SPRINGFIELD – According to the FBI’s 2023 Elder Fraud Report, the average amount of money lost by victims of elder financial exploitation was $33,915 and total losses in 2023 exceeded $3.4 billion. At a press conference Wednesday, State Senator Steve Stadelman outlined his plan to protect and further prevent instances of elder financial abuse.

“It’s very common for older individuals to fall victim to financial abuse,” said Stadelman (D-Rockford). “The goal with this legislation is to protect our most vulnerable citizens and to ensure suspicious financial transactions can be paused until investigated.”

Senate Bill 1551 would require investment advisors and similar qualified individuals to report to the Illinois Department on Aging and Secretary of State’s securities department when they have reasonable belief that financial exploitation has occurred with an eligible adult. It also would allow advisors to delay disbursements from a person’s account if they suspect elder financial exploitation.

The measure also would give broker-dealers, investment advisors and qualified individuals immunity from administrative, civil and criminal liability if they exercise good faith and reasonable care when making a report or delaying a transaction.

“By giving financial professionals the tools and legal protections they need to step in, they can help prevent seniors from losing their life savings,” said Stadelman.

Senate Bill 1551 is expected to receive a vote before the full Senate in the coming days.

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois wastes close to 3.8 billion tons of food each year. In an effort to reduce the amount of food products we throw away, State Senator Steve Stadelman is working on new rules for product labeling.

“We are likely all guilty of throwing away food that seems fine but is past its expiration date,” said Stadelman (D-Rockford). “I want to ensure we are getting the most out of our food products, and I think this new measure I’m working on will help us get there.”

Senate Bill 2072 builds on legislation passed in 2023 that defined safety and quality dates and directed the Illinois Department of Agriculture and Department of Public Health to publish information to encourage food manufacturers and retailers to voluntarily use these terms on food product labels.

The new legislation would require, rather than encourage, the Department of Agriculture to ensure food product labels contain quality dates and safety dates by July 1, 2027. A quality date specifies the date that food quality may begin to deteriorate but is still acceptable for consumption. A safety date specifies the date by which the food should be consumed or frozen.

“Quality dates and safety dates are clearer cut than sell by dates or best if used by dates,” said Stadelman. “We all know how much food goes to waste every day and we need to be taking action to try to reduce extra food waste.”

Senate Bill 2072 awaits Senate committee assignment.

SPRINGFIELD – Following an Illinois Supreme Court decision that weakened protections for journalists, State Senator Steve Stadelman is working to safeguard the rights of Illinoisans and news outlets to state their opinions in the media.

“This legislation is needed in order to protect media and what they do on a daily basis,” said Stadelman (D-Rockford). “We need to stand up for free press and speech, and this measure shows our efforts to do so."

Senate Bill 1181 builds on existing law to ensure the Citizens Participation Act protects individuals and the press from lawsuits intended to silence or intimidate them, regardless of the motive behind the lawsuit. A Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP) is a legal tactic used to silence or intimidate critics by burdening them with costly and time-consuming litigation, often targeting individuals or organizations who speak out on issues of public interest.

The Supreme Court ruled the state’s anti-SLAPP law did not protect media outlets or journalists. Stadelman’s legislation clarifies news organizations should be shielded from retaliatory lawsuits.

Senate Bill 1181 passed the Senate Judiciary Committee last Wednesday.

ROCKFORD -- Eligible nonprofit organizations in the Rockford region will receive nearly $1 million in solar energy installations as part of Illinois' landmark Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, State Senator Steve Stadelman announced today.

Greenlink Energy Solutions of Rockford is partnering with Zion West Enterprises to identify and fund start-up and pre-development costs for renewable-energy projects for nonprofits that serve low-income and historically disadvantaged communities. The state's $964,270 investment is expected to result in $3.5 million in local projects for nonprofits and also pay for training for local workers to install solar equipment.

Rockford is one of 12 communities statewide benefitting from $10.3 million in grants under CEJA through its Equitable Energy Future Grant Program.

"The goal is to help remove barriers to projects in communities that have been historically left behind due to lack of available capital," Stadelman said. "The economic benefits of clean energy should touch every zip code."  

Qualified entities for the Equitable Energy grants included contractors, non-profits, co-operatives majority-governed by equity eligible persons and businesses or nonprofits with a proposed project that meets equity building criteria. Grants under two additional CEJA programs were also announced, for a total of $57 million in state funding to 88 recipients.