Originally published on State of Reform, February 25, 2021.

A new bill in Illinois would expand the use of telehealth to also include optometric services.

Senator Ram Villivalam, a Democrat who represents parts of Chicago, filed SB 567 on Tuesday. Sen. Laura Fine, another Democrat who represents the Chicago area, co-sponsored the bill on Wednesday. If passed, the bill would amend the Illinois Optometric Practice Act of 1987.

Originally published in Chicago Sun-Times, February 28, 2021.

Sometimes, changing horses in midstream makes the most sense. Especially when you can help people who are struggling.

By changing direction on its Chicago pipeline replacement program, Peoples Gas could ease the strain on its customers’ wallets. It should do so. Chicagoans shouldn’t have to worry about soaring gas bills every time they turn on the heat or boil a pot of water.

Peoples Gas is in the middle of a program to replace some 2,000 miles of natural gas mains under the streets, sidewalks and parkways of Chicago, but it is behind schedule and way over budget. Already, customers are shelling out about 10 times as much for the work, in the form of a surcharge, than the Legislature was told it would cost when it authorized the program in 2013. Wholesale gas prices are low now, but there is no guarantee they will stay low. If nothing is done, gas bills could grow increasingly unaffordable.

SPRINGFIELD, ILL. (Feb. 23, 2021) -- Ill. Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago) and Ill. Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) are co-sponsoring a bill to establish more transparent and equitable investment practices for state infrastructure expenditures. Transparency “will help ensure the most beneficial projects are selected every year, and taxpayers can easily understand the reasoning behind them,” according to a new report by the Illinois Economic Policy Institute.

Illinois’ historic capital bill passage in 2019 infused billions into state coffers, but taxpayers don’t currently have visibility into which transportation projects are funded and why. This opaque process erodes trust in government and misses an opportunity to garner the greatest public good from each infrastructure dollar. Meanwhile, our transportation outcomes show troubling trends: an increase in traffic crashes, particularly involving pedestrians, and people struggling to access jobs and services.

There is a better way to achieve greater transportation outcomes and public accountability; it’s performance-based planning, a commitment to using data to compare proposed infrastructure projects. Buckner and Villivalam’s bill would require the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to use performance metrics in evaluating projects.

“Whether we want to improve a highway or update a train station, there are equity- and data-driven methods to guide our decision making,” said Ill. Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago), Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee.

Originally published in EIN Presswire, February 22, 2021.

Representative Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz has filed the RISE Act in the General Assembly. The Small Business Advocacy Council (SBAC) urges legislators to pass the RISE Act (Recovery Initiative to Support Employment) to get people back to work and support small businesses.

The pandemic has had a devastating impact on the small business community. Many small businesses have closed their doors and others have had no choice but to lay off valued employees. Independent contractors are struggling.

The SBAC has worked alongside State Representative Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz and Senator Ram Villivalam on legislation that will provide resources for small businesses to retrain and hire individuals who are unemployed because of the pandemic. The incentives will only be available for new hires and benefit Illinois’ economy in the long run by replacing unemployment payments with tax revenue.