Five of My Bills Were Just Signed Into Law! 🎉📝
Dear Friend,
I have some exciting news to share: over the past few days, the Governor has signed all five of the bills I passed this year into law!
Today I’d like to talk to you about these new laws and what they mean for Illinois residents.
You may remember me talking about fentanyl, the highly deadly synthetic opioid that’s often mixed into other drugs and gray-market supplements. We passed landmark legislation that legalizes fentanyl test strips for distribution at hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies (HB 4556), and on Thursday this legislation became law, effective immediately. These strips will help all Illinoisans — but especially young people at-risk of experimenting with different substances — access testing to make sure that they’re not accidentally taking fentanyl.
I also spoke with you about a bill that will give incarcerated people access to their records from their stay in the Department of Corrections (HB 4559), which had previously been denied to them. Now that this law has been signed into law, those who are incarcerated in Illinois and their attorneys can access critical documents needed to draft legal cases and petitions for clemency.
In regard to supporting students, I'm proud to share that my bills which grant fee waivers to homeless students (HB 5265) and resources for college students with children (SB 3149), have both been signed into law and are in immediate effect. This means homeless students will be able to participate in all school activities regardless of cost and college students with children will have resources so that they can access childcare support while they’re in school. And we passed legislation improving on our recently enacted tax credits for affordable housing (SB 3895) incentivizing developers to build affordable apartments in areas with very high rents.
If you have any specific questions or ideas you’d like to share feel free to use the "share your feedback" button below. If you'd like to share your thoughts with me in person, stay tuned for more details on my next "Coffee with Will" this month!
Thanks, and I’ll see you soon—
Will
SHARE YOUR LEGISLATIVE FEEDBACK
SERVER FOR AN HOUR
Join me and the Illinois Full and Fair Wage Coalition at Sol de Mexico on Wednesday June 15th as I step into the shoes of a server for an hour in order to uplift the need to #RaiseTheWage and end the ongoing wage shortage in the service Industry.
There are over 200,000 tipped workers in Illinois who earn a subminimum wage of $7.20 an hour. Tipped workers deserve a full and fair living wage!
Date: Wednesday, June 15th
Time: 6 pm - 7 pm
Location: 3018 N Cicero Ave, Chicago IL 60641
MIRACLE CENTER KICK-OFF TO SUMMER
Join the Miracle Center (TMC) at their Kick-Off to Summer Festival tomorrow, June 9th from 3:30 pm - 7:30 pm.
This event is FREE to the community, and activities include:
Health and Dental Screenings
Nutritious food samples
Fitness Workshops
Kids' Fun Zone Games
Food distribution
Additionally, the festival will feature a variety of affordable local vendors, food trucks, music and more! Hoopers of all ages and experience can show off their skills at a basketball tournament and free-throw competitions for a chance to win exclusive prizes from PepsiCo and Lou Malnati’s!
Date: Thursday, June 9th, 2022
Time: 3:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Location: 5454 W. Diversey, Chicago, IL 60639