SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Bill Cunningham’s legislation that would prohibit diesel trucks from idling excessively in residential areas was signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker last week.

Senate Bill 1256 will prevent diesel trucks over 8,000 pounds from idling for more than a total of ten minutes in an hour if the vehicle is within 200 feet of a residential area in Cook County.

Cunningham credited Cook County residents living near a trucking yard for bringing the issue to his attention. The residents identified persistent noise and air quality issues with the trucking yard, located near the corner 119^th St. and Central Park Ave. in Merrionette Park, that needed to be addressed. 

“People in my district are tired of dealing with endless noise and air pollution in their neighborhoods,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the southwest suburbs. “This legislation is a direct response to their concerns and I’m proud to have brought some relief on this issue to my constituents.”

The measure will take effect January 1, 2020.

CHICAGO RIDGE – The Chicago Ridge Public Library is the recipient of a $7,642 mentoring grant from the Illinois secretary of state, State Senator Bill Cunningham announced.

The grant was awarded through the FY20 Project Next Generation program, which is a mentoring program administered through Illinois public libraries. Mentors work with middle and high school students to help them develop skills needed to use technology and find success through project-based learning. Mentors also help with developing life skills, such as effective communication, goal setting and conflict resolution.

Chicago Ridge is one of 29 public libraries in the state to receive the grant.

“This program provides students with the tools that they need to succeed both in and out of the classroom,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the southwest suburbs. “Mentorship can make an incredible differences in the lives of young people and I want to thank Jesse White for his commitment to serving at-risk students in the south suburbs.”

In all, the secretary of state awarded more than $464,000 in Project Next Generation grants statewide. The money is provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Grants are awarded to public libraries that serve culturally diverse, low-income and underserved populations.

“I am committed to improving the lives of at-risk youth in Illinois,” said Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White. “I established this innovative program when I first became secretary of state to give students an opportunity to receive hands-on experience with the latest technological tools at their local library.”

For more information, visit https://ilsendems.co/2GtOQzP.

SPRINGFIELD – Communities in the 18^th Senate District and across the state will see new investment in their public infrastructure thanks to a new statewide construction plan approved by the General Assembly this spring and signed into law by the Gov. JB Pritzker today.

The package will release over $45 billion in funding to improve Illinois’ roads, bridges, schools, hospitals and other public infrastructure.

“We’re committing ourselves to making Illinois’ public infrastructure system one of the best in the country,” said State Senator Bill Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the southwest suburbs. “We’ve been kicking the can down the road on this issue for far too long and it’s time to step up and make a serious investment to better the lives of Illinois residents.”

The construction plan is the state’s first in a decade, and since the last major infusion of infrastructure funding in 2009, ratings groups have increasingly raised red flags about the state of Illinois’ infrastructure.

“We’ve seen firsthand how severe our infrastructure problems have gotten right here in the Chicago area area with the recent closure of the Lakeshore Drive bridge, which delayed thousands of commuters for hours,” Cunningham said. “This new funding is long overdue and I’m glad to see that we’re making a serious commitment to investing in our infrastructure.”

The construction plan also includes the creation of the Illinois Works Task Force, which will help recruit and train individuals to work on the newly funded construction projects. The program is expected to bring thousands of new jobs to the state.

“We’re not just rebuilding our state, we’re putting Illinoisans to work doing it,” Cunningham said. “This package represents an investment in both our infrastructure and the people of our state.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Bill Cunningham voted Sunday for a gaming expansion package that includes a new casino in Chicago to bolster economic activity in the region and help bring stability to the city’s finances.

“The introduction of a casino in Chicago will introduce 4,000 new jobs to the city and be a major economic booster for the entire region,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the southwest suburbs. “This is a big win for the greater Chicago area.”

Under the legislation, 33 percent of the revenue from the casino will be used to help pay for the city’s police and fire pension funds.

“This plan isn’t just freeing up money for us to use at our discretion, we’ve made sure that any money from a new casino will be used in a fiscally responsible way,” Cunningham said. “This proposal is going to bring financial stability to Chicago and help ensure its pension obligations are paid for.”

Senate Bill 690 passed the Senate XX-XX. It will now head the governor’s desk.