SPRINGFIELD – Under a new law supported by State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs), more paraprofessionals, or teacher aids, will have access to classrooms sooner.

“Paraprofessionals are vital members of a school’s support staff,” Glowiak Hilton said. “By lowering the eligible age, Illinois is offering an opportunity to an aspiring educator or other responsible adult while working to address the statewide teacher shortage.”

In Illinois, paraprofessionals are currently required to be at least 19 years old. Under the new law, the age would be lowered to 18 years old, as long as the individual meets the other license requirements. Paraprofessionals are required to have a high school diploma, an associate degree and pass a competency test.

According to the Illinois State Board of Education, the number of unfilled paraprofessional positions in school districts across the state nearly doubled from 2021 to 2022. There were 1,237 unfilled positions last year compared to 2,397 this year, making this law more important than ever.

“Paraprofessionals add another layer of support to the classroom, allowing students to have more opportunities for one-on-one assistance,” Glowiak Hilton said. “Lowering the required age by one year will allow additional qualified individuals to take on this role and offer support to our school system.”

Senate Bill 3988 was signed into law Wednesday and is effective Jan. 1, 2023.

SPRINGFIELD – To support retailers, update prosecuting resources and promote statewide economic growth, the Illinois Senate adopted a measure led by State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs) to curb organized retail crime and hold ringleaders accountable.

“Organized retail crimes across the state have disturbed residents, wreaked havoc on businesses and stunted growth within local economies,” Glowiak Hilton said. “By advancing the Organized Retail Crime Act, Illinois has an opportunity to enact one of the most comprehensive crime-curbing efforts in the nation.”

In partnership with the Illinois Retail Merchants Association and the office of the attorney general, Glowiak Hilton’s initiative defines organized retail crime as a criminal charge and gives prosecutors additional resources to charge crime ringleaders. Specifically, the measure codifies ORC as the theft of retail merchandise with the intent to sell.

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Senate adopted a plan by State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs) to invest in child care services for workers with non-traditional schedules, such as law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMS personnel and more.

“Finding reliable child care can be difficult for first responders and other third shift emergency workers,” Glowiak Hilton said. “By creating the Off-hours Child Care Program Fund, Illinois is working to increase accessibility for parents in public service who work non-traditional hours.”

Under Glowiak Hilton’s proposal, the Department of Human Services would be required to establish and administer an Off-Hours Child Care Program to assist first responders and other workers with access to off-hours, night, or sleep time child care. The program is subject to appropriation.

SPRINGFIELD – To fulfill the state’s commitment to invest in working families, State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs) expressed strong support for the proposed $1.8 billion tax relief plan to refund residents.

“Over recent years, fiscally responsible budgeting has eliminated state deficits and paid bill backlogs,” Glowiak Hilton said. “By providing direct relief to taxpayers, Illinois offering various ways to give financial support to students, working families and homeowners.”

The plan outlined Friday would directly deliver relief checks valued at $100 per person and $50 per child to state taxpayers making $250,000 individually or $500,000 jointly – sending money to 97% of taxpayers. A household of four could see a $300 check. Taxpayers could also see an additional $300 property tax relief check.

To address inflation and the rising prices at the pump, the plan also suspends the 1% state grocery tax and the state’s portion of the gas tax increase for six months. Parents could see additional relief at the store from Aug. 5-Aug. 14 under a plan to also wipe out the state sales tax on clothing, shoes and school supplies to give consumers an economic boost as they go back-to-school shopping.

“The pandemic has created numerous financial burdens,” Glowiak Hilton said. “With this proposal, Illinois is working to relieve financial stress and pay it forward to the individuals who have kept our state operational during some of the toughest times.”

The comprehensive proposal also includes increased tax credits for teachers and volunteer first responders.

Senator Glowiak Hilton is working with her colleagues to advance on the proposal – Senate Bill 1150 – by the scheduled April 8 adjournment.