Since 1938, the United States Department of Labor has provided opportunities through Section 14(c) certificates to provide every American with a chance to work. These certificates allow employers to hire intellectually and developmentally disabled individuals at wages below the federal minimum and set up “workshops” to provide support for these workers. Despite the incredible strides our nation has made to promote inclusivity and dignity in the workplace for Americans with disabilities, new legislation in Illinois threatens to eliminate these programs entirely. As a result, many concerned leg ..read more

Illinois House Democrats have introduced new legislation that would eliminate single-family zoning areas in Illinois’ largest cities. House Bill 4795, introduced to the General Assembly by Representative Kam Buckner (D -Chicago), would establish the Single-Family Zoning Ban Act. The proposed legislation would require all townships, municipalities, and counties with populations greater than 100,000 residents to make several amendments to their zoning ordinances and zoning maps. Such amendments would require all zoning areas currently zoned for single-family homes to allow the use of “middle h ..read more

With only six weeks left in the legislative schedule, newly minted State Representative Patrick Sheehan wasted no time getting to work on behalf of his constituents. In his statement to the press last week, Sheehan said he couldn't wait to hit the ground running for suburban families. And, hit the ground running is exactly what he did. Sheehan was sworn into office on Friday to fill the vacancy left by the retiring Representative Tim Ozinga and by Monday he was in the State Capitol voting his District's interests on the raucous floor of the Illinois House of Representatives. The whirlwind d ..read more

Today, most of the 120 acres that make up Northerly Island, just south of Chicago’s Loop, are underutilized and under-appreciated. However, despite its lack of use today, Northerly Island used to be home to one of the world’s most unique and beloved airports: Merrill C. Meigs Field. In 1925, Northly Island was constructed, as first suggested by architect Daniel Burnham in his “Plan Of Chicago”. The plan outlined several proposals to bring more beauty to the city, including a man-made island connected by a land bridge that would be used as a space for a large park. However, as the aviation in ..read more

The House Personnel and Pensions committee has unanimously approved State Representative Brandun Schweizer's first bill, which seeks to provide members of the Teacher Retirement System (TRS) with more peace of mind when it comes to their healthcare benefits. His legislation will protect TRS enrollees from lapses in healthcare services when the state makes changes to their insurance benefits, like it did in 2022. In 2022, Medicare-eligible state retirees were summarily informed that Aetna insurance would be the only Medicare option available to them. Moreover the change wa ..read more

The Illinois House Judiciary Committee has unanimously approved State Representative Nicole La Ha's first bill which seeks to eliminate the statute of limitations for human trafficking offenses that involve children under the age of 18 years old.  Children account for 27% of all the human trafficking victims worldwide and the trauma they endure will last a lifetime. This legislation will provide child survivors of trafficking unlimited time to come to terms with their abuse and the opportunity to pursue justice in their own time.  “By extending the prosecution window for crimes a ..read more

CRIMINAL LAW Cashless Bail Fails: Six months of diminished public safety. Six months after the full implementation of the cashless bail, and other provisions, of the Illinois SAFE-T Act, Illinois residents are finding themselves anything but safe. “House Republicans warned against the passage of the SAFE-T Act because of problematic provisions in the law that make the work of law enforcement officials harder to do, and because the law will make our communities less safe. We opposed ending cash bail. We opposed anonymous complaints against police officers. We opposed the very nature of the w ..read more

Women have had an impact in agriculture in the U.S. for some time, whether it be on the farm, in the classroom, or in the boardroom. Many of those roles have been understated, but the important role women play in the industry cannot be ignored, especially as it continues to evolve and modernize. Moving forward, the next generation of women must be educated and ready to adapt as they face the challenges of the world’s ever-changing fuel and food needs. The good news is that more women than ever are choosing careers in agriculture, with data from 2012 through 2017 showing a 27 percent increase ..read more

The 2023-2024 FAFSA application is due June 30, 2024. FAFSA, or the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is a form utilized by universities across the country to determine whether a student is eligible for financial aid and loans. This year’s FAFSA has seen several changes in an effort to simplify the process for applicants. One of those changes is known as the ‘Grandparent Loophole’, which now makes college payments made by grandparents exempt from the form. Previously, the FAFSA application counted grandparent contributions as untaxed student income under a 529 plan. A 529 plan is a g ..read more

The cost of providing services to undocumented immigrants and asylum seekers is costing Illinois taxpayers an estimated $2.84 billion since July 1, 2022. This does not include education costs or other various state and local services. Estimated Illinois taxpayer spending on non-citizens from Fiscal Year 2023 to Fiscal Year 2025 include $800,000 in support services, which is broken down to $478,000 for asylum seeker assistance, $160,000 for new additional state investments, and $182,000 for emergency funding requests. While estimated healthcare costs for undocumented immigrants and asylum se ..read more