Cunningham votes to increase tobacco purchasing age to 21

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Bill Cunningham voted Thursday for legislation that would increase the age to legally purchase tobacco products in Illinois to 21.

“The tobacco industry’s long history of targeting young people has shown that they’re willing to sacrifice teenagers’ health to line their own pockets,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the southwest suburbs. “This is a public health issue and I’m proud to support a bill that protects Illinois teenagers by helping prevent what could become a lifelong addiction.”

House Bill 345 would make Illinois the seventh 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 measure passed the Senate 39-16. It will now go to the governor’s desk.

Cunningham meets with students to discuss technical education

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Bill Cunningham met with local students on Tuesday to have a conversation about technical education and professional development in Illinois.

Students from Community High School District 218 in Oak Lawn came to Springfield for the Illinois Association of Career and Technical Education’s Showcase Day, on which students from around the state demonstrate their skills and respond to education and workforce issues in Illinois.

“It’s inspiring to see so many students taking an interest in technical education and being engaged in the related issues that come before the Illinois State Senate,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the southwest suburbs.

“I have long been an advocate for providing our students with ample opportunities no matter what type of education they wish to pursue and look forward to continuing to promote career and technical education in Springfield.”

Senator Cunningham represents portions of Worth, Orland and Palos Townships in the southwest suburbs and the neighborhoods of Mt. Greenwood, Beverly, Morgan Park and Auburn-Gresham in Chicago.

Delinquent properties could be lost in annual tax sale

Chicago – Every year, hundreds of properties in Cook County are lost by homeowners to so-called "tax scavengers," who buy houses at auction when the owner fails to pay property taxes. Oftentimes, homeowners are caught off guard, having missed their property tax bill in the mail or because they failed to keep up with confusing paperwork.

“Property owners can find themselves in crisis situations because they’re unaware their property taxes went unpaid,” said State Senator Bill Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the southwest suburbs. “Senior citizens are more likely to face this issue because their mortgages are more likely to be paid off, so a bank is no longer ensuring the taxes are being paid through an escrow account."

In Senator Cunningham’s district alone, there are 1,530 property owners who are past due on their property taxes, according to records maintained by the Cook County Treasurer’s Office. Of those, 84 are senior citizens.

“Cook County residents who don’t know their status should check with the Cook County Treasurer’s Office,” said Cunningham. “This is an easy problem to avoid with a quick phone call or by spending some time on the treasurer's website.”

The County Treasurer can be reached at 312-443-5100 or at cookcountytreasurer.com. To check your property's tax payment status enter your Property Index Number (PIN) or property address here here.

Senator Cunningham represents portions of Worth, Orland and Palos Townships in the southwest suburbs and the neighborhoods of Mt. Greenwood, Beverly, Morgan Park and Auburn-Gresham in Chicago.

Cunningham passes bill to improve medical response time for overdoses

SPRINGFIELD – A measure sponsored by State Senator Bill Cunningham to combat opioid overdoses by improving emergency response time passed the State Senate in a bipartisan vote Wednesday.

“We’re facing a crisis when it comes to overdoses in our state and we need to empower our first responders to act quickly,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the southwest suburbs. “It’s time for lawmakers to get aggressive in the fight against opioid abuse.”

Senate Bill 1258 would require emergency medical technicians in Chicago to report treatment of an individual experiencing a suspected or actual opioid overdose to the city for use in the Overdose Detection Mapping Application (ODMAP), developed by the Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA).

The ODMAP provides real-time overdose data throughout an area to mobilize an immediate response to an overdose spike. Each suspected overdose is plotted to a map that allows local officials to identify trends and develop strategies to more effectively respond to overdoses.

“This program will be an effective tool as we try to prevent overdose deaths,” Cunningham said. “I encourage my colleagues in the House to pass this measure quickly to provide desperately needed help for the people of Chicago.”

Senate Bill 1258 passed 54-0. It will now go before the House of Representatives.