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The Illinois Senate unanimously passed legislation sponsored by State Senator Steve Stadelman that would ensure local sales tax revenue approved by Winnebago County voters in 2020 is used as intended for mental health and substance abuse resources. If approved by the Illinois House of Representatives and signed by the governor, Senate Bill 2278 would requires counties that have approved this tye of sales tax to create seven-member boards made up of health advocates and professionals to help administer the funding produced by the referendum.
“The voters spoke. They said they want this money to go to mental health and substance abuse treatment. I want to make sure it does,” Stadelman said.
Winnebago County expects to see up to $14 million in new revenue for community-based mental health and substance abuse resources and support as a result of the successful referendum vote in March of last year.
“This legislation eliminates barriers to mental health and substance abuse treatment by supporting private sector and non-profit alternatives to handling these public health crises. It does so by creating a greater number of access points to treatment. It allows counties to gap-fill specific services and shape mental health and substance abuse treatment according to the needs of the community, rather than through an arbitrary statewide mandate that will help the communities most in need,” said David Gill, president of the northern Illinois chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
State Senator Steve Stadelman recently honored 121 local high school students who were named 2021-22 Illinois State Scholars by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.
“I’m thrilled for and proud of these Rockford area students for earning this award,” Stadelman said. “Not only have these students performed exceptionally well, they did so during a global pandemic.”
Illinois State Scholars rank in approximately the top 10% of the state’s high school seniors from 676 high schools in all 102 counties. Selection is based on a combination of standardized test scores and class rank or unweighted GPA at the end of the student’s junior year. ISAC works in conjunction with the students’ high school guidance counselors to determine the winners.
The local scholars are from six high schools: Auburn, Boylan, Guilford, Harlem, Jefferson and Rockford Lutheran.
Recipients of the award receive a congratulatory letter from ISAC, and a Certificate of Achievement is sent to their high school. They also receive a digital badge issued by ISAC that can be displayed on online profiles, exhibited on social media and shared with prospective colleges and employers.
More information about the State Scholar program can be found at ISAC’s website.
In case you missed me on Facebook ...
Steve Stadelman
April 29 at 4:19 PM ·
Congratulations to the United Way of Rock River Valley on today's ribbon-cutting for its third Strong Neighborhoods House in Machesney Park. I'm pleased to be able to dedicate $100,000 in Build Illinois capital funds toward construction of the new site on Marie Avenue and improvements to the two existing Rockford locations. Learn more about the Strong Neighborhood concept at:
https://www.unitedwayrrv.org/strong-neighborhoods-0.
Steve Stadelman
April 28 at 10:25 PM ·
Rockford United Labor observed Workers Memorial Day today outside the Zeke Giorgi Center where a marker is dedicated to workers of northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin who were members of organized labor when they died while at work in their chosen field. RUL President Sara Dorner eloquently remembered health care worker Michael Rauner who lost his life to COVID-19 after contracting the virus on the job. Rauner had served as president of AFSCME Local 2515.
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