Members of the Illinois General Assembly showed their support of the American Heart Association’s "Go Red for Women" campaign in the Capitol today. Go Red for Women encourages women to know their risks and take action to protect their health.

Cardiovascular disease claims the lives of nearly 500,000 American women each year. The American Heart Association created Go Red for Women to empower women to take charge of their heart health.

CHICAGO – State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) will serve as an Illinois ambassador in her new position of State Director to the Women in Government Foundation, Inc. The new role will help Hunter drive commerce and educational opportunities in the state.

“Bringing best practices, cutting-edge research and information back to Illinois can help us in our time of need,” said Hunter. “I’m looking forward to working with women legislators from across the nation to move our states forward.”

CHICAGO – As Illinois faces another year without a state budget, Republican legislative leaders announced the governor’s plan for a state takeover of Chicago Public Schools instead of a budgetary plan. In response, Senate leader Mattie Hunter released the following statement:

“Bankruptcy may work for corporations but it doesn’t work for our children in Chicago,” said Majority Caucus Whip Mattie Hunter, (D-Chicago, 3rd district). “Shortchanging our kids, teachers and communities for partisan points is a new low, even for Rauner.”

In the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., let us honor his memory by restoring and preserving the sense of family in our communities. Let us work together to ensure our neighborhoods are safer and stronger tomorrow than they are today. Let us provide services for the vulnerable and create fair, equal opportunities for all Americans to have a safe home, a good job and a hope for a prosperous future.