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:

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.”

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.

SPRINGFIELD – A new law that will incentivize the use of renewable hydropower electricity across the state goes into effect on Jan. 1 thanks to State Senator Rachel Ventura.

“To make Illinois self-sustainable we need to lift the limits on these essential hydropower plants,” said Ventura (D-Joliet). “Not only will it increase jobs and support the emerging green energy economy in our state, but will also address the ongoing energy problem with pragmatic solutions.”

Under Ventura’s law, the Illinois Power Agency will procure a percentage of its renewable energy credits from hydropower dams to help increase the use of this renewable energy source. Additionally, it promotes environmental conservation by using dams that already exist, such as the Kankakee Hydropower Dam, the Wilmington Dam, and the Brandon Road Lock and Dam.

Illinois is currently ranked 46th in the nation when it comes to hydropower, and with Senate Bill 1474 going into effect, Ventura hopes to shepherds advancements in Illinois’ renewable energy sector.

“Supporting hydropower today will allow all Illinoisans to reap economic and environmental benefits for decades to come,” said Ventura. “Expanding renewable energy, especially base load capacity, through clean and affordable hydropower is crucial for Illinois to meet the demands of the future and hit our renewable energy goals.”

Senate Bill 1474 takes effect Jan. 1.