Glowiak Hilton to offer extended evening office hours in Oakbrook Terrace

OAKBROOK TERRACE – To give more residents the opportunity to visit her office with comments and concerns, State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs) is extending her office hours to accommodate the schedules of busy parents and working families.

Glowiak Hilton’s Oakbrook Terrace office, located at 17W715 E. Butterfield Road, Suite F, will be open until 7 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 27 and Wednesday, Sept. 29. The office is typically open weekdays until 4:30 p.m.

“With the school year starting, my office will be available to offer direct help for residents, families and business owners needing to access recovery resources for an extended amount of time,” Glowiak Hilton said. “I encourage anyone who needs assistance, has ideas or just wants to talk to attend.”

Glowiak Hilton invites residents to visit her office for help accessing state services and to discuss legislative matters directly. Masks are required indoors.

Appointments are encouraged, but not required and can be made by calling (630) 785-3177.

Governor signs Glowiak Hilton plan to educate students on vaping risks

SPRINGFIELD – To make sure students know the potentially life-threatening risks of vaping, State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs) created a new law to teach the dangers of e-cigarettes in school.

“As e-cigarettes become more popular among children, Illinois has a responsibility to educate our youth on the dangerous, potentially fatal side effects,” Glowiak Hilton said. “In order to keep kids from developing harmful nicotine addictions, it’s critical to teach students about the proven health risks associated with vaping.”

Glowiak Hilton’s law expands Illinois’ current tobacco health curricula taught in elementary and secondary schools to include health concerns associated with e-cigarettes and other vapor devices.

“Vaping can be detrimental to development for teens and young adults,” Glowiak Hilton said. “Adolescents are vulnerable to tobacco companies’ deceitful marketing ploys, and adding to the school tobacco health curricula is a strong defense to prevent children from becoming addicted at an early age.”

House Bill 3202 is effective immediately and begins with the 2021-2022 academic year.

New law by Glowiak Hilton to aid local businesses

SPRINGFIELD – As businesses get creative to find ways to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, a law sponsored by State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs) will offer a solution to help ease financial burdens.

“Local governments are capable of deciding what is best for the local business community’s financial future,” Glowiak Hilton said. “To provide support where it’s needed most, this law allows units of local government to determine where waiving fees would be beneficial to a struggling business.”

The law creates an option for counties and municipalities to waive licensing, permitting or registration fees for local businesses and services. To qualify, businesses must demonstrate financial need from the pandemic.

Counties and municipalities regulate businesses in a multitude of industries that may qualify, including bars, restaurants, construction, insurance, transportation, tourism and entertainment.

“Numerous industries have faced unique challenges over the last year and a half,” Glowiak Hilton said. “This proposal allows governments to offer relief to any local business that demonstrates financial loss.”

House Bill 2454 is effective immediately.

Senate Appropriations, Commerce Committees to hold joint hearing on Back 2 Business grant program

OAKBROOK TERRACE – State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs) and members of the Senate Appropriations and Commerce Committees will hold a joint hearing Thursday, Aug. 12 at noon to discuss the Back 2 Business small business recovery program. 

“Local businesses of all sizes and industries have faced various economic disruptions over the past year,” Glowiak Hilton said, who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee. “This hearing is a collaborative effort to encourage open conversation and provide the small business community an opportunity to address DCEO and their elected officials directly.”

The B2B program, administered by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, is expected to distribute $300 million in economic relief to small businesses across the state to help offset losses related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Only testimony on the subject matter will be heard.

A livestream of the committee hearing can be viewed when proceedings begin at www.ilga.gov.  

Who: Members of the Senate Appropriations and Commerce Committees

What: Subject matter hearing on the Back 2 Business grant program

When: Thursday, Aug. 12 at noon

Where: Room C600 of the Bilandic Building, 160 N. LaSalle St., Chicago, IL 60601 or Virtual Room 1 on www.ilga.gov