SPRINGFIELD – With support staff in community living facilities facing high turnover rates and low wages, State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) joined advocates to support legislation to increase pay for these frontline workers.

“For too long, the funding meant for essential workers has not reached their wallets,” Villivalam said. “The staff who care for our most vulnerable neighbors deserve a living wage, and I stand with them in calling for better and fairer working conditions.”

­SPRINGFIELD – With Illinois seeing historic investment in infrastructure, State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago), chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, advanced legislation to conduct a review revenue sources, equity and safety measures, and how to further improve our transportation system.

“Illinois is working hard to find new ways to improve our infrastructure,” Villivalam said. “With the help of this commission, we can find innovative sources of funding for projects in the communities that need it most.”

SPRINGFIELD — State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) and State Representative Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz (D-Glenview) announced the formation of the bipartisan, bicameral Illinois Assyrian Caucus today. The Illinois Assyrian Caucus will bring together members of the General Assembly to advocate for Illinois’s Assyrian community by providing a unified platform to educate the public on Assyrian-American identities and issues. Illinois is the first in the nation to establish a statewide caucus on Assyrian issues. 

“Illinois is the most welcoming state in the nation and home to hundreds of diverse ethnic communities,” Villivalam said. “Together, we can elevate the voices of our Assyrian-American neighbors and partner in a united effort in addressing the issues their community faces.”

SPRINGFIELD – To lay the groundwork for a regional public transportation network, State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) passed legislation in the Illinois Senate to require the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning to submit legislative recommendations to achieve long-term financial viability for the network.

“We must strive to provide reliable access to public transit, and with it access to job opportunities, health care and other essentials,” Villivalam said. “Illinois must build an equitable future for public transportation that prioritizes all of our neighbors.”