Hunter: More work to be done on police-community relations after Van Dyke verdict

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago 3rd) issued the following statement after police officer Jason Van Dyke was found guilty of second degree murder in the 2014 shooting of Laquan McDonald:

“I know I join many of you in breathing a sigh of relief that the officer who murdered Laquan McDonald four years ago was brought to justice today.

Nothing can take away the pain his family feels, and my deepest sympathies are with them.

Justice may have prevailed today, but we still have much work to do in improving the damaged relationship between law enforcement officers and the communities they serve.

In the coming days and weeks, please be thoughtful about the small acts of peace and progress you can make. And I encourage you to sit down with your family, friends and community members and have conversations about how to improve the relationship between law enforcement officers and citizens of Chicago.”

Hunter holds hearing in Chicago to discuss solutions to the affordable housing crisis

CHICAGO – In her third stop on a statewide tour, State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) convened the Senate Special Committee on Housing Thursday to look for ways to address the issues of lack of affordable housing and rising rent prices.

“It’s not hyperbole to say that we face a crisis,” Hunter said. “Skyrocketing housing costs affect our entire state and all types of communities. We know that the demand is great, and that’s why we’re on this tour to find new and innovative solutions to help preserve affordable housing options.”

More than 200 people attended the Senate Special Committee in Chicago to weigh in on lifting a statewide ban on rent control.

Currently, Illinois is one of 35 states across the country with a rent control ban. Hunter discussed her legislation which would lift the 1997 ban on state and city governments enacting any measure that would regulate or control rent prices on private property.

Hunter’s measure would establish elected rent control boards across the state, divided into six regions. The boards would regulate rent for households of specified income levels and could restrict annual rent increases to the rate of inflation. They could also create rules on how much notice must be given before rent is increased and would oversee the creation of a reserve account for landlords to pay for repairs and building improvements.

“Although this bill is focused on rent control, it is only one of the options that we’re pursuing,” Hunter said. “My overall goal with these hearings is to gather as much information as we can, so that we have all the tools we need to move forward, and craft a legislative solution that creates strong communities and expands access to safe, decent and affordable housing.

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Hunter continues discussion on affordable housing and rent control in Rockford

ROCKFORD – In her second stop on a state-wide tour, State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) convened the Senate Special Committee on Housing Wednesday to look for ways to create, promote and develop affordable housing opportunities for communities in Rockford and Winnebago County. 

“The demand for affordable housing in Rockford and throughout the state is great,” Hunter said. “It’s more important than ever to create affordable housing opportunities in order to boost economic mobility, reduce poverty and homelessness, improve health outcomes and strengthen the economy.”

Hunter is looking to make low-income housing in Rockford more affordable by lifting the state’s ban on rent control. Currently, Illinois is one of 35 states across the country with a rent control ban.

Hunter discussed a bill she has in the Illinois Senate which aims at lifting that ban, which has been in place since 1997 to prevent state and city governments from enacting any measure that would regulate or control rent prices on private residential or commercial property.

Hunter’s measure would establish elected rent control boards in six regions. The boards would regulate rent for households of specified income levels and could restrict annual rent increases to the rate of inflation. They could also create rules on how much notice must be given before rent is increased and would oversee the creation of a reserve account for landlords to pay for repairs and capital improvements.

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Hunter holds Energy Innovation hearing to discuss how AI fits into the future of energy

CHICAGO – State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) convened a Senate sub-committee on energy innovation in Chicago this afternoon to discuss ways artificial intelligence could be applied within the energy market in Illinois.

“There’s a proven need for clean, affordable and reliable energy,” Hunter said. “It’s essential to fight poverty and climate change. Artificial intelligence is one of the resources we can tap into to help us meet that need.”

Representatives from Siemens, Argonne National Laboratory, Illinois Institute of Technology, Illinois Department of Military Affairs, Illinois Commerce Commission, Citizen’s Utility Board and ComEd provided testimony on how AI can affect the way that energy is generated, transmitted, sold and consumed.  

The discussion also touched on how AI in energy could affect the economy, help save millions of dollars in energy costs, cybersecurity threat detection and response and how to use it to manage the high volume of data in the energy sector.

“Although AI is in its early stages, it’s clear that it’s supposed to revolutionize how we produce and distribute energy,” Hunter said. “As this technology develops, we will continue to discuss ways and look for opportunities for Illinois to become one of the leaders in AI within the energy sector.”