* ABC Chicago…

The Let Parents Choose Protection Act gained momentum on Wednesday in the Illinois General Assembly.

House Bill 5380, also known as Sammy’s Law, is named after 16-year-old Sammy Chapman.

The teen died after buying fentanyl-laced drugs on Snapchat and having them delivered to his home.

Sammy’s Law would mandate social media platforms to provide data to a third-party software for parents to track their children online.

* WGEM…

The bill, which passed unanimously out of the House Consumer Protection Committee, would require large social media companies like TikTok, Snapchat and Meta, which is Facebook and Instagram’s parent company, to use third-party software companies that would alert them if their kid is getting cyber bullied, talking about suicide, buying drugs or potentially other dangerous activity on the platform.

“Social media has become a five-alarm fire for our kids, and lawmakers have been too slow to react. Our laws are outdated. They haven’t kept pace with technology. It’s only now that we’re discovering that tech has had this ability to target our children for years,” said state Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, D-Glenveiw, the bill’s sponsor.

She said similar legislation has been filed in California and at the federal level.

The bill would give the Illinois Attorney General’s Office the power to go after large social media companies that don’t comply. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul also voiced support for the legislation.

* Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights…

On March 21st, 500+ immigrants and allies from across Illinois will gather in Springfield to advocate for key budget demands and legislation that directly impact immigrant communities. Attendees will rally outside the Capitol to demand funding for Immigrant Services through the Immigrant Service Line Item (ISLI) and passing the Work Without Fear Act (HB5071).

Full Demands Include:

- Immigrant Service Line Item (ISLI) - Immigrant community organizations are demanding $40 million for essential services such as interpretation and translation, citizenship assistance, and DACA scholarships;
- Work Without Fear Act (HB 5071) - This legislation aims to protect workers from immigration-based retaliation, ensuring that all workers can assert their rights without fear of consequences related to their immigration status;
- Healthcare for All - Reopen enrollment and ensure long-term stability for the Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors and Adults programs as part of the push for healthcare for all;
- Child Tax Credit - Enact a Child Tax Credit that benefits as many families as possible, including those who file their taxes using an ITIN;
- State Guaranteed Income Pilot Program - Create a state level guaranteed income program targeted at Moms & Babies program participants, those who are unhoused, and those reentering the community after incarceration;
- Revenue - Increased revenue is needed to ensure that all families across the state have access to healthcare, childcare, education, and economic opportunity.

* One Fair Wage…

This Thursday, March 21st at 11:30 AM CDT, service industry workers, restaurant owners, and local and national advocacy leaders will hold a State Capitol Rally ahead of a crucial vote by the House Labor Committee to advance HB 5345, legislation ensuring tipped workers in Illinois earn a full and fair minimum wage with tips on top. The push for statewide legislation follows the passage of a historic ordinance in Chicago that abolishes the subminimum wage for tipped employees throughout the nation’s third-largest city.

Thursday’s rally, hosted by One Fair Wage and the Illinois Full and Fair Wage Coalition, will include a brief speaker program. Immediately following the rally, workers and advocates will kick off a Labor Lobby Day to meet with committee members before their afternoon hearing on the historic subminimum wage bill.

Leaders and representatives from several local and national advocacy and labor organizations will participate in the rally and lobby day, including: Chicago Teachers Union; AFL-CIO (Cicero, IL Chapter); SEIU Healthcare Illinois & Indiana; RAISE: High Road Restaurants; Our Revolution; Arise Chicago; Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights; Chicago Workers Collaborative; Raise the Floor Alliance; Shriver Center on Poverty Law; The People’s Lobby; Women Employed; Workers Center for Racial Justice; Warehouse Workers For Justice; National Organization for Women (Chicago Chapter); and AIDS Foundation of Chicago.

* John Downs, president and CEO, National Confectioners Association…

While there has been significant attention given to the proposed food and color additive bans in Illinois and states across the country, the unfortunate reality is that those supporting these proposals are knowingly using inaccuracies and falsehoods to scare consumers and destroy the Food and Drug Administration, including the author of a recent Chicago Sun-Times opinion column.

Here are the facts:

First, all color additives must be approved by the FDA without exception. It is currently reviewing red dye 3 and titanium dioxide with results expected in 2024. Earlier this month, the agency added potassium bromate and propylparaben to their science-based review process. In the case of brominated vegetable oil, FDA conducted its own studies and has initiated steps to remove BVO from the U.S. food supply. This is how our food safety system was designed to work, and it’s a real-time example of it working.

Second, no authoritative body in the world has identified any safety concerns with the use of red dye 3 in food, including FDA, the European Food Safety Authority and JECFA (a United Nations/World Health Organization committee). Although there are broader uses permitted in the U.S., the European Union has determined red Dye 3 is safe in certain products.

Third, FDA deemed titanium dioxide safe in 2021, and JECFA agreed in October 2023. Highly regarded food agencies from the U.S., UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan have confirmed that titanium dioxide is safe to use in food.

* CPS Parents for Buses Coalition…

he CPS Parents for Buses coalition has sent the Chicago Public Schools Board of Education a letter signed by twenty-six alderpeople urging CPS to enact solutions to ease the hardship that CPS’s decision to cancel busing for students in magnet and selective enrollment students has caused constituents in their wards. Alderman Matt Martin of the 47th ward worked collaboratively with CPS Parents for Buses to draft the letter. […]

Additionally, we ask that CPS work in collaboration with parent advocates to influence state legislators and the Illinois Secretary of State to pass laws and regulations that facilitate driver recruitment. Below are four examples of such action that could increase the number of drivers available to CPS:

-Implement the Federal “Under-the-Hood Waiver” to increase the number of eligible drivers by allowing prospective bus drivers to skip the onerous requirement of physically lifting the hood of the bus and identifying parts of the engine;
-Pass HB3476 to enable HopSkipDrive to come to Illinois;
-Offer more Commercial Drivers License (CDL) certification dates/times; and
Offer CDL certification exams in Spanish.

* Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel…

In an effort to bring equity to funding for special education students, State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel passed a measure through the Senate Education Committee that would create a fair reimbursement rate for special education day schools.

“Since I became a state senator, I’ve been working to level the playing field to ensure our students get a quality education in the least restrictive environment,” said Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood). “We have to ensure every child receives the education they deserve, no matter their ZIP code.”

Senate Bill 3606 would equalize the reimbursement rate received by public school districts from the Illinois State Board of Education when sending high-needs special education students to private and public special education day schools.

Under Loughran Cappel’s measure, public schools would be eligible to receive a reimbursement from ISBE for tuition costs for high-needs special education students that exceed the average cost for students not receiving special education services. […]

Senate Bill 3606 passed the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday.

* Center Square…

A state lawmaker is concerned about people taking their pets to the shelter post-pandemic, where workers may have to resort to euthanasia.

Senate Bill 3791 from state Sen. Mike Simmons, D-Chicago, would make it illegal to euthanize dogs and cats in Illinois, which animal shelter groups say could further harm animals and taxpayers.

Lauren Malmberg with the Illinois Animal Control Association said there would be higher costs for everyone. Animal control services provide programs that are funded by taxpayers, but the legislation directly impacts shelters, which means donors might pay more too. […] Malmberg said she’s had a 40-year career in helping animals. When she began, the estimation was 18-20 million dogs and cats being euthanized. But now it’s less than a million. In Illinois, intake data shows a 94% to 96% live-release rate. So less than 10% of dogs and cats entering Illinois shelters are being euthanized.