Today, the General Assembly passed a pension reform proposal that I did not support.

Like supporters of Senate Bill 1, I’m concerned about our state’s fiscal situation. But the state’s budget should not be balanced on the back of our state retirees. We made a promise and, based on those promises, retirees made plans for their future.

The state signed an agreement with state retirees but as seen today, the General Assembly broke their promises.

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois State Senator Linda Holmes (D-Aurora) voted in favor of Senate Bill 10 that would allow same-sex couples the same legal rights as other married couples in Illinois.

“Although we passed civil unions, an important first step, marriage equality will make sure we no longer have a ‘separate but equal’ designation for same-sex couples in Illinois.  We will make sure gay and lesbian couples will be treated fairly under the law,” Holmes said.

Illinois joins Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, Washington, Rhode Island, California, Minnesota and the District of Columbia in allowing marriage equality.

Senator Linda Holmes recently held her second Latino Advisory Board meeting, bringing together members of the Latino community from a variety of professions and organizations.

The attendees included members of the business community, local government officials, community organizers and those working for financial institutions.

The gathering was as diverse as the topics addressed, which included economic and educational development, immigration and pension reform.

The Latino Advisory Board was created by Senator Holmes and meets on a bi-monthly basis to discuss the best ways of improving the lives of Latinos living in the 42nd District.

En Español

The Enhanced P.E. Task Force, in which Senator Linda Holmes (D - Aurora) serves as a member, is working 'to promote and recommend enhanced physical education programs that can be integrated with a broader wellness stragegy and health curriculum in elementary and secondary schools'.

Recently, the Promotion Committee of the Enhance P.E. Task Force created and compiled several resources about the importance of physical education and events and news relating to the task force.