Aurora, Ill. – Assistant Senate Majority Leader Linda Holmes (D-Aurora) reports that a new Community-Based Testing Site will open in Aurora this week to help test Illinoisans for COVID-19. The sites are open seven days a week to test individuals with COVID-19 symptoms.

“Right now it seems the greatest hurdle to making progress with the coronavirus is the need for much more testing,” Holmes said. “If the health department doesn’t know who is infected, those who are will continue to unknowingly spread it to others, and this will be an even longer ordeal. More testing will help us end this pandemic sooner.”

Testing will take place seven days a week at Aurora Premium Outlets from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. or while daily supplies last, at 1650 Premium Outlet Boulevard.

Aurora, Ill. – Assistant Senate Majority Leader Linda Holmes (D-Aurora) is encouraging women who want to restart their education to apply for the annual Conference of Women Legislators’ Scholarship Awards Program.

COWL is a bipartisan, bicameral, nonprofit organization of women legislators in the Illinois General Assembly and has announced the 2020-2021 Annual Scholarship Awards Program. COWL created the scholarship program as part of its mission to promote economic independence, community service and leadership development. 

Leader Holmes says that up to 10 scholarships of $2,500 each will be awarded. These college scholarships are aimed at helping women who are earning their college degrees, in some cases, later in life. The scholarship program endeavors to assist Illinois women, 25 years or older, who are seeking to earn undergraduate college degrees.

Aurora, Ill. – Most of us are staying home to stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, but for many survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence, home isn't a safe place. 

Assistant Majority Leader Linda Holmes (D-Aurora) supports Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Human Services for expanding services for domestic violence and sexual assault survivors.

“Survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault survivors live in fear,” Holmes said. “Staying at home now means they have nowhere to go and no one to watch out for them. I can’t imagine how scared some of these people are in an already worrisome time.”

Aurora, Ill. – Restaurants, hotels and other small businesses across the state are invited to take advantage of two new emergency assistance programs, Senate Assistant Majority Leader Linda Holmes (D-Aurora) announced today.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our local economies, but the COVID-19 outbreak has hit many of them hard and even forced some to close,” Holmes said. “We must invest in stores, restaurants and hotels that make our communities unique.”

To provide assistance to struggling small business owners, Gov. JB Pritzker unveiled the Illinois Small Business Emergency Loan Fund, a $60 million program that will support low-interest loans of up to $50,000 for small businesses outside of Chicago. (Small businesses in Chicago can apply for a similar loan program here.)

Businesses with fewer than 50 employees and less than $3 million in revenue in 2019 will be eligible to apply. Loan recipients will owe nothing for six months and will then begin making fixed payments at 3% interest for the remainder of a five-year loan term.