Stadelman voices support for proposed health insurance reforms
The proposed Healthcare Protection Act targets the practice of insurance companies delaying or denying needed medical procedures to cut costs and limit exposure. The legislation, which now will be taken up in the Illinois Senate after its approval this week in the House, requires health insurers to use “generally accepted standards of care” when deciding whether to cover treatments recommended by a doctor.
House Bill 5395 also bans “fail first” therapy, an insurance practice requiring patients to demonstrate that a lower-cost medication on the company’s preferred drug list is ineffective before the company will pay for a different drug prescribed by the patient’s doctor.
Stadelman announces $44 million in grants for EV charging stations
A second round of state grants will fund $44 million in public electric vehicle charging infrastructure across Illinois, State Senator Steve Stadelman announced this week.
The grants will pay for the purchase and installation of electric vehicle charging stations in publicly accessible places. Funding is through historic Stadelman-backed Rebuild Illinois program and authorized under the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act.
“Investing in public EV charging infrastructure is not only essential for supporting electric vehicle adoption but also for fostering economic growth and simultaneously reducing our carbon footprint,” Stadelman said.
Eligible applicants include units of local government and private organizations that are incorporated under Illinois law, are registered and in good standing with the Illinois Secretary of State and are the owner of a proposed charging station location.
“By working together with municipalities, businesses and community organizations, we can accelerate the deployment of EV charging infrastructure and make sustainable transportation options more accessible to all Illinois residents,” Stadelman said.
All required forms and information can be found on the Driving a Cleaner Illinois webpage. For more information, please visit here.
In case you missed me on Facebook ...
Steve Stadelman
Just now
Congratulations to these two incredibly dedicated employees of ASM Global, which operates the publicly owned BMO Center sports and entertainment arena and the national landmark Coronado Performing Arts Center, Joann Bardell, who's 86, has worked as part-time event staff since 2007 after she retired from a 35-year career in parts assembly. Bill Parham was hired on his birthday -- February 26 -- in 1982 at the what was known pre-BMO as the MetroCentre and who now works at the backstage security desk at the Coronado, where I presented them both with Certificates of Recognition from the Illinois Senate.
Steve Stadelman
April 25 at 3:17 PM
Congratulations to fellow former TV broadcaster Arles Hendershott Love on her recent flurry of accolades for her long and successful career in journalism and later in non-profit fund development along with her many volunteer efforts. Dave Syverson and I were happy to present Arles today with a Senate Resolution to add to her recent induction into the TV-10 Hall of Fame at Illinois State University and a proclamation of "Arles Hendershott Day" in Rockford. Arles was a pioneer for women in newsroom management, as only 5 percent of TV news directors in the nation were female when WIFR-23 promoted her to the position in 1986.
Steve Stadelman
April 22 at 4:53 PM
Congratulations to the many award and scholarship recipients at Northern Illinois University's annual Journalism Banquet, where I was happy to brief students and faculty on the Journalism Preservation Act and Strengthening Community Media Act. The two bills I'm sponsoring to help revive Illinois' declining news industry would provide tax incentives to hire more local reporters and buy advertising from local news organizations, provide scholarships for aspiring journalists and seek compensation from Big Tech companies like Meta and Google that use local news content on their platforms without paying.
Steve Stadelman
April 21 at 11:13 AM
Congrats to all the RAMI - Rockford Area Music Industry award winners and nominees! Thanks for what you do to enhance Rockford's music scene! I was pleased to present each winner with a State of Illinois recognition.
$44 million in state grants available for EV charging stations: Stadelman
State Senator Steve Stadelman this week announced $44 million in grants that are now available to bolster public electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the state.
“These grants present a remarkable opportunity to enhance Illinois’ infrastructure while simultaneously reducing our carbon footprint,” Stadelman said. “Investing in public, EV-charging infrastructure is not only essential for supporting electric vehicle adoption but also for fostering economic growth and sustainability in our communities.”
This marks the second round of grants available through the historic Stadelman-backed Rebuild Illinois, and authorized under the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act.
Eligible applicants include units of local government and private organizations that are incorporated in Illinois and are in good standing with the Illinois Secretary of State. Proposed charging stations must be owned by the applicant and open to public use. Required forms and information can be found on the Driving a Cleaner Illinois webpage.
“By working together with municipalities, businesses and community organizations, we can accelerate the deployment of EV charging infrastructure and make sustainable transportation options more accessible to all Illinois residents,” Stadelman said.