SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Senate today approved a resolution introduced by State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) to create the Kidney Disease Prevention and Education Task Force to raise awareness and reduce the burden of kidney disease throughout Illinois.

The task force, established under Senate Joint Resolution 49, will work with the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois and leading educational institutions to create health education programs to increase awareness of and examine chronic kidney disease, transplants and kidney donations, and the greater rates of diagnosis in minority groups. This will include a statewide public awareness campaign consisting of health education workshops, seminars, and social media, TV, and radio outreach.

“Lack of awareness and access to treatment is costing us lives. Far too many Illinoisans are falling victim to a disease that is largely preventable,” Hunter said. “On this World Diabetes Day, we’re taking action to creating a healthier Illinois. This is the first step toward reducing the burden of kidney disease and the racial disparities in kidney health and treatment.”

If chronic kidney disease is detected early and managed correctly, swift treatment can slow and even stop kidney deterioration.

Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease. Roughly 1 in 4 adults with diabetes has kidney disease.

Thirty-one million Americans, including 1.12 million Illinois residents, are living with chronic kidney disease.

African-Americans are four times as likely to develop kidney failure as Caucasians, while Hispanics are twice as likely.

Kidney disease is the ninth leading cause of death in the United States.

The task force will consist of legislators, doctors, non-profit leaders, and officials from the Department of Public Health and the Department of Healthcare and Family Services.

CHICAGO – Free eyeglasses, health screenings, giveaways, live entertainment, and family activities will be available at the 16th Annual Family Health & Fitness Fair, which will be held in Illinois’s 3rd Senate District in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood on the South Side.

Get back-to-school ready with free immunizations, school supplies, and haircuts. More than 50 vendors will participate, which is the most in the event’s history. (Vendor list attached.)

WHEN: 10 a.m.– 2 p.m. Saturday, August 3, 2019

WHERE: Illinois Institute of Technology on the field north of S. R. Crown Hall at 33rd & State Street

 Other highlights include:

1. Free Chicago CityKey cards will be issued by the City Clerk of Chicago. CityKey is a valid government ID card issued to Chicago residents (10 a.m.–noon).
2. Illinois Secretary of State will issue state IDs.
3. Divvy-Lyft will introduce their D4E, or Divvy for Everyone, a Chicago program that offers a $5 annual membership for those in financial need.
4. Health services, including eye examinations, massages, and health screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, osteoporosis, and diabetes.
5. The St. Bernard Hospital Pediatric Mobile Health Unit and Illinois Department of Public Health’s W.O.W. Mobile will provide health examinations and immunizations. 
6. AT&T will provide free residential document shredding.

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SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) voted in favor today to make it legal for adults 21 and older to purchase and possess cannabis in Illinois.

House Bill 1438 would allow Illinois residents to possess up to 30 grams of cannabis, 5 grams of cannabis concentrate or 500 milligrams of THC in a cannabis-infused product. The bill also allows for adults 21 and older to grow up to five medical cannabis plants in their home, providing certain conditions are met.

“Communities of color in Illinois have been disproportionately impacted by misguided cannabis policy for far too long,” Hunter said. “I supported the legalization of adult-use cannabis in our state to help address the disproportionate impact of prohibition on people of color by expunging criminal convictions and promote equitable participation in the legal marijuana industry by investing in the communities hardest hit by the War on Drugs.”

Under the bill, cannabis convictions would be expunged in two ways. Convictions for use up to 30 grams would be pardoned by the governor, and state’s attorneys or individuals can petition the court to vacate convictions for amounts between 30-500 grams.

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SPRINGFIELD–State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago, 3^rd) joined community leaders and affordable housing advocates from across Illinois at the State Capitol today in calling for more investments in affordable housing in the capital budget.

“Right now, we have an opportunity – one that has not come around in more than a decade – to make a sizable impact on the affordable housing needs of our communities,” said Hunter, the Chairman of the Senate’s Special Committee on Housing. “There are neighborhoods in my district that are still struggling to recover from the economic crisis and are starved for investment, and I know that many communities across the state from urban, suburban and rural communities face similar challenges.”

Last week, Gov. JB Pritzker proposed investing $175 million for affordable housing in the capital budget. Hunter unified with a coalition of housing developers, supportive housing providers, municipal government and community-based organizations to urge the General Assembly to expand on this foundation by allocating additional funds to create stronger communities by expanding access to safe, decent and affordable housing.

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