SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) passed legislation through the Illinois Senate to prevent privately-owned websites from charging a fee to remove mugshots and other outdated information.

These websites, which claim to operate as background checks, frequently charge thousands of dollars to remove the information, even if the record has been expunged, sealed or dismissed. In some cases, the website refused to remove the information even after the individual was acquitted.

“Forcing people to pay thousands of dollars to remove wrong information from a private website is wrong,” Stadelman said. “Many of these people have had their records sealed or expunged, or even had their case dismissed. It’s time to stop these private website owners from taking advantage of them."

In many cases, individuals weren’t even aware their information was listed on the website until they were denied a job opportunity.

Stadelman’s proposal, Senate Bill 2560, passed through the Illinois Senate with a vote of 52-2. It is now in the Illinois House of Representatives.

SPRINGFIELD – In many school districts, students who are unable to pay for lunch can be stigmatized with a special wristband or handstamp, and in some cases – even denied lunch.

To stop this practice known as “lunch shaming” in Illinois, State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) passed Senate Bill 2428 through the Illinois Senate.

“Forcing students to go without lunch is punishing them for the mistakes of their parents,” Stadelman said. “All students, regardless of their parents status or  income level, deserve to have a hot lunch.”

Under Stadelman’s proposal, every school will be required to provide a meal to a student that requests one. While the school can contact the parents directly to request they pay for the child’s lunch, they are prevented from throwing  the meal out, forcing the student to wear a wristband or otherwise stigmatizing them.  If the school district is owed $500 by a student’s parents and they have made a reasonable effort to collect the debt, the district can request the Illinois Comptroller withhold tax refunds from parents to pay off the debt.
“As a state, we can’t force students to sit through class hungry and expect them to learn,” Stadelman said. “This plan ensures all students will be given an opportunity to succeed instead of being forced to learn on an empty stomach.”

The proposal passed through the Illinois Senate with a vote of 41-9-1. It will now head to the Illinois House of Representatives for consideration.

SPRINGFIELD – Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara joined State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) in the Illinois Senate Revenue Committee to testify in support of legislation that would make it easier for developers to invest in downtown Rockford.  
Stadelman’s proposal, Senate Bill 3527, adjusts River Edge Zones in Rockford, Aurora, East St. Louis, Elgin and Peoria to provide additional incentives for redeveloping these communities.
 
“These tax credits have a proven record of spurring economic growth in areas like downtown Rockford,” Stadelman said. “These additional changes will promote even more economic development in our communities.”
 
Under Stadelman’s proposal, developers would be eligible for a one-time 25 percent credit of the eligible expenses of the project. They would also be subject to additional oversight to ensure they qualify for the tax credits.

The legislation passed the Illinois Senate Revenue Committee with a vote of 6-0. It will now be heard by the full Senate.
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SPRINGFIELD –College students would be able to make more informed financial decisions about their education under a measure State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) passed through the Illinois Senate today.

Stadelman’s proposal, Senate Bill 2559, creates a three-year pilot program that requires each public university and community college to send an annual letter detailing the current loan and annual repayment amounts to all students with college loans.

“Every year, thousands of Illinois students graduate from college and are faced with tens of thousands of dollars in student loans. For many of these students, it’s the first time they completely realize the full expense of their education,” Stadelman said. “This proposal ensures students know up-front how much they will owe and gives them the information to make smart financial decisions early to save money in the long run.”
Student loan debt in the United States has skyrocketed from $833 billion to an all-time high of $1.4 trillion, according to recent studies. On average, college students graduate with over $34,000 in debt, up 62 percent in the last decade.

In 2012, Indiana University began sending new and returning students a letter projecting the amount of debt they were expected to graduate with, along with what their monthly payments would be. After implementing this system, the university saw a decline in the amount of education loans taken out by students. The state of Indiana passed a similar law to cover all state universities and community colleges in 2015.

Stadelman’s bill passed the full Senate with a vote of 51-1. It will now move to the Illinois House of Representatives to be heard for consideration.
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