VERNON HILLS – The Lakeview Fitness Center in Vernon Hills will soon see a 3,300-square-foot addition and other major upgrades thanks to a $2.2 million grant through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Park and Recreational Facility Construction (PARC) grant program, State Senator Adriane Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove) announced.

“Recreational activity is critical to maintaining good health, both physical and mental,” Johnson said. “The revitalized Lakeview Fitness Center will offer our community even more opportunities to get up and move.”

SPRINGFIELD – More survivors of violent crime would be able to keep their home addresses private as participants in the Illinois Address Confidentiality Program (ACP) under an initiative from State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs) that advanced Thursday to expand protections for survivors of human trafficking.

“Survivors of violent crime undergo tremendous emotional and mental trauma,” Glowiak Hilton said. “By adding human trafficking to the list of crimes protected by the ACP, we’re offering survivors some peace of mind that their sensitive personal information is safe.”

SPRINGFIELD – The Senate State Government Committee approved a measure sponsored by State Senator Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) Wednesday to add probation officers to the list of individuals that qualify for death benefits if killed in the line of duty.

“Our probation officers put their uniforms on and go to work every day to help protect our communities,” Bennett said. “With the Illinois courts considering an expansion of home and field visits, more probation officers are at increased risk of getting involved in a potentially violent situation.”

SPRINGFIELD — Illinois Senate President Don Harmon welcomed news of expanded vaccine access and plans to re-open the state’s economy.

“We’ve made it to this point thanks to modern science and the personal sacrifices of people all across this state. You’ve followed the rules and kept each other safe until a vaccine was widely available. Thank you.

“I urge everyone to remain patient and vigilant as we head into what is hopefully the final phase of this horrible pandemic.”

SPRINGFIELD – Conversations of equity and equality have recently been at the forefront of legislative measures, but Senator Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake) realized there was a place it was missing: environmental policies.

It led Bush to hold conversation on environmental justice in Illinois during Thursday’s Senate Environment and Conservation Committee.

“We cannot have a strong environment unless we have equitable environmental policy,” Bush said. “Today’s hearing was a learning opportunity for all of us so we can best move forward with passing environmental legislation that supports all people and communities.”

Representatives from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, and the Natural Resources Defense Council, among others, provided their expertise.

Mike Atty, executive director of United Congregations of Metro-East, said communities of color are disproportionally impacted by environmental structures that place toxic industries in their neighborhoods. A common misconception, he said, is that Black and Brown communities don’t care about the environment. Rather, Atty testified it’s the exact opposite and environmental issues are degrading to his community’s way of life.

“When we think of environmental justice and environmental racism, we are committed to working with the Illinois EPA and General Assembly to bring equity and provide resources for jobs and training for communities that have been historically left out of the process,” Atty said.

Eduardo Flores from Clean Power Lake County said people who live in environmental justice communities often are faced with more health issues, including higher rates of birth defects, heart attacks, lung cancer and strokes, just to name a few. In Lake County alone, one out of every three children has asthma or asthma-like symptoms, which have been said to be linked to a lack of clean energy.

“By remaining in my home city [of Waukegan] I know I am jeopardizing my life and health,” Flores said. “Fossil fuel companies have taken advantage of the community, making a profit and leaving behind a toxic mess. Now, Waukegan residents have a life expectancy 15 years lower than someone living just seven miles away.”

Bush said she is committed to continuing conversations about environmental justice and pledges to look through its lens when considering legislation.

“People are fighting for the right to breathe and for their children to have open spaces to play,” Bush said. “People are also breathing contaminated air and living around contaminated land. We must pass fair and equitable legislation to allow people to live comfortably and safely.”

CHICAGO: State Senator Emil Jones III (D-Chicago) announced $2.5 million in grant funding to expand recreational activities for Alsip area residents through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Park and Recreational Facility Construction (PARC) grant program, which will be used to expand an existing facility.

“This grant will greatly expand Alsip’s indoor recreation facilities,” Jones said. “This funding demonstrates a continued commitment from the state to invest in opportunities for more people and families to maintain or improve their health.”

The expansion of an existing facility in Alsip will include an indoor walking track, an additional multi-purpose gymnasium, an expanded fitness center, an indoor playground, additional program spaces including senior and teen areas, and seating in the existing gymnasium.

The PARC grant program provides up to 90% of project costs to help build, renovate and improve recreational buildings used by the public, with local governments matching the value of the grants awarded. The grant to the Alsip Park District was one of 17 grants awarded across the state Wednesday.

A full list of grantees is available on IDNR’s website.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago) led the Illinois Senate in calling on the U.S. Department of Education to waive spring student assessments, as it did in 2020.

“So many students have been learning remotely or in a hybrid system over the past year. Expecting them to run to school for federally required tests just isn’t realistic,” Pacione-Zayas said. “More importantly, without every student in school to take the tests, we won’t be able to get reliable data that allows us to assess and compare progress between schools and districts.”

The Illinois State Board of Education has already announced that it has delayed its normal testing window out of respect for the more than one million students still learning in fully remote environments.

Data from federally required testing is normally used to target supports and improvements for struggling schools and school districts. In the state’s largest school district, Chicago Public Schools, students would potentially be returning to the classroom only to immediately jump into standardized testing.

“We all know this is not a typical year,” Pacione-Zayas said. “Let’s have some compassion for our students and teachers and allow them to use their limited time in the classroom to learn and recover from the trauma of the pandemic, rather than to take stressful tests.”

Senate Resolution 166 was adopted by the Illinois Senate today. 

CHICAGO – State Senator Mattie Hunter, who represents part of Chinatown in Chicago, is outraged about the rise of violence against Asian Americans in America and released the following statement after the shooting of eight people – six who were Asian American –  in Georgia-based massage parlors last night:

“My heart is saddened by the events that transpired in Atlanta. It’s sickening that this shooting was a possible hate crime against Asian Americans.

“I send my support to the victims’ families and to any person in the Asian community that feels unsafe, including anyone in the district I represent. We have to bring an end to hate against Asian populations, and to all bigotry, no matter where it takes place.

“This type of violence and bigoted ideology must stop. Everyone deserves to feel safe in this country, and I will work to ensure that no community feels like they might be the victim of something as tragic as this.”