SPRINGFIELD – Access to health care, continued funding for education, protecting consumers’ rights and ensuring the state has a balanced budget will continue to be priorities for State Senator Bill Cunningham, who was sworn in for his third term today.

“I am honored that the people of the 18^th District have entrusted me with another term as their state senator,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the southwest suburbs. “I look forward to continuing to represent my community in Springfield and passing legislation that will move our state forward.”

During his previous term in the Illinois Senate, Cunningham passed measures to protect consumers from identity theft, to eliminate police ticket quotas and to ensure proper funding for pensions for first responders. He voted to increase southwest suburban school districts’ share of state funding to help reduce reliance on local property taxes, and he helped pass limits on youth access to harmful cigarettes and tobacco products.

Cunningham first joined the Illinois Senate in 2013.

SPRINGFIELD – An initiative that will help spur redevelopment of a key piece of industrial property in Chicago Ridge will become law after state legislators voted this week to override the governor’s veto of the plan.

The measure, sponsored by State Senator Bill Cunningham, prohibits land owners from disconnecting their property from a municipality if the land is contained within a tax increment financing district.

The current owner of the long-abandoned Yellow Freight trucking yard on Harlem Avenue wants to disconnect from the city’s TIF district, but a developer looking to rehabilitate the 90-acre property wants to utilize the benefits of the TIF district.

“This bill will stop the current owner of the property from scuttling the Chicago Ridge economic redevelopment plan for the property and the entire Harlem Avenue corridor,” Cunningham said.

Democrats and Republicans in the Senate voted Wednesday to override the governor’s veto. The House voted to override the veto on Nov. 14.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Bill Cunningham voted Wednesday to override the governor’s veto of legislation that would increase the age to legally purchase tobacco products in Illinois to 21.

“Big tobacco has a long track record of targeting young people to sell their products,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the southwest suburbs. “This legislation demonstrates our commitment to improving the health of Illinois teenagers by limiting their access to tobacco and preventing lifelong addiction from developing.”

The bill would make Illinois the sixth state in the country to raise the tobacco purchasing age to 21. More than 300 municipalities across the United States have adopted Tobacco 21, including 24 communities in Illinois.

Raising the tobacco purchasing age has been proven to reduce the number of high school students who use tobacco products. In Chicago, where Tobacco 21 is currently in effect, the high school smoking rate dropped from 13.6 percent in 2011 to 6 percent in 2017.

The Senate voted 36 to 19 to override the governor’s veto of Senate Bill 2332.