EDWARDSVILLE – Under the leadership of vice-chair State Senator Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon), members of the Senate Tourism and Hospitality Committee met Thursday at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville to allow Metro East industry leaders and owners the opportunity to address lawmakers and give feedback on the state’s economic recovery plan.

“The COVID-19 pandemic put a pause on the state economy, keeping residents close to home and taking a particularly staggering toll on Illinois’ tourism industry,” Crowe said. “By giving local business owners the opportunity to address lawmakers directly, we can work to truly recover from the pandemic’s hardships to craft plans and policies at the state level to help our communities bounce back.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator John Connor (D-Lockport) met with Joseph “Jo Jo” Awinongya, Jr. on Wednesday to present him with a certificate for his outstanding achievements in boxing.

“It was a pleasure and a privilege to meet Jo Jo and express to him how proud we all are of his achievements,” Connor said. “He’s an outstanding young man and an exceptional role model for so many young people in our community that you can do anything you set your mind to.”

Hailing from Joliet, Awinongya is a four-time national boxing champion in his age division, a Junior Olympic National Champion, and a recipient of the Silver Gloves National Championship. He trains with his father, Joseph Awinongya, Sr., who is referred to as “Ringmaster.”

“He’s got a whole community supporting him as he continues to follow his dreams,” Connor said. “With such an incredible work ethic and dedication to his sport, I know Jo Jo will keep doing big things.”

Awinongya was recently nominated for the Joliet Chamber Scholarship and was admitted to Joliet Junior College.

BUFFALO GROVE – To help Illinois renters and landlords take advantage of up to $25,000 or 15 months in assistance through the Illinois Rental Payment Program, State Senator Adriane Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove) is partnering with the Illinois Housing Development Authority to host an informational webinar via Facebook Live on June 10 at 6 p.m.

“The pandemic took a toll on working families, putting many Illinoisans at risk of homelessness or housing instability,” Johnson said. “This program could be a lifeline for the thousands of households that are still struggling.”

During the webinar, an official from the Illinois Housing Development Authority will provide a walkthrough of the application process, offer helpful tips and answer questions. The event will be streamed live on Johnson’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/SenAlJohnson. 

The Illinois Rental Payment Program is an emergency rental assistance program designed to support households in Illinois that are unable to pay rent due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The grant can cover the past due rent from the previous 12 months and future rental assistance for the next three months, if deemed necessary, up to $25,000.

Landlords have until June 7 to initiate an application, and tenants will have until June 13 to complete their portion of the application. Alternatively, tenants can begin initiating applications June 9.

For more information and to apply for the Illinois Rental Payment Program, visit IHDA.org.

BUFFALO GROVE – Following the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Gurnee native Ladarrius M. Cowart at Bowen Park in Waukegan early Sunday morning, State Senator Adriane Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove) offered her condolences and urged anyone with information to come forward:

“I am deeply saddened to hear of the unfortunate and tragic death of Ladarrius M. Cowart, a recent high school graduate with a promising future.

“Ladarrius was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, and he paid a terrible price. His story is a reminder of the importance of youth development and gun violence prevention programs to address the root cause of crime in our communities

BOLINGBROOK – State Senator John Connor (D-Lockport) and State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood) attended the ribbon cutting of Fountaindale Library’s new Bookmobile on Monday evening alongside State Representative Dagmara Avelar (D-Crest Hill), Mayor Mary Alexander-Basta of Bolingbrook, Fountaindale Library board members and many members of the community.

“The Fountaindale Library has been a cornerstone of our community for so long,” Loughran Cappel said. “For almost two decades, their Bookmobile has helped to get books into kids’ hands who otherwise wouldn’t have that access and opportunity.”

The new vehicle is a full-service mobile branch of the library that replaces the previous Bookmobile that had been in use since 2003. The Bookmobile provides scheduled stops around the community, visits Bolingbrook preschools, schools and senior facilities, and participates in many community events throughout the year. Members of the community can check out books, DVDs, CDs, and audiobooks from the Bookmobile, as well as apply for library cards and pick up holds.

Senate Democrats pass responsible balanced budget

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Senate Democrats passed a budget that supports top priorities for the state, including education and important social services. Their budget plan also responds to the COVID-19 pandemic by providing additional support to small businesses and workforce development programs.

“Not only is this budget balanced, it provides stability by making our full required pension payment, paying down the borrowing we needed last year and funding many of our priorities to put our state on the right path,” said State Senator Elgie Sims (D-Chicago), the Senate’s chief budget expert. “As a member of the Illinois legislative Black Caucus and sponsor of its criminal justice pillar, I am also proud that this budget funds the enhanced training and other associated improvements passed earlier this year to enact the SAFE-T Act.”

Read more.

Gillespie passes ethics reform package, vows to rebuild trust in government

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 last week.

“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.”

Read more.

Holmes' unemployment security reform passes Senate

SPRINGFIELD – After an unprecedented 14 months for the Illinois Department of Employment Security with thousands of residents out of work due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Senate passed a bipartisan reform package led by Senator Linda Holmes (D-Aurora) to overhaul the way the department addresses unemployment benefits claims.

“This represents an agreement by business and labor groups along with IDES, to fix the state’s unemployment system,” said Holmes. “It aims to correct the flaws revealed in a system that wasn’t designed to address the job losses, customer service problems, and fraudulent claims that hit the state all at once during the pandemic.”

Read more.

Feigenholtz extends cocktails-to-go program

CHICAGO – Illinois bars and restaurants will have more options and more time to utilize the state’s “cocktails-to-go” program under a new law sponsored by State Senator Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago).

“Many business owners in the hospitality industry were worried about recovering from COVID-19-related losses to their business,” Feigenholtz said. “We passed cocktails-to-go last year as a response to the pandemic, and it was a lifeline to restaurants. Expanding this further to give struggling bars and restaurants more options for cash management is crucial.”

Read more.

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“This plan fosters greater equity for a workforce entrusted with our most valuable assets—our children.”

CHICAGO – State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas’ (D-Chicago) plan to bolster the early childhood education workforce by creating a statewide higher education consortium passed the Illinois General Assembly May 31. The General Assembly also approved $110 million for standing up the consortium through American Rescue Plan Act federal funds.

“This consortium represents a collaborative effort within the higher education ecosystem to streamline opportunities to upskill incumbent early childhood professionals who are place-based, low wage earners who are mostly women of color,” Pacione-Zayas said. “We need to remove barriers by expanding access and affordability in this field to show support for the workforce that cares for and educates our youngest while families work and pursue educational goals.”

SPRINGFIELD – A resolution from State Senator John Connor (D-Lockport) asking the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board to consider standardizing property tax appeals passed out of the Senate.

“People across the state are struggling to appeal their property taxes, leaving them stuck with unnecessary costs and sometimes little help,” Connor said. “Different property tax appeals processes exist throughout Illinois, meaning some homeowners get different outcomes than others for the same issues.”

The resolution urges the Property Tax Appeal Board to deliver a report to the Illinois Senate on or before Oct. 1, 2021 that examines the feasibility and associated costs of implementing a centralized property tax appeal submission platform.