SPRINGFIELD – A leader to give survivors of abuse more comfort and accessibility filing a protective order, State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) celebrates the signing of Senate Bill 3667 to bring more awareness to the ongoing issues survivors face.

“The weight of trauma a survivor carries becomes detrimental as they struggle to cope with grief and take the steps necessary to begin to heal,” Stadelman said. “By giving survivors the opportunity to file for protective orders at their own pace in the safety of their own home, we are giving them the keys to move forward.”

Stadelman’s measure gives people the option to file a protective order either online or in-person. The measure 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.

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

ROCKFORD – To help small businesses recover from the pandemic, State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) assisted with bringing over $4 million in funding to local businesses.

“Local businesses have bared the brunt of the pandemic, and we are ensuring they have the funds needed to stay operational,” Stadelman said. “Support our local businesses whenever possible — we have all been struggling through the past year, and it’s time to do our part to help them out.”

A total of $4.53 million was awarded to 91 businesses in the 34^th district. The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity awards business grants through the B2B program, using funds allocated to them by the American Rescue Plan through last year’s state budget.

DCEO has provided $250 million in B2B grants – thanks to strong support from Stadelman – to small businesses throughout the state, with an emphasis on hard hit sectors, such as hotels, restaurants, bars, barbershops and salons, and disproportionately impacted areas.

ROCKFORD – State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) is pleased to announce that the Four Rivers Sanitation Authority in Winnebago County will be receiving more than $20 million in water infrastructure funding.

“This investment toward our infrastructure is part of the state’s ongoing efforts to provide water safety and to protect our communities,” Stadelman said. “The funds will be used to improve and ensure our water treatment plant is operating in a clean and functional way.”

The funds come from the Illinois EPA's State Revolving Fund Program, which includes the Water Pollution Control Loan Program and the Public Water Supply Loan Program. These programs provide low-interest loans to fund wastewater, stormwater and drinking water projects.

ROCKFORD – To help residents stay safe and avoid fires, State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) is promoting the Illinois “Be Alarmed!” Smoke Alarm Program aimed to help them identify ways to make their homes safer.  

“It is pertinent all families take the necessary precautions to keep your family safe from a fire,” Stadelman said. “The first step to avoiding a disaster is through education.”

"Be Alarmed!" is a fire safety education and smoke alarm installation program administered by the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal and the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance. The program distributes fire safety education materials and 10-year sealed battery smoke alarms to fire departments throughout the state who then install the devices and provide the materials in at-risk homes.