Harper Advances Agenda Focused on Health and Equity

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — State Rep. Sonya Harper, D-Chicago, has advanced several bills out of key legislative committees that promise to help usher in a cleaner, healthier and more equitable and sustainable future.

“I’ve spent my time in office focusing state resources on the problems of food access, equity and sustainability in agriculture, because our environment and our food are some of the most important and often overlooked or ignored facets of our health and wellbeing,” Harper said. “This session, I’m continuing the fight for a brighter future for every community in Illinois.”

Harper maneuvered several bills through the legislative committees responsible for sending approved bills to the House floor. Among these are:

• House Bill 4155, which would create an Agricultural Drought and Climate Resilience Office to help the agricultural sector anticipate and respond to droughts and other climate-related events.
• House Bill 4295, which would designate additional law enforcement personnel to address the issue of missing and murdered women, which disproportionately impacts Black and other minority communities.
• House Bill 5052, which would create the Good Food Purchasing Program. This program would require state-owned facilities that purchase food to procure healthy foods that are sustainably, locally and equitably sourced.
• House Bill 5433, which would establish the Prairie Lawns Program to promote the installation of pollinator-friendly native plants in residential lawns, and prohibit homeowners’ associations and similar entities from banning these plants.

Harper’s bills remain in the House, awaiting votes by the full body.

“Securing a robust and healthy food supply into the future is about promoting resilience and stability in our approach to the agricultural economy,” Harper said. “Sometimes, it’s the seemingly small things that make a huge difference. My policy agenda this year is about ensuring that we’re doing everything we can to provide a solid launchpad for the next generation of Illinois farmers, families and communities.”