Originally published on WREX on May 19, 2021.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Gov. JB Pritzker says the state’s ready to move forward into the next phase of the Rebuild Illinois capital spending plan. Pritzker announced a new six-year $20.7 billion construction plan to improve highways on Wednesday.

The Illinois Department of Transportation said they kept construction projects on schedule throughout the pandemic without cutting any projects. Acting Director Omer Osman says IDOT stands prepared to work on even more projects over the next six years.

This plan will help reconstruct over 2,700 more miles of roads and nearly 8 million square feet of bridges between 2022 and 2027. The Pritzker administration says $3.3 billion of the program has been earmarked for the next fiscal year. Officials say the state is investing $5.79 billion in highway reconstruction and preservation and $4.82 billion for bridge improvements. That’s completely separate from $2.59 billion for strategic expansion, $1.43 billion to support engineering and land acquisition, and $1.21 billion for safety and system modernization.

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Originally published on Heart of Illinois ABC on May 19, 2021.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill.- A new study conducted by a nonprofit advocating for gun control shows Illinois ranks fifth in the country in homicides among Black people. Ninety percent of those victims died from gun violence.

Violence Policy Center Executive Director Josh Sugarmann explained why his organization conducts the study each year.

“The goal of our work for this study is to help support community advocates, organizations on the ground working to stop this violence,” said Sugarmann. “At the same time, we’re helping educate policy makers and the public regarding the reality of gun violence in America.”

Kathleen Sances, President of the Gun Violence Prevention PAC, stressed Illinois is leading the nation for all the wrong reasons. In fact, she said the Violence Policy Center’s study only increases the need to pass Senate Bill 568.

“Gun violence is an equity issue,” said Sances. “We must act now to get communities across our state moving in the right direction.”

Democrats have pushed for several gun reform proposals this year to try and find a solution to this problem. One of the plans would increase restrictions for gun owners by requiring fingerprints and increasing background checks.

Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) said Senate Bill 568 would not only address mass tragedies like the 2019 Aurora shooting. He argues it could also address the shootings that take place every day across Illinois.

“There are too many people getting killed by gun violence,” said Villivalam. “One is too many. This legislation needs to move forward in this General Assembly in order for us to reduce gun violence and keep our kids safe.”

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Originally publish in The Daily Line on April 5, 2021.

Mass transit became an immediate casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, as nationwide stay-at-home orders and crowding concerns drove Americans away from trains and buses.

The drop-off did not spare Chicago-area transit networks, which saw a freefall in ridership in April and May 2020, according to a March 25 report from the Illinois Economic Policy Institute. Even as the region began to partially reopen in June, CTA buses saw a 50 percent decline in trips compared to 2019, while CTA trains suffered a loss of 77 percent and Metra lost 89 percent of its riders.

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Originally published in CBS News on March 26, 2021.

CHICAGO (CBS)– A bill to stop illegal gun ownership in Illinois could be closer to becoming law.

Just a few hours ago, its sponsor explained the bill does four important things.

“It insures we do background checks, it ensure we obtain finger prints, it ensures were are giving the Illinois State Police the ability to take the guns of folks that shouldn’t have them and it makes sure that we’re getting funding, life-saving mental health funding, to the communities that have been most impacted by gun violence ,” Sen. Ram Villivalam said. “The time to act is now.”

The senator says he has 25 co-sponsors in the state Senate and needs five more to sign on.