STAUNTON – State Senator Andy Manar was joined by superintendents from Macoupin County school districts today to announce a new state grant for the newly created South Macoupin Consortium for Innovation and Career Pathways.

Manar secured the $2 million grant in his role as a chief negotiator of the state’s new bipartisan budget. The funding will be used to assist the Consortium with the implementation of these new programs and fund potential capital improvements to career and technical education facilities.

“The boards and administrations of these schools have done an excellent job of coming together to provide new opportunities for Macoupin County students,” said Manar, a Bunker Hill Democrat. “This additional funding will give them a boost as they work to implement these new programs.”

September is National Preparedness Month. Whether it be fire, floods or severe weather conditions, make sure you have a plan of action for when disaster strikes.

How can I be proactive about disaster preparedness?

• Financial preparedness - Create a disaster savings fund and understand the extent of your insurance coverage.
• Safety preparedness - Create a plan of action for disasters that are likely to occur in your area and learn essential safety skills such as first-aid and CPR.
• Youth preparedness - Take into account the unique needs of children and include items in your disaster plan to keep them calm and comforted.
• Community preparedness - Talk with your neighbors to see how prepared they are for disaster.

Click here for more information on disaster preparedness.

Senator Jacqueline Collins (D-Chicago) joined Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Tuesday for a brief ceremony welcoming students back to school at the new, $85 million STEM high school in Englewood.

Community members and the media attended to watch Lightfoot cut the ribbon at the ceremony and help ring the starting bell on the new school. The neighborhood school will focus on instructing students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. About 400 freshman students will make up the graduating class of 2024.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield) responded this morning to news that Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has issued emergency rules banning flavored e-cigarettes and their marketing to youth:

“Today’s emergency ruling by Michigan Gov. Whitmer highlights the real dangers of e-cigarette use. Just a few weeks ago, an Illinois resident was the first to die from a mysterious lung illness linked to vaping. These products are dangerous and are being intentionally marketed to our youth with the addition of candy-like flavorings.

“I commend Michigan’s governor for acting to protect the health of her residents and I urge Gov. Pritzker to do the same. The health of our teens and young adults is too important to fail to act.”

WOOD RIVER – State Senator Rachelle Crowe’s (D-Glen Carbon) district office in Wood River is a new drop-off location for the non-profit Cell Phones for Soldiers organization, she announced today.

“This program provides a secure way to dispose of unwanted electronic devices while benefitting those who protect our freedom overseas,” said Crowe, a member of the Senate’s Veterans Affairs Committee.

The non-profit collects old, broken cell phones and tablets and sends them to be refurbished or recycled. Proceeds from those sales are used to send prepaid international calling cards to our troops and to provide emergency funding to veterans. All cell phone donations are tax deductible.

SPRINGFIELD – Mothers needing donated breast milk for their sick infants will benefit under a new law championed by State Senator Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon).

The initiative requires certain insurance plans to cover costs of pasteurized donated human breast milk for mothers with infants deemed medically necessary in Illinois.

“As a mother, I am humbled to carry this initiative through the Senate that takes a burden off of women with sick newborns and no other options to get breast milk,” Crowe said. “Breast milk contains all the nutrients an infant needs for proper growth and development and we have to make sure those who need it have access.”

Under the measure for coverage, the milk must be prescribed by a licensed medical professional and come from a milk bank licensed by the Illinois Department of Public Health or a source that meets guidelines set by the Human Milk Banking Association of North America. The mother must be unable to produce milk to meet the infant’s needs, and the infant must also be critically ill.

SPRINGFIELD — Assistant Majority Leader Iris Y. Martinez (D-Chicago) is making it easier for graduating high schoolers to receive the State Seal of Biliteracy.

Her new law requires the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to accept other testing methods for students to demonstrate English language proficiency for eligibility for the seal.

“Learning to read, write and speak in two different languages is an impressive skill for anyone, particularly young people,” Martinez said. “This law gives ISBE more flexibility to recognize that achievement.”

The State Seal of Biliteracy is a recognition given to graduating high school students who have demonstrated a high level of proficiency in English and in reading, writing, listening and speaking in another language.

House Bill 3237 is effective immediately.

GRAYSLAKE – Zion Benton received approval to be an Enterprise Zone, thanks to efforts by State Senator Melinda Bush.

“It’s been decades since the Zion Nuclear Power Station shut down and the community is still reeling from loss of jobs and tax revenue ,” Bush (D-Grayslake) said. “An Enterprise Zone in Zion is crucial to create jobs, recruit new businesses and boost the local economy.”

The Illinois Enterprise Zone granted Zion Benton designation to help encourage job growth and investment in the area. Enterprise Zones are a locally driven tool that provide financial incentives for companies and organizations seeking to develop or create new jobs in the Enterprise Zone. This can include property tax reductions, sales tax exemptions on qualifying building materials, investment tax credits and utility tax exemptions, among other local incentives.