I hope you all have a wonderful St. Patrick's Day weekend. The parades and parties are back after two years of pandemic postponements. Please stay safe and warm.

This week has not been as eventful as last week was, but it would be hard to imagine what a more eventful week than the indictment of the former Speaker days from a critical deadline would look like. While this week was light on news and legislative action, we are still in the middle of crunch time as we near our April 8th adjournment date. The House and Senate both returned this week to pick up and review bills that the opposite chamber already passed. Bills must pass through both the House and Senate and be signed by Governor Pritzker to become law. We often use the phrase 60+30+1 to illustrate what it takes for a bill to become law. Sixty House members, thirty Senators, and the governor. Bills will still continue to be negotiated in both chambers. Below are a couple of Senate bills that I will be leading on in the House:

SB3023: This bill represents the recommendations of the SASETA Task Force, a body charged with reviewing needed changes to the SASETA law covering the procedures for the treatment of survivors of sexual assault by health care providers and law enforcement. There are multiple updates to the law contained in the bill reflecting best practices brought to the table by the task force members representing survivor advocates, health care providers, law enforcement, prosecutors, and other stakeholders. We are working with stakeholders on an amendment aimed at clarifying the process for non-hospital FQHC (Federally Qualified Health Centers) health care providers to provide treatment and collect Medical Forensic Exams from survivors of sexual assault who choose not to seek care in emergency rooms.

SB2942: This initiative of sexual assault advocates and prosecutors seeks to add an additional layer of protection for sexual assault survivors who were 18 and under at the time of the offense allowing the court to exclude people who do not have a direct interest in the case from the courtroom during the survivor’s testimony. Open court proceedings are critically important but must be balanced against the need to protect survivors from retraumatization.

If you’re interested in following our work, the committee schedule, meetings, and bill assignments are posted here.

Our Loyola Ramblers beat the Drake Bulldogs 64 to 58 this past Sunday to win the Missouri Valley Conference tournament. Sister Jean's magic and the hard work of the Loyola players provided a decisive victory. It's the first time since 1962-63 that the Ramblers made it to the NCAA tournament in consecutive seasons.

For the 2022 men's NCAA tournament details click here. Consider purchasing some unique merchandise from our local business, ChiTown Magpie, located at 6443 N. Sheridan.

Edgewater resident Leonard Mogul, a community advocate and founder of Arts4Kids Foundation, organized a system for care packages to be sent to women and children. According to the Chicago Tribune, this is something Mogul has done before. In the past he sent food to refugee children in detention centers along the Mexico border.

Several businesses in our district have been highlighted by the Readers People’s 2021 poll! To see the full list of 2021 winners, visit here.

Some local winners that are in the district or just outside the district include:

COVID-19 cases continue to rapidly decline in Illinois. COVID-19 patients in hospitals continue to decline. As of Wednesday night, the state was averaging 715 COVID-19 hospitalized patients as compared to the records set during this surge when we were averaging more than 7,300 hospitalizations. As shown in the graph above from IDPH's website hospitalizations have dropped even further. As of this week, the state's test positivity rate has hovered around 1.3%. This is the lowest the positivity rate has been since mid-November.

To find a vaccine clinic within the City of Chicago click here.

For questions or info regarding COVID-19 testing click here.

Statewide Totals: 3,045,718 confirmed cases, 33,075 deaths and tests performed 55,731,994

Hotline: 800-889-3931

Email: dph.sick@illinois.gov

Hotline: 312-746-4835

Email: coronavirus@chicago.gov

The website is live. Constituents living in eligible zip codes can go to www.AccessCovidTests.org to order a free test kit.

The Office of the Taxpayer Advocate has created a series of checklists to help you prepare to do your taxes. See the checklists below.

The City of Chicago is offering free, confidential tax help, partnering with Ladder Up. Volunteer tax preparers who are trained to assist you can help complete and electronically file Federal and Illinois tax returns for 2021 and years prior in some circumstances. They also can help determine if you qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Child Tax Credit (CTC), and other tax credits.

The tax filing deadline is Monday, April 18. For more information, visit www.taxprepchicago.org or call (312) 588-6900 to schedule an appointment.

IDES has released this statement in regards to the 1099-G tax forms. For a FAQs sheet from the IDES on all your questions related to the 1099-G form, click here. For an information packet on how to navigate your ILogin account, click here.

Any K-12 students and their families who need help understanding their school rights can call the helpline at 773-800-0338. SUFEO Chicago also offers free know-your-rights trainings and education law workshops to students, families, and service providers-both virtually and in-person. You can contact SUFEO's Outreach Coordinators Sarah Bianchi and Brittany Haracz at sufeo-chicago@luc.edu with the subject line "Outreach Inquiry" for more information. 

This initiative remains available for all qualifying households with low income, regardless of how they may be affected COVID-19.  The last day to apply online with the Request for Services form is April 15. After that date you can still apply through your local administering agency through May 31, 2022.

To learn more and to fill out a new application, visit helpillinoisfamilies.com.

Applications will be accepted through August 31, 2023 or until funds run out. You can apply online here or call the hotline at 1-(833)-711-0374.

Operating in partnership with the Community and Economic Development Association of Cook County (CEDA), who operates the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), the UBR program will utilize their expertise and extensive network of partner organizations to conduct outreach and enroll homeowners. For more information and how to apply, visit here.

For more information and how to apply, visit www.chicagobuilds.org.

Alternatives, a local youth-serving organization, is hiring for a variety of positions. Staff works throughout Chicago to deliver programs, both in schools and within the communities, and has two youth centers-one in Uptown and one in Washington Park. Open positions and more information can be found here.

Tasting India, a woman-owned small business based in Chicago, is looking to hire a part-time professional assistant to provide admin support for the founder. They are seeking someone proactive, highly organized and detail-oriented, with great verbal and written communication skills and a roll up your sleeves, team-player, go with the flow attitude. This position requires about 20 hours a month, and candidates must be local to Chicago and have a car. 

Please send your details with relevant experience to tastingindiainfo@gmail.com.

Territory NFP is seeking a Design Director to support the Executive Director and Program Manager in creating a design rich environment for teens to thrive, and cultivating a design practice model that reflects Territory’s values. This position includes the creation of program content, execution of design thinking processes, and collaborative engagement with program teens and community partners. For more information and how to apply, visit here.

Register here: bit.ly/ECPSDCTeachInMarch12. For more information on the ECPS ordinance, view a one-pager here.

For more info please click here.

My office has sent recently a letter of support to the Chicago Park District as I believe this name change is long overdue.

Sign a petition to support the Pollard Family name change here.

This was a project started by Edgewater Chamber of Commerce, Rogers Park Business Alliance, and Loyola University Chicago that came together to identify ways to encourage economic growth along the Devon Business Corridor.

Please visit the website at ElevateDevon.com and subscribe to the newsletter to ensure that you receive updates and information on how to share your thoughts and feedback.