SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, D-Glenview, and members of the House Democratic New Arrivals Working Group are seeking to curb inhumane, politically motivated busing of migrants from border states with new criminal and civil penalties for dropping off passengers at unsafe locations and at unscheduled times.

“This measure is the result of months of work by the New Arrivals Working Group in conjunction with stakeholders from across the political spectrum. This bill begins to address the most egregious abuses we’ve seen from politicians who want to ship people across the country like cargo,” Gong-Gershowitz said. “Unplanned, unannounced and uncoordinated long-distance busing of migrants is a practice that totally neglects their wellbeing, while imposing burdens on the communities receiving them. This issue affects us all.”

Gong-Gershowitz passed House Bill 588 through a House committee Wednesday. Under this bill, commercial bus operators would no longer be able to leave migrants in unsafe areas, or at unscheduled times. Buses would face stricter regulation of where riders could be left, ensuring local officials have control over where and when drop-offs could happen. The bill also lays out stronger safety regulations on these drop-off locations. Bus operators violating these regulations would be subject to misdemeanor charges and fines for a first offense, with escalating fines for subsequent offenses.

Many communities in Cook County and neighboring suburbs have already enacted similar ordinances, causing bus operators and the politicians directing them to seek unregulated areas for these drop-offs. Gong-Gershowitz’s bill expands these regulations statewide in order to more comprehensively crack down on these political games. 

Gong-Gershowitz, leads the House Democratic New Arrivals Working Group, along with Reps. Dagmara Avelar, Kam Buckner, Terra Costa Howard, Eva-Dina Delgado, Robyn Gabel, Jehan Gordon-Booth, Hoan Huynh, and Dave Vella.   

SPRINGFIELD – To help provide a safe and constructive environment for all individuals in the workplace, state Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, D-Glenview, introduced legislation to create policies to address workplace harassment in the private-sector.

“For too long, women, minorities and others facing a higher risk of being harassed or abused in the workplace have had too few options for recourse,” Gong-Gershowitz said. “As many brave victims across the country have come forward in recent years, there is increased awareness and demand for accountability. Meaningful change will require policies and practices that go beyond strict legal prohibitions. We must investigate ways in which we can encourage a culture of respect so we can continue to advance the ideal of equality and true agency.”

House Bill 905 creates the Private Sector Workplace Anti-Harassment Task Force. The task force will develop model policies and practices to create workplaces that are safe from harassment. It will address a wide range of workplace harassment-related issues, including methods for anonymous reporting, protection from retaliation, developing employee trainings, and empowering human resource departments. It will particularly focus on groups that are historically and statistically more vulnerable to harassment for reasons such as race, sexual orientation, immigration status and service industry work, among others.

“In a state that values fair treatment and tolerance, the #MeToo movement challenged us to ask ourselves if we have been actively doing our part to end a culture of harassment and discrimination,” Gong-Gershowitz said. “This bill is a step towards making sure the rules of the game truly create an equal playing field for those groups who have historically faced additional obstacles in the pursuit of happiness.”