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Rep. Moeller: 2020 Session Opportunity to Help People

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This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author’s own.

Neighbor News

State Rep. Anna Moeller plans to pursue legislation this year that will help people overcome challenges in their lives.

By Cassie Calloway, Neighbor
|
Rep. Moeller: 2020 Session Opportunity to Help People

ELGIN — Feeling the stress of personal challenges in your life? State Rep. Anna Moeller just may have an answer.

Rep. Moeller, D-Elgin, is pursuing an active legislative agenda in Springfield this year aimed at helping resolve lingering problems, from health care for seniors to child protection for state wards.

Read more about her 2020 agenda here:

After a historic 2019 legislative session, State Rep. Anna Moeller is preparing for an equally productive session in 2020.

Rep. Moeller, D-Elgin, expects a number of critical initiatives to be debated in Springfield in the 2020 spring legislative session that has recently begun, led by another balanced, bi-partisan state budget; clean energy legislation; and ethics reform to restore faith in government.

Moeller will be working on a number of issues before the session ends at the end of May:

Affordable Medications and Access to Healthcare – Illinoisans pay too much for quality health care, especially prescription drug coverage. Moeller is introduced HB5340, which creates a pharmaceutical collaborative through the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services to reduce costs. She is also continuing efforts to create a system for the Wholesale Importation of Prescription Drugs from regulated Canadian suppliers to provide greater access to lower cost prescription drugs to consumers in Illinois. (HB4362)

Moeller serves as Chairwoman of the House Health Care Licenses Committee. She is proposing reforms to the professional licensing process for medical and other professions to ensure that consumers are protected, patients have access to healthcare and barriers to employment in licensed professions for minorities are removed. (HB5516)

Helping Seniors Stay in their Homes – Moeller believes Illinois can do more to keep seniors living longer in their homes, both to improve their quality of life and to save significant state dollars over nursing home care. She is proposing a $750 state income tax credit for Illinoisans who make modifications in their home to take care of their elderly parents. (HB4363) She also wants to increase the state-reimbursed pay to ensure that home health care workers who provide services to seniors in their homes are paid a living wage. (HB5051)

Protecting Vulnerable Children – Adopted as a baby by her maternal grandparents, Moeller is disheartened by the ongoing problems in the state’s foster care system. She is working with a group of dedicated lawmakers on reforms to the Department of Children and Family Services and has sponsored legislation to make positive changes in the state’s child welfare system.

One proposal would give investigators greater ability to investigate suspected abuse and neglect by interviewing children at school without parental notification if there is suspected abuse or neglect by the parent. (HB5614). Rep. Moeller is working with her Senate colleagues on a proposal to require children under kindergarten age to be enrolled in preschool if their family is under DCFS monitoring, so there is another set of eyes watching out for their safety and a proposal to address the high turnover of social workers through a proposal to provide a federally matched college tuition stipend for students who commit to getting a bachelor’s degree in social work and then work in the child welfare system for a set number of years.

"My goal as State Representative is to help people who often don’t have a voice and who are often left behind," Moeller said. "Lowering the cost of health care, supporting independent living by our seniors, protecting our vulnerable children: these are all ways I can make a difference in Springfield, and I’m looking forward to working with my colleagues to make progress on these and other important issues this spring."

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via Elgin, IL Patch https://patch.com

February 25, 2020 at 09:30AM

Election 2020: Longtime state Rep. Rita Mayfield faces first-ever primary challenge

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Diana Burdette, who is challenging incumbent state Rep. Rita Mayfield in the March primary, speaks at an Illinois Environmental Protection Agency rules session about the ventilation system upgrades at Vantage Specialty Chemicals’ Gurnee facility. Ethylene oxide emissions were the catalyst for Burdette getting involved in local politics, she said. (Diana Burdette / HANDOUT)

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via chicagotribune.com

February 25, 2020 at 06:42AM

Illinois lawmaker wants to limit use of Native American mascots

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A bill in the Illinois House of Representatives would force schools to obtain permission to use Native American mascots or nicknames. … Click to Continue »

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Region: Metro East,Feeds,News,City: Belleville

via Metro East Breaking News, Sports & Crime | https://www.bnd.com/

February 25, 2020 at 04:37AM

Edly-Allen to host 3 events:

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House District 51 State Rep. Mary Edly-Allen of Libertyville is hosting three upcoming Mary on the Matters constituent meet-and-greets. The events will be on Saturday, Feb. 22, 11 a.m. to noon at the Long Grove Coffee Co., 126 Old McHenry Road in Long Grove; Monday, March 23, 10 to 11 a.m. at the Ela Public Library, 275 Mohawk Trail in Lake Zurich; and Monday, April 20, 9 to 10 a.m. at the Deer Park Panera, at 20530 Rand Road in Deer Park. Edly-Allen will answer questions from constituents in a more personal, one-on-one setting. The event is free and open to the public.

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via Daily Herald

February 23, 2020 at 06:28PM

Gordon-Booth Spearheads Anti-Hairstyle Discrimination Effort

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State Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth (D-Peoria) is sponsoring legislation that would ban discrimination based on someone’s hairstyle.

 The Crown Act would amend the Illinois Human Rights Act to ban discrimination against hairstyles such as locks. Gordon-Booth said the bill would help black and Latinx women disproportionately impacted by hairstyle discrimination in the workplace and their daily lives.

 She said the bill likely won’t come up for a vote until May. That’s because she’s planning a statewide media campaign called “The Politics of Hair” to build momentum.

 ”Policy doesn’t necessarily change minds. You really have to touch someone’s mind and their heart to really make a cultural change. And that’s what we’re really hoping for with this,” she said.

 Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx will participate, and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has also been asked. But the main goal is to gather the stories of average people.

 ”The real goal for me is to get the real stories of just everyday women. Not people with big titles and the like, but folks that have real stories that may not have ever had a voice,” Gordon-Booth said. “To give them that voice in this space is something that I’m really looking forward to doing.”

 The bill also has personal meaning for Gordon-Booth. Her mother altered her natural hairstyle to a perm to help advance her career. Her blood pressure medication affected her scalp, so she stopped taking it to prepare for her next perm appointment shortly before her death.

 Gordon-Booth plans photo shoots in Peoria, Springfield, and Chicago in the coming months.

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Feeds,News,Region: Peoria,City: Peoria,Region: Central

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February 22, 2020 at 01:50PM

Connor responds to Gov. budget address

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State Rep. John Connor, D-Lockport, issued the following statement after Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s annual budget address Wednesday:

“As we begin another budget process, it is important to recognize that tough decisions will need to be made. We must continue to pay down old bills and meet our pension obligations, but also fund the commitments made to our schools and lifesaving services such as domestic violence shelters and senior care.

“I want to make sure we are helping residents receive quality, affordable health care, as well as expanding opportunities for early childhood education. Property taxes continue to be a burden on too many families, and I want us to take steps to effectively lower bills for all homeowners.

“I look forward to working with the governor and members on both sides of the aisle as we review today’s proposal’s specifics and gather input from residents and stakeholders. There will need to be difficult decisions, but together we can craft a responsible, balanced plan that reflects our shared values and works to build a stronger Illinois.”

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News,Region: Joliet,Region: South Suburbs

via The Times Weekly stories https://ift.tt/2As9rC1

February 19, 2020 at 03:59PM

Manley responds to Gov. budget address

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To highlight her plans to pass a balanced state budget, state Rep. Natalie Manley, D-Joliet, issued the below statement following Governor JB Pritzker’s budget address:

“While significant progress has been made to put Illinois in a better financialposition, there is still much more work to be done to pay off the state’s old bills and provide property tax relief to local homeowners. I look forward to working in a bipartisan manner to craft a state budget plan that prioritizes these needs and lifts up Illinois’ families.

“To be a strong voice for our community, I continually meet with local leaders, knock on doors in local neighborhoods and host legislative advisory committees and other events to hear the thoughts and concerns of community residents. I know firsthand that working and middle-class families are being crushed by an unfair, immense tax burden. I will not support a budget plan that balances on the backs of middle-class families, seniors or other vulnerable residents. Instead we need a balanced, bipartisan budget that invests in our schools, public safety and other important programs with no new tax increases.

“To build a stronger Illinois, my top priorities continue to be real property tax relief and a Fair Tax plan to relieve the burden felt by local families. I will continue advocating to ensure our voices are heard in the state Capitol and working to pass a balanced, bipartisan budget plan.”

For more information, please contact Manley’s constituent service office at 815-725-2741 or RepManley@gmail.com.

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News,Region: Joliet,Region: South Suburbs

via The Times Weekly stories https://ift.tt/2As9rC1

February 19, 2020 at 03:59PM

St. Rep. Yednock says governor’s budget address lays out a plan for the state’s future

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St. Rep. Lance Yednock says political parties don’t matter to him or his neighbors, but results do. The Ottawa Democrat says one of the things he’s fighting for is lower taxes. His statement after the governor’s budget address Wednesday says Pritzker laid out a blueprint for the state’s financial future. He says the state needs to pay down its backlog of old bills and live within its means.

Yednock’s statement:
“Today’s address laid the blueprint for Illinois’ financial future. To put our state back on the right financial track, we must ensure that the state pays down its backlog of old bills and shows financial responsibility in its budget. The governor has the opportunity to continue moving Illinois forward by prioritizing middle-class families in Illinois while correcting the errors made by his predecessor, and I stand ready to work with my colleagues to accomplish that.

“Since day one, I have heard from residents in the Illinois Valley about the need for meaningful tax relief, and I’ve heard them loud and clear. For too long, legislators have punted the football on this issue, but it’s time for Springfield to tackle the most pressing issues head-on. We need to make sure working families aren’t priced out of their homes, and we can do that by reforming a broken system that doesn’t work for the middle class. Local families have to live within their means and their household budget, and it’s time for the state to do the same.
“My priority remains protecting working families. That means fighting for affordable health care, higher wages, realized pension payments, and lower taxes for the middle class. There is so much more work left to be done and I’ll work with Republicans and Democrats to get them done. Political parties don’t matter to me or my neighbors; but results do, and I am committed to making sure that our state works for all Illinois residents.”

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Region: Northern,Feeds,News,Region: La Salle

via WCMY-AM http://www.1430wcmy.com

February 19, 2020 at 03:31PM

Bill pitches new rules for use of Native American mascots, logos in Illinois

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Rockford lawmaker’s proposal comes after student-led protest at Hononegah

ROCKFORD — Illinois schools using Native American mascots and logos may be required to get written consent from local tribes and provide education on Native American history and culture if they want to participate in playoff-level competition.

State Rep. Maurice West, D-Rockford, pitched the amendment to the Interscholastic Athletic Organization Act last week.

The proposal comes on the heels of a student-led protest over the use of the Princess Hononegah Indian mascot and other Indian imagery and iconography at Hononegah High School in Rockton.

While the school is named after a real Indian named Hononegah, who was the wife of Rockton’s first settler, Stephen Mack, students asked the Hononegah School Board to end the school’s tradition of having a cheerleader dress in an Indian Princess costume and dance at sporting events, remove the Indian chief logo from the building and identify a new mascot for the school.

West’s bill would allow Hononegah to continue using the Indian name and Princess Hononegah mascot with conditions.

According to the proposed legislation, schools wanting to use a Native American logo, mascot of other Native American imagery would have to:

• receive the express written consent of a Native American tribe based within 500 miles of the school

• conduct a schoolwide program on Native American culture at least twice per school year

• offer a course of study to its students outlining Native American contributions to society

• file an annual report with the State Board of Education detailing what academic programs on Native Americans it has offered during the school year

Failure to meet the requirements of House Bill 4783 would led to ineligibility to participate in playoff competitions.

“There are logos and caricatures that have been used through the course of sports history that should have never existed and deserve to be left in the past,” West said on his website. “This legislation is an opportunity to ensure we are teaching our children how to properly respect the heritage and culture of Native Americans we draw inspiration from.”

Corina Curry: 815-987-1371; ccurry@rrstar.com; @corinacurry

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via Sports – Rockford Register Star https://ift.tt/38QsnZy

February 18, 2020 at 12:02PM

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