DES PLAINES – In honor of National Women’s Small Business Month, State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) invited women small business owners to join “All in for Women,” a series of webinars from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) about navigating the Business Interruption Grant (BIG) program.

“Our women business owners work hard to support our local economy and make our small business community diverse and unique,” said Murphy. “This month and every month, they deserve to be celebrated. These informative webinars can help provide the resources and assistance they need to thrive.”

At “All in for Women,” business owners will be able to connect with DCEO officials to learn more about the BIG program, eligibility requirements and the application process. Technical assistance support will also be provided for the last 30 minutes of every session.

The Business Interruption Grant program is a $636 million program created to provide economic relief for small businesses hit hardest by COVID-19.

In the second round of grants, $220 million will be allocated to provide relief for all types of small businesses, including women-owned small businesses. Funding can be used to help businesses with working capital expenses, including payroll costs, rent, utilities and other operational costs.

The webinar will be offered in four sessions, and registration is required:

• Tuesday, Oct. 6 at 2 p.m.
• Saturday, Oct. 10 at 10 a.m.
• Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 2 p.m.
• Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 2 p.m.

Other resources, including webinars geared toward women in manufacturing, Latina business owners and more, are available on the DCEO Office of Minority Economic Empowerment website.

EAST ST. LOUIS – With deer mating season comes an increased risk of deer-vehicle collisions, and State Senators Christopher Belt (D-Centreville) and Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) remind Madison County motorists to stay alert while driving this fall. 

“It’s imperative for motorists to stay attentive this fall season, as deer are more active during autumn weather,” Belt said. “IDOT and the Department of Natural Resources provide helpful tips on how to prevent accidents involving deer, and I encourage Madison County residents to follow their advice.”

Madison County had 434 car crashes involving deer in 2019 – the second-highest of any Illinois county that year. In total, there were 16,213 deer-vehicle collisions throughout Illinois. Of these, 15,605 resulted in damage to property or vehicles, and 604 caused personal injuries. Four of the crashes were fatal. 

“As residents prepare for the upcoming hunting season, drivers must also pay special attention to the roadways for unexpected deer crossings,” Crowe said. “To make sure you’re ready to respond safely in the event of an encounter, I urge motorists to review and share IDNR’s precautions with their friends and family members.”

The Illinois Departments of Transportation and Natural Resources offer the following tips to help drivers avoid deer-related accidents this fall:

• Be aware of your surroundings, especially in areas with deer crossing signs.
• Scan the sides of the road for eye shine – the reflection of headlights in their eyes.
• Slow down if you see a deer. They travel in groups, so more are likely nearby.
• Prepare for the unexpected. Deer may stop in the middle of the road or double back.
• Deer are adaptable and can flourish in rural, suburban and urban environments.
• If a collision is inevitable, try to glance your vehicle off the deer and avoid swerving into opposite lanes of traffic.

If you hit a deer, pull off to the shoulder, turn on your hazard lights and call 911 to report the accident. Do not exit the vehicle to check on an injured deer or pull it from the road.

For other information on wildlife and recreational safety education, visit the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. 

Black Caucus strives to close racial wealth gap in Illinois

CHICAGO - The Illinois Legislative Black Caucus laid out efforts to close the racial wealth gap that has long been perpetuated by systemic racism during a press conference at Teamwork Englewood ahead of a scheduled Senate committee hearing on the issue.

The Black Caucus discussed their plans to develop meaningful legislation to eliminate barriers to economic access, equity and opportunity.

ILBC Chairman Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) said the Black Caucus is committed to eliminating all forms of economic oppression in Illinois.

Read more.

Senate Unemployment Insurance Working Group urges swift action from Illinois congressional delegation

SPRINGFIELD – In response to the growing number of unemployment claims in the state of Illinois, the bipartisan Senate Unemployment Insurance Working Group, Chaired by Assistant Senate Majority Leader Linda Holmes (D-Aurora), urged Congress to provide funding necessary to stabilize states’ unemployment insurance trust funds and provide additional relief for unemployed workers in a letter to the Illinois congressional delegation Monday.

“These are unprecedented times, and none of us ever imagined more than one million people would lose their jobs from March to May,” Holmes said. “Our constituents’ worries about losing their homes are heartbreaking – providing for their families and educating their children, all while being threatened by a deadly pandemic. No amount of preparation could have been in place for this; we desperately need the assistance of our federal government.”

Read more.

State lawmakers discuss paths to sentencing reform and violence reduction

CHICAGO - Members of the Illinois House and Senate came together to discuss sentencing reform and violence reduction in a joint Senate hearing last Tuesday.

“We must confront the vast disparities in how individuals throughout the state are sentenced,” State Senator Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (D-Chicago), chair of the Senate Criminal Law Committee, who co-chaired the joint committee alongside State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago), who heads the Senate Public Safety Special Committee. “We have to ensure that our justice system treats everyone fairly regardless of their race, religion and economic status. That often is not the case. These issues are important to achieve a more fair and equitable system.”

Read more.

Downstate Senate Democrats applaud $5 million in grants for livestock farmers, small meat and poultry plants

SPRINGFIELD - Downstate Senate Democrats are encouraging livestock producers and small meat and poultry plants suffering interruptions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic to apply for $5 million in business recovery funding through the Illinois Department of Agriculture.

“Farmers have continued to put food on store shelves and on families’ tables during these tough times,” Senate Agriculture Chairman Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) said. “I’m confident these funds will help benefit producers, consumers and rural communities that have been impacted by COVID-19 disruptions.”

Read more.

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CHAMPAIGN – Senate Agriculture Chair Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) announced $5 million in financial assistance will be available to livestock producers and small meat and poultry plants hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic through the Illinois Department of Agriculture. 

“Farmers have continued to put food on store shelves and on families’ tables during these tough times,” Bennett said. “I’m confident these funds will help benefit producers, consumers and rural communities that have been impacted by COVID-19 disruptions.”

The COVID-19 pandemic drastically slowed livestock processing throughout the state, which forced farmers to hold animals for longer periods of time, resulting in higher input costs and cancelled, delayed or reduced sales.

Financial assistance is available through three programs administered by the Department of Agriculture. Individuals and businesses are only eligible to apply for one program, and applicants located in a disproportionately impacted area (DIA) will receive a 10% increase in funding. A list of DIA’s can be found here.

Online applications are available at agr.state.il.us. Applications will close on Oct. 31, 2020. Questions about this funding can be submitted to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

GRAYSLAKE – After months of discussion, negotiation and development of a plan to support sexual assault survivors, State Senator Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake) is pleased to see the Illinois State Police (ISP) Division of Forensic Services (DFS) has unveiled a sexual assault evidence tracking system to allow survivors to track the status of their case.

“Every day, survivors await justice, and now they will be able to track the progress of their kit,” Bush said. “Though nothing can undo the pain survivors experienced, I hope this new tracking system empowers survivors to continue moving forward.”

Through ISP’s new tracking system, survivors of sexual assault will be able to monitor the status of the evidence in their case, from collection at the hospital, through law enforcement pick-up and submission to the forensic lab, and ultimately to the State's Attorney's office, where final results will be received. The system, called CheckPoint, can only be accessed by unique case numbers and passwords to ensure privacy of survivors and law enforcement.

“The CheckPoint system will allow survivors to have real-time information about their evidence while protecting their privacy,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “This point-by-point knowledge of the location of their evidence will help to empower survivors and foster public trust in the system. ISP DFS personnel remain committed to supporting survivors of sexual assault through transparency and accountability.”

Currently, any survivor of sexual assault who seeks a forensic medical exam at a health care facility that has implemented the CheckPoint system is able to track the progress of their evidence in the system.

Bush served on the Sexual Assault Evidence Tracking and Reporting Commission, which recommended the tracking system in its final report in 2018. The report can be found here.

CHICAGO – Speaking ahead of a joint hearing of several Illinois Senate economic committees, State Senator Jacqueline Collins (D-Chicago) called out structural racism in banking and said urgent change is needed to undo multi-generational barriers that now see Black families in Chicago less likely to own homes than they were before the Fair Housing Act passed in 1968.

“This is what systemic racism looks like and is reminiscent of the notorious era of redlining, the racially discriminatory policy that blocked Blacks from all legitimate means of obtaining a mortgage and opened the door for their exploitation and abuse by the housing, banking and mortgage industry,” said Collins, who chairs the Senate Financial Institutions Committee.

The Senate Financial Institutions, Commerce and Economic Development, Executive, and Local Government Committees comprised the joint hearing Thursday. The subject matter focused on the vast disparity in access to banking services between white and Black Illinoisans. The joint hearing is part of an ongoing series organized by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, with other hearings focusing on criminal justice, education and health care as part of the caucus’ efforts to build a specific legislative agenda leading into the upcoming fall session in Springfield.

Collins cited recent reporting by WBEZ that showed banks in Chicago lend just $0.12 to Black neighborhoods for every dollar they spend in white neighborhoods. For some lenders, that disparity is even more jaw-dropping: JP Morgan Chase, for instance, gave out 41 times the amount of money in home loans to white neighborhoods than it did to Black neighborhoods, according to the report.

“As the Kerner report stated more than 52 years ago, these embedded forms of racial discrimination were created by white institutions, are maintained by white institutions and are condoned by white society,” Collins said. “Now is the time for transparency, equity, accountability and transformational change.”

SPRINGFIELD – Downstate Senate Democrats are encouraging livestock producers and small meat and poultry plants suffering interruptions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic to apply for $5 million in business recovery funding through the Illinois Department of Agriculture.  

“Farmers have continued to put food on store shelves and on families’ tables during these tough times,” Senate Agriculture Chairman Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) said. “I’m confident these funds will help benefit producers, consumers and rural communities that have been impacted by COVID-19 disruptions.”

The COVID-19 pandemic drastically slowed livestock processing throughout the state, which forced farmers to hold animals for longer periods of time, resulting in higher input costs and cancelled, delayed or reduced sales.

EAST ST. LOUIS – State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Centreville) expressed his support for the third pillar of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus’s agenda: creating economic access, equity and opportunity for Black Illinoisans. He particularly supports increasing low-income, permanent and affordable housing options for Illinois families. 

“The gap between African American and white homeownership is larger today than when the Fair Housing Act was passed in 1968. This has contributed to a racial wealth gap—nearly 1,000%—between median white and African American households," Belt said. “Because home ownership is how most families save and build wealth, the disparity in home ownership is a central driver of the racial wealth gap. We need to continue to advocate so every Illinoisan has access to housing that is affordable, stable, safe and healthy.”