THOMASBORO – State Senator Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) announced Thursday that the Thomasboro Fire Protection District is one of 23 communities to receive funds to purchase fire trucks that will allow first responders to better serve the area.

“Fire departments consistently face financial burdens,” Bennett said. “This funding will allow the fire district to purchase the equipment they need, while also reducing the cost to local taxpayers.”

The Thomasboro Fire Protection District, a volunteer department, is the recipient of $300,000, which has given it the opportunity to purchase new equipment it may not otherwise have been able to afford.

MAYWOOD – Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) visited the West 40’s Proviso Alternative Learning Opportunity Programs (ALOPs) last week. West 40 works with local schools to provide learning opportunities to students in need of extra support.

“The students participating in these programs are incredible, and I am so humbled to have the opportunity to listen to their stories,” Lightford said. “Programs like these change the lives of our children every day, and I applaud the work West 40 and local Proviso schools do for our community.”

West 40 runs five ALOPs serving Proviso Township named HOPE, DREAM, PEACE, Seniors Plus, and the Truants Alternative and Optional Education Program.

In an effort to make supportive housing for people with developmental disabilities more accessible throughout the state, the Senate Human Services Committee – led by State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview) – met with advocates to brainstorm ideas to improve Illinois’ affordable and integrated housing opportunities.

“We want to make sure that everyone who lives in our state has the best opportunities we can possibly provide,” said Senator Fine. “We need to find a way to allow people with disabilities to live in their own homes by providing the in-home support services they need to live happy, independent lives.”

Senator Fine and the Senate Human Services Committee were joined by members of the Council on Developmental Disabilities and the Department of Human Services Wednesday to hear subject matter about supportive housing for people with disabilities.

SPRINGFIELD - State Senator Linda Holmes (D-Aurora) has announced that the new Illinois Department of Transportation five-year highway construction program includes major investments in roads in the Aurora area, to the tune of $10.8 million in improvements.

In the multi-year plan’s first year, a project on Route 31/Lake Street from Rathbone Avenue in Southwest Aurora to Webster Street/Aucutt Road in Montgomery is already nearing completion. Started in September, the $850,000 project includes 1.22 miles of asphalt resurfacing and ADA compliant crosswalks and ramps. It is scheduled for completion in November.

“These are long overdue issues for safety and traffic flow on Lake Street,” Holmes said. “I’m pleased to already see positive results this funding is bringing to our community, and I look forward to more projects ahead in this multi-year plan.”

SPRINGFIELD – A third person died in Illinois from a vaping-related illness this week, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield) released the following statement about the tragic outcome vaping has had on Illinoisans:

“I am heartbroken to learn another person in our state has died from the harmful substances found in vapes,” Senator Morrison said. “Vaping and e-cigarette-related illnesses and deaths have become a nationwide outbreak that must come to an end before more lives our lost. I hope the Illinois General Assembly can come to an agreement on a bill that will keep these products out of the hands of children.”

Senator Morrison filed Senate Bill 2275 last month, which would prohibit the sale of flavored tobacco products, including cigarettes, e-cigarettes and chewing tobacco.

SPRINGFIELD – A resolution designating Nov. 1, 2019 as Vietnam Veterans Recognition Day was adopted by the Senate this week.

State Senator Michael E. Hastings (D-Tinley Park) is the Senate sponsor of the resolution.

“Many of those who fought valiantly for their country in Vietnam were wrongfully met with scorn and disdain upon their return home,” Hastings said. “These brave individuals deserve the utmost respect and recognition for their service, as they have seen and experienced things that a precious few can even remotely imagine.”

SPRINGFIELD –State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago) introduced a bill this week that redefines felony murder charges in Illinois.

The language of current state law allows prosecutors to charge someone with first-degree murder if a death occurs during the commission of another offense when acting alone, or if a third-party individual causes a death when acting within a group. The new legislation would ban prosecutors from being able to do so.

“Incarceration rates are disturbingly high as it is,” Peters said. “These laws do nothing to improve safety in our community and are not an effective way to combat the unforgivable crowding of our jails and prisons. They are quite simply not a reflection of any sort of justice we should strive for as a society.”

SPRINGFIELD –State Senator Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights) celebrated the Illinois State Board of Education’s (ISBE) announcement that career and technical education (CTE) enrollment has increased.

Citing the first funding increase to CTE programs in over five years, ISBE announced that CTE enrollment has increased by nearly 5,000 students since 2016. Gillespie says it is vital to train more Illinois workers for in-demand, specialized jobs.

“Career and technical education programs offer an affordable alternative to higher education that train students with tangible, hands-on work skills,” Gillespie said. “Increased investments in workforce development will prepare young people for success and ensure that employers have an educated workforce with the skills necessary for their respective industries.”