SPRINGFIELD – To better determine how the COVID-19 pandemic has harmed LGBTQIA+ communities in Illinois, State Senator Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) passed legislation out of an Illinois Senate committee Thursday that would require state agencies and hospitals to gather more specific data on age, sex, disability status, sexual orientation and gender identity when dealing with COVID-19 patients.

Simmons, the first openly gay member of the Illinois Senate, said visibility is the first step to ensuring justice in how services are delivered to these historically marginalized communities.

“For members of the LGBTQIA+ communities, who already disproportionately face challenges in getting medical care or sadly lack the support of family, COVID-19 has the potential to be even more devastating,” Simmons said. “We can’t protect these communities if we refuse to see them.”

SPRINGFIELD – To help working families facing housing insecurity, State Senator Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights) passed legislation Wednesday in the Senate Revenue Committee to encourage the development of quality, affordable housing units.

“We must be proactive in addressing the looming eviction crisis and building an equitable recovery,” Gillespie said. “Creating incentives in the housing market to produce affordable housing means better options and more stable lives for working and poor families across the state.”

The legislation would create a property tax abatement for affordable housing units. To receive it, property owners must commit to keeping rents for least 20 percent of their units at or below the maximum rent for 20 years. The bill would also require that the families renting those units be at or below maximum household income limits.

The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) would enforce the measure, and the measure would also require local governments to submit affordable housing plans to IHDA.

Senate Bill 2304 passed in the Senate Revenue Committee and awaits consideration before the full Senate.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago) moved legislation from the Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee that would lower broadband service charges for consumers.

“The pandemic has shown just how vital reliable access to internet is,” Villanueva said. “Working families must have affordable broadband options as jobs and education move online.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest) is sponsoring a bill that creates an organ donation tax credit for private employers.

“Organ donors transform lives and reshape futures through selfless acts,” Morrison said. “I’m hopeful this measure will encourage more people to participate in the generous act they feel they have been called to do.”

The measure creates an optional organ donation tax credit for private employers. The credit is applicable if the employer allows its employees the option to take paid leave of absence for a minimum of 30 days for serving as an organ or bone marrow donor.

CHICAGO – A 2019 Dove study found that African American women face the highest instances of hair discrimination and are more likely to be sent home from the workplace because of their hair. State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) is working to ensure this will no longer be the case in Illinois.

“No one should have to miss out on a job opportunity or miss a school graduation because of the hair that grows naturally out of their head,” Hunter said. “It’s 2021. As a nation, we should be past this petty discrimination.”

Senate Bill 1847 – also known as the Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act – amends the Illinois Human Rights Act to provide that the term "race" includes traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles such as braids, locks and twists.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Robert Martwick’s (D-Chicago) legislation that would create an elected Chicago Board of Education, starting with the 2022 primary election, passed the Senate Executive Committee Wednesday.

“This democratic step will allow the people of Chicago to vote on the school board members who make important decisions about their children’s future,” Martwick said. “Chicago parents deserve to take more control over the leaders in charge of their kids.”

Martwick’s legislation would create 20 school board member districts in order to ensure diversity and limit the influence of money on elections, while the board president would be elected at large. The board would initially be elected in the 2023 consolidated election for four year terms.

SPRINGFIELD – An effort to create more affordable housing for Illinois residents led by State Senators Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago), Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights), and Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) passed the Senate Revenue Committee Wednesday afternoon. 

“People are still reeling from the financial struggles brought on by the pandemic, and affordable housing is a necessity now more than ever,” Hunter said. “With many people behind on rent and struggling with unemployment, we have to have to do more to help renters.”

Senate Bill 2445 would create several monetary incentives for residential developers to create affordable housing in Illinois, including the Build Illinois Homes Tax Credit, which would award credits for qualified low-income housing.

A property tax abatement would also be created for developers of newly constructed multi-family developments who agree to set aside at least 20% of their units for low-income renters in areas with low affordability.

Another property tax abatement would be given to developers of newly-constructed or rehabilitated rental property if, for a period of 10 years, at least 15% of a multifamily building's units are occupied by households with low or extremely low incomes.

Lastly, the legislation provides a sales tax exemption for the purchase of building materials used in affordable housing developments.

“We must be proactive in addressing the looming eviction crisis and building an equitable recovery,” Gillespie said. “Creating incentives in the housing market to produce affordable housing means better options and more stable lives for working and low-income families across the state.”

“The need for affordable housing across Illinois has continued to escalate as the pandemic continues,” Feigenholtz said. “The housing crisis is one of the most crucial issues we are facing in Illinois, and providing landlords with incentives to offer tenants more affordable rent is a necessary step forward.”

The measure now heads to the full Senate for further consideration.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Scott Bennett’s (D-Champaign) measure to ensure property tax relief for spouses of veterans with disabilities passed the Senate Revenue Committee Wednesday.

“This tax relief is for military families who have sacrificed so much,” Bennett said. “This measure will ensure a surviving spouse can benefit from this exemption without having to go through a repetitive process.”

Senate Bill 1691 would allow the rights of a veteran applying for a homestead exemption to pass through to his or her spouse if the veteran passes away before the application is completed.