GRAYSLAKE —State Senator Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake) applauded local government agencies for creating a testing plan to address the continuing issue of ethylene oxide air pollution in Lake County.

“No one should have to worry about the air they breathe being safe from harmful chemicals,” Bush said. “Thanks to efforts from the Lake County Health Department, area residents will soon know the truth about their air quality.”

Due to concerns surrounding ethylene oxide emissions from Medline Industries in Waukegan and Vantage Specialty Chemicals in Gurnee, the Lake County Health Department, Village of Gurnee and City of Waukegan created a multi-phase ethylene oxide testing plan. The plan — which collected air samples to be analyzed by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry — was finalized last week.

The agency will produce a health risk assessment report, and the Illinois Department of Public Health will perform a cancer incidence study. The findings of both reports will allow Bush and others to understand how the chemical is impacting residents’ health and roll out a more comprehensive plan on how to tackle the health risks.

Bush has been a steadfast supporter of combatting the ethylene oxide health crisis. Last year, she successfully passed a law that established the strictest limits in the nation on ethylene oxide emissions. She also spearheaded a law that requires Vantage Specialty Chemicals, a Lake County manufacturer that uses ethylene oxide in its products, to put in place several environmental safeguards in order to continue operating.

“While the measures we passed last year were major steps forward to ensure the air we breathe is safe, we needed to do more,” Bush said. “The data from these reports will give us the information we need to best protect our community from the harmful effects of ethylene oxide.”

CHICAGO – To better inform policymakers on the root causes of poverty and economic insecurity, Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) was appointed co-chair of the Commission on Poverty Elimination and Economic Security.

“I believe we have come to the precipice of a moment that can make the changes necessary to put us on track to eliminate poverty across Illinois,” Lightford said. “That effort starts with getting to the root causes of poverty, a major one being systemic racism, and no longer being shy about the way we approach them.”

The commission will consist of four members of the General Assembly, a member of the judicial branch and 20 members of the public, including people who have experienced deep poverty and advocates for youth, veterans, mental health, education equity, those experiencing homelessness, those differently abled and others.

“I look forward to the important work we’ll be doing through this commission, and even more to engaging my colleagues in a conversation that can create generational change, eliminate poverty and economic disparities across our state,” Lightford said.

The commission is tasked with educating policymakers on the impact poverty has on other measures of economic stability and economic outcomes, including educational attainment, rates of incarceration, lifetime earnings, access to health care, health care outcomes, and access to housing. The Department of Human Services will provide support for the commission to complete its work to produce a strategic plan that addresses poverty and economic insecurity in Illinois by November 30, 2021.

CHICAGO – With plans to return to in-person learning at schools this fall, State Senator Jacqueline Collins (D-Chicago) urged students, faculty and staff to be mindful of safety guidelines and take all necessary precautions.

“Chicago has seen a precipitous decline in cases of COVID-19 due to an increase in testing and the mindful actions of everyday people,” Collins said. “If we are cavalier about social distancing, sanitation, or face coverings, however, that hard work and sacrifice could be reversed. Returning to school is important in light of the great inequality in access to at-home learning, but as we return to the classroom we must remember we are still in a pandemic.”

The Illinois State Board of Education and Illinois Department of Public Health outlined guidelines for K-12 schools and higher education institutions to safely resume in-person learning this fall, while ensuring the health and safety of students and staff is prioritized. The groups worked with educators, superintendents, social workers, nurses and other stakeholders to create the 60-page guidance.

The guidelines for Phase 4 will, among other things:

• Require use of appropriate personal protective equipment, including face coverings;
• Prohibit more than 50 individuals from gathering in one space;
• Require social distancing be observed, as much as possible;
• Require schools conduct symptom screenings and temperature checks or require that individuals self-certify that they are free of symptoms before entering school buildings; and
• Require an increase in school-wide cleaning and disinfection.

The guidelines will apply to all K-12 schools public and private. 

STAUNTON - Approximately 9,283 businesses, farms, households, and other institutions in Macoupin and Madison Counties will gain or see improved access to high-speed internet with the help of a $4.2 million broadband expansion grant to Staunton-based Madison Communications, Inc. announced today by Governor JB Pritzker and State Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill).

These funds are being released as part of Connect Illinois, the governor’s plan to bring basic access to every community in the state by 2024. This plan aims to improve access through an unprecedented capital investment and with the nation’s largest grant matching program.

"High speed internet is an absolute necessity for economic growth and our ability to deliver high-quality education and health care. For rural families and businesses, the effects of the digital divide have been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic," Manar said. "Bold investments in broadband expansion under the Connect Illinois plan are the most impactful steps we can take to strengthen economic viability and secure a promising future for rural communities like those in Macoupin and northern Madison Counties. I appreciate the Pritzker administration’s commitment to closing this disparity in all corners of our state."

Marking the first round of Connect Illinois grants, the $50 million in total investments announced today will be matched by $65 million in non-state funds to support 28 projects across Illinois. They are expected to expand internet access to more than 26,000 homes, businesses, farms, and community institutions.

“Connect Illinois is about the right of all our communities to access health care, education, and economic opportunity – because in the 21st century, all those rights are tied to digital connectivity,” Pritzker said. “The unacceptable consequences of disparities in broadband access were clear before the COVID-19 pandemic – and over the last few months, we’ve seen firsthand what it means when a small business that had to close its doors has no online shop, what it means when an elderly couple has no safe way to get medical advice at a distance, what it means when a child has no ability to access homework assignments online. This work has never been more urgent – the disadvantages that persist when our communities are left out of opportunity demand ambitious efforts to bring them to a close.”

The Connect Illinois plan responds to the needs of key industries and business sectors that lack reliable, affordable internet access due to a number of factors, including their location. Farm and agriculture is one of those sectors – with an estimated 40% of farmers in Illinois underserved or completely unserved by reliable internet access.

The state’s largest-ever broadband expansion initiative, Connect Illinois includes a $400 million broadband grant program and a $20 million capital program for the Illinois Century Network, a high-speed broadband network serving K-12 and higher education institutions, among others.

Another round of Connect Illinois grants is expected to be released later this year. More information on these and other grant programs can be found on DCEO’s website.

ELGIN – As part of efforts to address the unique and unprecedented financial effect the COVID-19 outbreak has had on Illinois, State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) has been appointed to the Legislative Budget Oversight Commission.

“The coronavirus pandemic put our state in a position unlike anything we could have imagined,” Castro said. “It’s not feasible to continue the budgeting process in the same methods we have in years previous. Additional oversight and scrutiny is necessary to ensure Illinois can navigate this crisis and continue to prosper when it’s over.”

The commission was established by the General Assembly during the brief May special session and will be tasked with finding ways to overcome the challenges to budget drafting that was presented by the pandemic-induced financial crisis. The purpose of the commission will be to monitor the budget management actions taken by the governor and to oversee the ways in which CARES Act federal relief funds are distributed to state and local governments. Castro was named to the commission by Senate President Don Harmon earlier this week.

“I want to thank President Harmon for giving me the opportunity to help ensure that the stability we established under the budget passed in May can continue for all future budgets for the duration of this crisis and beyond,” Castro said.

The commission will be bipartisan and consist of 22 total members of both chambers of the General Assembly. Members of the commission will serve without compensation.

NAPERVILLE — As the state continues to suffer from a financial crisis spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, State Senator Laura Ellman (D-Naperville) will serve on a bipartisan, bicameral commission to monitor discretionary spending by the governor’s office and local governments related to the new state budget and federal relief funding.

“Illinois is in the midst of a fiscal crisis that we can’t ignore, which creates obstacles in our state budget,” Ellman said. “I’m pleased to work with my colleagues to ensure we’re doing what’s best for all Illinoisans. We’ll continue to work diligently to ensure we’re not stuck in these financially diminishing times forever.”

Ellman was appointed to the Legislative Budget Oversight Commission by Senate President Don Harmon Monday. Local governments will report the status and distribution of federal CARES money and any other federal financial relief related to the COVID-19 pandemic to the commission. The commission will relay the information to the governor and General Assembly.

Beginning Aug. 15, the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget will submit monthly reports to the commission to report budget management actions taken by its office, the governor’s office and all state agencies. Additionally, on a quarterly basis, the governor will give a report to the commission orally that includes budget management actions, year-to-date revenues as compared to anticipated revenues, and year-to-date expenditures as compared to the Fiscal Year 2021 budget.

The 22-member body is made up of Democratic and Republican legislators from both chambers of the General Assembly. Members of the commission will serve without compensation.

AURORA — As Illinois’ number of COVID-19 cases keeps dropping, health and education officials have given the go-ahead to reopen schools this fall with a thorough set of guidelines, according to Assistant Senate Majority Leader Linda Holmes (D-Aurora).

“We saw so much success by teachers, parents and students adapting to learning at home during a period none of us expected,” Holmes said. “Things will still be different so that learning can be resumed safely, but it will be back to classrooms.”

The Illinois State Board of Education and Illinois Department of Public Health outlined guidelines for K-12 schools and higher education institutions to safely resume in-person learning this fall, while ensuring the health and safety of students and staff is prioritized. The groups worked with educators, superintendents, social workers, nurses and other stakeholders to create the 60-page guidance.

The guidelines for Phase 4 will, among other things:

• Require use of appropriate personal protective equipment, including face coverings;
• Prohibit more than 50 individuals from gathering in one space;
• Require social distancing be observed, as much as possible;
• Require schools conduct symptom screenings and temperature checks or require that individuals self-certify that they are free of symptoms before entering school buildings; and
• Require an increase in school-wide cleaning and disinfection.

All public and nonpublic schools in Illinois serving K-12 students must follow these guidelines.

“Students and teachers can maintain health and safety guidelines back in their familiar classrooms and surroundings. It is a great step forward,” Holmes said.