Happy 2022 and good morning from Springfield! We will be starting Spring Session today and we are hitting the ground running. Today, we will discuss elections laws, remote voting, public safety among other pieces of legislation.
Due to the rising number of COVID cases, my office will be accessibleby appointment only.You can schedule an appointment by calling 815-372-0085 or emailinginfo@repdagmara.org. We will still be open and taking phone calls, answering constituent questions, and assisting with problems during our normal business 10am-5pm hours.
This is the last week to apply for the second round of rental assistance. My office is available to answer any questions you may have about the application. As a reminder, the rental assistance applications are due byJanuary 9th, 2022. For more information about this program please scroll down our newsletter.
We have been assisting the Village of Woodridge in their efforts to help families of the Country Club Townhomes that were displaced as a result of the tornado over the summer. If you or someone you know needs assistance because of this, please reach out to our office atinfo@repdagmara.org.
I also wanted to highlight some of the new laws that went into effect on January 1st, 2022:
Gives businesses such as bars, airports, massage parlors, and bus stations the option to post the model notice in all public restrooms and public entrances. The human trafficking hotline number is: 888-373-7888.
Requires Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) to administer a public information campaign to educate immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, and other non-US citizens on their rights under the US constitution that apply regardless of immigration status. It will also provide resources and contact information for organizations that will help.
Provides legal assistance to non-citizens during immigration proceedings. Allows for counties with a population over 3 million to use the public defender without a fee or approval as an attorney within Cook County.
Reforms increase in transparency to root out corruption in government by limiting the revolving door that allows politicians to quit their jobs and immediately become lobbyists, banning fundraisers while the Legislature is in Springfield, giving the Inspector General greater power to investigate misconduct by government officials, and expanding requirements for economic disclosure to show potential conflicts of interest.
To read more of the new Illinois laws that went into effect this year, check out thisarticle.
As always, it is an honor to represent the 85th District!
Dagmara
IN THE NEWS
I sponsored House Bill 282, which will help Illinois veterans by providing legal counsel on an ongoing basis to the Will County Veterans Assistance Commission at no cost to tax payers. Read more about this bill and it's efforts here.
I'm excited to share that I received a 100% rating by the Humane Society Legislative Fund. As a pet parent of two beautiful senior dog I am delighted about this honor!
Read more about the score card and what it entails here, and follow the Humane Society Legislation Fund on Facebook!
I am proud to share the news that have been appointed to the R3 Board. The bipartisan R3 Board is responsible for making funding decisions with the R3 program. Created in conjunction with cannabis legalization in 2019, the R3 program is funded through 25% of adult-use cannabis tax revenue. R3 grants fund programs engaged in civic legal aid, economic development, reentry, violence prevention and youth development.
2021 YEAR IN REVIEW
We had a busy 2021, where we met and engaged with so many constituents. We got to participate in and host some great events, tour so many wonderful businesses and schools in the area, volunteer with organizations doing great work for the community, and work on meaningful legislation.
OUT AND ABOUT
Our office community engagement efforts continued in December, we visited business and local non-profits to learn about their priorities. If you would like me to visit your site please do not hesitate to contact my office.
I went to visit Camp Fire and was able to learn about their summer program and all of the activities they provide during their summer camp for our youth. Some activities include a mix of sports and fitness, arts and crafts, STEM, hiking, fishing. To check out Camp Kata Kani CLICK HERE.
I was delighted to attend the Will County Center for Economic Development (CED) breakfast in December. This year's event featured a celebration of the CED’s 40th anniversary and a reflection on its four decades of impact. To learn about the CED's accplishments please CLICK HERE.
My office and I attended the Women of Self Love Inc Holiday Toy giveaway to give children in the Bolingbrook area toys for the holidays. It was great to spend time and work with members of the community, we also had the opportunity to learn about the organization's programming.
It is an honor to serve as the co-chair for the Illinois Latino Caucus Foudation. In December the foundation held its 19th annual conference and awarded over 30 scholarships to young students, including students from the 85th district!
We continued our visits to businesses in the 85th District and had the opportunity to tour, Roland Machinery. We learned about the intricacies of heavy machinery and got to meet the staff who guided us on their work. This visit is part of a series of tours my office is doing to build and maintain local relationships and learn about the issues our businesses and workforce care about.
My team and I got the humbling opportunity to volunteer and pack food for the Joliet location of the Northern Illinois Food Bank. After we finished packing food, they gave us a tour of the facility, and showed us how they store all the items they get and explained their efforts to continue feeding the community! To volunteer with them today, click here.
Senator Connor and I hosted a virtual town hall where wediscussed what happened during Veto session and how the new infrastructure package would benefit Illinois! To watch the Veto Session Recap Town hall, click here.
To finish the year out, we attended the Levy Center's Senior Holiday Party! We got to engage with many constituents and talked to them about the different services we offer and ways that we can help them. It was a great way to wrap up the year before the holidays!
RESOURCES & INFORMATION
R3 Grants:
Recently announced: $45 million in grants are available to help local organizations address violence and disinvestment. Focus areas include direct violence prevention, youth development, economic development, criminal justice
re-entry. In addition to funding more first responders, we need to fund community organizations that know how to disrupt and prevent violence before it spreads further. For more information and to apply for the grants, click here.
Illinois State Police Upcoming Applicant Testing Information:
Cadet Class 137 is scheduled to begin in June 2022 | Cadet Class 138 is scheduled to begin in October 2022. Both classes have potential to include fast track and non-fast track applicants. Click here for more information.
RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM STILL AVAILABLE THROUGH IDHS
The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) is currently accepting applications for rental assistance. If you are looking for assistance, please contact an IDHS Service Provider Agency in your area. To find out if you’re eligible, ask about rental assistance, and get help with applying.
If you need assistance applying for rental assistance, please contact my office by calling us at 815-372-0085. Applications are due by January 9, 2022.
MORE RENTER RESOURCES:
The Citizens Utility Board (CUB) recently shared their two new resources:
The CUB Help Center, to give consumers helpful information about high gas bills, and A Renter's Utility Guide: Go Green, Cut Costs and Learn Your Rights. These two resources are now available in Spanish.
Due to an increase in COVID-19 cases, SOS departments andfacilities will be closed for in person transactions until January 17th. Online services are still available.
