SPRINGFIELD – With a long history of successful animal protection legislation in the Illinois Senate, Assistant Majority Leader Linda Holmes (D-Aurora) has now presented a measure to add more safeguards in the courts for abused animals.

The Senate Judiciary Committee approved Senate Bill 153 on Tuesday, which would give trial courts discretion in prosecutions for cruelty to companion animals to appoint a volunteer lawyer or supervised law student to assist the court as a special advocate.

“Abuse cases can result in dismissed charges or reduced sentences for animal owners accused of cruelty, often due to prosecutors with good intentions but not enough resources for research and information to make a strong case,” Holmes said. “These advocates can assist the courts in working toward consistent reinforcement of Illinois’ mandate to properly protect companion animals.”

Aurora –  Assistant Senate Majority Leader Linda Holmes (D-Aurora) is reminding small businesses in DuPage, Kane and Will counties that Economic Injury Disaster Loans are still available for those organizations affected by civil unrest that occurred from May 26 to June 8, 2020. She also is sharing information on upcoming workshops for businesses interested in the Illinois Department of Transportation’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program.

The Small Business Administration is urging those eligible to apply before the deadline of March 23.

“If your business suffered damage or loss during this period last spring, I encourage you to apply for these low-interest loans,” Sen. Holmes said. “This does not cover COVID related losses, but those due to the civil unrest that took place in communities across the country.”

Aurora, Ill. – Headed by Senator Linda Holmes (D-Aurora), the Senate Labor Committee held a subject matter hearing Wednesday morning regarding unemployment issues stemming from the pandemic, with a focus on input from business and labor representatives.

“The dramatic increases in unemployment and several new federal unemployment programs bogged down the Illinois Department of Employment Security’s offices and website, which kept thousands of Illinoisans from accessing their unemployment payments, adding more economic stress on top of job losses,” Holmes said. “They were understaffed and underfunded to meet this unprecedented demand.” 

SPRINGFIELD – Assistant Majority Leader Linda Holmes (D-Aurora) joined her colleagues virtually today to hear Gov. JB Pritzker introduce his budget proposal to the General Assembly, and released the following statement in response:

“I believe our key priority must be a strong recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic for Illinois families. Other goals would be difficult to achieve unless we can keep people healthy, get people vaccinated, and rebuild a strong economy with good jobs.

“As Chair of the Labor Committee, I’m well aware of how the Illinois Department of Employment Security has been overwhelmed to perform during this crisis. IDES is 100% federally funded, but this budget gives the governor the authority to utilize it.