EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – State Rep. LaToya Greenwood, D-East St. Louis, is inviting area residents to an upcoming Senior Fair scheduled for Friday, Oct. 25 at the Clyde Jordan Senior Center, and a free vaccination fair for students planned for Saturday, Oct. 26 at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center in East St. Louis.

“Whether it’s connecting seniors to state resources or providing our local children the vaccinations they need to be healthy, I want to make sure families have access to the services they deserve,” Greenwood said. “These events are free to attend, and I particularly encourage parents to make sure their children are up to date on immunizations.”

Attendees of Greenwood’s Senior Fair will receive helpful information about state programs for older adults, meet with senior service providers and receive flu shots with properly provided insurance. Greenwood’s Vaccination Fair will provide free school vaccinations and physicals for District #189 families. For more information, please contact Greenwood’s office at 618-646-9557.

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EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – State Rep. LaToya Greenwood, D-East St. Louis, has been named to a Firearm Public Awareness Task Force charged with working with law enforcement, public health researchers, advocates and other experts to provide recommendations to combat gun violence.

“It’s important that we continuously work with experts on ideas to address gun violence in our state,” Greenwood said. “We have to be proactive in our efforts to stop the next tragedy from happening.”

Greenwood will serve on the bipartisan Firearm Public Awareness Task Force that aims to bring together advocates, law enforcement, educators, public health researchers, mental health experts, concerned residents and stakeholders to review the root cause of gun violence and make legislative recommendations targeted at reducing violence. The task force is part of a multifaceted approach to gun safety and will serve as a complement to ongoing legislative efforts, such as the Fix the FOID Act aimed at keeping guns out of the wrong hands.

“Too many families have had to suffer from violence that has impacted our community,” Greenwood said. “I remain committed to working with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to develop real solutions that can be implemented to curb senseless violence.”

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – Expressing appreciation for the value that teachers bring to the classroom, state Rep. LaToya Greenwood, D-East St. Louis, is highlighting the signing of legislation to increase the state’s minimum salary for teachers.

“Teachers play an instrumental role in the lives of every resident, and often their contributions are overlooked,” Greenwood said. “It was time to raise our state’s minimum teacher salary requirements to reflect the needs of today, and I am hopeful that it will work to address our teacher shortage while also giving our newest teachers a better standard of living that they deserve.”

Greenwood served as a chief sponsor of House Bill 2078, which gradually increases the state’s minimum salary for teachers to $40,000 beginning in the 2023-24 school year. Increases afterwards would be based on the Consumer Price Index. This year’s legislation is the first update in decades to the state’s minimum teacher salary, and is designed in part to attract more teachers to Illinois schools. According to data this past year from the Illinois State Board of Education, there were over 1,400 unfilled teacher positions in the state.

“We need to prioritize investment in our education system to secure the best possible future for our children,” Greenwood said. “This starts with us investing in the best possible instructors and ensuring that their pay reflects the value we see in them.”

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – Alarmed at the national disproportionate trend of maternal deaths among black women, state Rep. LaToya Greenwood, D-East St. Louis, spearheaded the creation of a task force that will bring together health officials to provide recommendations to decrease infant and maternal mortality among black women in Illinois.

“Having a child should be one of the most wonderful, positive moments in a person’s life,” Greenwood said. “But for too many families, a trip to the hospital to give birth is turning into heartbreak. I’m incredibly concerned that this seems to happen more often for black women, and we need to look at ways to address this ongoing tragedy.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (LINK), black women have a pregnancy-related mortality ratio approximately three times as high as that of white women. Some studies have suggested that racism is a defining factor behind the disproportionality of maternal and infant mortality in the black community, limiting access to prenatal resources, responsible care and medication that could prevent deaths.

The Greenwood-backed House Bill 1 creates a task force that will provide best practices on decreasing infant and maternal mortality in the black community in Illinois. It will include medical providers, physicians, nurses, midwives, hospital representation, OB-GYN specialists, doulas, insurance representation, advocates and representatives from relevant state agencies.

“If there are opportunities to lower the mortality rate, we should be looking at them,” Greenwood said. “Maternal health among black women is literally a matter of life and death, and we need to examine ways to address this health disparity. Any single life we can save is worth the effort.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Military spouses will have easier access to professional licensure for employment under a new law passed by state Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea, and state Rep. LaToya Greenwood, D-East St. Louis.

“It is my priority to support our military in every way possible, and that includes ensuring that military spouses who are realtors, nurses and other licensed professionals are able to get Illinois licensure to continue practicing their profession in our state,” said Hoffman. “This new law is critical with our close proximity to Scott Air Force Base, and will help make the transition for military families moving to Illinois much easier.”

Hoffman and Greenwood passed House Bill 1652 to accelerate the process for professional licensure with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). Under this measure, which was recently signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, IDFPR will establish a military liaison to oversee the application process at the department, and extend the lifetime of such licenses to three years to accommodate active duty military and their spouses temporarily stationed at military bases throughout the state.

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A bill passed by state Rep. LaToya Greenwood, D-East St. Louis, that will require correctional officials to prescreen inmates for Medicaid eligibility prior to release and assist them with completing a Medicaid application has been signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

“When people are released from prison, they may struggle to get back on their feet and adjust to their new living situation,” Greenwood said. “It makes sense to try to assist these individuals as they readjust, and by ensuring they can receive Medicaid benefits if they qualify as soon as possible, we can easily make a positive impact on their transition back to society.”

Greenwood served as the lead House sponsor of Senate Bill 1744, which mandates correctional officials screen inmates for Medicaid eligibility before release due to parole, probation, pardon, mandatory supervised release or final discharge. For those who qualify, correctional employees will assist with completing the Medicaid application. While the Department of Corrections is already required to give inmates the opportunity to fill out paperwork at least 45 days before release, Greenwood’s measure requires a prescreen.

“I hope that more individuals are encouraged and are able to apply for Medicaid assistance as soon as they can,” Greenwood said. “It’s one step in a series of steps in helping someone begin their new life.”

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – As part of her continuing effort to make home ownership more affordable, state Rep. LaToya Greenwood, D-East St. Louis, will fight for tax relief as a member of the state’s bipartisan Property Tax Relief Task Force, which is charged with delivering property tax relief recommendations by the end of the year.

“High property taxes can make it difficult for residents to make ends meet, and it’s time we take a closer look at how Illinois handles them,” Greenwood said. “As a member of this task force, I’ll work to see that comprehensive solutions are delivered and that families in our community are prioritized.”

Greenwood voted to create the task force by helping to pass Senate Bill 1932, which received bipartisan support and was signed into law on Friday. The bipartisan Property Tax Relief Task Force is designed to review the root causes of increasingly burdensome property taxes, review best practices, and deliver short and long-term recommendations for how Illinois can effectively provide relief for homeowners. State agencies, including the Department of Revenue, State Board of Education and the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget will work in conjunction with lawmakers. The task force is required to deliver a report to the governor and General Assembly by the end of the year with recommendations for administrative, electoral and legislative changes that would create both immediate and long-term property tax relief.

Members of the task force, including Greenwood, will serve without compensation.

“It’s important that we look at ways to responsibly lower property taxes for families while still ensuring that critically needed local services receive the investment they deserve,” Greenwood said. “I look forward to listening to ideas from colleagues and experts on how we can best tackle this issue.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – This legislative session, state Rep. LaToya Greenwood, D-East St. Louis, worked collaboratively with fellow members of the General Assembly to build a stronger middle-class by pushing proposals which raise wages, expand access to health care, and protect the interests of active duty military men and women.

“As we entered the 101^st General Assembly in January following the failures of the Rauner administration, we faced many difficult decisions about how to get Illinois’ priorities back in step with its needs and demands,” Greenwood said. “Since that time, we have taken strides to pass comprehensive proposals to fight for fairer taxes while building an economy that creates high wage jobs and makes health care more affordable.”

Greenwood co-sponsored Senate Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 1, which is the first step in restructuring the state’s tax structure to reduce the tax burden on 97% of Illinoisans. Before any formal tax reform can be enacted, Illinois voters will have an opportunity to make a decision regarding whether or not the proposed new Fair Tax is in the best interest of the state.

“This proposal would provide income tax relief for 99% of the residents in my district, and that is not something we can afford to overlook,” Greenwood said.

Greenwood has also been a leader in passing a package of proposals to expand access to health care, particularly on issues dealing with physical and mental illness among pregnant women and mothers. She was the chief sponsor of House Bill 4 and Senate Bill 1909, and chief co-sponsored other legislation to both expand coverage for medical complications and study the issue of mortality in women, especially among vulnerable communities.

“Expanding access to reasonable and affordable health care has been one of my top priorities since day one,” Greenwood said. “And my devotion to helping at-risk women receive the medical care and attention they need is an issue I am continuing to focus my efforts on.”

To protect the interests of active duty military, Greenwood’s House Bill 1652 would accelerate the process by which applications for professional licensure are processed by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, and establish a military liaison to oversee the application process at the department. Additionally, it would extend the lifetime of such licenses to three years in an effort to accommodate active duty military personnel and their spouses temporarily stationed at military bases across the state. 

“I am committed to improving the livelihoods of military men and women by ensuring access to a system that yields the best results to achieve the highest possible employment outcomes,” Greenwood said. “Our priority remains with service members, and I am proud to have passed a common sense bill to help these dedicated individuals receive gainful employment.”

Greenwood represents the 114^th House District which includes East St. Louis and Centreville, as well as portions of O’Fallon, Millstadt, Mascoutah, and other communities throughout the Metro East. She is currently serving in her second term at State Representative.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – After the Illinois House of Representatives voted 66 – 47 to pass recreational adult-use cannabis, state Rep. LaToya Greenwood, D-East St. Louis, issued the following statement:

“I’m proud of all of the hard work my colleagues in the House and Senate put in to craft a bipartisan piece of legislation for adult-use cannabis. This historic bill accounts for more than just the legalization of marijuana; it addresses key social and economic issues related to criminal justice and public health.

“There is no reason why reasonable and responsible use of cannabis for adults should result in mass incarceration that disproportionately impacts communities of color. This legislation moves us forward to address many of these key social and economic issues.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – To help at-risk women and girls, state Rep. LaToya Greenwood, D-East St. Louis, is advancing a bill that would require homeless shelters to provide feminine hygiene products free of charge.

“It is troubling when vulnerable girls and women lack critical access to fundamental human needs,” Greenwood said. “These situations are particularly alarming in instances where at-risk women and girls do not have adequate financial resources to support the well-being of their feminine hygiene and health. That is why I’m sponsoring a bill to require homeless shelters to provide these products at no cost.”

Greenwood’s House Bill 2656 would create the Feminine Hygiene Product for the Homeless Act as a pathway for providing at-risk or struggling women and girls with access to sanitary feminine hygiene supplies to maintain good health. Specifically, the legislation requires homeless shelters across the state to make these products readily accessible for those who utilize shelters and their services.

“My goal with this bill is to offer a solution to an increasingly prevalent problem by providing our vulnerable communities with the support they desperately need,” Greenwood said. “I am committed to taking a stand for our underserved and underrepresented communities.”