CHICAGO — Comprehensive legislation to bring down home energy bills, hold large utility corporations accountable and create jobs that state Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, passed last fall was signed into law today, marking a victory in his efforts to cut the cost of living.

“The focus of this measure is simple: lower utility bills. With a White House creating economic policy that drives an already-high cost of living up even higher, Illinoisans need relief on essential expenses,” Buckner said. “Adding a greater range of power supplies will provide greater stability to Illinois’ power grid, while lowering utility bills. Constructing new sources of reliable clean energy will create jobs, while lowering utility bills. Ensuring excess solar energy is captured and redistributed will advance our climate goals, while lowering utility bills. This is the environmentally and economically proactive bill Illinoisans deserve.”

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 expenses. The Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act (Senate Bill 25) puts Illinois on better footing to counteract rising energy prices.

• • Capturing clean energy: By capturing and redistributing energy already being produced, including from home solar panels, ComEd customers can see substantial 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: By directly expanding energy efficiency programs for residents, Senate Bill 25 lowers 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 100,000 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 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. 

“Clean energy is the future and harnessing its potential is key to building a stronger Illinois,” Buckner said. “I’m grateful to the many stakeholders and to my colleagues for the hard work it took to bring this vital legislation across the finish line.”

CHICAGO — State Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, issued this statement in response to the Trump Administration’s partisan freeze of vital funding for childcare services in five Democratic-led states, including more than $1 billion in Illinois:

“Child care can be extremely expensive and, for many working families, cutting vital financial assistance for that care is devastating. While we’re all used to Donald Trump’s pattern of retribution against anyone who doesn’t stand with his thoughtless and extreme policies, it’s still hard to stomach him targeting that cruelty at children. 

“I’m returning to Springfield very soon to fight for a lower cost of living for our community, and I’ll be looking at every possible measure to extend greater child care assistance to the families who need it most.”

CHICAGO – State Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, is prioritizing affordability with new legislation targeting “surveillance pricing,” a growing practice where online businesses and retailers set individualized prices using algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI) without the consumer’s knowledge.

“We all understand how helpful tools like AI can be, but they also have the power to inflict great harm. It’s our responsibility to make sure Illinoisans are being protected from the negative effects of this rapidly developing technology, especially when it relates to finances,” said Buckner. “Right now, under this federal administration, people are doing everything they can to make ends meet. No one deserves to pay more than their neighbors for the same product and services. It’s an unfair and abusive practice that must be stopped.”

In a post-COVID world, people are spending more and more time and money online, which means they’re sharing more personal information with data systems. Under Buckner’s new legislation, businesses and retailers will be required to disclose their algorithm-based pricing practices. Consumers will then have the option to opt out of the practice and pay a baseline price. Additionally, the bill prohibits the use of sensitive personal information, like race, religion, and immigration status, to determine pricing.

Any and all bill requirements will be enforced through existing Illinois consumer fraud laws.

“Nationwide, everyday people are experiencing severe financial uncertainty. While Washington continues to make the affordability crisis worse, we have to make strides to protect Illinoisans in any way we can. And that means price transparency. It means cracking down on the businesses manipulating personal data for their own gain,” said Buckner.

Buckner’s legislation will be presented to the Illinois General Assembly for consideration as House Bill 4248.

CHICAGO – A fiscally and socially responsible budget that helps cut costs for families, create new pathways forward for small businesses in underserved communities and work to shape a cleaner, more equitable transportation system are essential parts of the state Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, is highlighting from the spring legislative session.

“Rising costs have been hard on our community recently, but I’m glad to report that I helped advocate for a budget that prioritizes cutting costs so working people get the relief they need,” Buckner said. “We are putting millions into a tax credit for families with young children, property tax relief measures, cutting over $1 billion in medical debt and putting substantial funding behind our public school system. Year by year, we are building a stronger future for Illinois communities, and smart budgeting is going to get us there.”

The fiscally and socially responsible state budget Buckner helped craft creates a new $50 million child tax credit that will put more money in the pockets of modest-income families raising children under 12—helping working families who are struggling with rising costs at the grocery store. Buckner also worked to put $350 million in evidence-based funding into public school classrooms, on top of the over $1 billion in the past four years. 

“The surest way forward for our community is to create new pathways for small businesses to thrive,” Buckner said. “My measure to open business improvement districts will foster growth-as well as public safety-by putting tools for economic development in the hands of business owners. Members of the community can take direct control of progress with enhanced security, sanitation and other supplemental services.”

Buckner passed Senate Bill 3679 to enable the creation of business improvement districts that spur economic growth within underserved areas of Chicago.

“Building a better future depends on changing the way we think about transportation,” Buckner said. “I am working for a series of reforms to create a more equitable, more affordable, more environmentally-friendly and ultimately faster transportation system. It’s time to give mass transit the funding it needs, it’s time to ease restrictions on cyclists and it’s time to make electric vehicles more affordable.”

Buckner is working for measures to create rebates on purchases of electric bikes, ease restrictions on bicycles, lower the speed limit on cars in urban areas, reform mass transit in Chicago.

CHICAGO – State Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, is joining with state Rep. Kimberly du Buclet, state Sen. Robert Peters, Cook County Commissioner Bill Lowry and Alderman Lamont Robinson to host a Community Baby Shower on Saturday, May 11. It will be held at the Timothy Center, on 4351 South Drexel in Chicago, from 10 a.m. to noon. The event will feature numerous vendors from around the Chicago area and Illinois, including Aetna Better Health of IL, Cook County Health, Caris Pregnancy Counseling and Resources, and Sinai Community Institute.

“I’m committed to building a stronger, safer future for low-income families who too often are left to overcome major economic challenges without assistance,” Buckner said. “Once again joining with my committed colleagues, as well as local businesses, to help parents in-need is a privilege. I encourage everyone who could benefit from the support we’re offering to attend.”

Free resources available will including child welfare services, home visits, housing assistance and postpartum support. Free giveaways include diapers, wipes, hygiene kits, books and baby clothes. Items are dispensed on a first come, first serve basis. Attendees much register at www.illinois26.com.

Participating vendors are:

• EverThrive Illinois
• BA NIA Incorporated
• Grace Sister to Siter
• Pink Lemons, NFP
• Catholic Charities
• Cook County Health
• Sinai Community Institute
• Sisters Working It Out
• Aetna Better Health of IL
• Caris Pregnancy Counseling and Resources
• Mocha Moms-Chicago Chapter
• Illinois State Treasurer’s Office
• Start Early Health Parents and Babies

CHICAGO – To help develop policies and best practices for combatting human trafficking in Illinois, state Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, has been appointed to the newly created Human Trafficking Task Force.

“Illinois is a national and international crossroads for goods and transportation. Unfortunately, that also makes Illinois a crossroads for human trafficking,” Buckner said. “As a member of the Human Trafficking Task Force, I will work to improve our response to human trafficking and ensure that the resources necessary for human trafficking prevention and survivor support are available.”

Buckner sponsored Senate Bill 1599, recently signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, to create the Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force will work to improve data sharing and collection between government agencies about human trafficking and study how the state can work with private and non-profit entities to prevent human trafficking and provide assistance to survivors. The task force will also identify best practices for reducing disparities in the treatment of missing persons cases based on gender and race.

The creation of the Human Trafficking Task Force builds on previous pair of measures supported by Buckner to address human trafficking in Illinois. In 2019 Buckner supported a law, Senate Bill 1890, to lengthen the civil and criminal statute of limitations on human trafficking and crack down on businesses that profit from sexual exploitation and involuntary servitude of women and children. The same year Buckner also supported a law, House Bill 3101, to require hotel and motel employees to receive training to recognize human trafficking and alert authorities.

“Illinois has made great strides towards building a survivor-centered, trauma-informed response to human trafficking. However, there is more we must do to ensure equal justice for survivors and to prevent human trafficking altogether. ” Buckner said. “I look forward to working with my colleagues to improve our understanding of the depth of human trafficking in our state and finding new ways to reduce and prevent human trafficking in Illinois.”