Dear Neighbors, I hope your 2023 was off to a wonderful start! January brought the lame duck session and the inauguration of the 103rd General Assembly. I was honored to be inaugurated into the 103rd General Assembly to continue to serve as your State Representative. I don't take this job for granted and am ready to continue the work on behalf of the 85th District. As promised in my last newsletter, please see below a recap of the bills we debated during lame duck. |
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Lame Duck Bills: The Protect Illinois Communities Act: This legislation was signed into law and bans the sale of assault weapons, high capacity magazines, and switches. It also makes improvements to firearm restraining order laws and establishes an Anti-Gun Trafficking Task Force which will be overseen by Illinois State Police. To read more information about the bill, click here. Reproductive Rights Bill: A reproductive rights and gender affirming care omnibus bill that was signed into law, which will enhance protections for patients and providers and expand health care access options across the state. I was a chief co-sponsor on this legislation, reaffirming that I will always stand up for reproductive freedom for everyone. To read more about what is included in the omnibus bill, click here. |
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Paid Leave for All: The house and senate passed the Paid Leave for All Act, which guarantees a minimum of 5 days of paid time off for employees, effective January 1st, 2024. The bill is now awaiting the Governor's signature. Illinois is continuing to lead the nation on workers rights. |
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It is a privilege to serve as the House Chair for the Latino Caucus during this General Assembly. I'm ready to get to work with the rest of the leadership on legislation and policy to better the lives of our Latinx siblings in Illinois. |
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OUT AND ABOUT If you would like to invite me to an event, meeting, or to tour your facility, please reach out to my office at info@repdagmara.org. |
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January was Cervical Cancer Awareness month. I participated in a press conference to discuss the importance of screening for cervical cancer. Screening rates have declined in the last couple years, and it is incredibly important to detect cervical cancer early. I encourage everyone with a cervix to get screened regularly. To watch my full remarks, click here. |
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To kick off MLK Jr. Weekend, I attended a breakfast hosted by the African American Business Association. We heard from esteemed leaders including Speaker Chris Welch, Dr. Yolonda Farmer- Executive Vice President at JJC, the Honorable Judge Vincent Cornelius, and Lorraine Guerrero Neumayer from the Will County State's Attorney Office. |
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The second MLK Jr. event I attended was hosted by the Rainbow Push Coalition. We heard from civil rights activist Rev. Jesse Jackson honoring Martin Luther King Jr. Attending these events is a reminder about how far we have come, while still acknowledging the work we need to do to ensure justice and equality for all. |
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My team attended the Fairmont Community Partnership Group at their Violence Prevention and Conflict Resolution Workshop. They heard from community activists about the work they do with children to help keep them out of violence. They also heard from Dr. Daniels, Principal of Fairmont Schools, about their efforts in the schools. |
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We hosted a Valentines For Seniors event at my office where community members could come and decorate valentines cards to be given to local senior living facilities on valentines day. We had a great time with everyone who came out, and we made over 60 valentines to be given out! |
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Some of my team spent MLK Jr. Day at 4Kids Sake, helping with their food pantry. 4Kids Sake is a 501(c)3 based in Bolingbrook that offers many different services to the community, including a food pantry, diaper and formula assistance, school fee and supplies assistance, and much more. To learn more about them, click here. |
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I joined the Will County and Illinois Farm Bureau's along with other Will County legislators to discuss the legislative priorities to support agriculture in Illinois and Will County. Agriculture is an incredibly important industry in Illinois, and I always appreciate hearing from the Farm Bureaus. |
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I attended the DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference Annual Legislative Reception. This event is a great opportunity to hear from the DuPage County mayors about what their legislative priorities are for the year. I enjoyed connecting with some of the mayors that represent parts of the 85th District. |
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The Illinois Corn Growers hosted the Illinois Legislative Latino caucus at Carniceria Aguascalientes to talk to us about how important corn is in Mexican cuisine. We got to see an expert gordita maker in action and were able to taste an array of gorditas on their menu! Thank you to the Illinois Corn Growers for having us! |
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I joined my colleagues from the House and Senate at Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy to talk to students that attend IMSA but live in the 85th District. We talked about their course schedule, opportunities that are available to them at IMSA, and what it's like living at your high school. We ended our discussion with a tour of IMSA. Thank you for having us! |
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I joined members of the Latino Caucus at Chicago State University for a meeting with their leadership staff and a tour of their campus. We talked about ways CSU is supporting non-traditional students, including workforce training and childcare services for working parents that want to continue to attend school. We toured their new child development center that offers educational care programs for children ages 3-12, as well as other opportunities for students. |
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I joined U.S. Representatives Casten, Foster, Ramirez, Krishnamoorthi, other elected officials serving DuPage County, and volunteers with Moms Demand Action to show our support of the Protect Illinois Communities Act and call on Sheriff Mendrick to enforce the requirements set forth in this duly passed law. We are committed to ensuring public safety, and the Protect IL Communities Act is one way we are doing so. |
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I joined my colleagues in the House and Senate at the annual Will County Governmental League Legislative Breakfast to discuss our legislative priorities for the 2023 spring session. We heard from local elected officials representing municipalities in Will County about their concerns and issues that are important to them. I always enjoy gathering with my colleagues to discuss our priorities! |
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I was honored to speak at the Illinois Access to Justice 3rd Annual Summit. The ILA2J is a state-wide program of 70 organizations to protect and empower Black, Brown, and immigrant Illinois residents, ensuring they have access to trustworthy, free legal services. The summit had sessions on community organizing, relationship building, and legal services. To view my speech click here. |
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SNAP emergency allotments have been issued since the beginning of the COVID-19 public health emergency to address food insecurity challenges exacerbated by the pandemic. These increased benefits will end after February 2023 and return to pre-pandemic levels in March, as a result of federal policy change. Visit abe.illinois.gov and update your account if you have a change in address, increase in housing costs, or decrease in income. This will ensure maximum benefit eligibility |
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To sign up as a volunteer for the Bolingbrook Snow Angels initiative to help shovel snow for Bolingbrook's elderly and disabled population, click here. |
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The expo is taking place at Romeoville Rec Center (55 Phelps Ave.) and will be open to Will County high school students from 9AM - 1PM on both days of the event and will open to the general public from 2:30PM - 5PM on March 15. The Expo will be a hands-on experience geared towards high school junior and seniors, as well as community members, who are interested in pursuing short-term training programs in high-growth occupations or exploring entry into apprenticeships, internships, or employment opportunities. |
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