Ventura mourns tragic loss in community, highlights domestic violence resources in Will County

JOLIET -- As more news continues to break about the seven people in Will County who were killed by who police say was their relative, State Senator Rachel Ventura is mourning the tragic loss and highlighting resources for others families who may be facing domestic violence.

Ventura (D-Joliet) expressed deep concern following the devastating loss of seven family members in Joliet, reflecting on the necessity of preemptive assistance to avert such tragedies and the profound impact they leave on the community.

"No family should suffer through such anguish,” said Ventura. “Unfortunately, we often remain unaware of individuals' internal struggles until it's too late."

Sadly, an estimated one in five homicide victims are killed by a relative, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ventura is reminding people if they feel unsafe or see signs someone is in potential danger, help is available.

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Ventura announces over $40,000 in library grants coming to Joliet area school districts

JOLIET – State Senator Rachel Ventura announced 12 school districts in the greater Joliet area have received more than $40,000 to provide resources to libraries through books, e-books, audiobooks, periodicals, multilingual materials, technology and programs.

“Quality education is a fundamental right, and providing our students with high-quality educational resources and materials is a priority of our state,” said Ventura (D-Joliet). “These grants help ensure every student has access to the best resources to improve their academic career and become lifelong learners.”

Based on a statutory formula, school districts receive $0.885 per student enrolled at each school with a qualified library. Funding for the School District Library Grant Program originates from the General Reserve Fund and is appropriated for this purpose by the Illinois General Assembly.

The following school districts in Ventura’s district received a total of $40,325:

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Ventura expands Stateville Internship Program

CREST HILL – State Senator Rachel Ventura recently conducted interviews at Stateville Correctional Center to renew and expand her internship program in partnership with DePaul University.

“I’m proud to continue and expand this internship that highlights the research of bright and promising people who have a lot to bring to the table but are often ignored,” said Ventura (D-Joliet). “With this internship, we will be providing individuals with an opportunity to give back to their communities, challenge and present their own ideas and opinions, and provide a perspective that they uniquely can share.”

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Food labels to become more clear starting Jan. 1 thanks to Ventura

SPRINGFIELD – A new law from State Senator Rachel Ventura will promote standardization on food labels and reduce food waste across the state.

“We are working to reduce food waste and help our neighbors stretch their dollar by providing clearer information on food labels,” said Ventura (D-Joliet). “As we see buying power decrease due to inflation and grocery bills increasing, we need to think of alternatives to save people from guessing whether their food is safe to consume.”

House Bill 3849 defines "quality date," "safety date" and "sell by date" and requires the Illinois Departments of Agriculture and Public Health to publish information to encourage food manufacturers, processors and retailers to voluntarily use uniform terms on food product labels to communicate quality and safety dates.

“Quality date” will be defined as the date when the food quality begins to deteriorate but remains safe to consume. “Safety date” will be the date by which the food should be consumed or frozen and the “sell by date” is intended to inform a retailer when it is time to pull a product from the shelf.

“The law will provide accurate information for consumers about their food and help clear up confusion surrounding expiration dates,” said Ventura. “This legislation will help with food waste, as well as alleviate food insecurities in some communities.”

House Bill 3849 went into effect Jan. 1, 2024.