SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Ann Gillespie and child welfare advocates announced legislation that would provide youth in the care of the Department of Children and Family Services with legal representation on Wednesday.

“Children and youth with lived experience in our child welfare system have overwhelmingly voiced their desire to be seen, heard and represented,” said Gillespie. “We must join the vast majority of states that provide legal representation to youth in care so that our most vulnerable have expert help in leaving the foster care system and can go on to live safe, dignified lives.”

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SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Ann Gillespie was sworn in for her second term on Wednesday, representing Illinois’ 27^th Senate District.

“I am eager to build on the progress we’ve made in my first term,” said Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights). “There is still a great deal of work to be done, and I look forward to delivering results for all our neighbors during the upcoming legislative session.”

Due to ongoing construction at the Illinois State Capitol, lawmakers this year took their oaths of office at the Old State Capitol in downtown Springfield. The historic site is the location where President Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous “House Divided” speech, and served as Illinois’ statehouse from 1840-1876.

Senator Gillespie represents Illinois’ 27^th Senate District, which includes Arlington Heights and portions of Mount Prospect, Palatine, Prospect Heights and Rolling Meadows. Legislative priorities for Gillespie’s second term include enhancing protections for children in state care, ensuring TIF dollars are used responsibly, and expanding access to health services and affordable housing.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Ann Gillespie supported legislation that passed the Illinois Senate which establishes broad protections for patients and providers of reproductive health care in Illinois.

“Rights to our bodily autonomy are under attack across the nation,” said Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights). “In Illinois, we will protect reproductive rights and ensure that care is available to all who need it.”

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SPRINGFIELD – Building on her previous work to assist law enforcement in proactively addressing gun violence, State Senator Ann Gillespie voted to pass legislation from the Illinois Senate that bans the sale and manufacturing of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

“We have lost too many lives to gun violence and we must take proactive action to end this epidemic,” said Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights). “Assault weapons are the weapons of choice for mass shooters, and they are too readily available for them to inflict acts of terror on innocent people. By banning the sale and distribution of these weapons in our state, we join eight other states in taking this preventative action. It’s time for Congress to follow the trend and take action nationwide.”

House Bill 5471 bans assault weapons and high-capacity magazines from being manufactured or sold in Illinois. The comprehensive gun safety package also places a ban on rapid-fire devices intended to make semiautomatic firearms fully automatic, and increases the duration of a Firearm Restraining Order from six months to up to one year. A Firearm Restraining Order allows the family of a gun owner or law enforcement to obtain a civil order temporarily removing the firearm and ammunition from people who pose a risk of harm to themselves or others.

Senator Gillespie passed a law last year that empowered partners in law enforcement to seek a Firearm Restraining Order. Her law also created a commission ensuring the proper implementation of the changes to the Firearm Restraining Order Act.

House Bill 5471 passed the Illinois Senate and awaits concurrence in the Illinois House.