Senator Stadelman's Weekly Bulletin -- October 5, 2018

Stadelman measure aims to improve student loan debt
A new law sponsored by State Senator Steve Stadelman will prevent state licensing boards from suspending or revoking people's professional licenses and certificates if they default on their student loans. Senate Bill 2439 puts provisions in place to prevent individuals with student loan default from having licenses denied, revoked or suspended in 37 professions, such as occupational therapists, barbers, teachers, structural engineers, home inspectors and real estate agents.

“This sort of punitive action serves no good purpose," Stadelman said. "Taking away the source of someone's livelihood only compounds the problem and makes loan repayment all the more difficult. It's a vicious circle that benefits no one."

Student loans are the largest source of consumer debt in the United States, surpassing mortgages and credit cards debt, and the only type of debt that typically cannot be discharged in bankruptcy court.

Override of governor's wage gap veto urged by Stadelman
State Senator Steve Stadelman is among Illinois lawmakers urging colleagues to override Gov. Bruce Rauner's veto of a bill to protect working women and address the state's gender wage gap. Had it become law, House Bill 4163 would have prevented  employers from asking prospective employees about their salary history.

"The idea is to break the cycle of a woman being paid unfairly in one job and having that lower wage influence her pay at her next job and the job after that," Stadelman said. "Without this change, some women might never be able to earn the wage they deserve."

If an override succeeds in General Assembly during its fall veto session next month, the new law also would give victims of unfair or gender-based wage discrepancies a method to seek compensation, including the recovery of lost wages and reimbursement of legal fees.

Stadelman named 'Friend of Agriculture'

Senator Steve Stadelman accepted the Friend of Agriculture award this week from the Winnebago- Boone Farm Bureau. The honor is given to state lawmakers whose voting records in Springfield favored Illinois farmers at least 70 percent of the time.

Senator Stadelman's Weekly Bulletin - Sept. 21, 2018

Stadelman joins state treasurer to announce Money Match

State Treasurer Michael Frerichs visited Rockford this week to announce the new Money Match program that automatically returns lost money to Illinois residents without the usual need to gather paperwork and file a claim. The program is a result of legislation State Senator Steve Stadelman supported in 2017.

The program uses existing technology and state records to link unclaimed assets with qualifying owners. To qualify, the property cannot have multiple owners nor exceed $2,000 in value.

Frerichs' office is mailing 63,000 notification letters statewide this month. In Winnebago County, unclaimed property worth $213,191 is being returned under the Money Match program.

Statewide, the treasurer's office is holding more than $2 billion in forgotten cash and stocks belonging to individuals, businesses and nonprofit organizations.

• Learn more about Money Match.

Stadelman accepts Legislator of the Year award

State Senator Steve Stadelman received the Legislator of the Year award Saturday from the nonprofit preservation group Landmarks Illinois for his work to expand the River Edge tax credit for redevelopment of historic property. Stadelman passed legislation to continue the tax credit for four years and expand the program across Illinois.

Originally, the economic incentive only was available in Rockford and four other communities. Projects like the $12 million Prairie Street Brewhouse in downtown Rockford have been made possible because of the  tax credit, equal to 25 percent of rehabilitation costs.

Landmarks Illinois President and CEO Bonnie McDonald presented the honor to Stadelman and (left to right) State Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth of Peoria, State Senator Pamela Althoff of McHenry and State Rep. Steven Andersson of Geneva at a reception in Chicago where they were hailed as "champions of historic preservation and instrumental in helping to enact preservation legislation in the State of Illinois." 

Support for disabled adults earns Stadelman top rating

State Senator Steve Stadelman has received a "superior" score for his voting record on issues affecting adults with developmental disabilites.  The rating of 91 to 100 percent from Illinois Parents of Adults with Developmental Disabilities compares votes cast on 10 pieces of legislation relevant to the goal of community living that were approved by the General Assembly during the 2018 spring session. The governor vetoed two of the bills.

Stadelman participates in hearing on youth unemployment
A state panel with a name as large as its charge -- the State Task Force on Developing Opportunities for Youth and Young Adults Who Are Jobless and Out-of-School -- conducted a public hearing Wednesday at The Nordlof Center in Rockford. In 2016, nearly a quarter million young adults lacked jobs in Illinois -- 20,000 of them in Winnebago and Boone counties.

"We are looking for any ideas or suggestions," State Senator Steve Stadelman said. "What can we do in the general assembly? What can local non-profits and local employers do to improve the situation? It's a difficult, complex issue. Making sure students get through school is just the start. They have to continue to learn and acquire additional skills just to remain employable in the workforce.

In case you missed me on Facebook ...

Steve Stadelman

September 13 at 2:16 PM · 

Congratulations to Berner Food & Beverage on breaking ground on its new distribution warehouse at Rock 39 Industrial Park! The $25 million project means construction jobs and economic growth.

 

Senator Stadelman's Weekly Bulletin - Sept. 6, 2018

HoopStars tourney provides memorable Labor Day for the whole family

After six years, Senator Stadelman’s HoopStars has become part of our community’s Labor Day tradition. The free 3-on-3 youth basketball tournament drew 300 players this year and hundreds more spectators.

When launching the competition in 2013, Labor Day was selected to help fill the void left by the loss of On The Waterfront. Since moving indoors to UW Health Sports Factory from outdoor courts at Davis Park, the number of parents, grandparents and siblings cheering from the sidelines has grown.

"HoopStars continues to offer a positive, no-cost athletic opportunity for boys and girls in grades 3-8 and a fun way for families to mark the end of summer and start of the school year," Stadelman said. "I remain most gratified by the diversity of the players and good-natured rivalry on the courts."

Bracket-winning teams left with 1st-place medals, but every player took home a commemorative T-shirt. Stadelman credits support from the Rockford Park District and financial generosity of ComEd, Comcast and Drive Right School of Driving for helping make the event possible.

• Watch news coverage on WTVO-17.

Pictured below: 3rd-grade boys champions and their coach with Senator Stadelman.

Read more …

New law by Stadelman protects students from lunch shaming

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) sponsored and passed Senate Bill 2428 through the Illinois General Assembly. Yesterday, the governor signed the proposal into law.

“This is a cruel practice that blames kids for mistakes made by their parents,” Stadelman said. “It’s our responsibility to ensure that all students, no matter their background or parents’ income level, have an opportunity to eat.”

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 at least $500 by a student’s parents and they have made a reasonable effort to collect the debt, the district can request the comptroller withhold tax refunds to parents to pay off the debt.

The proposal will go into effect immediately.