PLAINFIELD, Ill. — State Rep. Jessica Dixon Heitman, D-Plainfield, is now representing Illinois’ 97th House District after being sworn into office on July 21, 2026.

“I’m so honored to step into this role and get to work,” said Dixon Heitman. “Our community deserves a representative who truly represents our community and its needs, and one who will actually get the job done. I hope to prove to you that I’m that person.”

Dixon Heitman will focus on a variety of issues, including supporting public schools, local businesses, and union members and fighting for a more equitable and affordable healthcare system. 

“Illinois is facing a lot of challenges right now, but none of them are unconquerable,” said Dixon Heitman. “Over the last few weeks, I’ve been meeting with community leaders and community members to identify what is and isn’t working in the 97th district. I look forward to taking all of your advice and concerns into my first session this fall.”

Dixon Heitman will begin her first session as a legislator in the General Assembly during this fall’s veto session beginning on November 17.

For assistance with any state issues, contact repjessicadixonheitman@gmail.com or ajara@repjdh.com for support.

ROCKFORD, Ill. — Working to improve critical gaps in privacy, public health and public safety, state Rep. Maurice West, D-Rockford, is highlighting a series of bills championed through the state legislature this spring that were signed into law by Gov. Pritzker on July 24.

“Each of these bills fix significant, and potentially dangerous, issues that many Illinoisans are unaware of—instances that affect the quality of our health, safety and privacy—that have gone undetected or under-advocated for until now,” said West. “Our families deserve assurance that protections put in place aren’t swept under the rug and our government remains dedicated to the wellbeing of Illinoisans in all realms of our day-to-day lives.”

West led the following measures during the spring’s legislative session to counteract growing concerns regarding Illinois families’ privacy, health and safety:

• Senate Bill 2886: Strengthens privacy protections for modern medical genetic testing by preventing disclosure of testing results and barring insurers from using this information to make coverage decisions.
• Senate Bill 2918: Expands school guidelines to better report student violence towards teachers and staff to law enforcement, advancing both student and teacher safety on school campuses.
• Senate Bill 1743: Improves continuity of care by repealing a rule that prevented psychologists from prescribing medication to Illinoisans over 65 years old.
• Senate Bill 2774: Ensures meal kits and ready-to-eat meal options are subject to the same health and safety standards as other food.

“These are all common sense ideas: our schools should be safe, the meals we feed our kids should be safe, seniors should have unparalleled access to their medication and genetic testing shouldn’t be used to deny families care they need,” said West. “I’m proud to see each of these measures receive the support they deserve.”

CHICAGO — A bipartisan effort led by state Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, D- Glenview, that will help parents better protect their children online was signed into law by Gov. Pritzker earlier today.

“For far too long we’ve let Big Tech go unchecked, and our children have been paying the price,” Gong-Gershowitz said. “This legislation tells social media platforms to help fix an epidemic that they caused by designing addictive algorithms and putting revenue over the mental health and wellbeing of our kids.”

House Bill 5511 creates the Children's Online Social Media Safety Act, which will enable parents to manage the types of content their children can consume online, standardizing and improving on many existing private-market parental controls.

The bill requires device-makers to supply a setting where parents can input their child’s age while setting up a new device. When new software is installed or a new website is visited, the child’s device will supply their age range to automatically trigger a number of settings, unless a parent authorizes otherwise. These settings include:

• Prohibiting social media companies from using addictive algorithms to power social media feeds.
• Preventing notifications from social media apps between 10pm and 7am.
• Requiring apps to obtain parental consent for in-app purchases or any transaction between children and third-parties.
• Requiring companies to apply default privacy settings based on a user’s age to protect the user’s location data and profile information.

Gong-Gershowitz also served as a co-sponsor on Senate Bill 2427, which places new restrictions on the use of personal cell phones in schools, and as chair of the House Democratic AI Working Group, continues to lead discussions on how to protect consumers from the harmful effects of new technologies powered by artificial intelligence (AI).

“The research is clear; unbridled social media access and the ever-evolving nature of the digital age has caused harm to our children’s social lives, self-esteem and their work-product in the classroom,” Gong-Gershowitz said. “These common sense measures are about empowering parents to do right by their kids and ensuring that they can grow, develop and mature in safe spaces that aren’t online.”

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CHICAGO – State Rep. Suzanne Ness, D-Carpentersville, has been selected to join the Women’s Legislative Network Executive Board of NCSL (National Conference of State Legislatures) as an At-Large member for her dedication to public service.

“It’s an honor to receive this appointment and I look forward to joining the Women’s Legislative Network Executive Board as an At-Large member. This grants a greater opportunity to closely engage with women across the country on shared policy goals and values, while continuing to positively influence participation, empowerment and leadership of women legislators—and those who will follow in our footsteps,” said Ness. “Inclusion is integral to good policy. Thank you to

NCSL and the nominating board for this recognition, which I will use to advance participation and accessibility for women here and nationwide.” Ness’ appointment to the Women’s Legislative Network Executive Board was announced late last week prior to NCSL’s annual convention in Chicago. Ness was formally elected at the network’s board meeting Tuesday.

For more information, please contact info@repsnessil66.com.

OTTAWA, Ill. – State Rep. Amy “Murri” Briel, D-Ottawa, is better protecting service animals in schools and the students who rely on them with a new law requiring teachers receive service animal training as part of their annual training.

“Service animals aren’t pets, they are essential medical equipment that can mean the difference between life and death for their users,” said Briel. “Bullying and harassment have no place in our schools in general, and that’s especially true when that harassment puts students’ medical equipment in harm’s way.”

Senate Bill 2761 will require annual training regarding protection and accommodations for students who rely on service animals in classrooms, in addition to what is already included in required educator training. The bill is in response to growing concerns of students’ service animals being taunted and disturbed in school settings, interfering with their role of caring for their student handler.

“The more teachers and instructional staff know about the critical role service animals play, the better they’ll be able to support the students who rely on them for success in the classroom,” said Briel. “This measure ensures that students across Illinois will be able to bring their service animals to school without fear of causing their animals mental or physical distress.”

The measure passed both chambers with bipartisan support and was signed into law by Gov. Pritzker on July 24.

For more information, please email contact@staterepbriel.com.

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.— State Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, released the following statement in response to Madison County Board Chairman Chris Slusser’s dangerous, threatening comment.

“Madison County Board Chairman Chris Slusser commented that a former US public health official ‘should receive a public hanging.’

“This rhetoric is harmful and disgusting. Political violence is always wrong, and we should all be able to denounce political violence no matter our party affiliation. The recent rise in political violence has taken lives on both sides of the aisle; we should work to end this dangerous cycle, not fuel the fire.

“From county board members to the President, elected officials should not resort to threats of violence just because they disagree with or dislike someone.

“I am calling for Chairman Slusser to retract this comment and publicly apologize for his appalling choice of words as a public official.

“No matter our political party, we can all agree that violence and hatred of this kind is always uncalled for, unacceptable, and unbecoming of a public official.”

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​BLOOMINGTON, Ill. –  State Rep. Chung, D-Bloomington, championed a new law requiring more clarity when downcoding insurance claims. This clarity will allow local providers to stay in practice and protect patients from care coverage reductions.

“This issue was actually brought to me by a constituent, a local specialist. He shared how inadequate insurance coverage and coding could potentially price providers— especially the essential local providers that keep our community health— out of their practice,” said Chung.

Senate Bill 3114 creates new guidelines on insurance downcoding for both practitioners and patients. The law will ensure claim reviews are done manually, not by a computer algorithm or artificial intelligence, to ensure every facet of a patient’s case is taken into account.

If a claim is downcoded, the insurance company will inform physicians of the downcode and the clinical explanation. Insurance companies must also establish a clear process to dispute a downcoded claim.

“Technology is essential in health care, but not in the process of evaluating an insurance claim,” said Chung. “Requiring real people, not computer software, will ensure each patient is not just a claim number on a screen, but a valuable human life. Alternatively, a human reviewer can keep in mind the providers’ work in their specialization and their patient care.”

Senate Bill 3114 was signed into law earlier this month and is effective January 1, 2028.

CHICAGO – State Rep. Michael Crawford, D-Chicago, is celebrating the signing of two bills he sponsored that will strengthen student support services in Illinois schools and create clearer pathways to employment at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD).

“These new laws are about investing in people,” Crawford said. “Whether it’s ensuring our students have access to highly qualified school psychologists or creating more opportunities for skilled workers to build careers at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, these measures help strengthen our communities and prepare Illinois for the future.”

House Bill 4397 modernizes Illinois law by aligning it with the training and licensure standards already required of school psychologists. The new law requires school psychologists to earn a specialized degree in school psychology, complete at least 60 graduate credit hours, and finish 1,200 hours of supervised professional experience. By formally codifying these long-standing professional standards, the legislation helps ensure students continue receiving high-quality mental health, behavioral and educational support services in schools across Illinois.

“Our students deserve access to highly trained professionals who can help them navigate academic, emotional and behavioral challenges,” Crawford said. “This legislation reinforces the high standards our school psychologists already meet while strengthening confidence in the services they provide to students and families.”

House Bill 4426 updates the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District’s hiring process by improving how job opportunities are advertised and creating a clearer pathway from apprenticeship to full-time employment. The law expands opportunities for apprenticeship graduates by allowing them to apply for certain entry-level positions, helping connect skilled workers with good-paying jobs while strengthening the district’s workforce.

“Apprenticeships give people the skills they need to succeed, and we should make sure those opportunities lead to real careers,” Crawford said. “This law creates a smoother path from apprenticeship to employment while helping the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District recruit and retain a strong, qualified workforce.”

Both measures were signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker and will take effect according to their respective implementation dates.

CHICAGO, Ill. – Creating a space for young people to engage directly with elected officials and advocacy groups, State Representative Lindsey LaPointe, D-Chicago, and State Senator Rob Martwick, D-Chicago, will host a Youth Town Hall on Wednesday, July 29, from 6:30 p.m to 8:30 p.m at the Irving Park YMCA, 4251 W. Irving Park Ave, Chicago, IL 60641. Open to young people ages 14-19, the event highlights issues that matter most to youth, including but not limited to, mental health, education, immigration, environmental protections, and public safety.

“At a time when many young people have lost faith in government and question whether their voices matter, we have a responsibility to listen,” said LaPointe. “We are creating an environment where young people can ask questions, learn about advocacy in Illinois, and have honest conversations with the people who represent them.”

The Youth Town Hall will feature a panel discussion and roundtable Q&A with State Representative LaPointe, Alderwoman Ruth Cruz, and Cook County Commissioner Jessica Vasquez. Community organizations including the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, Sierra Club Illinois, and the 17th District Police Council will also participate in the panel discussion. Additionally, Chicago Votes will offer voter registration for eligible participants.

“By bringing together elected officials and advocacy organizations, we hope this event empowers participants to stay informed and get involved,” said LaPointe. “We hope this event gives local elected officials the opportunity to hear directly from young people about the hyperlocal issues affecting their daily lives, ensuring that future policy work is informed by the experiences and perspectives of the communities it serves.”

This event is free and open to all young people aged 14-19. Advance registration is encouraged but not required. Food will be provided. To RSVP for this event, please contact Info@RepLaPointe.com or call 773-647-1174.

WHO: State Representative Lindsey LaPointe and State Senator Robert Matwick
WHAT: Youth Town Hall
WHEN: Wednesday, July 29th, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.; doors open at 6 p.m.
WHERE: Irving Park YMCA, 4251 W. Irving Park Ave, Chicago, IL 60641

MONTGOMERY, Ill. – State Rep. Matt Hanson, D-Montgomery, secured over $682,000 in the state budget for five public libraries and seven school libraries in the 83rd district.

“Libraries remain a vital pillar of our community. They are not only hubs for reading and education, but also technology and innovation,” said Hanson. “These grants allow our libraries to continue operating as a safe haven for people of all ages, whether you’re there to pick up a good book, do some research, or attend an event.”

In the Fiscal Year 2027 state budget, over $27 million in grants were awarded to more than 640 public libraries and 2,500 school libraries across the state. These grants will be used to improve infrastructure, expand reading materials, advance technology, and support any and all programs that may be held at public or school libraries. Specifically, school libraries will use the grants to progress student literacy and educational opportunities for children of all ages.

“Especially in our rapidly advancing technological world, it’s important that young people are able to ground themselves through the resources libraries provide. Misinformation is abundant; having the tools to research and to think critically stem from literacy and education. I’m excited to see these grants go to so many libraries in the 83rd and I look forward to seeing the positive impact this support will have,” said Hanson.

In Hanson’s district, five public libraries and seven school districts received grants, including:
Aurora Public Library District $306,921
Batavia Public Library District $44,635
Batavia CUSD 101 $4,229
East Aurora CUSD 131 $10,160
Geneva Public Library District $55,744
Geneva CUSD 304 $4,284
Oswego CUSD 308 $14,220
Oswego Public Library District $119,863
St. Charles Public Library District $95,011
St. Charles CUSD 303 $9,908
West Aurora CUSD 129 $9,231

Yorkville CUSD 115 $5,937

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