Senator Emil Jones, III News

Legislation sponsored by State Senator Emil Jones III to keep the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) afloat passed the Illinois General Assembly. The program, administered by the Department of Human Services (DHS), subsidizes community-based and home-based child care expenses for parents who work, attend school, or are participating in a job-training program.

The child care program was stifled when a separate program designed to help needy families exceeded its projected costs. Without this rescue measure, child care providers would not receive any state payments until July, forcing some out of business. To stop this from happening, Senate Bill 2450 appropriates $73.6 million to DHS to cover child care payments through the end of June. The money comes from an unused fund, and does not unbalance the state budget.

"Failure to cover this program’s expenses through the end of the fiscal year will put at risk some of Illinois’ most vulnerable children and families,” said Jones. “CCAP is essential to keeping low-wage families out of critical, cyclical poverty.”

The legislation also frees up $151 million to help reduce the backlog of unpaid bills from Medicaid providers which currently stands at $1.5 billion. Including the federal matching funds, this step will reduce the bill backlog by $302 million.

“Child care providers and young people came out strong in favor of this bill and I heard them loud and clear. You just can’t argue with helping parents afford childcare while they go to work, school, or both,” said Jones.

The measure now goes to the governor, who is expected to sign it into law as soon as possible.

State Senator Emil Jones, III (D-Chicago) is sponsoring legislation that will create a pilot program for adult day services for people over the age of 22 who have autism. Subject to the availability of funding, House Bill 4990 also provides grants to organizations that develop a model for quality day services for adults with autism living in Illinois.

April is National Autism Awareness month, and Senator Jones introduced a young man with autism, Geordon White, on the Senate floor Wednesday to explain the need for more services for people with autism. Geordon Isaiah White was born in Washington D.C. on April 21, 1995.   As a child, Geordon was diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder and eventually, Autism.  Due to the importance of early intervention, he participated in the 0-3 program provided by the Chicago Easter Seals and Blue Cap, schools for children with autism.

White now attends Chicago International Charter School-Ralph Ellison Campus on the South Side of Chicago.  In his junior year, Geordon has a grade point average of 3.5 on a 4 point scale.  He was recently inducted into the National Honor Society. He is also member of the Upward Bound Program and looking forward to attending the college of his choice in the year 2013.

According to the National Autism Society, autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued their most recent autism prevalence report earlier this year. The report concluded that the prevalence of autism had risen to 1 in every 88 births in the United States and almost 1 in 54 boys. “The reality is that autism affects us or someone that we know. That’s why we have to help as much as possible,” Jones added.

Who: State Senator Emil Jones III (D-Chicago)

What: House Bill 4990, creates a pilot program for adult day services for people who have autism

Why: April is Autism Awareness Month. Many children are born with the disability each year and it affects them throughout their lives.

Befitting the final day of Black History Month, State Senator Emil Jones, III (D-Chicago) passed a resolution out of the Senate which designates the bridge located at 99th and 100th Streets and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Rosemoor and Roseland Heights as the "Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Bridge."

King, who rose to national prominence in the late 1950’s by organizing the Montgomery Bus Boycotts in Alabama during a time when Jim Crow segregation laws flourished in the southern states, was recently memorialized with a statue on the National Mall in Washington D.C.

“The community has spoken,” said Senator Jones. “Dr. King dedicated his life to fighting for the rights of the most disenfranchised and underserved Americans, it’s only right that we honor his name by placing it on the bridge connecting these two neighborhoods.”

Dr. King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 and posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977.

“There’s no way we can pay Dr. King back for his contribution to society, but we can pay our respect by memorializing his name,” Jones added.

The resolution will also have to be adopted by the Illinois House of Representatives before it can officially take effect.

State Senator Emil Jones, III was recently appointed as Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee by Illinois Senate President John J. Cullerton.

Jones is already set to chair the committee's first hearing on Wednesday, February 28 in the State Capitol. He is also a member of the Licensed Activity, and Energy and Transportation committees.

"As we all know, the state is facing significant economic challenges. Therefore we must be more proactive in our efforts to make Illinois attractive to entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes,” Jones said. “We must also ensure that consumers are protected from business practices that don’t conform to the rule of law; it’s a balancing act."

Since beginning his first term as State Senator, Jones has introduced legislation to improve the business climate and bolster consumer protection in Illinois. Most recently, the senator proposed legislation that will place a cap on excessive fees charged by businesses that cash checks and sell pre-paid debit cards. Both measures are expected to be heard by the Commerce committee.

“Nothing has really changed all that much, I’m still dedicated to the issues heard by each of the committees I’m a member of, not just this one,” said Jones  “Being the chairman just allows me to exercise my dedication a bit more. I’ll be focused on continuing to improve Illinois business climate and I look forward to working with anyone who wants to help with that.” 
 

Frustrated by businesses preying on low-income families, State Senator Emil Jones, III proposed legislation last week that will place a cap on excessive fees charged by businesses that cash checks and sell pre-paid debit cards.

Consumers who purchase pre-paid debit cards will benefit from Senator Jones’ plan to reduce itemized fees and penalties which vary by card, but are often expensive. Some cards charge up to $9.95 for activation fees, in addition to significant cash withdrawal fees, reloading fees, balance inquiry fees, and customer service fees. Jones’ plan will limit activation fees to $1 or 1% of the value of the prepaid card. Under his plan it will be illegal to charge reloading fees, balance check fees, overdraft protection fees, dormancy fees, inactivity charge fees or service on these cards. Companies must also fully disclose a schedule of fees and charges on the face of the card or its packaging.

“This legislation is all about protecting the consumer in Illinois,” Senator Jones said. “These fees are obviously predatory and aimed at low income individuals who use these products because a traditional checking account is not a feasible option.”

In 2001, check cashers processed approximately 55 billion dollars in consumer’s checks each year with average fees worth 2.34 percent of the value of the checks. This is clearly illegal under current law as fees charged are not to exceed the greater of $.50 or 1% of the face value of the check cashed to a customer when the customer cashes a check at a retail merchant. The new legislation will require such merchants to register with the state regulator, making the merchant subject to fines up to $10,000 per violation.

“Limitations have to be placed on businesses who seek to nickel and dime our most vulnerable citizens. That’s why this legislation is so important,” Jones added.