ROCKFORD – State Senator Steve Stadelman joined domestic violence prevention advocates Tuesday to celebrate the recent signing of a law he championed to protect and empower survivors of domestic violence and abuse.

“The burden of trauma and abuse can weigh heavily on the lives of victims coping with their grief, and this law can help them take the first steps towards healing,” Stadelman (D-Rockford) said. “We are empowering survivors by giving them the choice to file for protective orders in the comfort and safety of their own home. By doing this, we are giving them the chance to move forward at their own pace.”

Stadelman’s measure, Public Act 102-0853, gives people the option to file a protective order either online or in-person. The law also requires any court in a county with a population above 250,000 to offer the option of a remote hearing to the petitioner for a protective order. It allows both the petitioner and the respondent to appear for related hearings remotely or in-person – and the courts would also have the discretion to grant or deny the request for a remote hearing.

Any and all types of protective orders would be covered under this law.

ROCKFORD – Working together with local organizations to spur workforce trainings and recovery, State Senator Steve Stadelman announced more than $1 million in equitable workforce recovery grants will come to Rockford to help people struggling to gain employment.

“We are supporting jobs programs in our district that will help employ people across our community with good paying jobs to support themselves and their families,” said Stadelman (D-Rockford). “This investment comes at a time when businesses are contending with rising inflation and a post-COVID economy. It’s pertinent we take action to help address the workforce issues present in our state.”

The greater Rockford community will see workforce recovery investments totaling $1,175,000 in:

• The City of Rockford - $300,000
• YWCA Northwestern Illinois - $575,000
• Comprehensive Community Solutions Inc. - $300,000

“YWCA Northwestern Illinois is thrilled to receive this grant to develop and launch YW TechLab. Of the 12,000 families we work with annually, a majority of them do not earn a living wage,” said Kris L. Machajewski, president & CEO of YWCA Northwestern Illinois. “It has always been our goal to bring those who need our services to a place of economic self-sufficiency, the best way we can do that is to provide them with a new skillset that will launch them into careers that pay a living wage, while building equity in IT and STEM fields.”

ROCKFORD – Those without health insurance will receive information on available state health insurance with a check of a box thanks to a measure sponsored by State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) that was signed on Friday.

“This will allow every resident to figure out their health care options and see if they are qualified for state health insurance by simply checking a box on a form,” Stadelman said. “We can provide lifesaving information to those who are struggling and may not know how to get covered.”

House Bill 5142 establishes a health insurance “easy enrollment” program by including a checkbox on all Illinois income tax forms that taxpayers may check to request more information on available health insurance options and prices.

This requires the Department of Insurance and the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to provide a letter to the Department of Revenue describing health insurance enrollment options to those who request it. The implementation of this simply requires the printing and mailing of enrollment options to those who request the information by checking the box on their tax form.

ROCKFORD – In an effort to help land banks across the state obtain property tax exemptions on problem properties State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) passed a law that will now help the Cook County Land Bank and others obtain exemptions for properties owned.

“This measure helps to expedite the process of exempting property tax for land banks across the state,” Stadelman said. “An exemption can take a long time to process, and sometimes an authority can sell the property by the time it becomes exempt. This measure speeds up that process.”

House Bill 5532 creates an expedited process for property held by the Cook County Land Bank, the South Suburban Land Bank and Development Authority, and the Northern Illinois Land Bank Authority to obtain a property tax exemption by permitting these entities to bypass the normal application process.

The law exempts counties and taxing districts from acquiring tax certificates of a property at a delinquent tax or scavenger sale. It also extends the timeframe for mailing a notice of expiration for periods of redemption for all property to a maximum of six months, with a one month minimum.