SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — State Rep. Anne Stava, D-Downers Grove, issued the following statement following Gov. JB Pritzker’s Wednesday budget address to the General Assembly.

“We’ve known for a long time that things are harder than they should be. Now that we’ve heard from the governor about his priorities, it’s time to begin the real work of crafting a budget that centers on the numbers people care about most—the ones they’re seeing when they do their household budgets. 

“Washington’s shortsighted and malicious policies are causing the prices of everyday essentials—to say nothing of healthcare, energy and so many other things—to skyrocket. People are hurting as a direct result. While states can’t veto or undo federal policy directly, there are factors we can control, and those are where we’ll focus to make investments in a sustainable now and an affordable future.

“Today was the first step and now all that remains is to follow through.”

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DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. — State Rep. Anne Stava, D-Downers Grove, filed three bills on Thursday each addressing a different aspect of family court practices affecting vulnerable parents and children. The bills focus on definitions of common terms, allocation of costs and ensuring that family court orders align with a child’s specific medical needs.

“Many custody proceedings are between reasonable people who love their kids and are both able to center their best interests,” Stava said. “But that’s sadly not true in all cases, and when one parent is more focused on lashing out at the other than on what’s best for their children, current law and family court practice both fall far short of what’s needed for ensuring an outcome that reflects a child’s best interests.”

Stava filed House Bills 5176, 5177 and 5178:

HB 5176—The Family Law Definitions Act: Would create binding legal definitions of the terms “safe parent,” “high-conflict” and “parental alienation,” while requiring family courts to use these definitions and prohibiting the use of other terms that have the purpose or effect of evading these definitions. (Full Text)

HB 5177—Aligning Recommendations with Children’s Actual Clinical and Emergency Needs and Determinations (ARC-ACEND): Would make the recommendations of guardians ad litem or other court appointed authorities, when they concern a child with a diagnosed medical condition, provisional until they are certified as medically appropriate by a qualified physician. (Full Text)

HB 5178—Supervised Parenting Safety and Fairness Act: Would require a court to verify the reasonable availability of qualified supervisors before ordering supervised parenting time and, when it has deemed supervised time to be warranted, to refrain from allowing unsupervised parenting time simply because no supervisor is available. (Full Text)

“Family courts in our state have, in too many cases, not kept up with evolving best practices for child welfare or our understanding of patterns of abuse,” Stava said. “Time with children is treated almost like a form of property, abuse is often tolerated and victims are blamed when they try to protect themselves and their children. Even when abuse is recognized and addressed, victims  are often required to pay for the measures needed to keep the child safe. None of this is right, and that’s why it’s time for action.”

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DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. — Working to provide more relief to Illinoisans facing rising energy costs, state Rep. Anne Stava, D-Downers Grove, passed comprehensive legislation Wednesday evening that seeks to bring down home energy bills both immediately and in the long term for residents.

“Too many Illinois families are struggling with rising energy bills unconnected from how much they’re using. Something has to change and we’re putting our foot down,” Stava said. “Electric utilities have asked for rate hike after rate hike without increasing capacity or efficiency, and enough is enough.”

Many Illinois residents have seen home energy costs skyrocket. Increased power demands from new high-tech businesses and Washington’s massive tax bill threaten to raise costs even further resulting in $9.5 billion in increased state energy costs. The Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act (Senate Bill 25) puts Illinois on better footing to counteract rising energy prices by tapping into:

● Capturing clean energy: By capturing and redistributing energy already being produced, including from home solar panels, Ameren and ComEd customers can see immediate relief on monthly costs.

● Increasing battery storage: By building out our grid to increase the state’s battery storage, power systems will become more reliable and affordable to power millions of Illinois homes.

● Investing in energy efficiency programs: Senate Bill 25 directly expands energy efficiency programs for residents, lowering electricity prices by reducing overall demand, and improves equity in programs by allocating a minimum amount of funds to support low-income customers.

The measure will additionally create up to 115,000 jobs, counteracting job insecurity and layoffs caused by the federal budget bill— including over 50,000 lost manufacturing jobs in Illinois. As utility demands increase during the fall and winter months, Senate Bill 25 will play a significant role in meeting the state’s energy needs, strengthening reliability and helping manage untenable costs for customers for both short- and long-term relief.

“The priority at the end of the day has to be Illinois families being able to keep the lights on for a reasonable price,” Stava said. “That’s why it’s time for decisive action to bring these inflated prices down. We’re doing that by increasing efficiency, supply and capacity. Families can’t wait for utilities to get their act together. Everyday life shouldn’t be this hard.”

WOODRIDGE, Ill. — State Rep. Anne Stava, D-Downers Grove, will give remarks during an event to be held Wednesday, Sept. 17 from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the West Suburban Community Pantry, 6809 Hobson Valley Dr, Ste. 118 in Woodridge.

In delivering a smart, responsible and compassionate state budget, Stava led the effort to secure a combined $545,000 in state funds to support the Pantry’s mission of helping support less fortunate Illinois families in maintaining access to adequate nutrition while they work to get back on their feet.

Nonprofit organization Feeding America says that around 1 in 8 Illinoisans—and around 1 in 6 Illinois children—routinely face hunger. The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) Commission to End Hunger 2024 Annual Report puts these numbers at more than 1 in 4 for Latino families and 2 in 7 for Black families—compared to 2 in 15 for White families.

West Suburban Community Pantry was founded in 1992 as the Woodridge Community Pantry and took its current name in 2010 as demand and capacity both expanded.

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. — People who become victims of human trafficking before turning 18 will have fewer barriers to justice after a bill championed by state Rep. Anne Stava, D- Downers Grove, was signed into law August 15 by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

“Trafficking in people, especially when compounded by sexual abuse, is one of the most heinous and despicable kinds of criminal activity we confront,” Stava said. “Sadly, it’s still far too common, and survivors of sex trafficking who were under 18 at the time of the incident are limited regarding how much time they have to pursue charges against their abuser, which just isn’t right.”

Stava’s House Bill 2602 removes the statute of limitations on prosecuting offenders for crimes like involuntary servitude, involuntary sexual servitude and trafficking in persons; when the victim was a minor at the time of the offense, allowing these prosecutions to be commenced at any time.

Previously, once a person victimized as a minor turned 43 years old, they could no longer press charges against their abuser because the law provided a 25-year statute of limitations beginning from the age of 18. Constitutional limits mean that statutes of limitations can’t be retroactively changed, so the statute of limitations will still apply to past crimes and to those that take place before January 1, 2026—the law’s effective date.

The law reflects the reality that sexual abuse, particularly repeated abuse during which the victim is being held against their will, is terribly traumatic and that victims, especially those who were children at the time, may need years to get to a place where they can come forward.

“What it comes down to is the question: why should human traffickers—particularly those who victimized children—ever be safe? When you commit a crime like that, you don’t deserve peace of mind,” Stava said. “What purpose is served by an arbitrary cutoff after which crimes like these are ignored? I don’t think it can be justified.”

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. — Illinois will stand up a task force to address persistent workforce shortages in critical healthcare specialties under a bill sponsored by state Rep. Anne Stava, D-Downers Grove, which was signed into law on August 15 by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

“Various factors, from the pandemic to geographic and economic factors, accelerated an already worsening problem—the shortage of many kinds of healthcare specialist providers in many parts of our state,” Stava said. “If we’re going to correct this stubborn problem, we need to ensure we’re leveraging all the expertise available to us and leaving no stone unturned.”

The Stava-sponsored Senate Bill 593 creates a task force comprised of legislators, government officials, and professionals from the healthcare industry and statewide health- oriented organizations to review statutes, data, capabilities, and current obstacles and then provide recommendations in a report to the General Assembly and the Governor.

The task force would have one year to prepare this report. The task force will dissolve and the law repeals itself on December 31, 2027.

“Illinois families across our state need reliable access to specialist healthcare and the pandemic and other difficulties over the last decade plus have put that in doubt in many places,” Stava said. “The recommendations of this task force will be invaluable in crafting policies to ensure that every Illinois family and community has access to needed healthcare.”

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. — Older adults in long-term care facilities and nursing homes will have enhanced protections related to transfers and discharges after a bill by state Rep. Anne Stava, D-Downers Grove, was signed into law Friday by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

“People in nursing homes and long-term care facilities are some of the most vulnerable patients within the larger healthcare system,” Stava said. “When they come into conflict with those who are entrusted with their care, it’s crucial that they have advocates who can hold those caretakers accountable.”

Stava’s House Bill 1597 enhances legal protections for residents of nursing homes, long-term
care facilities and assisted living facilities by:

● Establishing notification requirements for significant changes in a resident’s condition,
● Prohibiting facilities from terminating a person’s residency if the resident’s physician or other
qualified personnel assess that it is safe for them to return,
● Requiring facilities that do initiate termination of residency procedures to notify the Illinois
Department of Public Health
● Requiring facilities to provide a listing of residents’ rights developed by the state, and
● Providing that a facility may be fined and required to submit a plan of correction if it refuses to
readmit a resident following an emergency without adequate cause.

“Protecting the most vulnerable is the mark of any ethical system,” Stava said. “Elderly, infirm
and disabled Illinoisans need and deserve high standards of care and accountability from
their caretakers.”

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NAPERVILLE, Ill. — State Rep. Anne Stava-Murray will listen to constituents’ priorities and discuss her efforts to create a brighter future for Illinois at an in-person town hall Wednesday, April 16 from 7 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Naperville Public Library, 2035 S. Naper Blvd. in Naperville. Due to venue capacity, the event will be for constituents only and Stava-Murray is asking that attendees RSVP in advance. Media seeking to cover the town hall should also RSVP to ensure space is available.

“With everything going on in the last few months, people need to be able to directly speak with the people who represent them,” Stava-Murray said. “That’s why I view accessibility to those in our community as among my most important official duties. Of course, my office is only a phone call or an email away every day, but in-person availability remains important for ensuring that everyone has a voice.”

To ensure there is ample time to discuss all pressing matters, constituents are asked to submit their questions in advance by email, or written on cards that will be handed to attendees when entering the event. Constituents may RSVP and submit questions in advance by calling 630-605-0595 or emailing office@repstavamurray.com.

WHO: State Representative Anne Stava-Murray
WHAT: Constituent Town Hall
WHEN: Wednesday, April 16, 2025
7 p.m. until 8 p.m.

WHERE: Naperville Public Library
2035 S. Naper Blvd.
Naperville, IL

Due to space, this event is limited to constituents and media only. Attendees must RSVP in advance.
RSVP/Submit Questions: office@repstavamurray.com

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. — State Rep. Anne Stava-Murray, D-Downers Grove, in partnership with the West Suburban Community Pantry, is accepting donations of new, unopened dry and canned food at her constituent service office, located at 633 Rogers St. in Downers Grove, on Tuesday, March 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“Food insecurity sadly remains an ongoing problem in our community and across our state, but it’s one that we can help solve together,” Stava-Murray said. “That’s why I’m partnering with West Suburban Community Pantry to boost donations of the kinds of long-lasting, staple foods that can really make a difference in the lives of those who might otherwise go without.”

The items most needed include rice, pasta, canned beans, canned tuna or chicken, cereal, canned low-sugar fruits and vegetables, water, whole grains including oats and quinoa, dry lentils and peanut butter.

Donations can also be dropped off between Monday, March 24 and Friday, March 28 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturday, March 29 from 8 a.m. until noon; at the West Suburban Community Pantry, 6809 Hobson Valley Dr. #118 in Woodridge.