Cunningham: No tax increase on the middle class

SPRINGFIELD – After the Illinois Senate approved the Fiscal Year 2025 budget, State Senator Bill Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs, released the following statement in response:

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Cunningham’s initiatives for first responders pass Senate

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Bill Cunningham moved two initiatives to expand family counseling services and disability benefits for first responders through the Illinois Senate.

“We have to recognize that first responders deal with an enormous amount of stress on the job,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs. “Sometimes that stress carries over to the family, so this important initiative will strengthen their access to family counseling services.”

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Cunningham advances new initiatives for first responders

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Bill Cunningham advanced two key initiatives to expand family counseling services and disability benefits for first responders.

“First responders have to overcome an enormous amount of stress on the job, and sometimes that stress can extend to the entire family,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs. “This initiative will strengthen their access to family counseling services, which can be used as a tool to help overcome some of that work-related stress.” 

House Bill 4460 would require every self-insured county and municipality across the state to provide coverage for marriage and couples counseling for firefighters and police officers. Coverage for marriage or couples counseling is not currently required in insurance plans for first responders because it is not considered a diagnosable mental health condition.

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Cunningham protects vehicle owners from rogue towing companies

SPRINGFIELD – A new measure sponsored by State Senator Bill Cunningham will protect vehicle owners by updating towing regulations often abused by rogue towing companies.

“The more I have learned about the towing industry in Illinois, the more I see that we need to make changes,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs. “This measure will stop towing companies from holding medical devices, like hearing aids, hostage if a vehicle is stolen and later towed.”

The legislation was brought to Cunningham from a constituent of the 18^th District. The constituent’s vehicle was stolen from outside their residence in Chicago and was eventually located by law enforcement and towed in Alsip. The constituent did not find out where their vehicle was located until a week after it was recovered, receiving a letter in the mail from a suburban towing company that was holding the vehicle. When the constituent went to recover the vehicle, they were told they would have to pay a fee of $1,500 and were not allowed to recover a hearing aid from the vehicle until the fee was paid.

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