ARLINGTON HEIGHTS – Two measures introduced by State Senator Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights) that will assist school social workers with earning their degrees and paying off their tuition were signed into law today.

“As students return to in-person learning after over a year of virtual classes, the need for school social workers is greater than ever,” Gillespie said. “This package will incentivize social work students to start their careers in Illinois and will play a significant role in addressing the student debt crisis.”

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SPRINGFIELD – To keep families safe from gun violence, a measure strengthening the Firearms Restraining Order Act sponsored by State Senator Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights) was signed into law today.

“Strengthening red flag laws will keep families safe when a household member shouldn’t have a gun,” Gillespie said. “This new law gives our partners in law enforcement the tools they need to intervene before a tragedy can occur.”

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SPRINGFIELD – A ban on prone restraint and guidelines on use of seclusion rooms in schools championed by State Senator Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights) was signed into law today.

“This law makes a commitment to our most vulnerable students that their school will be a safe learning environment,” Gillespie said. “No child should be subject to abuse at school.”

After an investigation revealed that seclusion rooms are often used as a punishment for refusing to do classwork, swearing and otherwise non-threatening behavior, Senator Gillespie introduced legislation to address these abuses.

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Originally published in the Sun-Times print edition on Aug. 8.

We’ve seen ethical lapses in politics time and again in Illinois, and each time we move to set up a better mouse trap, the mice get smarter. Ethics is an ever-changing issue that requires continual work to hold bad actors accountable.

That’s why we created the first standing ethics committee to adapt to new abuses of power – and this year the committee delivered a comprehensive package that offers specific solutions to the recent scandals we’ve seen in the legislature.

If our bipartisan ethics package is signed into law, for the first time, there will be a standard for lobbying and disclosure of interests at all levels of government – state, local and county.

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