SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Senate has approved legislation introduced by State Sen. Linda Holmes, D-Aurora, to establish a task force investigating electronic notaries.

“With the technology that we have, it is worth looking into whether or not a person should need to see a notary in person anymore,” Holmes said. “This task force will look for inefficiencies in our current system and try to fix them with technology.”

Current Illinois law requires physical presence and proof of identity for individuals attempting to get a document notarized. The task force would investigate alternative verification methods including video or audio conference technology that are already in use elsewhere. The State of Virginia passed legislation allowing electronic notarization in 2015.

The legislation, Senate Bill 1459, has been approved by the Senate. It moves to the Illinois House of Representatives for further review and approval.

“In my district, we have an active, civically involved Islamic community, specifically in Aurora and Naperville. I do my best to listen to their concerns and experiences and represent them well in Springfield.
 
“To protect my friends and neighbors, I am a cosponsor of Sen. Collins’ measure to eliminate job discrimination for Muslims, Sikhs and other religions that involve specific garb and physical appearance. Senate Bill 1697 passed the Senate this week. It would make it illegal for an employer to force people to forgo a religious practice involving attire, clothing or facial hair as a condition for employment.”

SPRINGFIELD – A bipartisan measure to help first-time business owners in Illinois was approved by the Illinois Senate this week. The entrepreneur learner’s permit program was introduced by State Sen. Linda Holmes, a Democrat from Aurora.

“There has been a lot of talk about making Illinois more business-friendly, but not enough action” Holmes said. “This legislation encourages first-time small business owners to set up in Illinois by giving them incentives. It is important that we as lawmakers do whatever we can to strengthen Illinois’ economy in real and tangible ways.”

The entrepreneur learner’s permit would encourage small business growth by reimbursing first-time business owners for certain costs paid to the state for licensing and permits. The Illinois legislation is a pilot version of a similar program established by the Connecticut State Legislature in July of 2016.

The measure, Senate Bill 1462, has been approved by the Illinois Senate and now moves to the House of Representatives.

SPRINGFIELD – For her efforts supporting and passing animal welfare bills, State Sen. Linda Holmes, D-Aurora, was awarded this year’s Humane Society Legislator of the Year Award.

“It is an honor to receive this award,” Holmes said. “I am a lifelong lover of animals, so when I became a senator it was second nature to support legislation that protects animals.”

The Legislator of the Year Award is given to the General Assembly member who best advocates for the wellbeing of animals. Sen. Holmes has sponsored numerous animal welfare bills throughout her career. This year, she is sponsoring measures to ban elephants from traveling exhibitions, control feral cat populations and create adoption plans for research animals, as well as several others.

“On behalf of our members, supporters and allies in Illinois, we are proud of the animal protection initiatives that Senator Holmes has championed in our state” Humane Society of the United States Illinois State Director Marc Ayers said. “She is a leader bringing both sides together to achieve amazing advances in our movement and continues to support our efforts to protect companion animals and wildlife, among other important animal welfare protections.”

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization. It provides hands-on care and services to more than 100,000 animals each year.