SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Ann Gillespie is honoring Sikh Americans with a Senate resolution declaring April 2019 Sikh Awareness and Appreciation Month.

Sikh is a well-established religious, social and ethnic group. It is the fifth-largest religion in the world, with more than 30 million Sikhs worldwide. An estimated half-million Sikhs live in the United States, and Illinois is home to about 25,000 Sikhs.

“Sikhs are a vital part of Illinois’ cultural and economic fabric, particularly in Chicago and the suburbs. It is important that we make an effort to better understand and appreciate the rich history and shared experiences of Sikh Americans,” Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights) said.

Senate Resolution 209, adopted by the Senate Wednesday, notes that Sikh Americans have distinguished themselves by fostering respect among all people through faith and service.

On Wednesday, Rajinder Mago with the Sikh Religious Society in Palatine delivered the invocation to the Illinois Senate. The Sikh Religious Society is in the 27th Senate District that Gillespie represents.

Please join State Sen. Ann Gillespie and State Rep. Mark Walker for a town hall meeting April 17 to discuss construction needs in the 27th Senate District and the process in Springfield for crafting Illinois' first statewide construction bill in a decade.

The discussion will begin at 7 p.m. in the Cardinal Room at Arlington Heights Memorial Library, 500 N. Dunton Ave.

This event is free and open to the public. To reserve a seat or for more information, call 847-749-1880 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

State treasurer to issue commemorative medallions

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Ann Gillespie is marking the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote, as well as Illinois’ key role in the historic moment, with a pair of measures in the Illinois Senate.

Senate Resolution 79 declares June 10, 2019, as 19th Amendment Ratification Day in Illinois. Senate Joint Resolution 28 authorizes the Illinois treasurer to issue a commemorative medallion this year to mark the anniversary of women’s suffrage.

On June 4, 1919, Congress passed the Susan B. Anthony Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, or the 19th Amendment, giving women the full right to vote. Illinois was the first state to vote to ratify the amendment on June 10, 1919.

“Women today have the ability to wield great power over the future of their communities, their state and this nation, all because women a century ago refused to give up their quest for the right to vote,” Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights) said. “Women may not be unified on every issue, but our desire to be engaged in government and informed about the world around us is what always brings us together.”

Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs said he is honored to mark the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment with a commemorative coin.

“The perseverance, hard work and sacrifice from women’s suffrage organizations, including those in Illinois, have paved the way for future generations of women to exercise their vote with strength and pride,” he said. “Let this commemorative coin serve as a celebration of the trailblazers who changed the course of history for all women.”

Fact sheet: The road to women’s suffrage in Illinois

• In Illinois, women’s suffrage movements began as early as the 1860s.
• An 1873 state statute gave women the opportunity to run for any school office not created by the Illinois Constitution. Women were given the right to vote for school officers in 1891.
• Women’s suffrage organizations, such as the Illinois Equal Suffrage Association, the Illinois Federation of Women’s Clubs, and the Chicago Political Equality League, worked for more than a decade to secure women’s suffrage in Illinois. Prominent citizens, including Jane Addams and Ida B. Wells-Barnett, were part of the women’s suffrage movement in Illinois.
• On June 26, 1913, Gov. Edward Dunne signed a law that gave women the right to vote for president and for local officers, making Illinois the first state east of the Mississippi River to give women the right to vote for president.
• The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, or the Susan B. Anthony Amendment, gives women the right to vote in all elections nationwide.
• In May 1919, U.S. Rep. James Mann of Illinois, a Chicago Republican who was born in McLean County, sponsored the 19th Amendment. It was passed by Congress on June 4, 1919. Mann was chairman of the House Woman Suffrage Committee.
• Illinois was the first state to vote to ratify the 19th Amendment on June 10, 1919. Two other states, Michigan and Wisconsin, ratified the amendment on the same day.
• The amendment cleared its final hurdle Aug. 18, 1920, when Tennessee became the 36th state to vote for it. U.S. Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby certified the ratification on Aug. 26, 1920, ending decades of protest, marching, lobbying, picketing and civil disobedience by women’s rights advocates across the country.
• On Nov. 2, 1920, more than 8 million women nationwide voted in elections for the first time.
• Today, more than 4.2 million women are registered to vote in Illinois, accounting for more than half of the state’s 8.1 million registered voters. More than 525,000 more women are registered to vote than men, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Ann Gillespie’s plan to get more social workers into the employment pipeline quicker in Illinois passed the Senate Thursday.

Senate Bill 1888 would allow students who are completing their social work master’s degrees to sit for licensure exams in the final semester of the program, rather than having to wait to pursue a license after they have their degree in hand.

“We have a well-documented shortage of social workers in Illinois. Streamlining the process for obtaining a license will help these professionals more quickly find jobs in communities where their expertise is desperately needed,” said Gillespie, an Arlington Heights Democrat.

The legislation is an initiative of the National Association of Social Workers.

“This is such a critical bill to address the workforce shortages we are having throughout the state, but particularly in rural areas,” said Kyle Hillman, director of legislative affairs for the organization’s Illinois chapter. “If we can get social workers licensed quicker, we can get these practitioners into our agencies quicker to provide the needed mental health care in such demand.”