* Press release…

As budget discussions continue and the General Assembly nears adjournment, the chairs for the House Higher Education, Appropriations-Higher Education and Mental Health and Addiction Committees are encouraging their colleagues to support increased funding for college campus mental health services.

“The governor’s proposed budget outlines a 5% increase in higher education operational funding,” Higher Education Chair Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, said. “This is needed funding that universities should take advantage of to reinforce and boost their on-campus mental health offerings. These services help those who are suicidal, facing substance abuse issues, depression and other serious challenges that deserve support and awareness.”

“While there was always a need for stronger mental health services, this pandemic is putting increased strain on all of us,” Mental Health and Addiction Chair Deb Conroy, D-Villa Park, said. “This has been a tumultuous couple of years, with little sense of normalcy on campuses. Three years ago we passed legislation that would provide mental health services to support our students on college campuses. It is critical that we put the financial investment in our budget to fund this legislation to ensure every student can reach their full potential. Let’s make sure students have the resources they deserve to access the support they need.”

“In the past 20 years, the number of college students with clinical depression and suicidal tendencies has tripled, and approximately 1.6 million students sought counseling assistance last year,” Appropriations-Higher Education Chair La Shawn K. Ford, D-Chicago, said. “It is perhaps no wonder that acts of violence on campuses have increased. One-third of all college students have been diagnosed with a mental health condition, a 14% increase in the last decade. Only 25% of college students receive treatment. The pandemic has exacerbated this issue. In fall 2020, 89% of college students experienced stress or anxiety because of COVID-19. Graduation rates are lower for students with mental health conditions, especially Black, Latinx and low income students. Dropout rates are 2.5 times higher. There was a time when there was a stigma around seeking mental health support now students are testifying in Springfield pleading for more mental health support on college campus. We cannot leave Springfield this year without increasing funding for colleges to provide mental health support for Illinois’ students.”

“We want all of our students to succeed, and that starts by creating a healthy environment that includes accessible mental health support,” Higher Education Vice Chair Maurice West, D-Rockford, said. “We need to be mindful of the unique challenges students are currently facing, and our budget should reflect this critical aspect of the academic experience.”

“Campus mental health cannot be overlooked as we put together a budget this year,” Mental Health and Addiction Vice Chair Michelle Mussman, D-Schaumburg, said. “Together, our committees have held hearings that have provided valuable insight on how mental health is handled at our universities. By increasing our investment in higher education operations, we can give our institutions the resources they need to reach more students.”

“Investing in mental health services now will have a beneficial impact for years to come,” Appropriations-Higher Education Vice Chair Nicholas Smith, D-Chicago, said. “The more students we can help deal with their challenges in a professional, healthy way, the better their mental health will likely be down the road. Let’s make sure campus mental health is a priority in this budget.”

* Media advisory…

This Wednesday, starting at 3pm, Rep. Camille Lilly and other IL State Legislators will join restaurant owner and worker advocates gathering for a press conference at the Lincoln Steps to rally support for the One Fair Wage Act (HB 5139), which would end the subminimum wage in Illinois.

The legislation was introduced in response to a wage shortage crisis across Illinois. One Fair Wage has issued multiple reports demonstrating that raising wages for restaurant workers who work for subminimum wages is critical to helping the industry recover. One Fair Wage has also tracked over 200 restaurant owners in Illinois who have voluntarily raised wages for tipped workers in order to recruit staff during the state’s worst-ever staffing crisis; this bill would create a level playing field for these responsible restaurant owners and help them fully reopen by sending a signal to millions of workers that wage increases will be permanent.

WHERE: Lincoln Steps, IL State Capitol Building**
WHEN: Wednesday, March 30, 3:00pm CT
WHO: Restaurant Owners, Restaurant Workers, Representatives from the Illinois Full and Fair Wage Coalition Including Speakers from One Fair Wage, Women Employed & Shriver Center on Poverty Law

**In Event of Rain, Press Conference will take place across the street, at the Illinois State Library in the Atrium

“Tens of thousands of Illinois tipped workers have left the restaurant industry and are not willing to return until they can earn a full and fair wage—with tips on top. Illinois workers deserve to earn a wage that allows them to support themselves and their families,” said State Rep. Lilly.

“Looking at the data and speaking to workers, the crisis in Illinois’ restaurant industry is clear,” said Saru Jayaraman, President of One Fair Wage. “If the industry is to survive, the state must raise the wage and pay tipped workers a full livable wage with tips on top.”

“NOW is the time to end the subminimum wage in Illinois, by any means necessary. We must end this harmful practice and devaluation of human labor,” said Antoinette ‘Jewel’ Simmons, a longtime Illinois restaurant worker.

“The subminimum wage issue IS a women’s issue because women are overrepresented in the restaurant industry but are highly underpaid,” said Starr De Los Santos, Senior Coalition Manager at Women Employed. “As an organization, Women Employed is committed to closing the wealth gap at the intersection of race and gender, and to do this; we need to build the economic power of women in Illinois that are in low-paid jobs. This includes ensuring an end to the subminimum wage that creates gender pay inequity in the restaurant industry, perpetuating the gender pay gap and leading to disproportionately higher poverty rates for women.”

“Prior to the panedemic, food service workers nationwide reported experiencing the highest rate of sexual harassment of any industry,” said Wendy Pollack, Director of the Women’s Law and Policy Initiative at the Shriver Center on Poverty Law. “Tipped workers are more vulnerable to harassment and have less power to reject customer harassment because they are so reliant on tips for their economic well-being. Since the pandemic began, workers report a dramatic increase in sexual harassment. In the states that have eliminated the tipped subminimum wage, harassment has decreased by half. The time is now for Illinois to eliminate the tipped subminimum wage and pay workers the full minimum wage with tips on top.”

Mo Carter, owner of MJB Restaurant Group, stated the following in support of the bill, “Part of the matter of “The Great Resignation” is the right to earn not just a livable wage but a life-sustaining one. Consistent, strong staff are the support beams to ownership and they’re relying on their employers to recognize that worth.”

A new report out by One Fair Wage has found that as the restaurant industry — both owners and workers — continue to struggle throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, federal relief provided to restaurant owners in total exceeded $73 billion and, on average, was 30 times higher than the support provided to struggling workers.

* Press release…

State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood) passed a measure through the Senate Tuesday that would ensure customers get a discount when supermarkets put products on sale.

“When shoppers check out at the supermarket, they don’t always see the sale price of an item on the screen during the transaction,” Loughran Cappel said. “Customers are often left unsure if they received a discount because the screen only shows the final price of each item.”

While retailers provide notice of discounts through various methods such as receipts, in-store promotions, advertisements, and price tags, there is nothing written in law concerning how prices and discounts are displayed during checkout.

To ensure shoppers receive their discount, Loughran Cappel moved House Bill 2910 which would require supermarkets to show both the regular and sale prices of items as they are rung up so customers can immediately see if they are getting discounts.

“This legislation increases transparency regarding discounts offered on grocery store items,” Loughran Cappel. “Shoppers will now be reassured at the checkout when they see their savings listed on the screen.”

House Bill 2910 passed both chambers and now heads to the governor’s desk for final approval.

* Press release…

State Senator Adriane Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove) moved legislation out of the Senate Education Committee to prohibit public high schools from withholding a student’s grades, transcripts or diploma due to unpaid balances on a student’s account today.

“Students are so much more than a set of credits,” said State Senator Adriane Johnson. “They are scholars and future contributors to our society, and we should do all we can to further their academic careers and not contribute to unnecessary burdens.”

Current law does not address withholding of grades, transcripts of diplomas for students for financial reasons whatsoever. The law only speaks to academic performance, established local goals and objectives, age, and other social reasons.

Under House Bill 4243, the prohibition would last for 3 years and would require school districts to catalogue and report the total amount of unpaid accounts due to the prohibition of withholding grades, transcripts, or diplomas to the Illinois State Board of Education.

“This is an equity issue and this practice almost exclusively affects low-income students,” said Johnson. “Plus, there is no real evidence that withholding a student’s transcript encourages parents to pay the bill.”

House Bill 4243 passed the Senate Education Committee and will be heard before the full Senate for further consideration.

…Adding… Press release…

In response to the condominium collapse in Surfside, Florida in June 2021, State Senator Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) spearheaded a measure that would increase transparency for Chicago residents who live in high rises that passed the Senate Tuesday.

“It is the unit owners that pay monthly assessments into the reserve funds; therefore, these funds should be transparent to unit owners,” said Feigenholtz. “People deserve the peace of mind that their condominium association can make necessary repairs.”

A reserve study identifies the current status of the reserve fund and a stable and equitable funding plan to offset ongoing deterioration, resulting in sufficient funds when those anticipated major common area expenditures actually occur. This study helps homeowners and condominium associations determine how much in reserve funds they should maintain.

House Bill 4158 would require a homeowner or condominium association who conducts a reserve study to keep it within its books and records, which by law the individual property owners have a right to inspect.

“Reserve funds are set aside for future financial obligations such as major repairs and maintenance,” said Feigenholtz. “In addition, being able to access information about the reserve studies keeps unit owners informed of the health and readiness of the association’s ability to address needed renovations and upgrades for their building.”

House Bill 4158 passed the Senate and heads to the House for concurrence.

* Crain’s…

The Illinois General Assembly is barreling toward the end of session, and among unfinished business is legislation to address a rise in crime during the COVID era. It’s a top-polling issue in the 2022 elections and one that both parties are looking to address.

Republicans are pushing for bills that boost funding for police, set a minimum 10-year sentence for anyone convicted of selling a gun to a felon, and automatically transfer cases of aggravated carjacking or armed robbery that involve a minor to adult court. Democrats have teased bills to address carjacking, ghost guns, and organized retail theft. The governor’s budget, meanwhile, includes a $240 million allocation towards community-based violence prevention.

* Press release…

Piers and public access points to Lake Michigan will soon be safer thanks to a measure advanced by State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago) that will help install essential rescue equipment.

“Everyone deserves to feel safe when they head to the beach this summer,” Peters said. “I am glad that the General Assembly is taking an essential step to protect our families who visit beaches on Lake Michigan.”

House Bill 4165 requires owners of piers or drop-offs on Lake Michigan to install public rescue equipment . The measure also establishes tracking and reporting requirements for local governments that own a pier or drop-off on Lake Michigan.

Nationally, drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for children under the age of 5, the second leading cause for children under 15, and the third leading cause for people under 30. There are significant disparities between Black and white populations in drowning death rates, with African American males from ages 15 to 19 facing the highest per-capita rates of drowning.

The measure originated from a controversy between residents of the Rogers Park neighborhood and the Chicago Park District over a lack of life saving rings on lakefront piers.

“We have had too many tragic and, in many cases, preventable deaths on Lake Michigan,” Peters said. “This is a long overdue safety measure that will help make all of us safer when we enjoy the lake this summer.”

The measure passed the Senate on Tuesday. It now heads to the governor’s desk.