SPRINGFIELD—State Senator Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (D-Chicago) released the following statement after the Senate passed a budget Sunday:

“This is a very deliberate and responsible fiscal plan to help the state of Illinois recover from the devastation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Funds from the CARES Act, a U.S. stimulus package, will help the state of Illinois provide more resources to the communities hardest hit during the pandemic, including $100 million in housing assistance and $636 million for various business interruption grants.

“We are also preserving core services, including $12.6 billion for P-12 education and an additional $1 billion to the state and local health departments.

“As a budgeteer, I saw firsthand how difficult it was to craft this budget during these unprecedented times, but I take pride in knowing that it will provide needed relief and address issues of inequity in marginalized communities throughout the state.”

GLENDALE HEIGHTS – State Senators Elgie Sims and Tom Cullerton worked with PathoSans/Klarion Technologies, a division of Spraying Systems Co., to spearhead efforts to make disinfectant and sanitizer more readily available to first responders across Illinois.

Sims (D-Chicago) and Cullerton (D-Villa Park) partnered with PathoSans Technologies to secure up to 5,000 gallons per day of its PathoCide® disinfectant and sanitizer, which will allow the state to clean vehicles, work surfaces, and facilities to keep government personnel and citizens safer during the coronavirus crisis.

“All of us at PathoSans are honored to do our part to help the State in this unprecedented time of crisis,” said Dr. William J. Kohley, President of PathoSans/Klarion Technologies, USA.“ The systems we make and sell are designed to supply large volumes of environmentally responsible cleaners and sanitizers. We make these products right here in Illinois, and we knew we could help people by supplying this critical product that’s currently not available from other suppliers.”

PathoSans Technologies will donate the disinfectant to state first responders and the teams that support them, as well as other state personnel who cannot secure enough disinfectant and sanitizer due to shortages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It is the generosity and goodwill of people and companies throughout the state that will get us through this unprecedented and difficult time,” Sims said. “I commend PathoSans for doing their part to keep our first responders and frontline workers safe. Thank you for stepping up. I can only hope that others will follow your lead as we work to fight COVID-19 in Illinois.”

Sims and Cullerton were pleased to work with an Illinois business to help battle this pandemic. One of the key steps in limiting the spread of COVID-19 is cleaning and disinfecting commonly used surfaces.

“I’m incredibly proud to see a business within our community join the fight to battle this awful pandemic,” Cullerton said. “Our first responders are working day and night to keep us all safe. Making this disinfectant readily available will help stop the spread of COVID-19. It is absolutely essential that we take every possible step to give our first responders and constituents the resources to be safe during this pandemic.”

PathoSans thanks Governor J.B. Pritzker and his staff, especially Deputy Governor Christian Mitchell; the Illinois Department of Agriculture, including Director Jerry Costello, General Counsel John Teefey and the department’s technical staff; State Senators Tom Cullerton and Elgie R. Sims, Jr.; State Representative Deb Conroy; DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin; Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle; Cook County Emergency Management Director Bill Barnes; President and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association Mark Denzler; and Andrew Wheeler, Vice President of Marketing, FutureCeuticals, and Chairman, Kankakee County Board. Without their help, PathoSans could not have navigated the regulatory process that enabled us to deploy PathoCide sanitizer in the fight against COVID-19.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Rep. Greg Harris and Sen. Elgie Sims – co-chairs of the Joint Commission on Ethics and Lobbying Reform – released the following statement Tuesday regarding ongoing efforts to enact meaningful ethics reform in Illinois:

“The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated that we all put the health and safety of our state and our communities first. The Joint Commission on Ethics and Lobbying Reform remains committed to our task of developing recommendations for meaningful reforms to the way lobbyists and elected officials conduct themselves. We have completed our meetings, heard from stakeholders and are working through the proposals that have been put before us. However, due to the ongoing crisis, more time will be necessary to complete our work. We still hold the goal of completing our work and contemplating any potential legislation during the spring legislative session as long as the health and safety of those involved are not put at risk. We look forward to working with our Republican colleagues and others on the joint commission to complete our work and begin restoring trust in government.

“We all want to thank the doctors, nurses and first responders who are working tirelessly to fight this deadly virus, and all those putting their lives in danger to ensure our loved ones stay safe and healthy.”

A report from the joint commission was initially due by the end of March, but that deadline was established before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.