Rep. Mah Highlights a Robust Pandemic Recovery Effort while Protecting Seniors and Immigrant Rights

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – With the end of the legislative session coming to a close, state Rep. Theresa Mah, D-Chicago, passed legislation to help ensure a well-rounded recovery from the pandemic, while focusing on expanding public health measures and immigrant protections.

“As we begin to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is critical that we are working to ensure all residents get the support they need after facing an extremely difficult year,” said Mah. “I am proud to have worked on legislation that will make a substantial difference in the lives of my constituents and help put us on the path towards recovery.”

Rep. Mah voted for a budget that would help aid those most impacted by the pandemic by allocating resources to critical programs that address the needs of residents. She also supported legislation supporting vaccination efforts as well as small businesses. This type of robust recovery will help ensure that the state economy recovers from the crisis without leaving anyone behind.

“With many families facing financial hardship over the past year, I prioritized getting relief to the residents and communities that were hit hardest by the pandemic,” said Mah. “We cannot truly recover if we neglect the needs of our residents. This budget ensures that everyone will be a part of the recovery and get us back on track towards normalcy.”

During the spring session, Mah sponsored legislation to assist seniors unable to pay their property taxes and made sure that the budget included increases to programs that benefit seniors, such as Meals on Wheels and the Community Care Program (CCP).

“In a year in which public health was at the forefront of our lives, putting additional resources towards the health of residents is critical,” said Mah. “Seniors were one of the most heavily impacted groups by the pandemic. Now more than ever, it is crucial that we put an emphasis on funding programs that will make an immediate impact on the lives of our seniors.”

Rep. Mah has also worked to help protect the rights of immigrant communities. She sponsored legislation adding protections against anti-immigrant bias in Illinois’ anti-hate crime law.  She also worked on a resolution urging the United States’ Congress to take action to enact policies on immigration reforms in the United States.

“With all that they provide for our community, immigrants deserve to be afforded respect and protections under the law,” said Mah. “Especially after a year in which everyone worked together to keep our communities safe, it is unacceptable to not provide support to the immigrant community. While we made progress on this issue and many others, I know that there is still much more work to be done. I look forward to talking with constituents over the next few months to hear what issues they are facing and what they would like to see from their state government moving forward.”

Mah is serving her third term representing the 2nd District, which includes the Chicago neighborhoods of McKinley Park, Pilsen, Chinatown, Bridgeport, Brighton Park and Back of the Yards. For more information, please contact Mah’s district office at 872-281-5775.