Village of St. Anne to receive $700,000 for critical infrastructure

ST. ANNE – State Senator Elgie R. Sims, Jr. announced that the Village of St. Anne is set to receive $700,000 through the Community Development Block Grant for public infrastructure,  which enables communities in non-metropolitan areas to make critical repairs to water, sewer, and drainage infrastructure to enhance safety and quality of life for residents.

“Clean drinking water should be a fundamental human right,” said Sims (D-Chicago). “But the sad reality is that not everyone has this access. Investments into our water and sewer infrastructure are investments into our communities.”

Public infrastructure grants are designed to provide communities with funding to improve public infrastructure and eliminate conditions detrimental to public health, safety and public welfare. As part of the annual CDBG program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity awarded $48.5 million for 41 infrastructure projects across the state.

These projects include construction of storm sewer pipes, waterline replacements, hydrant and water storage tank construction, and other critical projects that help mitigate flooding and support sewage management, water delivery and other public water necessities.

“Communities in every corner of the state should have access to resources to keep Illinois families safe and healthy with a proper roof over their heads,” said DCEO Director Kristin Richards. “The Community Development Block Grants will provide critical assistance to rehabilitate dozens of homes and improve infrastructure in the areas that need it the most without placing the sole burden of funding costly projects on local entities.”

To see a full list of grants awarded, click here.

Senator Sims advocates for universities to provide more accessibility resources to students with disabilities

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Elgie R. Sims, Jr. supported a new law to require public institutions to provide accommodations for individuals with disabilities if they meet transparent eligibility requirements.

“We must work to destigmatize disabilities in society until every person is seen as equal,” said Sims (D-Chicago). “By ensuring higher education students have better access to necessary accommodations, we are tackling these all-too-common inequalities.”

Currently, federal law only protects students with disabilities seeking public higher education from being discriminated against based on their disability and does not outline the need for reasonable academic accommodations past high school. Senate Bill 99 establishes a process for students with disabilities to receive reasonable accommodations from public universities and colleges.

The measure defines the types of documents that universities must accept as proof of a disability in order for a student to receive the accommodations, including diagnostic testing or other recent documents. From this information, colleges and universities will be required to provide reasonable accommodations that they deem to be appropriate for the student requesting the services. This will ensure that students will receive the supports they need to thrive in higher education.

Additionally, public universities will also be required to adopt transparent policies regarding disability services available and to share the information with students and families so that prospective students with disabilities can make informed decisions about the quality of accessibility services a university can provide them. All of these statutes will help students with disabilities be better supported when pursuing higher education.

“Students should not be faced with barriers when accessing the accommodations they need,” said Sims. “All students matter – disability or not – and should be treated fairly.”

Senator Sims protects religious freedoms for incarcerated individuals

SPRINGFIELD — State Senator Elgie R. Sims, Jr. worked to protect the freedoms of incarcerated individuals by enshrining into law their rights to freely practice their religion.

“When someone commits a crime, they do not cease to be human,” said Sims (D-Chicago). “Religious freedom is a fundamental aspect of humanity.”

House Bill 3055 — known as the Faith Behind Bars Act — ensures incarcerated individuals in Illinois remain the right to freely practice their religion while in state correctional facilities.

Under the law, correctional facilities will be required to provide people with religious readings and other religious materials that may be necessary for them to freely practice. It also requires correctional facilities to allow individuals a proper place to pray and adhere to people’s religious dietary restrictions.

“Religion plays an important role in easing a prisoner’s transition back into the community upon release,” said Sims. “Incarcerated individuals deserve to be able to turn to their faith during a time they need it most.”

House Bill 3055 was signed into law Friday.

Senator Sims on Supreme Court SAFE-T Act decision: Today is a long-overdue step toward dismantling systemic racism in our criminal legal system

SPRINGFIELD — State Senator Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (D-Chicago) — the chief sponsor of the SAFE-T Act — released the following statement after the Illinois Supreme Court upheld provisions of the Pretrial Fairness Act:

“Since day one, I have maintained that the cash bail system places an undue burden on poor people accused of crime and in and of itself does not adequately make our communities safe. What will make our communities safer is a focus on the totality of circumstances behind crime, holding those responsible accountable, and most importantly ensuring crime doesn’t happen in the first place.

“From the beginning, I disagreed with the plaintiff’s claim that the General Assembly exceeded its authority in this case and am glad the Illinois Supreme Court agreed. The General Assembly is charged with passing laws that will improve the quality of life in our communities and that was true in this case. By upholding this monumental legislation, the Illinois Supreme Court is providing for greater protections and more humane treatment of those who have been arrested and accused of crime.

“Change — when it comes — often faces push back from those who seek to continue to invest in the way things are, which has produced disparate outcomes and had devastating impacts on communities. The goal of the proponents of this law has always been and continues to be for the phrase “equal justice under the law,” to be more than an aspirational statement, but the reality of our criminal legal system.

“Today’s decision will allow us to continue the long-overdue step toward dismantling systemic racism and eliminating the practices which have created barriers to opportunities and obstacles to prosperity for far too long. Illinois continues to show the rest of the nation that monumental change is possible to make the criminal legal system fair, equitable and just for all.

“While we celebrate today’s outcome, our work continues.”