SPRINGFIELD – In response to the recent closing of Singer Mental Health facility, State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) is sponsoring a measure to make sure that the Rockford community would still receive sufficient mental health services.

"I felt we needed to make sure that the state is still providing adequate services to mental health patients in our community," Senator Stadelman said.

The proposal allows the state to use proceeds from the sale of closed facilities to fund mental health services in the area where the closed facility is located. This follows legislation passed last fall that could potentially put Singer Mental Health facility to new use and back on property tax rolls.

"This is the second key reform I have sponsored dealing with communities selling state facilities. Now, not only will areas be able to sell shuttered facilities, they can also use the proceeds to fund community-based care."

The measure, SB 822, passed the Senate with bipartisan support and now moves to the House for further consideration.

SPRINGFIELD – Today the Illinois State Senate passed a measure sponsored by Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) that allows the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) to make grants for safety and security improvements to various public K-12 school districts and area vocation centers.

"This measure is needed to ensure that our K-12 schools are adequately prepared in the case of an emergency," Stadelman said. "Currently, IEMA is allowed to make safety grants to colleges and universities. This legislation allows them to issue the same grants to K-12 schools."

IEMA sought an amendment to clarify that grants can be issued to schools providing K-12 education and inter-district special education cooperatives.

Upon learning of this, Stadelman sponsored a measure to allow IEMA to issue safety grants to schools. Like the safety grants to institutions of higher education, the funding would come from the Illinois Bond Fund.

The measure passed the Senate with a vote of 55-0-0, it moves to the House for further consideration.

SPRINGFIELD – After listening to the Illinois State Police outline $49.2 million in budget cuts they will be forced to make next year, State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Loves Park) is concerned about the safety of Rockford-area residents. If no action is taken, the state police will be forced to lay off 450 troopers and potentially close the Rockford forensics lab.

"The forensics lab in Rockford is a great resource not only to our area, but to all of northern Illinois. It will be impossible to perform forensics tests, like analyzing rape kits, to ensure that we are able to put violent criminals away," Stadelman said.

Due to a massive budget shortfall of nearly $2 billion, all state agencies presented the likely results of 20 percent budget cuts during a Senate budget hearing. Lawmakers are searching to find answers, but Stadelman maintains that safety funding must be kept in place.

ROCKFORD – State Senator Steve Stadelman has introduced a bill that would change how unemployment benefits are paid, reduce layoffs and save the state money.

If passed, Senate Bill 3530 would provide for "shared-work benefits" in Illinois. Under work-share legislation, businesses that find themselves struggling in a weak economy could temporarily reduce hours -- rather than lay off workers – and the workers could collect reduced unemployment benefits while staying on the job part time.

"Chrysler's layoff of 325 workers at the Belvidere Assembly Plant just last week suggests our economic recovery is still fragile," said Stadelman, D-Loves Park.

"Work-share legislation is a triple-win," he said. "Businesses get to keep already-trained employees on staff, and employees get to keep their jobs while collecting partial benefits until they return to work full time. The state wins, too, by saving money that would have been paid to laid-off workers drawing full benefits."

Similar programs, also known as "short-time compensation," have been successfully implemented in 17 other states including Iowa and Missouri.

Under Stadelman's proposal, Illinois would offer partial benefits when an employer cuts hours among at least 10 percent of its staff and shares the remaining work among affected employees.

"The value of work-share plans cannot be over-emphasized," Stadelman said. "Employees who otherwise face layoffs gain a sense of security and peace of mind, and businesses avoid the upheaval of letting skilled workers go and retraining new ones."