SPRINGFIELD – Safer, more secure ways to cast ballots will soon permanently be in place across the state, thanks to a measure lead by State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest).

“We saw during the November 2020 General Election how many people enjoyed having a more safe, accessible and easier way to vote,” Morrison said. “Just because the pandemic is winding down, doesn’t mean expanded voters’ rights have to. Let’s keep fighting for more inclusive and secure elections.”

The new law allows election authorities to establish permanent ballot drop boxes to accept vote-by-mail ballots and to accept mailed ballots even if they have insufficient postage.

LOCKPORT – State Senator John Connor (D-Lockport) is announcing that school districts in the Joliet area will receive nearly $64 million in additional funding to help address the many challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Teachers and students both have worked incredibly hard to adapt to new methods of learning over the past year,” Connor said. “I know that this extra funding will give them the resources they need to continue moving forward.”

The funding comes as part of the most recent federal COVID-19 relief packages. Schools, students and parents have overcome challenges that no one could have imagined before the pandemic began, including remote and hybrid learning, digital connection issues, new processes for receiving state and federal aid that normally flow through schools, and more.

Joliet area school districts are set to receive the following amounts:

• Joliet Public School District 86 - $ 42,595,457
• Joliet Township High School District 204 - $ 14,782,792
• Channahon School District 17 - $2,115,173
• Laraway Community Consolidated School District 70C - $1,715,538
• Union School District 81 - $351,091
• Rockdale School District 84 - $837,369
• Chaney-Monge School District 88 - $1,436,211
• Elwood Community Consolidated School District 203 - $691,737

The majority of the funding comes from the American Rescue Plan, which gives local schools a great deal of flexibility in how they can use the money over the next 3 ½ years. At least 20% of the funding must be used to address learning loss, but beyond that, school districts can use the money to address many different issues and costs. For example, it can be used to better equip schools for safe learning, to prevent layoffs, to address students’ social and emotional needs, to fund summer programs, or to ensure all students have access to reliable Wi-Fi and technology.

The State Board of Education, in collaboration with other state agencies that address education, has produced a guide for local school districts to help them decide how to best use their resources. While the guide and other state-sponsored services are completely voluntary, the state aims to support local districts during this difficult time.

“I’m glad that we’re able to give back to our school districts and our educators after such a harrowing and difficult year,” Connor said.

In total, Illinois received nearly $7 billion to support local school districts.

DOLTON – As Black communities have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, State Senator Napoleon Harris (D-Harvey) announcing schools in the 15^th District are set to receive an estimated $261,020,731 in additional funding to help address the many challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on our Black communities, and I’m glad to see that the Black Caucus’ efforts are helping make a change,” Harris said. “Providing guidelines on how to spend the funding will increase justice for our communities and help them move forward.”

The funding comes as part of the most recent federal COVID-19 relief packages. Schools, students and parents have overcome challenges that no one could have imagined before the pandemic began, including remote and hybrid learning, digital connection issues, new processes for receiving state and federal aid that normally flow through schools, and more.

Local school districts are set to receive the following amounts:

The majority of the funding comes from the American Rescue Plan, which gives local schools a great deal of flexibility in how they can use the money over the next 3 ½ years. At least 20% of the funding must be used to address learning loss, but beyond that, school districts can use the money to address many different issues and costs. For example, it can be used to better equip schools for safe learning, to prevent layoffs, to address students’ social and emotional needs, to fund summer programs, or to ensure all students have access to reliable Wi-Fi and technology.

The State Board of Education, in collaboration with other state agencies that address education, has produced a guide for local school districts to help them decide how to best use their resources. While the guide and other state-sponsored services are completely voluntary, the state aims to support local districts during this difficult time.

“Our Black students and teachers were some of the people most impacted by this pandemic, so our local school districts need to use the funds in a way that helps them overcome their barriers,” Harris said. “This federal funding means a lot for Illinois’ education system, and it will go a long way to help the 15th district community."

In total, Illinois received nearly $7 billion to support local school districts.

GLENVIEW – State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview) is announcing that school districts in the 9^th District will receive $32,583,004 in additional funding to help address the many challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our children and students are suffering from unprecedented learning challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Senator Fine said. “This pandemic hasn’t been easy for anyone, and it’s critical that we use federal relief funding to re-engage students during in-person learning and support their academic growth and social and emotional well-being.”

The funding comes as part of the most recent federal COVID-19 relief packages. Schools, students and parents have overcome challenges that no one could have imagined before the pandemic began, including remote and hybrid learning, digital connection issues, new processes for receiving state and federal aid that normally flow through schools, and more.

Local school districts are set to receive the following amounts:

• Northbrook School District 28 - $537,020
• Sunset Ridge School District 29 - $760,938
• Northbrook/Glenview School District 30 - $833,754
• Glenview School District 34 - $4,624,235
• Glencoe School District 35 - $833,733
• Winnetka School District 36 - $912,942
• Avoca School District 37 - $652,663
• Kenilworth School District 38 - $477,214
• Wilmette School District 39 - $1,019,618
• Evanston School District 65 - $9,794,595
• Skokie School District 68 - $4,837,362
• Evanston Township High School District 202 - $3,450,274
• New Trier Township High School District 203 - $1,145,644
• Northfield Township High School District 225 - $2,703,012

The majority of the funding comes from the American Rescue Plan, which gives local schools a great deal of flexibility in how they can use the money over the next 3 ½ years. At least 20% of the funding must be used to address learning loss, but beyond that, school districts can use the money to address many different issues and costs. For example, it can be used to better equip schools for safe learning, to prevent layoffs, to address students’ social and emotional needs, to fund summer programs, or to ensure all students have access to reliable Wi-Fi and technology.

The State Board of Education, in collaboration with other state agencies that address education, has produced a guide for local school districts to help them decide how to best use their resources. While the guide and other state-sponsored services are completely voluntary, the state aims to support local districts during this difficult time.

“I am confident that this state-produced guide will give our local school districts the tools needed to build back stronger, so our students and teachers can go back to their classrooms full time and parents can go to work.” Senator Fine said. “I encourage our local schools and teachers to take advantage of this guide to address the needs of students most set back by this pandemic and help our schools move forward.”

In total, Illinois received nearly $7 billion to support local school districts.

OAKBROOK TERRACE – To prevent residents from being misled by phone scams, State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs) has advanced an initiative with bipartisan support to outlaw scam call operators from disguising their identity by having a false telephone number show up on caller ID.  

“As technology advances, scammers use creative, deceitful tactics to trick residents into giving them personal information,” Glowiak Hilton said. “By prohibiting automated solicitors from falsifying caller ID, I hope to protect residents from falling victim to telephone scams.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) is announcing that school districts in the 28^th Senate District will receive $177,711,359 in additional funding to help address the many challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Over the past year, teachers and parents have put in thousands of hours of additional effort to keep our kids engaged in learning,” Murphy said. “This funding gives schools and students the support they need to make a full recovery after the pandemic.”

The funding comes as part of the most recent federal COVID-19 relief package. Schools, students and parents have overcome challenges that no one could have imagined before the pandemic began, including remote and hybrid learning, digital connection issues, new processes for receiving state and federal aid that normally flow through schools, and more.

Local school districts are set to receive the following amounts:

• School District U-46 - $95,027,296
• Schaumburg Community Consolidated School District 54 - $18,762,224
• Community Consolidated School District 59 - $12,435,762
• Des Plaines Community Consolidated School District 62 - $10,129,759
• Park Ridge Consolidated Community School District 64 - $2,040,685
• Maine Township High School District 207 - $8,389,466
• Keeneyville School District 20 - $2,636,287
• Lake Park Community High School District 108 - $2,333,579
• Township High School District 211 - $13,400,938
• Township High School District 214 - $12,555,363

The majority of the funding comes from the American Rescue Plan, which gives local schools a great deal of flexibility in how they can use the money over the next 3 ½ years. At least 20% of the funding must be used to address learning loss, but beyond that, school districts can use the money to address many different issues and costs. For example, it can be used to better equip schools for safe learning, to prevent layoffs, to address students’ social and emotional needs, to fund summer programs, or to ensure all students have access to reliable Wi-Fi and technology.

The State Board of Education, in collaboration with other state agencies that address education, has produced a guide for local school districts to help them decide how to best use their resources. While the guide and other state-sponsored services are completely voluntary, the state aims to support local districts during this difficult time.

“Our local schools have the ultimate say in how they use this funding—as they should,” Murphy said. “But, this guide can provide them some direction as they make plans for the future.”

In total, Illinois received nearly $7 billion to support local school districts.

BUFFALO GROVE – To give people the opportunity to ask questions, raise concerns and get updates about what’s going on in Springfield, State Senator Adriane Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove) is inviting residents to attend the first session of her monthly outreach event series, Coffee & Connect.

“The best part of being an elected official is getting to know the members of the community, but the pandemic has made it more difficult to connect with each other,” Johnson said. “Coffee & Connect will give us a chance to meet and chat safely about how we can work together to make our community even stronger.”

The first Coffee & Connect session will be held Saturday, April 17 at 10 a.m. via Zoom. To participate in the event, register to receive the Zoom link at www.SenatorAdrianeJohnson.com/CoffeeConnect.

Each monthly Coffee & Connect will serve as an open forum for community members to engage in informal conversations with the senator and each other about issues facing the region and the state.

The event is open to any resident of the 30^th District, which includes parts of Waukegan, Buffalo Grove, Vernon Hills, Mundelein, North Chicago, Wheeling, Gurnee, Park City, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Beach Park.

Johnson plans to host Coffee & Connect sessions on the third Saturday of each month. The events will be virtual at first, but may transition to in-person gatherings if conditions allow.

For information on future Coffee & Connect sessions and other upcoming events, visit www.SenatorAdrianeJohnson.com or connect with Senator Johnson on Facebook and Twitter.

PEMBROKE – Residents of Pembroke Township could heat their homes more cleanly and efficiently under legislation from State Senator Patrick Joyce (D-Essex). The measure, which would help bring a natural gas pipeline to the area, cleared the Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee Thursday.

This legislation would create the Pembroke Township Natural Gas Investment Pilot Program, administered by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. The program would distribute grants for the construction of new natural gas pipelines and infrastructure in Pembroke Township.