Dear Neighbor,

The General Assembly took action on a number of important initiatives during this Spring legislative session. 

In response to growing constituent concerns regarding the economic condition of Illinois, the Senate Democrats took significant steps to address the budget deficit, education reform, and workers’ compensation reform among other issues.   Although we still have a lot of work ahead of us, these achievements will help to lay the path towards economic recovery.  Some measures ultimately did not make it through the legislature, but the promise to continue discussions will soon bring resolve to these issues.  For more information on the 2011 Spring Session Overview, please click here to view the May 31, 2011 Illinois Senate Democrats’ Majority Report.

Listed below are a handful of my legislative accomplishments over the past several months.  For updates on these and other legislative matters as well as district news, please visit my website, www.senatorhunter.com.

Sincerely,

Mattie Hunter

State Senator – 3rd District

 

ADDRESSING THE DISPROPORTIONATE INCARCERATION OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS

In response to findings released in January by the Illinois Disproportionate Justice Impact Study Commission (DJIS) in 2008, I sponsored two measures that addressed the disproportionate incarceration of African-Americans.  Senate Bill 2271 creates the Racial and Ethnic Impact Research Task Force to determine the best method to collect and analyze racial and ethnic identity data from arrests in order to create a Racial and Ethnic Impact Statement for Illinois’ criminal laws.  This impact statement would ensure that criminal laws in our state will not have a disproportionate impact towards certain ethnic groups.  A related measure, House Bill 2048, allows State’s Attorney Offices to use funds generated by the sale of property seized during drug arrests to support local drug treatment facilities and half-way houses. 

FOCUSING ON BETTER HEALTH PRACTICES

To prevent possible drug to drug interactions, Senate Bill 1234 will help disclose pharmaceutical information between physicians, therapists and care providers.  This precaution will help especially in the case of emergency. 

In response to an overwhelming outbreak of “whooping cough” in 2010, House Bill 1707 requires the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to work with the Department of Public Health to raise awareness of immunizations for infectious diseases.  The measure also requires DCFS to provide up-to-date information on its website about the benefits of immunization and updates on immunization practices. 

PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITIES

The definition of stalking has had a murky and sometimes unclear definition and the General Assembly has worked hard over the past couple of years to better clarify acts of stalking in the criminal code.  Senate Bill 2267 clarifies that a defendant is guilty of the crimes of stalking, aggravated stalking or cyberstalking if they direct a third party commit the crime against the victim. 

HELPING LOW INCOME FAMILIES AFFORD CHILD CARE

An initiative of the Department of Human Services, Senate Bill 1236 will allow the Department to establish a cost sharing co-payment scale for families that receive child care services, regardless of how many children the family may have.

ADDRESSING THE CONCERN OF ETHNIC DISPARITIES IN THE COMMUNITY

House Bill 1457 creates the Commission to End the Disparities Facing the African-American Community which will produce an initial report to the Governor and the General Assembly on the disparities facing African-Americans in education, healthcare, healthcare services, employment, criminal justice, and other economic and social issues. 

To better examine issues related to racial and socioeconomic differences affecting the pro-social development of children, identify ways to engage more parents to be accountable for their children’s actions, and to identify ways to engage more communities in being accountable for investing in pro-social development of children and families, the General Assembly adopted Senate Joint Resolution 2.  The study will be conducted by the newly created Parents and Community Accountability Study Committee.

 PROTECTING SENIORS FROM FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION

House Bill 1689 enhances the penalties for the offense of Financial Exploitation of an Elderly Person or Person with a Disability and allows the courts to order a defendant guilty of the offense to pay restitution beyond the five year time limit currently in statute.

HELPING ILLINOIS BUSNIESSES

Theater productions that bring their show to our state help to boost our economy through jobs, production costs and marketing.  House Bill 1355 would apply the tax credit to live theater productions whose labor and marketing expenditures would be greater than $100,000.  The measure states a cap of $2,000,000 for each theater production plus $500,000 for other costs paid to Illinois workers and businesses.

To focus on job creation through Illinois’ small businesses, House Bill 3186 creates the Small Business Contract Act which establishes 10 percent as the total dollar amount of State contracts to be awarded to small businesses each fiscal year.  The measure also requires each state agency’s chief procurement officer to file a compliance plan outlining how it will meet the 10 percent goal. Also passed this session was Senate Bill 1270 which sets a goal that three percent of all state contracts for procurement by veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran owned businesses.