CHICAGO – State Senator Ram Villivalam is proud to support the Village of Skokie’s Early Intervention in Hate Crimes program in collaboration with law enforcement, schools, community social services and organizations.

“Skokie is a vastly diverse community and with the growing threat of hate crimes and violence, I am proud to see the Village take steps to foster awareness within community organizations,” said Villivalam (D-Chicago). “Taking steps to work with different community organizations will help create a unified front against hate crimes in Skokie. It brings me hope to see collaboration like this within my community.”

Over the last 18 months, the Village of Skokie worked with Corporation Counsel Michael M. Lorge and Trustees Khem Khoeun and Kieth Robinson to conduct research with experts throughout the United States.  The Village presented a program that will use local data collected on bias and hate incidents to anticipate and intervene on potential hate crimes.

The Village of Skokie also outlined the steps it will take to enact this program going forward, beginning with the recognition and acknowledgement that hate crimes exist, are underreported, are increasing in frequency and are occurring against every segment of protected groups in Skokie.

With the rising rate of hate crimes around the United States, the Village of Skokie is taking action within the community to address and prevent hate crimes with this program. The Skokie Police Department began tracking all bias- or hate-related incidents on Jan. 1, 2022, in anticipation of this program.

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SPRINGFIELD –  To give those who have been exonerated and are eligible for the Grant Program for Exonerated Persons more flexibility with their benefits, State Senator Ram Villivalam advanced legislation to allow those covered by the program to pass on unused benefits to dependent spouses or children.

“This gives people who have been wronged by the legal system and may not want to use all of their grant benefits the ability to pass them on to someone in their family who may benefit more,” Villivalam said. “Wrongful convictions are devastating for families, and this legislation gives more agency to how exonerated persons can use their benefits and ensures that their benefits are not going wasted.”

Under the current law, individuals who receive a gubernatorial pardon on the grounds of innocence of the crime for which they were imprisoned, or have received a certificate of innocence from a court, are eligible for the Grant Program for Exonerees. The grant can cover the cost of obtaining a high school equivalency certificate, pay tuition and mandatory fees for undergraduate or graduate study at Illinois public universities, and can be used for four regular school years of full time enrollment.

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CHICAGO – This past week, State Senator Ram Villivalam was appointed to the Natural Resources and Infrastructure Committee by the National Conference of State Legislatures to serve as one of the voices for Illinois on policy ideas and new legislative solutions.

“I am excited to work with legislators from across the country to tackle the challenges most pressing to our state,” said Villivalam (D-Chicago). “Working this closely with legislators from other states helps add perspectives to the challenges we are facing at home. I am honored to be appointed to this position.”

NCSL Standing Committees are composed of state legislators and legislative staff appointed by the leadership of their legislatures. The committees allow legislators and staff to benefit from the experiences of other states in shaping public policy, sharing best practices and managing the legislative institution.

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CHICAGO – With strong support from State Senator Ram Villivalam, the City of Chicago, Forest Preserve District of Cook County, and the Skokie, Niles and Morton Grove Park Districts are set to receive nearly $2.2 million for land acquisition and development for parks and outdoor recreation projects.

“Parks and green spaces make our communities a great place to call home and keep our youth engaged in safe, constructive activities,” said Villivalam (D-Chicago). “This investment will ensure that we are keeping our recreation areas modernized and ready to enjoy for generations to come.”

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