Ventura responds to court-ordered transfer of Stateville incarcerated individuals

JOLIET – Following  a federal judge’s ruling that the Illinois Department of Corrections must move most of the incarcerated individuals out of the Stateville Correctional Center by the end of September, State Senator Rachel Ventura (D-Joliet) released the following statement:

“After working intimately with system impacted individuals at Stateville, I recognize how important educational programs are at the facility. As the state transitions individuals out of Stateville, I am advocating for them to be placed in facilities that meet their needs, including those pertaining to education, accessibility and workforce and restorative justice programming.

“I encourage the Department of Corrections to work with all stakeholders, including AFSCME, universities, families and restorative justice programs to make sure the transition fulfills the needs of those impacted.

“We must keep stakeholders, families and employees in mind during this transition and be cognizant of their limitations and financial barriers when it comes to transporting these individuals and job relocation. I will continue to monitor the situation closely to ensure all parties are given full transparency.”

Ventura law to address vacant and surplus state-owned properties

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Rachel Ventura led a recently signed bipartisan law to address surplus state-owned properties by curating a report on its condition.

“The report under this law will give us the much needed insight into each state property’s maintenance and demolition costs to determine what to do with them in the future,” said Ventura (D-Joliet). “We have an obligation financially and environmentally to address the numerous state-owned properties that have either been vacant or unused, which in turn wastes taxpayer dollars through maintenance and security costs.”

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Ventura law to protect tenants from rental transaction fees

SPRINGFIELD – Thanks to a new law State Senator Rachel Ventura advanced, landlords will now be required to be more flexible with payment options to protect renters from additional payment transaction fees.

“Some leases require 2-3% of rent to cover processing fees, which adds a lot to an already high rent,” said Ventura (D-Joliet). “By requiring landlords to also accept cash or check, we help save Illinoisans from unnecessary transaction fees on their rental payments.”

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New local government grant program to reduce carbon footprint thanks to Ventura

SPRINGFIELD – Under a new law led by State Senator Rachel Ventura, a new grant program for local governments to help mitigate the impact of climate change and tackle growing emission rates from automobiles and trucks will be created.

“Every level of government needs to address the climate crisis and do their part to help our planet. The cost for an abundance of trees and native grasses can add up quickly, but this program will allow local governments that may not normally be able to afford these projects to take advantage of funding to do so,” said Ventura (D-Joliet). “By creating this opportunity and encouraging local governments to plant native trees and grasses, which are proven to help mitigate climate change through carbon capture, we can aid the process of healing our planet for future generations significantly.”

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