Stadelman unrelenting: Voter access must be a priority for Illinois

State Senator Steve Stadelman pledged to continue pressing for measures to make registration easier for eligible Illinois voters, despite the governor’s move to block the latest efforts. A measure he co-sponsored to bring automatic voter registration to Illinois garnered bipartisan support in both houses of the legislature in the spring.

That bill followed Senate Democrats’ earlier successful efforts to make voting more accessible and convenient through early voting, same-day and online voter registration and vote-by-mail. “I'm curious," Stadelman said, "why the governor would oppose cutting government waste and red tape, which is exactly what automatic voter registration would do."

Homeless students take GED exams free under new law

Stadelman bill encouraging parents on government assistance

to further their education becomes law

Legislation advanced by State Sen. Steve Stadelman to allow recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program (TANF) to count high school and high school equivalency courses as part of the state's requirements to receive benefits was signed into law last week by the governor. Previously, recipients of TANF had to work or participate in job-training programs for 20 hours a week, but high school equivalency classes didn't count toward the core hours needed.

“This is a bipartisan solution that will help parents complete high school, obtain their equivalency degrees and improve their circumstances through education,” Stadelman said. “Finishing high school or receiving a GED is a critical step in gaining employment and being self-sufficient.”

In the Rockford area, about 45,000 adults have not completed high school. TANF provides temporary financial assistance to help pregnant women and families pay for food, shelter, utilities and other non-medical expenses. Senate Bill 2906 is effective Jan. 1, 2017.

Governor green-lights Democrat plan to update pension rolls, cut waste

State begins mailing sticker renewal notices again

Starting this month, Illinois vehicle owners will start receiving notices that stickers on their licenses plates are about to expire, a courtesy that ended almost a year ago to save money.

Secretary of State Jesse White announced this week that recent approval of a stopgap budget gave his office additional funding for postage. Discontinuation of the renewal notices saved an estimated $450,000 monthly since October 2015.

Fees for late renewal doubled to $11 million for the first six months of 2016 over the first half of 2015; the revenue went into the state's general fund, not White's office.

New laws protect access to health care, especially for women

Two Stadelman measures, both proposed by Rockford residents, become law

Legislation that will require law enforcement officials to accept cash to post bail was signed into law last week by the governor. Senate Bill 2252 was sponsored by State Sen. Steve Stadelman after learning what happened when Rockford-area resident Kevin Lunsford's minor son was arrested for a traffic offense last year. When Lunsford arrived at the Winnebago County Juvenile Center to bail out his son, the credit card machine was broken and the county has a policy to refuse cash.

Because of a technology malfunction, Lunsford’s son was forced to sit in the juvenile center the entire weekend – significantly longer than the law requires and at taxpayer expense.

“With this common-sense new law, we have ensured that nobody will have to stay in custody longer because of a technology malfunction or a refusal to take cash,” Stadelman said. “I would like to thank Kevin for contacting me about this issue, and I look forward to sponsoring legislation in the future that is brought to me by my constituents.”