Chicago Public Schools students who graduate high school with a 3.0 GPA and who test completion-ready in math and English are able to pursue a degree or certificate at City Colleges at no cost—that’s free tuition and books.
If you’re a graduating CPS student with a 3.0, keep up the good work and you, too, could benefit from City Colleges’ Star Scholarship program!
Learn more here: http://pages.ccc.edu/apply/star/
CHICAGO—A plan at the statehouse would allow the Village of Manteno to do renovations at a public golf course.
The village has been unsuccessful in renovating a golf course club house because a state clause is preventing them from getting a bank loan. State Senator Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (D-Chicago) is working to change that with a proposal that would remove the state’s interest in the property.
“This simple change would greatly benefit the people of Manteno and the village’s bottom line,” Sims said. “Renovations would help the golf course better compete with surrounding courses, which would potentially lead to higher profits for the village.”
The bill would require the Department of Central Management Services to execute and record a release of the reverter clause, which would eliminate the state’s stake in the land.
That clause states the land must be used for a public purpose and not be sold. If Manteno ever did sell the land to a private entity, it would owe the state 25 percent of the proceeds.
“I am grateful to my colleagues in the Senate for their support on this very local issue in the 17th district,” Sims said. “I hope the House will also help us send this plan to the governor’s desk.”
Senate Bill 1597 is set to head to the House for consideration.
CHICAGO—A plan that would protect Illinoisans’ right to a public defender passed the Senate recently.
State Senator Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (D-Chicago) sponsors the proposal, which creates the Public Defender Bail Reform Grant Program. The aim is to assist counties in following the current law, which requires counsel to be present at bail hearings.
“We cannot continue to deny Illinoisans their right to an attorney,” Sims said. “Bail hearings are a crucial part of the justice process, and everyone deserves an attorney at every step.”
Currently, many counties do not provide public defenders for bail hearings. Some small counties do not even hire a full time public defender.
There have been instances in these smaller counties where a defendant is not given a bail hearing. Instead a county sheriff calls the judge and tells them the name of the individual and their charges, and the judge will communicate the bail amount over the phone to the sheriff.
“In many cases, the handling of bail hearings in Illinois have been completely unjust and unacceptable,” Sims said. “The livelihood of these people, who have not been convicted of a crime, is affected by the bail amount. These defendants have the right to have legal representation to ensure that the bail fits the crime.”
Senate Bill 1966 is set to head to the House for consideration.
A plan to give students time off from school to vote passed out of the Senate last week.
I'm spearheading this effort to encourage youth voting after I co-sponsored a "March to the Polls" and students weren't allowed to participate during school hours.
This effort is intended to help and encourage our young people to understand the importance of voting early on. We should make voting easy and accessible for everyone all across Illinois, including our students.
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