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.

SPRINGFIELD – Companies would need to notify Illinois consumers of cybersecurity breaches and compromised personal data sooner under a plan by State Senator Suzy Glowiak.

Glowiak (D-Western Springs) passed Senate Bill 1624 this month, which would require companies that hold Illinois residents’ personal information to report data breaches which affect more than 500 Illinois residents to the Attorney General as soon as possible.

“Every day, we all go online to do all sorts of tasks, from paying our electricity bill to buying groceries,” Glowiak said. “We should have the peace of mind that comes with knowing our sensitive information is safe, but in the unfortunate event that a company experiences a security breach, Illinois residents should be notified in a timely manner.”

Senate Bill 1624 will require the Attorney General to publish breach notices, ensuring the information is easily and promptly accessible to residents who may need to take steps to protect themselves.

Under current law, if there is a data breach that compromises Illinois residents’ personal information, the company is required to notify the residents, but there is not yet a mechanism in place to ensure compliance.

“Illinois residents deserve to be notified as soon as possible to take steps to protect themselves,” Glowiak said. “Empowering the Illinois Attorney General to step in on behalf of consumers will help ensure there are protections in place during these unfortunate events and give them enough notice to make sound decisions.”

Senate Bill 1624 passed the Senate with bipartisan support and moves to the House for consideration.

SPRINGFIELD – Native Americans in Illinois will soon have a stronger voice in state government under a measure sponsored by State Senator Suzy Glowiak.

Glowiak (D-Western Springs) passed Senate Bill 727, which creates the Native American Advisory Council to increase the number of Native American state employees, on Thursday.

“The State of Illinois encompasses land that generations ago was the ancestral home of American Indians,” Glowiak said. “The Native American population of Illinois should have a seat at the table. This is about ensuring Illinois government reflects all Illinoisans.”

Senate Bill 727 is an initiative of The Native American Chamber of Commerce of Illinois.

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SPRINGFIELD – To advocate for Illinois Alzheimer’s patients, State Senator Suzy Glowiak (D-Western Springs) passed a measure to create a specialized position within the Illinois Department of Public Health to oversee the state’s Alzheimer’s efforts.

“I know as someone who cared for a husband and mother with Alzheimer’s disease, it can be stressful,” Glowiak said. “We need to ensure that caregivers have someone fighting to help them provide their loved ones with the best possible care.”

Glowiak’s Senate Bill 1726 creates the position of Dementia Coordinator in the Department of Public Health to oversee the implementation of the Illinois Alzheimer's Disease State Plan. Having a dedicated coordinator would help to address the complications and cost of a disease that has only gotten deadlier.

The Alzheimer’s Disease Illinois State Plan was established in January 2014 and is required to be updated every three years.

Nationally, the cost of caring for those with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia was estimated at nearly $236 billion in 2016, and is expected to increase to $1.1 trillion in 2019 dollars by mid-century. Medicare and Medicaid cover about 68 percent of the total health care and long-term payments. In 2016, the Medicaid cost of caring for people with Alzheimer’s in Illinois was $1.5 billion.

Currently, the state plan cannot be implemented by IDPH due to lack of staff and other resources.

“Under the leadership of a statewide Dementia Coordinator, those living with Alzheimer’s will have a designated advocate to fight for state policies that will improve their level of care,” Glowiak said. “This new position would ensure our state is actively engaged in the fight against dementia.”

An equivalent position exists in state government in Georgia, Hawaii, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Puerto Rico.

Senate Bill 1726 passed the Senate with bipartisan support and now moves to the House for consideration.