Ryan Reflects on Session Work to Address Affordability Crisis and Expand Community Programs

SPRINGFIELD, Ill.—As spring session adjourns in Springfield, state Rep. Rick Ryan, D-Evergreen Park, reflects on his efforts to address the affordability crisis in Illinois and support families and communities with programs for public safety, healthcare, and education.  

“Hardworking families are struggling to make ends meet and people are worried about how they’ll be able to afford essential things like buying groceries or paying their bills,” Ryan said. “Our community deserves better than this. So this session, I focused on what we could do to fight this affordability crisis that we’re seeing, and put our state on the right track.”

Ryan sponsored and supported a wide range of legislation for critical investments in the services Washington is cutting like food security, smart investments in career training and job opportunities and community-based approaches to public safety.

Some of the legislation he supported includes: 

• Cracking down on junk fees by holding businesses accountable for fees added on advertised purchased prices (House Bill 228)
• Making sure that digital coupons are accessible to everyone, so that the price consumers see is the price they pay (House Bill 45)
• Combating predatory pricing schemes by banning algorithmic pricing that uses personal data to raise consumer prices (House Bill 4248)
• Requiring higher education institutions to accommodate students reenrolling after military service (House Bill 3737)
• Preventing medical treatment delays by permitting pharmacists to issue missing necessary prescription items (House Bill 4793)

As a strong advocate for safe communities and neighbors, Ryan also sponsored measures that would increase public safety, such as protecting domestic violence survivors by prohibiting unauthorized filming and photography in courtrooms (House Bill 4038), expanding legal assistance for Illinois drivers charged with driving under influence (House Bill 4217) and keeping drivers safe by establishing the Intelligent Speed Assistance Program (House Bill 4948).

Ryan also worked on passing a smart and responsible budget for the state that makes living more affordable, including full funding for safety net hospitals, large investments in federally qualified health centers and property tax relief grants for school districts without any new taxes or significant service cuts to the community. The budget also temporarily freezes the state gas tax, stopping a new increase that would have taken effect in July.

“Ultimately, everything we worked hard for this session was about uplifting our communities and making sure that everyone in our state has the chance to thrive,” Ryan said. “We all deserve to be able to make an affordable living, have reliable job and educational opportunities, and live in safe neighborhoods. That’s what I’ll continue to fight for, for all Illinoisans.”