CHICAGO – State Representative Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) and Alderman Michele Smith and community partner Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church are hosting a paper shredding event. The event will take place on Saturday, October 20 from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. at Lincoln Park Presbyterian’s parking lot (600 W. Fullerton Pkwy, enter on Orchard Ave).

During “Shred Day,” neighborhood residents can bring personal or sensitive documents to be shredded safely and securely. This service provides free on-site shredding to the public. Residents can bring mixed office paper, light cardboard and other soft paper-based recyclables. They will not shred plastic, compact disks, DVDs or metal. Small electronic device collection will also take place with the exception of televisions of any size.

For more information about this event, please contact Rep. Feigenholtz’s constituent services office at 773-296-4141 or visit www.staterepsara.com.

CHICAGO – State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, D-Chicago, fired back at President Trump for his outrageous remarks suggesting that Jewish Americans who support Democratic politicians show “great disloyalty.”

“Donald Trump manipulates the national conversation with his dog whistle politics and this time he’s doing it with anti-Semitic rhetoric,” Feigenholtz said. “Jewish Americans should not be surprised that Trump continues to use tactics that are reminiscent of the darkest moments in Jewish history where hateful and xenophobic language was used as part of a strategy to divide.”

Feigenholtz is a supporter of a strong U.S-Israel relationship and was the chief-sponsor of Illinois’ anti-Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) law, which was the first in the country. BDS is a campaign to delegitimize Israel through the promotion of boycotting companies that do business with the country.

 “Expecting any retraction of these hateful and manipulative comments eludes this president,” Feigenholtz said. “Trump’s comments are devoid of the knowledge and history of Jewish people. I look forward to the day that Americans are able to restore integrity to the presidency.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill.  – In an effort to help provide real tax relief for Illinois homeowners, state Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, D-Chicago, was selected to serve on the newly created Property Tax Relief Task Force.  The bipartisan working group is charged with finding solutions to lowering property taxes across Illinois.

“Rising property taxes are making it increasingly more difficult to make ends meet,” Feigenholtz said. “Illinois can and must do better to address the causes of increasing and prohibitive property taxes.”

Feigenholtz supported Senate Bill 1932, creating the Property Tax Relief Task Force. The bipartisan working group’s goals are to make short and long-term recommendations for administrative, electoral and legislative changes that result in property tax relief for homeowners. The group will submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly and Governor for further action. 

Feigenholtz notes the importance of linking property tax relief with the shift to a fair income tax, a measure that voters will decide on in the upcoming election cycle. She supported a number of other efforts to address property taxes. These include the bipartisan balanced budget passed this spring which increases funding to local school districts by an additional $375 million, which will be paid out of the state general revenue fund. These increased contributions from the state are designed to reduce the pressure on local government from having to increase property taxes. Feigenholtz also supported the newly created Property Tax Relief Fund to offer rebates to those claiming a homeowner’s exemption. 

“2019 was a historic year in Springfield. Our new Governor has what it takes to enact massive reforms — and he knows that property tax reform is up next,” Feigenholtz said. “Illinois does best when the middle class is positioned to make its own financial decisions. I am committed to finding innovative solutions that will lift up Illinois.”

CHICAGO – Following a historic legislative session which included the creation of the House Adoption and Child Welfare Committee in order to reform the child welfare system, crucial measures championed by state Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, D-Chicago, have been signed into law.

“Media and agency reports made it clear to us that the state’s current system to care for our most vulnerable children has failed to protect them,” Feigenholtz said. “When children are placed into the foster care system, their well-being is entrusted upon the State, so we must ensure that we are addressing any issues and providing them adequate resources to care for the children.”  

Committed to strengthening Illinois’ child welfare system, the following measures were passed by Feigenholtz and have been signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker:

• House Bill 2571, which places limitations on the number of children that can be placed in a single foster family home in order to prevent overcrowding and increase the comfort of youth in care;
• Senate Bill 191, which allows for certain youth who have been deemed delinquent by the court for breaking the law, but are in need of residential mental health care, to be eligible for grants to help their parents or guardians cover the costs of their treatment; and
• Senate Bill 1116, which closes a loophole in the law that prevents a court from continuing an investigation of abuse or neglect of a minor on their 18th birthday, even if the case has not yet been closed. This new law will ensure that if the Department of Children and Family Services and the court are in the middle of an investigation when a child turns 18, they are still able to have jurisdiction over the case.

“There are a number of gaps and holes in the child welfare system that culminate to create unhealthy and dangerous situations for children. These must all be addressed to create a process that truly creates the best environments for our kids and these are all crucial steps in that direction,” Feigenholtz said. “As a long-time advocate for foster care youth, I was honored to lead a committee dedicated to addressing the challenges and failures that have come to light in order to care for our children to the degree they deserve.”

Chicago – State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, (D-Chicago), will host a condominium rights workshop on Thursday, June 6 at 6:30 p.m. at Illinois Masonic 836 W Wellington in Olson Auditorium.

“Chicago’s lakefront is home to thousands of condominiums,” Feigenholtz said. “It is important that owners know their rights, and how to work with their boards to avoid conflict,” Feigenholtz added. These workshops are very helpful to individuals to get their questions answered.”

Joining Representative Feigenholtz will be mediator and thirty year condo attorney Sima Kirsch, Illinois Condominium Ombudsperson Adrienne Levatino and a member from the Chicago Bar Association condominium law subcommittee.

A range of topics will be covered including, navigating board membership, the value of education toand the nuances of condo law.

Condo owners and prospective owners are encouraged to attend. For more information or to RSVP, contact Feigenholtz’s constituent services office at 773-296-4141 or sara@staterepsara.com.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – In an effort to create and preserve affordable rental housing, State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, D-Chicago, introduced legislation that will create a new property tax incentive on Wednesday.

“Affordability in neighborhoods in cities and statewide can change dramatically because of redevelopment and new investments,” said Feigenholtz. “This dynamic growth has consequences that often result in displacement of families unable to find affordable housing in these quickly gentrifying neighborhoods where they have lived and worked for generations.”

In higher cost markets, soaring rents are shrinking the affordable housing supply and making it more challenging for low-income families to remain in their communities. HB 2168 provides the incentive to encourage owners to charge lower rents at the same time they are investing in an existing property or building new apartments.

HB 2168, if enacted, would also benefit lower cost housing markets, where it would encourage and improve the feasibility of rehabilitation projects, while ensuring rents stay affordable.

The property tax incentive would provide a reduction in equalized assessed value for 10 years or more for buildings with six or more residential rental units that are new construction or undertake qualifying rehabilitation and keep a portion of units affordable to households at or below 60% of area median income.

The legislation is an initiative of a coalition of housing advocates including Housing Action Illinois and Enterprise Community Partners. Housing Action Illinois is a statewide coalition that expands the availability of quality, affordable housing. Enterprise Community Partners works to creates opportunity for low- and moderate-income people through affordable housing in diverse, thriving communities. The incentive structure stems from a proposal developed by The Preservation Compact, a policy collaborative to preserve affordable rental housing.

“In higher cost markets, our goal is to keep rents affordable in buildings already being rehabbed or built,” said Bob Palmer, Policy Director for Housing Action Illinois. “In lower cost markets, we want owners to have more resources to invest in maintaining quality, affordable rental homes.”

The legislation is also supported by the Chicagoland Apartment Association, a non-profit trade association dedicated to serving the needs of the industry. They represent over 190 companies who manage more than 200,000 apartment homes.

“Increasing affordable housing benefits everyone,” said Mike Mini, Executive Vice President of the Chicagoland Apartment Association. “This proposal is a win-win scenario for both residents and apartment owners by building and improving quality housing and keeping it affordable as the same time.”

For full text of House Bill 2168, click here. For more information, contact Feigenholtz’s Chicago office at 773-296-4141 or robert@staterepsara.com.

CHICAGO – On the 46^th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion, state Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, D-Chicago, joined Governor JB Pritzker as he signed an executive order ensuring there are no barriers to women exercising their right to choose under state employee group health insurance plans.

The executive order comes on the heels of the passage of House Bill 40, sponsored by Feigenholtz and signed into law in 2017. That law required Illinois to extend insurance coverage of abortion to women who receive insurance through the state government’s health insurance plan. It also ensures abortion remains safe and legal in Illinois if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade.

“After repeated threats from President Trump and others to strip abortion rights away from women, this legislation was necessary to safeguard a woman’s right to make decisions that affect her personal health in Illinois,” said Feigenholtz. “Today, Governor Pritzker made a commitment to women in Illinois who are covered by state employee health insurance that they will have access to a full array of reproductive health care.”

For more information, contact Feigenholtz’s constituent services office at (773) 296-4141 or sara@staterepsara.com.