SPRINGFIELD – Responding to a crucial need for hundreds more early childhood educators in the coming years, State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago) passed a plan out of the Senate Higher Education Committee Tuesday to provide new college degrees and an easier path to training for those already working in the field.

“This is not just about providing a brighter future for our kids, but also the people who are already working so hard to help them learn and grow,” Pacione-Zayas said. “We know that high quality early care and education is key to helping our children realize their full potential. We need to remove barriers by expanding access and affordability in this field to show support for the workforce that cares and educates our youngest while families work and pursue educational goals.”

SPRINGFIELD – Legislation introduced by State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Centreville) that would require the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to fly the United States, Illinois and prisoner of war/missing in action flags at all state parks passed committee on Wednesday.

“When these flags are flown, they become more than flags, they become a representation of our nation and state, as well as a reminder of the sacrifices brave service members gave to protect the freedoms we all enjoy today,” Belt said.

SPRINGFIELD – On Wednesday morning, State Senator Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) joined a press conference alongside State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria), Representative Jay Hoffman (D-Swansea) and Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly to discuss legislation to modernize Firearms Owner Identification cards in Illinois.

“Applications for Illinois FOID cards and concealed carry licenses have been backlogged for more than a year, and my office has received countless calls from constituents asking us to fix this problem so they can be compliant with the law,” Bennett said. “Together, we have formed a solution with the Illinois State Police that would help clear the backlog and speed up application processing.”

Senate Bill 1165, an initiative of the ISP, would create a prohibited persons portal to help law enforcement identify people whose FOID cards have been revoked, create a review board to respond to revocations and denials, and enact other changes to make the application and renewal process more efficient.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) has advanced an initiative to allow families to use funds from qualified tuition plans to cover the cost of K-12 tuition and apprenticeship supplies, bringing Illinois on par with neighboring states.

“Twenty-two states—including several of our bordering states like Missouri, Iowa and Wisconsin—consider K-12 tuition and apprenticeship costs eligible expenses under qualified tuition plans,” Crowe said. “This initiative builds on Illinois’ commitment to give students the best opportunities by helping families afford K-12 education and job training.”

SPRINGFIELD – To protect women and children in Illinois, State Senator Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago) passed legislation in the Senate Public Safety Committee that would establish the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Commission.

“Incidents of domestic violence have increased dramatically since the start of the pandemic,” Villanueva said. “Families are counting on us to take proactive measures to prevent violence.”

The commission would establish regional review teams by judicial court, conduct domestic violence fatality reviews and advise the Governor and General Assembly on domestic violence prevention policy. The commission would consist of four members of the General Assembly, one appointee by the Governor and various public members representing survivors, support organizations and law enforcement.

SPRINGFIELD – On Tuesday, State Senator Karina Villa (D-West Chicago) joined a broad coalition of housing, civil justice and nonprofit organizations across the state to pledge her support of measures to increase access to housing by fighting income discrimination. 

“This legislation is critical now more than ever as we face a mounting housing affordability crisis and new destabilizing forces imposed by the pandemic,” Villa said. “Not only will this bill support those utilizing non-wage income and housing subsidies, but also workers like servers and bartenders who’ve experienced source of income discrimination because their profession may be viewed as unstable by housing providers. By ensuring landlords view all income with equal weight, we are creating important safeguards for family stability.”

Villa is the chief co-sponsor of Senate Bill 2492, which would help remove barriers to housing access by requiring the Department of Human Services to lift undue administrative burdens in the application process for tenants applying for housing assistance. This measure would also strengthen Illinois’ fair housing laws by creating new protections to ensure families are not refused housing solely because of the source of their income. 

“The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated our communities in more ways than we can count, and it also shined a bright light on the lack of fair and affordable housing in Illinois,” Villa said. “Everybody deserves equal access to housing opportunities, and it’s imperative that any action we take makes it easier for individuals to obtain much-needed assistance.”

The full press conference can be viewed here.

SPRINGFIELD – On Wednesday morning, State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) held a press conference alongside State Representative Jay Hoffman (D-Belleville) and Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly to discuss his legislation to modernize Firearms Owner Identification cards in Illinois.

“Our goal is to ensure that we are keeping firearms out of the hands of people who are a danger to themselves and others,” Koehler said. “Our goal is not, however, to hassle safe, responsible gun owners. Through the modernization and streamlining of the FOID card process, I believe we can successfully accomplish both of our objectives.”

Senate Bill 1165, an initiative of the ISP, would create a prohibited persons portal to help law enforcement identify people whose FOID cards have been revoked, create a review board to respond to revocations and denials, and make other significant changes to make the process more efficient.

CHICAGO – To help public colleges and universities better understand the needs of student parents, State Senator Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago) passed legislation in the Senate Higher Education Committee directing colleges to collect certain information from students that will help shape more accommodating policies going forward.

“Young parents and parents returning to school face unique challenges, specifically with access to child care and financial assistance,” Villanueva said. “Public institutions of higher education have a moral obligation to the children of their students to see that they are cared for.”

According to Young Invincibles, a non-profit organization serving young adults, Illinois has 97,000 students who are juggling a course load alongside their parenting responsibilities. The Student Parent Data Collection Act will require public colleges and universities to further assist them with any on-campus child care opportunities and other relevant resources, and to collect information from them to help inform better school policies in the future.

The legislation is part of the Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus’ efforts to make our state’s institutions of higher learning more accessible to all Illinoisans. Other measures include Senator Omar Aquino’s (D-Chicago) Senate Bill 669 which would protect student loan borrowers and limit fees.

The legislation, Senate Bill 267, awaits consideration before the full Senate.

Villanueva da la batalla por los estudiantes que son padres de familia

CHICAGO – Con el fin de ayudar a que las universidades tengan un mejor entendimiento de las necesidades de los estudiantes que son padres, la Senadora estatal Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago) aprobó una legislación en el Comité de Educación Superior del Senado que instruye a los colegios a recopilar información de los estudiantes para diseñar políticas públicas que les sirvan en el futuro.

“Los padres y madres jóvenes que regresan a la escuela enfrentan retos únicos, en particular el acceso a cuidados infantiles y asistencia financiera,” dijo Villanueva. “Las instituciones públicas de educación superior tienen una obligación moral con los niños de sus estudiantes para que éstos sean atendidos.”

De acuerdo con Young Invincibles, una organización sin fines de lucro, Illinois tiene a 97,000 estudiantes que batallan con la carga de trabajo de sus estudios en adición a sus responsabilidades como padres. La ley de Recolección de Datos de los Estudiantes que son Padres requerirá que las universidades públicas les asistan con oportunidades de cuidados infantiles dentro del campus escolar y otros recursos relevantes, así como recolectarán información para diseñar mejores políticas escolares en el futuro.

La legislación es parte de los esfuerzos del Caucus Legislativo de Illinois para lograr que nuestras instituciones de educación superior sean más accesibles a la gente de Illinois. Otra iniciativa es la del senador Omar Aquino (D-Chicago), SB 669, que protege a los estudiantes con prestamos estudiantiles y limita los cargos por éstos.  

La legislación de Villanueva, SB 267, espera ser considerada por el pleno del Senado.