CHICAGO – State Rep. Lakesia Collins, D-Chicago, issued the following response to the Illinois Supreme Court’s decision that the assault weapons ban passed earlier this year is constitutional:

“The Illinois Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Protect Illinois Communities Act is a victory for public safety advocates in communities across our state. Getting weapons of war off of our streets is a vital step in stemming the tide of harm and tragedy caused by the gun violence epidemic.

“Gun violence looms over every Illinois community, from North Lawndale to Highland Park, from Aurora to Loves Park. Assault weapons, extended magazines, and rapid-fire modifications are the grim common denominators. This effort to get these weapons of war off our streets is not only appropriate, but necessary.  

“This is far from the last step we need to take to end the gun violence epidemic in Illinois. Now the work begins on new measures to continue to improve the situation. It will take time, but with sustained, collective efforts like what we have seen with the Protect Illinois Commuities Act, someday soon we can make gun deaths a relic of the past.”

CHICAGO – State Rep. Lakesia Collins, D-Chicago, issued the following response to the Illinois Supreme Court’s decision that the assault weapons ban passed earlier this year is constitutional:

“The Illinois Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Protect Illinois Communities Act is a victory for public safety advocates in communities across our state. Getting weapons of war off of our streets is a vital step in stemming the tide of harm and tragedy caused by the gun violence epidemic.

“Gun violence looms over every Illinois community, from North Lawndale to Highland Park, from Aurora to Loves Park. Assault weapons, extended magazines, and rapid-fire modifications are the grim common denominators. This effort to get these weapons of war off our streets is not only appropriate, but necessary.  

“This is far from the last step we need to take to end the gun violence epidemic in Illinois. Now the work begins on new measures to continue to improve the situation. It will take time, but with sustained, collective efforts like what we have seen with the Protect Illinois Commuities Act, someday soon we can make gun deaths a relic of the past.”

CHICAGO – State Rep. Lakesia Collins, D-Chicago, issued the following statement following the Illinois Supreme Court decision to uphold the SAFE-T Act:

“Passing the SAFE-T Act was the culmination of years of effort from Illinois lawmakers to reform our court system, make communities safer by making the system smarter, and end the cash bail system that took such a terrible toll on Black and Brown communities. Illinois’ highest court has now solidified this state’s commitment to building a safer and more equitable future for all its citizens.

“I would like to thank the people who made the SAFE-T Act possible, including state Rep. Justin Slaughter, state Sen. Elgie Sims, the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, my colleagues in the General Assembly who put their support behind this landmark legislation and the many stakeholders who helped shape the policy.

“The fight for equity is far from over, but this decision sends the message loud and clear: progress will not be slowed, despite lawsuits from those who continue to cling to a less safe, less just status quo.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Wednesday morning, state Rep. Lakesia Collins, D-Chicago, traveled to Washington, D.C. to join a discourse with other state leaders on legislation to advance child care in America.

“At a time in which our goals are to build up the foundations of Illinois communities to combat system challenges like substance abuse, poverty and crime, affordable and high-quality child care could not be more vital. I am proud of the progress I’ve been able to drive in Illinois, and I thank the White House for bringing me into the national discourse,” Collins said. “This conference yielded substantial results. My counterparts in other states have taken smart approaches to expand child care services, and I was proud to share the steps Illinois has taken—such as making the most substantial child care investment of any state in the country.”

State leaders were divided into subgroups to discuss various aspects of improving child care. Collins was part of a group that focused on protecting the child care workforce and stabilizing the industry in case of possible crises.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, the child care industry faced a substantial economic downturn as schools closed and their services were no longer needed,” Collins said. “In Illinois, we provided $300 million dollars in relief to workers to help them navigate the emergency. Similar policy must be in place on a nation-wide scale in the event of similar problems.”

Collins’ work to improve child care in Illinois includes passing measures to increase the income eligibility threshold for child care benefits, require exit interviews with kids leaving foster care and pushing for child care coverage in the yearly budget. Collins also serves as the Vice-Chairperson of the House Adoption and Child Welfare Committee and a member of the House Human Services Committee.

“Without accessible child care, working parents—especially single parents—cannot always give their kids the round-the-clock care that they deserve,” Collins said. “We are forcing these parents to shoulder heavy burdens even as they have no option but to leave their children without a caregiver at young ages. Good care for our children isn’t something that should be restricted based on income. The initiatives we explored today and have been exploring in Illinois in recent years will help alleviate that issue.”

CHICAGO – State Rep. Lakesia Collins, D-Chicago, will prioritize equitable and affordable medical care as the next chair of the House Health Care Availability and Accessibility Committee.

“People rationing diabetes and heart medications, people living with debilitating pain; countless Illinoisans are risking their wellbeing and suffering through preventable problems because they can’t afford the necessary medical treatment,” Collins said. “The Health Care Availability and Accessibility Committee was designed to combat these problems, and that’s the direction I’ll take as chair.”

Collins was appointed chair of the committee by Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch. Health Care Availability and Accessibility will focus on removing unfair barriers to vital medical care that have hurt underserved Illinois communities.

“We have tolerated a myriad of obstacles to health care access for too long,” Collins said. “Underserved communities don’t have adequate hospital access; low-income Illinoisans can’t afford doctor visits and vital prescriptions; these are the results of an unfair medical system. While I lead this committee, cracking down on barriers to good health care will be our focus.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — In response to the release of police body camera footage showing the killing of Tyre Nichols at the hands of five Memphis officers, the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus (ILBC) released the following statement:

“The release of police body camera footage makes clear what we already knew: the murder of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols was brutal and unjustified. Our deepest condolences are with his family and all those who knew and loved him. The police officers who beat this young man to death have no place in law enforcement, and were rightly dismissed. Still, this is not enough. These officers callously and viciously killed another human being and Mr. Nichols’ family deserves justice.

“For the people who are angry, for the people who are sick of living in fear, we will always stand with you in the fight for justice. We are proud of the steps we’ve taken in Illinois, including passing major criminal justice reforms as part of our four-pillar agenda two years ago, but there is still much more work to do.”

CHICAGO — State Rep. Lakesia Collins, D-Chicago, is encouraging those with federal student loan debt to apply for one-time federal student loan debt relief.

“Student loan debt significantly impacts a person’s ability to pay for rent, food or utilities, let alone build enough wealth to support their families or weather emergencies. Student debt also feeds into the racial wealth divide, with black borrowers carrying more debt than their white counterparts,” Collins said. “The federal student loan debt relief plan is a fantastic start at remedying these issues. Debt relief will allow borrowers to more fully participate in the economy and build credit, leading to more opportunity overall. I highly encourage everyone who qualifies to apply for federal student loan forgiveness.”

Under the federal student loan debt relief plan, the U.S. Department of Education will provide up to $20,000 in debt relief to Federal Pell Grant recipients and up to $10,000 in debt relief to non-Pell Grant recipients. Borrowers are eligible for this relief if their individual income is less than $125,000 or $250,000 for households. To apply for student loan debt relief, please visit https://studentaid.gov/debt-relief-announcement/one-time-cancellation. Applications are due Dec. 31, 2023.