Bill Passes Illinois General Assembly on Memorial Day

SPRINGFIELD – New legislation paving the way for a first-of-its-kind, state-of-the-art oral care center located on Chicago’s near West Side is making its way to the desk of State of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker thanks to the efforts of State Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) and State Representative Lakesia Collins (D-Chicago).

House Bill 690 will allow the dentists from Aspen Dental to provide much-needed dental care to underserved Illinois veterans. Dentists from other states will be able to practice under a temporary license to care for those in need at the Aspen Dental Management Inc. Oral Care Center in Chicago, which is expected to open in 2022.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) supported an initiative Sunday to maintain and expand telehealth services.

“COVID-19 has significantly increased the need for remote health services, but the truth is this need has always been here and will remain here once this pandemic is behind us,” Hunter said. “Whether we are isolating during a pandemic or simply elderly people with mobility or transportation issues, we need to be able to receive the necessary services and treatment, and telehealth gives patients that option.”

SPRINGFIELD – An effort to create more affordable housing for Illinois residents led by State Senators Mattie Hunter, Ann Gillespie and Sara Feigenholtz passed the Senate Sunday.

“People are still recovering from the financial struggles brought on by the pandemic, making affordable housing more necessary than ever before,” said Hunter (D-Chicago). “With many people behind on rent and struggling with unemployment, we have to do more to help them.”

SPRINGFIELD – In cases such as Daunte Wright, Sandra Bland, and many others, traffic stops have escalated into police violence against Black Americans. That all too common circumstance led State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) to pass a measure to ensure all new drivers are provided with guidance on how to interact with law enforcement during traffic stops.

“Unfortunately for Black people, traffic stops are something we know can take a rogue turn, and even end in the loss of life,” Hunter said. “Though ultimately, respectability may not always save someone from a police officers’ harmful biases, it can be helpful for drivers to be informed of their rights and what the typical protocol is supposed to be during a traffic stop.”