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.

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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.

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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.

Senator Stadelman's Weekly Bulletin - August 16, 2018

Stadelman honored for 100% pro-environment voting record

State Senator Steve Stadelman has received a perfect rating from the Illinois Environmental Council. The nonpartisan advocacy group recognized Stadelman for supporting legislation to increase the use of compost in transportation projects and help communities access funding for clean energy projects, among other eco-friendly measures approved in Springfield in 2018.

"Senator Stadelman voted 100-percent of the time with the environmental community on nine pieces of key legislation," IEC Executive Director Jen Walling said. "The IEC is honored by Senator Stadelman's dedication to Illinois' evnironment, and we look forward to working together in the future."

Consumers protected from hidden rental car fees under new Stadelman law

After returning a rental car, many Illinois motorists have been surprised to find they were charged additional fees for a tollway collection device similar to an I-PASS. That changes under a new law advanced by State Senator Steve Stadelman to allow drivers to opt out of these devices.

Stadelman said the governor's signature this week on Senate Bill 2522 will increase transparency in the car rental business as the number of cashless tolls continues to grow in Illinois. Under the new law,   companies must make renters aware of their right to decline to use the tollway collection device. If a company fails to offer a customer the ability to opt out, fees are capped at $2 a day that the device is used plus the cost of the tolls. 

“Drivers deserve to know they can opt out of these costly tollway devices instead of being stuck with costly fees when it is already too late,” Stadelman said. 

Passed by the Illinois General Assembly this spring, the law takes effect Jan 1, 2019.

Stadelman law extends the life of prescription drug refills

Doctors can write prescriptions for medicines that are valid for as long as 15 months now that a proposal passed by State Senator Steve Stadelman has been signed into law. Except for controlled substances, prescriptions can be refilled for up to 15 months from the date they are issued, unless the physician issuing the prescription specifies otherwise.

"Patients often see their doctor just once a year but run out of medication prior to their annual visit, necessitating multiple calls to the office and pharmacy for refills that could be handled at the office visit," Stadelman said of Senate Bill 3170, which takes effect Jan. 1, 2019. "A prescription that is valid for 15 months, rather than 12, alleviates the problem."

Governor offers tweaks on Stadelman bill to curb student credit card debt 

A proposal passed by State Senator Steve Stadelman in the General Assembly this spring looks to prevent skyrocketing credit card debt faced by college students. Pending the outcome of recommendations issued this week by the governor, House Bill 4710 would establish the College Student Credit Card Marketing and Debt Task Force to study include how credit cards are marketed to students, students’ payment history and several other related issues. 

While credit cards can be useful for students to purchase school supplies and pay for tuition, students run the risk of running up significant balances that take years to pay down. According to the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics, in 2016 41 percent of students graduated with credit card debt averaging $3,000.

“If utilized responsibly, credit cards can be a great tool to build a credit history and pay for school supplies,” Stadelman said. “However, many students are unaware of the potential pitfalls of credit cards and cost themselves dearly in the long run.”

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Lincoln Middle School teacher Mustafa Abdall brought five van- and carloads of ESL students to the Zeke Giorgi Center yesterday as part of his summer Government Appreciation program. The students attend Lincoln, East High School and elementary schools including Maria Montessori, Swan Hillman and Whitehead, and their native languages include ArabiSwahili. They asked about my work as a state lawmaker, and presented posters expressing their gratitude and their thoughts on unity and freedom.

See photos here.