SPRINGFIELD – To increase employment opportunities for women, minorities and people with disabilities, State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Centreville) is sponsoring a measure to change the job interview process at state agencies.
“Agencies must keep diversity in mind when they interview job candidates,” Belt said. “People tend to hire candidates that look like them. That means one-dimensional interview panels are far less likely to create a diverse workplace.”
Senate Bill 3214 would create the Equal Opportunity Employment Interview Initiative and require state agencies to implement hiring goals for certain target groups, including women, minorities and people with disabilities.
Read more: Belt endorses diverse interview panels to ensure equal employment opportunity
SPRINGFIELD – A measure to close a compensation loophole often exploited by lawmakers was moved through committee Wednesday by its sponsor, State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin).
“The era of legislators taking advantage of the system to the detriment of taxpayers is over,” Castro said. “This is long overdue and I’m proud to be the one fighting to end this practice.”
Senate Bill 2456 closes a glaring loophole in legislator pay laws, which currently allow for a retiring lawmaker to delay leaving office until the first of the month but still earn pay for the entire month. The practice has long been questioned, but fell under particularly harsh scrutiny last year when two disgraced former lawmakers used the loophole to receive extra pay following their resignation after being indicted for federal crimes.
Read more: Castro: The era of legislators taking advantage of the system is over
SPRINGFIELD – Employers that offer payroll deductions to help save for children’s college education could receive double the current annual tax credit under a measure sponsored by State Senator Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant (D-Shorewood).
“One of the greatest investments we can make is in higher education for our children,” Bertino-Tarrant said. “Companies that match employee contributions to qualified college savings programs deserve to receive a tax credit to offset the cost.”
Senate Bill 2800 increases the maximum annual tax credit provided to employers that match an employee's contributions to qualified college savings and prepaid tuition accounts from $500 to $1,000 per employee.
Read more: Bertino-Tarrant works to expand tax credits for college contributions
SPRINGFIELD – The price of EpiPens has greatly increased over the years, causing people with certain allergies to forgo purchasing the life-saving medication. State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest) strives to offset the burdensome cost by requiring insurers to cover medically necessary epinephrine injectors.
“With increases in food allergies and other serious allergic conditions, people are relying on EpiPens more than ever,” Morrison said. “Nobody with a serious allergy should go without an epinephrine injector simply because they cannot afford one.”
Senate Bill 2457 – sponsored by Morrison – requires insurers to cover medically necessary EpiPens for all people – regardless of age.
Read more: EpiPens for all one step closer to becoming reality
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois college students and their families would be eligible to receive a tax credit of up to $2,000 for tuition and fee expenses under legislation sponsored by State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines).
“For a working family, the cost of college can really add up,” said Murphy. “This tax credit is a way for us to give a little relief to the students who choose to pursue an education at one of the exceptional institutions Illinois has to offer.”
Couples making less than $250,000 and single taxpayers making less than $125,000 who claim one or more qualifying students as dependents would be eligible for the tax credit.
Read more: Murphy proposes tax breaks for families of Illinois college students
SPRINGFIELD – Environmental advocates rallied in Springfield Wednesday in support of the Clean Energy Jobs Act. State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin), who is the Senate sponsor of the bill, spoke before the crowd which had gathered in the Capitol Rotunda.
“We need to pass CEJA now,” Castro said. “This is a pivotal moment for Illinois when it comes to energy policy. I know from looking around the Capitol today that we have the power necessary to get this bill passed and onto the Governor’s desk.”
The Clean Energy Jobs Act will be Senate Bill 3744. Due to the complex nature of the bill and the large number of interested parties, official language has not yet been filed.
Read more: Castro: We need to pass the Clean Energy Jobs Act now
The measure also allows individuals convicted of providing liquor to minors over 20 years ago to become school bus drivers
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Senate approved legislation on Wednesday that makes various changes to the Illinois Secretary of State’s Driver Services Department, including a provision that would prohibit those convicted of aggravated domestic battery from obtaining a school bus driving permit. Senate Bill 2752 is sponsored by State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago).
“This is a matter a child safety. Serious violent crime convictions should be a non-starter for anyone responsible for the well-being of children,” Hunter said. “Parents deserve the peace of mind of knowing their children are in safe hands coming to and from school.”
SPRINGFIELD – Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) joined the United Way in releasing their report on Illinois ALICE households – asset-limited, income-constrained and employed.
The report focuses on families living above the federal poverty level, but below the threshold of a basic survival budget of $57,144 for a family of four and $19,212 for a single adult.
“People all over Illinois are struggling to get ahead. We know this intuitively, and we see it in our communities. I see it every day in my west side and west suburban district,” Lightford said. “ALICE allows us to put some real data behind that intuition.”
Read more: Lightford and United Way launch report on Illinois ALICE families
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