
Cunningham goes toe to toe with towing industry and wins
CHICAGO – Starting on Jan. 1, 2025, State Senator Bill Cunningham’s new law eliminates questionable fees towing companies charge and gets rid of shady shakedowns over lifesaving medical devices.
“I was furious to find out that car owners cannot recover their personal medical devices, like hearing aids, from their vehicles – even if their vehicle is stolen and later towed,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs. “Holding medical devices hostage is going way too far, and punitive tricks to maximize profits just give people another reason not to trust the towing industry.”

CHICAGO – State Senator Bill Cunningham announced the Oak Lawn Park District and Worth Park District will each receive $600,000 in grant funding for local park projects.
“It might be wintertime and a lot of people aren’t thinking about their local parks, but the programming that park districts provide for our community are such an asset to the Southwest Suburbs,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs. “I am happy to have helped secure funding for our park districts so they can continue to provide safe and fun activities for families.”
The grant funding is provided through the Open Space Land Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) program. A total of $55.2 million was awarded to 100 local park projects across the state.

CHICAGO RIDGE – State Senator Bill Cunningham announced that Chicago Ridge Public Library will receive a $26,000 grant to support library services.
“Libraries are community hubs that serve as a one-stop location for various services,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs. “This grant will help support and expand access to the various programs and services that Chicago Ridge Public Library offers.”
SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Bill Cunningham led a law adding new training requirements to identify potential skin cancer for chiropractors, nail technicians, cosmetologists and massage therapists.
“We wanted every ‘hands-on’ profession to receive this training so skin cancer can be more easily identified early on,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs. “We know that if skin cancer is detected early, it can be dealt with before serious issues arise.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Bill Cunningham’s measure to protect vehicle owners by updating towing regulations often abused by rogue towing companies was signed into law.
“We have residents getting a surprise $1,500 bill when all they’re trying to do is pick up a vehicle that was stolen from outside their residence,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs. “This measure will stop towing companies from charging any storage fees on stolen vehicles and makes sure that a proper notification process is set up.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Bill Cunningham’s measure that updates liability guidelines in the Biometric Information Privacy Act was signed into law on Friday.
“In order for Illinois to continue being a leader on biometric protections for consumers, these changes were necessary,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs. “Not only did we preserve protections in BIPA, we made sure to clarify damages so businesses in our state are not crushed by penalties for violation.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Bill Cunningham led two initiatives to expand family counseling services and disability benefits for first responders that were signed into law on Friday.
“These laws recognize the job-related stress that first responders have to deal with,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs. “Many first responders will no longer have to worry if their department will cover family counseling services.”

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:
Page 4 of 37