- Published: Monday, January 30, 2023 11:29 AM
Dear neighbor,
I am happy to be back in the statehouse working on legislation for the 20th district! We have worked into the night to pass our progressive agenda, including banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines from being manufactured or sold in the state, increasing protections and accessibility to reproductive health care, fighting for more affordable housing, and more! Read on to hear about what we accomplished in the past 2 weeks of session.
As always, feel free reach out to my office for assistance by calling 773-278-2020, sending a text message to 773-207-7838, or sending us a note at www.senatorpacionezayas.com/contact-us.
Sincerely,
State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas | 20th District
Updates from Springfield
In the final days before the next General Assembly begins, Senators and Representatives have the opportunity to push out final legislation they were not able to get to earlier in their session and to address new issues that have become more prominent since session adjourned. This period, nicknamed “Lame Duck” session, is also the last chance for officials who are leaving their office by the start of the next General Assembly—which begins January 11, 2023.
During this Lame Duck session, we passed:
- House Bill 5471, which bans assault weapons and high-capacity magazines from being manufactured or sold in Illinois. Read more about this legislation here.
- House Bill 4664, which protects legal and practical access to abortion care in Illinois following the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade. Read more about this legislation here.
- House Bill 5285, which increases transparency for applicants by making public the rubric and scoring threshold for passing each step in the process, allows for due process when candidates do not advance to the next stage of evaluation, and gives Local School Councils access to the entire eligible pool of candidates.
- House Bill 3878, which increases funding for the Rental Housing Support Program to ensure families with limited economic resources have access to affordable, permanent housing. It will also create a task force to ensure rental housing support funds will be distributed equitably across the state and prioritize communities that historically have not been able to take full advantage.
- House Bill 5107, which grants principals and administrators in the Chicago public schools system the right to collectively bargain.
- House Bill 9, which makes changing the gender on your birth certificate more accessible.
I am looking forward to what we are going to accomplish in the 103rd General Assembly!
Inauguration into the 103rd General Assembly
On Jan. 11, I was sworn into my second term as Senator of the 20th district. I am honored that my community trusts me to represent their interests in government. I look forward to continuing our model of co-governance and representing your ideas and interests under the dome!
Job Opportunities in and around the 20th District
Check out my webpage featuring a list of job opportunities in Chicago and the 20th District. There, you can find links to jobs with the State of Illinois, Chicago Public Schools, local organizations and more.
Warming Centers
While snowy conditions may be fun and festive for some, they pose a serious health concern for many folks who do not have access to reliable heat or housing. If you or a loved one is in need of warming centers or shelter this season, these local centers will be open when the temperature is below 32 degrees:
- Englewood Center, 1140 W. 79th St.
- North Area Center, 845 W. Wilson Ave.
- Garfield Center, 10 S. Kedzie Ave.: This center is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to connect people to emergency shelter.
- South Chicago Center, 8650 S. Commercial Ave.
- King Center, 4314 S. Cottage Grove Ave.
- Trina Davila Center, 4312 W. North Ave.