SPRINGFIELD – On Saturday, May 15, State Senator Doris Turner (D-Springfield) will celebrate the grand opening of the Decatur District Office with a ribbon cutting.

“I’d encourage those of you in the area to stop by for a personal meet and greet,” said Turner. “I am very excited about the opening of our new offices and I am eager to get out and meet the community.”

The event will be held until 1 p.m. and district advisors strongly encourage visitors to wear a mask.

What: Ribbon Cutting for Decatur District Office

When: Saturday, May 15, 2021

Where:  12:00 p.m. – Ribbon Cutting for Decatur District Office
J. Morris Enterprises 1210 S. Jasper St. Decatur, IL 62521

SPRINGFIELD – After more than a year of social distancing, mask wearing and limited quality time with loved ones, Senator Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest) is pleased Illinois has now moved one step closer to normalcy as the Bridge Phase of the Restore Illinois Plan begins.

“The return to normalcy is on the horizon,” Morrison said. “But life as we once knew it is only feasible if we get vaccinated and continue to mask up in crowded areas.”

Illinois entered what has been pegged as the “Bridge Phase” of its recovery plan Friday, allowing capacity limits to ease and business operations to increase.

The move to the Bridge Phase – which is the final phase before a full reopening – comes as more than 10.3 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered across the state. Barring any significant reversals in cases and hospitalizations, Governor JB Pritzker said the state could see a full reopening as soon as June 11.

SPRINGFIELD – Members of the Illinois Senate Women’s Caucus gathered today with Habitat for Humanity Sangamon County to build wheelchair ramps on-site at residents’ homes and for future use at Habitat’s Springfield location.

“I am proud of the hard work that members of the caucus put in to make sure that residents can safely access their homes,” said State Senator Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights), Chair of the Senate Women’s Caucus. “All of us are grateful to Habitat for their work and for organizing this event.”

MARYVILLE – The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has announced the fourth $250 million installment of Rebuild Illinois grants is available for local road projects, and State Senator Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) is applauding more than $1.5 million in investments for Madison County infrastructure.

“With our state still recovering from the economic issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, this round of grants comes at a critical time for the Metro East,” Crowe said. “By investing in our transportation infrastructure, Illinois is expressing its commitment to local labor jobs as well as reliable transportation for our residents.”

Through the Rebuild Illinois program, investments totaling $1.5 billion are scheduled to be spread out over three years to advance municipal, township and county projects across the state. Projects include road and bridge improvements, traffic signal upgrades, new storm sewers and bike paths, sidewalk replacements, and other long-term maintenance needs.

“Rebuild Illinois is about more than just our state’s transportation infrastructure,” Crowe said. “By strengthening roads and bridges, Illinois is prioritizing safety for motorists, creating good-paying jobs and investing in long-term economic development.”

A complete list of local agencies and awards can be viewed here.

SPRINGFIELD – This week, the Illinois Department of Transportation announced the fourth round of Rebuild Illinois funding for local governments is available, and State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) is pleased that over $4 million is being provided to the Rockford area.

“This funding will help put people to work on local construction projects,” Stadelman said. “Getting this money in place for projects within our community is more important now than ever, as we continue to recover from the pandemic.”

A total of $1.5 billion spread out in six installments is being invested over three years to advance municipal, township and county projects across the state. Projects include road and bridge improvements, traffic signal upgrades, new storm sewers and bike paths, sidewalk replacements and other long-term maintenance needs, with financial oversight from the Illinois Department of Transportation.

A complete list of local agencies and awards can be viewed here.

“This funding is an Investment in the safety of everyone who uses our roads and highways on a daily basis,” Stadelman said. “It also shows our commitment to improving transportation infrastructure and focusing funds toward communities that need it.”

Stadelman is a long-time advocate for investing in Rockford-area infrastructure, including connecting the city to Chicago with a commuter rail line.

SPRINGFIELD – Individuals could more easily change the sex designation on their birth certificate and receive fee waivers for copies of corrected birth certificates under an initiative proposed by State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview), which passed committee Wednesday.

“Unnecessary barriers to changing sex on a birth certificate can push marginalized communities further into the margins,” Senator Fine said. “An individual who identifies as female, male or gender nonconforming should be able to have their gender reflected on their birth certificate as easily as they do on their driver’s license.”

Aurora, Ill. – State Senator Linda Holmes (D-Aurora) was thrilled to learn of a significant expansion of cabinet manufacturer Magick Woods’ operations and distribution in Aurora this week, bringing a second location, three new assembly lines and 50 permanent jobs to the area.

“If you’ve been trying to buy new cabinets or vanities lately, you know delays are putting homeowners in a pinch. I’m excited Magick Woods has decided to make this major investment in our community to help serve the needs of large consumer retail stores across the country,” Holmes said.

SPRINGFIELD – In an effort to reduce drug waste and help families struggling to afford prescription drugs, State Senator Karina Villa (D-West Chicago) advanced a measure out of committee Tuesday that would create a Prescription Drug Repository Program to redistribute unused prescription drugs to Illinoisans who need them. 

“There’s no reason unused prescription drugs should be thrown out or sit on a shelf past their expiration date when many Illinois families are struggling to afford critical prescription medications,” Villa said. “This legislation would help eligible families access redistributed prescriptions at no additional cost.” 

The Illinois Department of Public Health would oversee Villa’s Illinois Prescription Drug Repository Program (I-DROP), under which anyone could donate certain prescription drugs or necessary supplies to administer a prescription drug. These items would be redistributed to eligible individuals who have been prescribed the medication, but who can’t afford it. 

“As the cost of prescription drugs continues to skyrocket, it’s important that we protect Illinois families by working to lower the cost of prescription drugs and finding alternatives to purchasing medication at market value,” Villa said. “Illinoisans should not have to choose between putting food on the table and affording their prescriptions.”

There is no one special interest group behind I-DROP; its advocates are individual physicians, pharmacists and patients from every corner of Illinois. State Representative Will Guzzardi (D-Chicago) sponsored the I-DROP Act in the House, and lawmakers from both sides of the aisle and across the state have signed on to co-sponsor the measure.

House Bill 119 passed the Senate Health Committee and now goes to the full Senate.