SPRINGFIELD—Local communities will soon have new protections to stop squatters from legally taking possession of abandoned homes or businesses thanks to a measure signed into law this week.

The new law, sponsored by State Senator Bill Cunningham, was introduced when a squatter attempted to take control of an abandoned building in Beverly by utilizing a loophole in an obscure housing law.

"An individual moved into an abandoned storefront on a commercial street and attempted to claim ownership of the property under a law designed to improve dilapidated housing," Cunningham said. "If alert neighbors hadn't called the police, the scheme might have succeeded in civil court."

Introduced by Cunningham as Senate Bill 1562, the new law requires that local government zoning boards be alerted by the court if any group or individual attempts to claim ownership of property under the Abandoned Housing Rehabilitation Act.

"Local government officials and zoning boards have a much better idea of what's going on with residential and commercial properties than a judge in a downtown courtroom," Cunningham said. "The new law will allow those local officials to intercede in court almost immediately if someone is improperly attempting to take ownership of an abandoned house or place of business."

SPRINGFIELD – School districts throughout the southwest suburbs and the state, ignored by Illinois’ worst-in-the nation education funding formula, could see much needed resources sent to them soon after the Senate voted to override the governor’s veto of significant education funding reform.

“Our worst-in-the-nation education funding formula needed to go,” Cunningham said. “But it shouldn’t go at the expense of economic development and punishing school districts. I voted to override to provide a new system that will deliver some stability and fairness in funding.”

Senate Bill 1 was vetted by multiple organizations throughout the state. It had the support of superintendents, school boards and teachers.

The estimated overall gain that area school districts would experience under Senate Bill 1 based on the current-year funding levels:

• Chicago Ridge School District 127-5 — $880,000
• Community High School District 218 — $409,448
• Cons High School District 230 — $209,950
• North Palos School District 117 — $315,924
• Oak Lawn Community HS District 229 — $135,174
• Oak Lawn-Hometown School District 123 — $146,644
• Worth School District 127 — $193,129

SPRINGFIELD – Custody of defendants with mental health issues will become more streamlined due to legislation being signed into law.

“We need to make resources readily available to ensure the mental health of anyone determined to be unfit to stand trial are dealt with appropriately,” State Senator Bill Cunningham said.

The legislation, House Bill 649, would create a formal process for the county sheriff and the Department of Human Services to handle custody of defendants found unfit to stand trial or not guilty by reason of insanity. It provides requirements regarding the evaluation and transportation of the defendant to a secure facility.

“This new law will only keep our communities safer in the long run,” Cunningham said.

The measure was signed by the governor on Friday.

SPRINGFIELD—Senator Bill Cunningham issued the following statement in response to the governor’s veto of Senate Bill 1:

“For far too long we have shortchanged communities throughout the southwest suburbs when it comes to equitable funding for schools. Instead of seeing the amount of good it would do for schools in communities like Chicago Ridge, Palos Hills and Worth, the governor put politics first. We need a path forward that will ensure all schools are properly funded this fall and that they won’t be harmed by this careless veto.”