Proposal for Enhanced Accessibility for Individuals with Disabilities Advances. The Illinois Senate has advanced new legislation to improve accessibility and inclusivity for individuals with disabilities and their caregivers in public spaces to the House.

Senate Bill 1089, also known as Sami’s Law, would require the State Capitol building and all of the state’s rest stops to install at least one publicly accessible adult changing station.

Sami’s Law, sponsored by Senator Sue Rezin, was created as an initiative of one of Sen. Rezin’s district staffers, Renee Abraham. The bill is named after Renee’s 26-year-old daughter, who suffers from Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Renee was granted the opportunity to testify during the hearing.

The legislation was first introduced during a subject matter hearing in the Senate Executive Committee and was later amended into another bill to allow its passage.

CTU’s Day Off. Hundreds of members of the Chicago Teacher’s Union (CTU) took a taxpayer-funded day off at the Capitol May 15 to demand $1 billion more in state funding for Chicago Public Schools (CPS).

Hypocrisy was on full display as the union’s members took a day away from the classroom, forcing the district to spend significant taxpayer dollars on substitute teachers, while also paying salaries of the CTU members who traveled to Springfield.

Under the Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) model, school districts are divided into a four-tier system with Tier One school districts being those that have the greatest need for new state funding to adequately educate their students. Since the funding formula was passed, and with additional state support, CPS has already moved up to Tier 2.

State Senator Sue Rezin noted that for many years CPS has received a disproportionate share of the state’s education resources through special carve-outs and unique grants, such as hundreds of millions from the Chicago Block Grant that was written into the CPS base as part of the formula.

Bill Mandating Child Abuse Awareness Notices in Businesses Advances. To enhance the safety of minors across the state, Senate Republicans have introduced a bill that mandates public posting of child abuse reporting information in various public establishments.

House Bill 4350 requires establishments to display a notice, developed by the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) in collaboration with an accredited Children's Advocacy Center, providing essential contact information and guidance on how minors can report instances of physical and sexual abuse.

An amended version of House Bill 4350 passed out of the Senate unanimously on May 16 and now returns to the House for a concurrence vote.

Illinois Pays Tribute to Fallen Firefighters in Annual Memorial Ceremony. State leaders gathered in Springfield on May 14 to attend the 31st Annual Fallen Firefighter Memorial and Medal of Honor Ceremony.

This occasion included a tribute to five Illinois firefighters who died in the line of duty last year. Another 12 firefighters from around the state were honored with medals of honor or valor for acts of outstanding bravery.