Veto Recap: New Maps, Increasing Youth Health and Safety, and More! 🗺
The last two weeks were what's known as "veto session" in Springfield. Our typical legislative session runs from January to May. Then we reconvene for a couple of weeks in the fall, nominally to take action on any bills the Governor vetoed (hence the name). But we often take up new measures as well, and this year was no exception.
The biggest bill we took up was repealing the last abortion restriction on the books in Illinois, the Parental Notification Act. It required minors to notify their parents before getting an abortion.
I think most of us, when we imagine our own child seeking an abortion, would want to know about it. And for minors in loving and safe households, the overwhelming majority do talk to their parents. But it's important to think about the many children in dangerous and abusive environments. Maybe they've become pregnant due to the abuse of a family member. Maybe they know that disclosing a pregnancy means they'll be assaulted, or their mother or sibling will.
There's no valid medical reason to force these children into unsafe situations by mandating they notify a parent. There's a reason why the entire medical community opposes these forced notification laws, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Society for Adolescent Medicine, and the American Public Health Association.
We passed the repeal last week. Once it's signed into law, Illinois will truly be a state where reproductive healthcare is treated just like any other kind of healthcare. That's a fact I'm proud of.
One other measure to mention: we re-drew Illinois's US Congressional maps based on the Census. It's notable to us because our entire district is now in a new, largely Latino congressional district. Click here, and then click "3" on the left, to see our new district.
You may think the lines look pretty squiggly and weird. They do! But that's on purpose. Illinois has 17 Congressional districts, and up to now, only one of them has been majority-Latino. But given that Latinos are 18.2% of our state's population, we felt it was important to draw a second district with a strong Latino population. That requires a little effort to connect the Latino populations on the Northwest Side with those in the western suburbs, but it's important to ensure equitable representation.
That's our last legislative work of 2021! We'll reconvene for a shortened spring session next January, and I look forward to sharing some of our legislative priorities as we develop them.
(Photo from the District's Hermosa Halloween event last Saturday, 10/29)
RESOURCE SPOTLIGHT
There are numerous state assistance programs currently open to help with our community’s ongoing pandemic recovery.
Learn more about the latest programs by clicking the flyers below:
Rent Assistance
IHDA's ILRPP Rent Assistance Program is reopening on Nov. 8. Learn more about the program here: www.ihda.org or call our office at (773) 853-2570.
Did you miss our in-person property tax appeal workshop last month? Don't worry!
We're hosting a free Property Tax Appeal Webinar you can join virtually *tomorrow at 6pm on zoom*