all who need them, thanks to a measure sponsored by State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Swansea) that was signed into law today.

“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.”