SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Suzy Glowiak is working to stomp out homelessness in Illinois, especially among children and youth.

Glowiak  (D-Western Springs) passed House Bill 2983, which creates the Youth Homelessness Prevention Subcommittee under the Governor's Cabinet on Children and Youth.

The subcommittee will review and make recommendations about the discharge policies and procedures for each agency that handles youth leaving the state's custody or guardianship to ensure youth housing stability.

“That we have homeless children is an indictment of our system of governance,” Glowiak said. “We need to find solutions to end homelessness among youth in our communities, and to provide stability and protection to children whose basic needs are not being met.”

According to the General Assembly’s findings, 1 out of 10 people between the ages of 18-25 are experiencing homelessness for some amount of time over a 12-month period. For those age 13-17, 1 in 30 experience a form of homelessness over a 12-month period.

“The least that any child in Illinois should expect is stable and secure housing. Determining how we provide that, and what broader education and employment opportunities to give our homeless youth, will be the purpose of this subcommittee,” Glowiak said.

House Bill 2983 is part of an effort to end youth homelessness by 2020. The Youth Homelessness Prevention Subcommittee will execute the vision set forth by the Cabinet on Children and Youth through efforts to prevent homelessness among youth leaving state systems of care.

“My hope is this subcommittee will create a long-term path to help us reach our goal to eliminate homelessness among our children once and for all,” Glowiak said.

House Bill 2983 passed the Senate with unanimous support and now heads to the governor’s desk for his signature.

SPRINGFIELD – One of the fastest-growing criminal activities in the world remains largely invisible, but that could change as State Senator Suzy Glowiak works to provide hospitality workers with the tools to spot and report on human trafficking.

Glowiak (D-Western Springs) passed House Bill 3101 on Tuesday, which would require hotels and motels to train employees to recognize the signs of human trafficking and know what to do when reporting it to authorities.

“Just as we’ve discovered that teachers or hairdressers can be the ones who most readily spot the telltale signs of domestic violence, we’re learning that hotel employees might be the ones who spot human trafficking,” Glowiak said. “We all are taught to step up when we see wrongdoing, and this training will give hospitality workers the knowledge and build the confidence to be able to identify signs of human trafficking and act quickly to do the right thing.”

Under the proposal, the Illinois Department of Human Services would develop a human trafficking recognition training program for hotel and motel employees. Human trafficking is now the second-largest criminal activity in the world and the fastest-growing. The International Labor Organization estimates that there are 40.3 million victims of human trafficking globally.

“It’s crucial that we take the lessons learned by other states and implement them in Illinois to help put a stop to this criminal activity,” Glowiak said.

House Bill 3101 passed the Senate’s Human Services Committee with unanimous support and now heads to the full Senate for consideration.

OAKBROOK TERRACE— State Senator Suzy Glowiak (D-Western Springs) is asking local residents to highlight the rich history of the 24th State Senate District by hosting a photo contest.

“Communities across the 24th Senate District have built a strong economy, affordable housing options and solid education systems,” Glowiak said. “This competition is open to all residents of our district to join me in sharing the beauty we see every day with people across our state.”

Participants will be asked to submit a photo that encompasses the communities of the 24th State Senate District. The winners will be displayed in Glowiak’s Springfield and district offices.

“These photographers will encompass the magnificent sights of our communities,” Glowiak said. “I’m excited to see our district from your point of view.”

The 24th State Senate District includes all or parts of Elmhurst, Oakbrook Terrace, Wheaton, Clarendon Hills, Downers Grove, Darien, Glen Ellyn, Hinsdale, Lisle, Lombard, Oak Brook, Western Springs, Westmont and Willowbrook. To find look up addresses in the district please visit www.SenatorSuzyGlowiak.com.

Contest rules are as follows:

• Photos can be of historical sites, buildings or landmarks as well as scenic sights within the 24th State Senate District. Participants must identify locations with street addresses or the closest intersections. The name of the location is also acceptable if it is a park or school.
• May submit as many entries as you would like before the deadline of 5 p.m. on Friday, June 14, 2019.
• Include name, phone number and location of the picture with every entry.
• Winning entries will be displayed in Glowiak’s district and Springfield offices. The photographer will be invited to the unveiling of their photograph.
• The contest is open to all ages.

Glowiak urges interested participants to call her Oak Terrance Office at (630) 785-3177 with any questions or concerns.

SPRINGFIELD – Breaking from her colleagues, State Senator Suzy Glowiak voted against instituting tax rates that would increase the burden on residents in DuPage and Cook counties.

Glowiak voted against Senate Bill 687 which would institute tax rates if voters approve instituting a new tax system.

“Suburban families have been overtaxed for years,” Glowiak said. “Illinois voters first need to voice their opinions on the tax system before attempting to institute the means to tax residents. Instituting tax rates simply puts the cart before the horse.”

Glowiak supported a separate measure, Senate Bill 690, which would freeze property tax bills as long as the state fully funds the evidence-based school funding formula.

“It is about time that legislators provide residents with property tax relief,” Glowiak said. “This proposal will move us in the right direction to put a stop to high tax bills.”

Glowiak also voted in favor of ending the estate tax.

“The focus needs to shift to creating jobs and encouraging economic development in our communities,” Glowiak said. “I pledge to continue to work to find ways that eliminates government waste and abuse in our budget to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly and effectively in Springfield.”

Glowiak urges local residents to call her office at (630) 785-3177 with questions and concerns.