EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.— State Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, has received the University of Illinois System’s Legislative Champion Award for her dedication to improving higher education for students, educators and administrators across the state of Illinois.

“It’s an honor to receive this award and a pleasure to bring my experience as an educator to the legislature as we work to improve higher education,” said Stuart. “While the federal government attacks higher education, especially in women-dominated fields, I’ll continue to ensure every Illinois student has access to the high-quality higher education they deserve.”

The award was presented by University of Illinois President Tim Killeen during a U of I System event recognizing the system’s growing presence and success in its Metro East extension offices. The Illinois Innovation Network is housed at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, showing increased collaboration between the two university systems.

“I’m proud that education— specifically higher education— is one of the issues I’m known to prioritize, but I can’t do it alone,” said Stuart. “I’m grateful to have strong relationships with higher ed advocates and administrators across the state because it takes all of us working together to make change happen.”

Just this spring, Stuart championed measures to ensure military members could resume their academic standing after their service (Senate Bill 3737), require more institutional responsibility to aid students in transferring their credits across institutions (Senate Bill 3720) and strengthen safety, academic freedom, and financial transparency on college campuses (House Bill 4304). She also supported legislation to protect full time media employees at state universities and updated laws to the private student loan data companies must report to the state.

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EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. — State Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, releases the following statement regarding patients at Barnes Jewish Hospital (BJH) receiving notice that their health insurance provider, Aetna, will no longer be accepted at BJH or WashU Medicine on Jan. 1, 2027:

“For retired state workers in the Metro East and beyond, Aetna is the only insurance plan available. Countless people in our area count on Aetna to provide Medicare and standard healthcare coverage for everything from routine exams to emergency care to specialized treatment.

“Aetna has begun sending notices that patients are losing coverage for treatments at Barnes Jewish Hospital or through WashU Medicine. Patients will soon be out of network for their primary physicians, specialists and more. Patients currently undergoing cancer treatments at our closest cancer specialist may be forced to pay out of pocket or forgo their lifesaving care. This is absolutely unacceptable.

“Aetna is choosing to abandon thousands of patients who don’t have access to alternative health insurance plans. Health insurance should cover patients unilaterally, not only when the company deems they’ve made enough profit.

“I hope Aetna and BJH can come to an agreement that will continue necessary healthcare coverage for retirees and others across our community who rely on their respective insurance and healthcare. My community’s health is not a money-making scheme. I have implored Aetna privately and now publicly to do the right thing and ensure our community’s access to health insurance is continued.

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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. –  State Rep. Sharon Chung, D-Bloomington, is congratulating ParkLands Foundation for securing nearly $100,000 in grant funding from the Illinois Department of Natural Resource for local conservation efforts.

“I’m so proud of the work ParkLands has been doing to preserve nature in Central Illinois for decades,” said Chung. “We sometimes think of Illinois as miles and miles of farm land, but we’re home to countless native plants and wildlife. Our environment deserves proper stewardship.”

ParkLands Foundation is a private, non-profit organization headquartered in Normal aiming to “protect, restore, and manage natural lands” across Central Illinois. The fourth-oldest conservation land trust in Illinois, ParkLands has restored and conserved over 3,600 acres across Woodford, McLean and Tazewell Counties.

ParkLands is receiving $98,340.46 to improve their process of removing invasive species and increase their capacity and presence across four of their preserves, including land, water and nature preservation.

As a member of the House Agriculture and Conservation Committee, Chung has sponsored and supported various environmental efforts, including her law allowing wastewater to be recycled for machine use.

“I love hiking on ParkLand’s trails, on top of appreciating all the work they do to preserve our environment and create spaces for everyone in our community to experience the beauty of the great outdoors,” said Chung. 

Learn more about the ParkLands Foundation here.

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EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. — Former teacher and long-time advocate for students and educators, state Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, has been named the Illinois Association of School Social Workers (IASSW) Legislator of the Year.

“If you’ve ever worked in a K-12 school, you know how much social workers can impact a student’s life inside and beyond the classroom,” said Stuart. “To be recognized by this group is such an honor because they know education goes far beyond grammar or algebra.”

IASSW was founded in 1970 to improve the quality of life and education for children through enhanced professional development opportunities for school social workers. They provide resources and services for active school social workers and students pursuing graduate degrees in social work.

“Social workers do an unimaginable amount of mental and emotional labor day in and day out to support their students,” said Stuart. “We have to continue to fund K-12 education and educational resources, and to find ways to fairly compensate and recognize all school employees for the hard work they do to educate the future leaders of Illinois.”

You can learn more about the IASSW here.

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CHICAGO — Earlier this month, state Rep. Mike Kelly, D-Chicago, attended a ribbon cutting unveiling a brand-new Metra station in Morton Grove. The much-needed updates and improvements were made through state funds secured by Kelly and state Sen. Ram Villivalam, D-Chicago.

“This new Metra station is a symbol of the opportunity and progress we’re seeing in Morton Grove,” said Kelly. “This upgraded Metra station ensures residents have a safe, comfortable and modern connection to downtown Chicago, the suburbs and beyond. It also shows that an investment in this community and its residents are truly worthwhile.”

The rail stop located at 8501 Lehigh Ave. in Morton Grove was originally established in 1892 by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad. A new station was designed and constructed in 1976 by the Milwaukee Road. The station serves over 900 commuters across 54 Metra trains every day, so it was renovated to be more accessible and functional.

“This station is an important investment in Morton Grove and in the region’s transportation network,” said state Senator Ram Villivalam. “When transit is safe, reliable, accessible, and integrated, it gives people more ways to get to their school, job, and/or doctor and helps communities thrive.”

Some of the features of the new station include:

• A retail space that will include Complimentary Café to provide food and beverages to commuters,
• Accessible doorways and ramps for commuters,
• An improved drive aisle to allow for dedicated pick up and drop off for commuters, and
• Enhanced communication services with the Voice of Metra and accompanying display boards for commuters.

“The Village is so fortunate to have the support of Representative Kelly, who continually helps Morton Grove residents through State-led initiatives,” said Morton Grove Mayor Janine Witko. “This beautiful and accessible station is a fitting gateway to Morton Grove, and we are grateful for Representative Kelly and Senator Villivalam’s roles in helping make this important project a reality.”

The new Metra station is now open to passengers after its grand opening on Oct. 3.

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.— State Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, supports Gov. JB Pritzker’s swift and meaningful action to address outrageous diesel fuel prices as farmers close out harvest season through an executive order and disaster proclamation.

“One year ago, the average gallon of diesel fuel cost $3.75 in the Metro East. Now, the average is $6.63. Diesel costs hit our area’s all-time high last month at $6.80 on average,” said Stuart. “Fuel and oil prices are hitting historic highs because of the negligence of the federal government, and our farmers are paying the price.”

Declaring a diesel fuel crisis through a 30-day disaster proclamation allows state and local agencies to take swift, necessary action to respond to the current diesel shortage and exuberant costs. The proclamation removes state penalties from using dyed diesel on roads and highways, an extension of the Illinois Harvest Permit program, and increased opportunity of various state agencies to instate necessary measures to offset the crisis.

The governor’s executive order allows dyed diesel for use in farm vehicles on highways. Dyed and regular diesel are chemically identical, but the former is dyed red to mark it as off-road fuel for tractors, irrigation pumps and other machines. Allowing the use of dyed diesel on highways will allow farmers to use fuel they already possess in vehicles transporting their crops rather than just for off-road machines.

“These measures cannot fix the entire problem; this is a state’s solution to a problem created and prolonged by the federal government,” said Stuart. “The numbers show our increased gas prices are directly linked to this president’s unconstitutional and nonsensical ‘war in Iran,’ so we have to do what we can to support farmers across Illinois as their livelihood hangs in the balance.”

The penalty for using dyed diesel on roadways has been waived, effective immediately through Dec. 31, 2026. The disaster proclamation is effective immediately through Nov. 5, 2026.

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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. –  State Rep. Sharon Chung, D-Bloomington, in tandem with Governor JB Pritzker, announces two new temporary measures to help farmers offset diesel costs by allowing dyed diesel to be used on highways through an executive order and disaster proclamation.

“Over the last year, the federal average diesel prices have increased nearly 68% thanks to a wholly unnecessary and unconstitutional ‘war.’ Impossibly high fuel costs hurt farmers as they plant, fertilize, maintain and harvest their crops,” said Chung. “Allowing farmers to use the dyed diesel they already own for highway travel and extending the Harvest Program will help offset some of the costs as farmers harvest.”

Declaring a diesel fuel crisis through a 30-day disaster proclamation allows state and local agencies to take swift, necessary action to respond to the current diesel shortage and exuberant costs. The proclamation removes state penalties from using dyed diesel on roads and highways, an extension of the Illinois Harvest Permit program, and increased opportunity of various state agencies to instate necessary measures to offset the crisis.

Governor Pritzker’s executive order allows dyed diesel for use in farm vehicles on highways. Dyed and regular diesel are chemically identical, but the former is dyed red to mark it as off-road fuel for tractors, irrigation pumps and other machines. Allowing the use of dyed diesel on highways will allow farmers to use fuel they already possess in vehicles transporting their crops rather than just for off-road machines.

“I want to thank a dear friend who floated this idea to me, and the various agricultural organizations across the state who reached out to me and the governor with suggestions on ways to make farming more affordable,” said Chung. “I’m grateful to Governor Pritzker for his collaboration and willingness to take swift action to support our farmers through harvest season.”

The executive order and disaster proclamation are effective immediately and will remain in effect through Nov 5.

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CHICAGO — A new law championed by state Rep. Mike Kelly, D-Chicago, will allow emergency medical service (EMS) responders to take patients to the nearest mental health facility if mental health symptoms are the patient’s most critical concern, even if they are under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

“Patients who are experiencing a mental health crisis but aren’t facing any other life-threatening issues or illnesses should be treated for their most concerning symptom: their mental health,” said Kelly. “Rather than going to an emergency department that does not specialize in mental health care, patients can be redirected to a facility that will be able to provide tailored assistance regarding their mental health regardless of being intoxicated.”

Current law allows EMS to take patients to mental health facilities, so long as the patient has no life-threatening injuries, does not clearly require emergency department care, has an immediate need for mental health services and is not under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Kelly’s law will remove the last requirement, allowing patients to be taken directly to a mental health facility so long as they are not in immediate need of emergency department care and instead have an immediate need for mental health intervention even while intoxicated. This more targeted patient care will result in better patient outcomes and less stress on emergency departments who cannot provide long-term mental health assistance.

“A first responder’s top priority is making sure their patient is getting the care they need, no matter what illness or issue they’re facing,” said Kelly. “Allowing patients to be taken directly to receive mental health support, even while intoxicated, is the best method of care a first responder can provide.”

House Bill 5193 received bipartisan support in the General Assembly and was signed into law this summer and will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2027.

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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. –  State Rep. Sharon Chung, D-Bloomington, kicked off this academic year by visiting every college campus in her district, joining existing campus events and hosting her own.

“Higher education is one of my biggest priorities as a legislator. Our district is so lucky to have so many amazing colleges and universities right in our backyard,” said Chung. “I always make an effort to visit our college students who have valuable insight on problems we need to solve and new initiatives we should lead.”

Chung and her team attended Festival ISU at Illinois State University, welcoming students back to campus during their first week. Last month, she held community office hours at Illinois Wesleyan University and Illinois Central College’s East Peoria Campus to chat with any students or university workers about state issues. At Heartland Community College, Chung hosted a Mobile DMV so college students could renew their licenses or get a Real ID right on campus.

“As a proud Illinois Wesleyan University alum, I’m always excited to head back to campus,” said Chung. “Our district benefits from having so many young, engaged minds who want to do the work to make our community better. I will always lean into their advice and feedback, and pass legislation to continue to improve higher education in our district and across the state.”

This spring, Chung sponsored and supported many bills focused on higher education, including her House Bill 4420, protecting full time media employees at state universities. Other laws will promote financial cost transparency, create more scholarship opportunities for social worker students and improve standards in nursing education and in NCLEX exams.

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EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.— State Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, releases the following statement regarding the U.S. Department of Education reinstating Title IX protections implemented in 2020:

“Despite an illegal war raging, prices skyrocketing and national dissatisfaction growing, the current federal administration has decided to focus on dismantling Title IX protections for women and people in the LGBTQ+ community.

“This federal administration is claiming they’re protecting ‘women’s safety, dignity, and educational opportunities.’ Restricting access and opportunity to reporting cases of sexual assault and misconduct doesn’t protect survivors, it puts them at a bigger risk for fallout and a lower chance of justice. They initiated these changes with no opportunity for public comment or input from interest groups or experts in these fields.

“Illinois college students are protected by the Preventing Sexual Violence in Higher Education Act, which has been in effect since 2015. Just last year, I proudly sponsored legislation to update the act, updating the base surveys institutions have to complete and allowing for them to be closely reviewed and address any issues found. Despite federal restrictions, college students will still have protections against sexual assault and abuse in state of Illinois.

“Title IX was designed to prohibit sex-based discrimination, and the current administration is interpreting this literally to allow gender and sexual orientation-based discrimination. This regression adds to the administration’s long list of examples of protecting perpetrators of sexual misconduct and silencing survivors.

“I will continue my efforts to ensure that all college students are afforded the safety and opportunity to report their abuse, seek assistance from medical professionals or other survivors and for justice to be served.”