Caucus News

SPRINGFIELD ─ State Senator Ram Villivalam spearheaded a measure through the Senate that would establish regulations for the use of toy vehicles, motor-driven bicycles and other small, low-speed electric mobility devices in Illinois.

“E-bikes and other increasingly popular micromobility devices are being utilized by our neighbors. While these devices provide more accessibility for our residents, they have also led to tragic accidents,” said Villivalam (D-Chicago). “It is imperative that we implement safeguards to ensure that everyone who uses a micromobility device is able to do so in a safe way.”

A study conducted by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission estimated a total of 360,800 emergency room visits from injuries sustained during micromoibility devices accidents.

Senate Bill 3336 would regulate the use of toy vehicles, motor-driven cycles, and electric micromobility devices. To achieve this, the measure would:

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Celina Villanueva is spearheading a measure to ensure survivors of domestic violence are fully protected and current state law supporting victims is properly enforced.

“Previous gaps in Illinois’ law left survivors vulnerable to continued harm from their abusers, but we enhanced protections to close those gaps last year, and now it’s time to see those enhancements fully realized – for the well-being of survivors, their families and their communities,” said Villanueva (D-Chicago). “By advancing this measure, we’re continuing to put the safety not only of survivors, but also the larger community, at the forefront; ensuring individuals who intend to cause harm are met with full and proper enforcement of Illinois’ law.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Graciela Guzmán is working with Planned Parenthood to preserve contraceptive services or supplies for minors through legislation that recently passed the Executive Committee.

“Contraceptive rights are under attack across this country,” said Guzmán (D-Chicago). “Illinois needs to preserve and protect access to contraceptive care and keep reproductive choices in the hands of the individual.”

Senate Bill 3341 would provide that any minor may give effective consent for contraceptive services or supplies and the consent of no other person is required. According to KFF, several states require parental consent to obtain contraceptive care and many states do not guarantee the rights of minors to consent to contraceptive services.

Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high quality, affordable sexual and reproductive health care for all people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education.

SPRINGFIELD – In Illinois, law enforcement officers and prosecutors who charge suspects accused of harassment need updates to the law to reflect today’s use of technology. State Senator Linda Holmes advanced legislation to reflect the realities of how offenses are being committed in present day.

“The means to harass someone continues to magnify from phones to electronic devices, offering platforms on which to send demeaning, frightening messages,” Holmes (D-Aurora) said. “Our intent is to capture harassment that causes emotional distress. Emails, social media, forums and gaming are being used, so our laws must reflect the changed landscape violators use to intensify their attacks.”

Senate Bill 2741 is an initiative of Kane County State's Attorney Jamie Mosser and Detective Rich Wistocki whose organizations see how the nature of harassment has changed with technology. To prosecute offenders who use these tools, the bill would remove the requirement that content must be of a sexual nature.

SPRINGFIELD — State Senator Robert Martwick passed a measure that would automatically enroll new Chicago police officers, firefighters and municipal employees into deferred compensation retirement savings.

“The best time you can start saving for retirement is yesterday, but the second best time is today,” said Martwick (D-Chicago). “By ensuring new employees are automatically enrolled in a deferred compensation plan, we can take the guesswork out of figuring out when, or even how, to start saving for that future.”

Under the legislation, any person who is hired as a Chicago city employee – whether fire, police or municipal – after Jan. 1, 2027 would be automatically enrolled into an eligible deferred compensation plan that the municipality has established for its employees.  These plans would be in addition to the employee’s pension in an effort to supplement the retirement funds of individuals with Tier 2 pensions.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Patrick Joyce passed a bill through the Senate that would increase the max capacity of centerfire hunting rifles.

“Looking at youth hunting, this specific type of rifle is easier to handle and therefore safer to use,” said Joyce (D-Essex). “This would put us on par with other states and give a nice boost to the hunting industry statewide.”

Senate Bill 2756 would increase the max capacity of centerfire rifles from one to three rounds. This would put Illinois on par with all other states, as Illinois is the only state that institutes a single-shot limit on centerfire rifle capacity. Joyce led previous legislation that formally legalized the use of single shot centerfire rifles for deer hunting season. Since its introduction, centerfire rifle use among youth hunters has jumped to just over 50 percent.

SPRINGFIELD – With nearly one in 10 Americans lacking health insurance coverage according to the U.S. Census Bureau, State Senator Laura Ellman advanced new legislation to ensure Illinois residents are not locked out of coverage due to past-due premium payments.

“Unexpected financial hardship can happen to anyone, especially when many are living paycheck to paycheck,” said Ellman (D-Naperville). “We should not be creating additional barriers that prevent people from accessing essential health care.”

SPRINGFIELD – Studies find that work release programs can play a crucial role in reducing recidivism and promoting successful reentry for formerly incarcerated individuals. However, there is a lack of rehabilitation credit opportunities for individuals in pretrial detention, leading State Senator Laura Ellman to advance Senate Bill 3333.

“While Illinois is a leading state in creating opportunities for incarcerated individuals, we still have many avenues we can improve,” said Ellman (D-Naperville). “Bettering oneself through education is the greatest gift we can give to society and my hope is to see more opportunities being created to reduce recidivism and improve public safety in the long run.”

Senate Bill 3333 would allow individuals held in county jails prior to trial to receive sentence credit for completing certain programming such as work assignments, parenting programs, volunteer activities, and supervised community work. Currently, similar programming can earn credit for individuals incarcerated in Department of Corrections’ facilities, but not for those in pretrial detention due to gaps in statutory language.