SPRINGFIELD – To end the culture of corruption and increase transparency in government, State Senator Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights) passed a sweeping ethics package in the Illinois Senate today.

“This legislation takes the first steps in addressing some of the most egregious scandals in our state’s history,” Gillespie said. “It offers bipartisan solutions to reestablish public trust in our institutions and is the result of several conversations in our legislative working group on ethics.”

The legislation would make several ethics reforms including prohibiting elected officials from lobbying other units of government, establishing a six-month revolving door ban, prohibiting all political fundraisers during legislative session, prohibiting salaried appointees from serving as an officer for a political committee and pro-rating the salaries of General Assembly members who leave office prior to the end of their term.

SPRINGFIELD – Businesses will be prohibited from burning toxic synthetic chemicals in Illinois thanks to a measure sponsored by State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Swansea) that passed the General Assembly Friday.

“As we learn more about PFAS, it’s becoming clear that we need to reduce the risk they pose to people and the environment,” Belt said. “Our communities in the Metro East are at immediate risk of PFAS exposure. We must act now to eliminate these potentially harmful chemicals from the air we breathe.”

House Bill 3190 prohibits the disposal by incineration of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, otherwise known as PFAS. PFAS are a group of approximately 5,000 human-made chemicals that are manufactured for their oil- and water-resistant properties.

SPRINGFIELD – A measure to compel pet stores to get their animals from animal shelters or animal control facilities passed the Senate Monday, co-sponsored by Senator Linda Holmes (D-Aurora), in an effort to discourage the sale of pets from unscrupulous breeders and puppy mills and instead provide loving homes to animals who need them most.

“I’m proud to join in House Bill 1711 to push legislation on a pet store business model that has been growing across the U.S.,” Holmes said. “Puppy mills are a major source of animals for many pet stores, but their breeding practices result in sick and sometimes terminally ill animals, which can result in heartache for families.”

SPRINGFIELD – To modernize the way the Illinois State Police processes and issues FOID cards and concealed carry licenses, State Senator Patrick Joyce (D-Essex) supported FOID modernization legislation which would speed up processing and improve public safety.

“One of the top issues I have heard about during my time in the Senate is the huge backlog of applications for folks trying to renew their FOID cards,” Joyce said. “This legislation streamlines the process, brings down the backlog and focuses more resources on enforcement.”

The bill seeks to protect communities by enhancing existing background check protocols—a measure meant to more effectively ensure that firearms are kept out of the wrong hands.

SPRINGFIELD – Service members and their spouses will receive professional licenses faster in Illinois thanks to a measure sponsored by State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Swansea) that passed the General Assembly Monday.

The measure is intended to make transitions easier for those whose jobs depend on having a professional license and whose living arrangements are often changed by a deployment or cross-country transfer. An airman's spouse who works as an optometrist, for instance, would have an easier time receiving their license to practice in Illinois after transferring to Scott Airforce Base under the plan.

“For those who serve at Scott Airforce Base, it’s essential that the members and their spouses have their professional licenses reviewed in a timely manner when coming from another state,” Belt said. “This measure makes it quicker and easier for service members and their spouses to get licensure in Illinois and practice their professions.”

SPRINGFIELD – All across this state, law-abiding gun owners have fallen victim to a bureaucratic backlog to renew their FOID cards—an issue that State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) aims to fix with FOID modernization legislation that he passed out of the Senate on Monday.

“One of the biggest obstacles we face with the FOID system is the enormous backlog of applications,” Koehler said. “There has to be a compromise between having a safe and effective system without making the process unnecessarily difficult for gun owners who have proven themselves to be safe and responsible. I think that this legislation accommodates both of those objectives.”

The bill seeks to protect communities by enhancing existing background checks as a means to more effectively ensure that firearms are kept out of the wrong hands. For gun owners who have proven themselves to not be dangerous, the legislation would offer the option to apply for an automatically-renewing FOID card with the voluntary submission of fingerprints. FOID cards and concealed carry licenses would also be condensed into one document and electronic copies would be made available, making it easier for gun owners to keep their license with them at any given time.

SPRINGFIELD – In alliance with advocates from Chestnut Health Systems in Granite City and Centerstone in Alton, State Senator Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) voted to enhance behavioral health care resources across Illinois.

“Following the pandemic, the availability of quality mental health and addiction services is more critical than ever,” Crowe said. “Implementing a new approach to treatment will help facilitate a more accessible, community-centered health care system in disadvantaged areas.”

Crowe sent a letter to the Legislative Medicaid Working Group in April on behalf of Chestnut Health Systems and Centerstone urging the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services to develop a pilot program for the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) model. The initiative was included in the proposal passed by the Senate.

SPRINGFIELD – Legislation sponsored by State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) requiring state agencies and institutions to only purchase American and Illinois flags manufactured in the United States passed the State Senate on Memorial Day.

“There’s no reason for us to be flying our state and nation’s flags if they’re not made in this country,” Stadelman said. “This legislation rights a wrong while supporting our local businesses and economies at the same time.”

The legislation would change the Flag Display Act to no longer allow state institutions and agencies to purchase American and Illinois flags from manufacturers outside of the U.S.