Kicking off the 104th General Assembly

Last week, Senator Don Harmon was re-elected as Senate President to lead the body in the 104th General Assembly, challenging members to be better leaders for the state.

In his remarks, he emphasized three key principles: treating your neighbors with respect, staying humble and being kind. President Harmon closed his remarks by declaring the 104th General Assembly of the Illinois State Senate underway. We look forward to getting to work in Springfield over the weeks and months to come.

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SPRINGFIELD—State Senator Graciela Guzmán was inaugurated into the 104th General Assembly to serve the 20th Senate District Wednesday.

“I am humbled to be sworn in as the State Senator for the 20th District of Illinois,” said Guzmán (D-Chicago). “I am just one member of the strong, diverse community that is the Northwest side of Chicago. I am committed to elevating our collective vision of economic justice for everyday people and self-determination for the working class with my position in the statehouse.” 

Guzmán is the first Salvadoran elected in Illinois to the General Assembly. Raised by parents who fled the violence of the Salvadoran Civil War and worked to build a life where their five children could thrive, Guzmán was aware from an early age of the inequities in society, which shaped her commitment to creating institutional change.

ROCK ISLAND – State Senator Mike Halpin announced Tuesday that Henderson Health Center is set to receive over $110,000 through the Health Equity Zone Pilot Projects pilot program.

“Addressing health inequities within our community continues to be a priority. Everyone deserves to have access to compassionate, quality, and accessible health care,” said Halpin (D-Rock Island). “At a time when corporate health insurance continues to fail regular people in western Illinois, grants such as the Health Equity Zone pilot program play an integral role in bolstering access to care.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Bill Cunningham’s energy package to put Illinois on a path to reach its climate goals, meet increasing electricity demand and provide reliability for residents is one step closer to becoming law.

“This is a very important next step in energy policy in Illinois,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs. “We will not be able to meet the increasing demand for electricity in our state without a robust energy storage plan.”

Energy storage is the capture of electricity produced at one time for use at a later time by storing it in a rechargeable battery.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Celina Villanueva passed Karina’s Law, a groundbreaking measure designed to enhance protections for survivors of domestic violence by allowing for the prompt confiscation of firearms from individuals subject to emergency restraining orders. The legislation, named in honor of Karina Gonzalez and her daughter Daniela, addresses critical gaps in current laws that left survivors vulnerable to harm.

“Today, we honor Karina and Daniela by taking decisive action to protect domestic violence survivors,” said Villanueva (D-Chicago). “Karina’s Law ensures that firearms are removed from the hands of abusers when survivors need protection the most. This legislation is a life-saving step forward for Illinois families.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Paul Faraci is advancing legislation to make it easier for Illinois park districts and municipal recreation departments to hire young workers for seasonal jobs and youth sports programs.

“This measure removes unnecessary barriers that make it harder for teens to gain work experience and park districts to run summer programs,” said Faraci (D-Champaign). “It’s a win for families, young workers and our communities.”

Faraci’s measure would allow 14- and 15-year-olds to work summer jobs – such as lifeguards or referees – for Illinois park districts and recreational departments without a 21-year-old present, as long as an 18-year-old is on-site and no alcohol or tobacco is being sold on the premises. It would also allow minors to officiate youth sporting events, as long as a 21-year-old supervisor is on-call.

SPRINGFIELD – A measure spearheaded by State Senator Karina Villa, addressing sexual misconduct by law enforcement officers with suspects during an investigation passed the Senate on Monday.

“State law must be up-to-date to prevent further exploitation of survivors of human trafficking and individuals involved in the sex trade industry, especially when interacting with law enforcement and the justice system,” said Villa (D-West Chicago).  “It is imperative we do everything we can to support these individuals and ensure they are treated with dignity and respect.”

House Bill 4410 would require law enforcement agencies to create and adopt polices prohibiting officers from engaging in sexual conduct with a suspect while investigating prostitution and require the Illinois State Police, local law enforcement and circuit court clerks to automatically seal all prior arrest and court records related to felony prostitution charges.

SPRINGFIELD — State Senator Willie Preston led legislation through the Senate that would facilitate neutral, good-faith contract negotiations between Chicago Public Schools principals and the Chicago Board of Education when an agreement can’t be reached – without the need for strikes or lockouts that could disrupt students’ education.

“Labor agreements should happen as the result of true, good-faith negotiations,” said Preston (D-Chicago). “This plan lays out a fair framework to allow principals in our state’s largest school district to enjoy the same right to a fair bargaining process as other public employees.”