Lewis Celebrates Five Years of “Cal’s Law”
Five years ago, I had the privilege of sponsoring and passing Cal’s Law, legislation that remains one of the most meaningful accomplishments of my time in the Illinois General Assembly. The law was born from a simple belief: when a child is diagnosed with cancer, families should be focused on their child and not fighting for access to the testing that can help doctors understand the disease and determine the best course of treatment.
Cal’s Law helps ensure children diagnosed with cancer have greater access to critical diagnostic testing when they need it most. For parents facing the devastating news that their child has cancer, timely and accurate diagnostic information can help physicians better understand a child’s disease and make more informed decisions about their care. Families should be able to put their energy into supporting their child rather than navigating unnecessary barriers to essential testing.
The story behind Cal’s Law is also a reminder that behind every piece of legislation is a person, a family, and often an experience that reveals a problem that needs to be addressed. I am deeply grateful to the families, advocates, medical professionals, and everyone who helped turn this idea into law and, ultimately, into meaningful change for Illinois children.
Five years later, the purpose behind Cal’s Law remains just as important. Children battling cancer deserve every possible advantage in their fight, and their parents deserve the confidence that their child’s medical team has the information needed to make the best possible decisions. This anniversary is an opportunity to celebrate what we accomplished, while also reaffirming our responsibility to continue looking for ways to improve care and access for Illinois families.
Second Annual Disabilities Resource & Job Placement Expo a Huge Success!
I want to thank the over 300 people who came out to the Disabilities Resource & Job Placement Expo I co-hosted on August 20 with State Representatives Jennifer Sanalitro and Amy Grant. It was a phenomenal turnout, and visitors were connected with vital resources and job opportunity information.
As we prepare for the 2029 implementation of the Dignity in Pay Act (passed in November of 2024), it was our pleasure to increase awareness of the Act, host over 60 agencies and non-profits who cater to the needs of the intellectually and developmentally disabled (IDD) community, and provide multiple job placement opportunities for this population which includes wonderful people who want to work and contribute to their communities.
In addition to the booths at the expo, attendees were able to attend breakout sessions and workshops on important topics such as technology and workplace accommodations, RIDE DuPage & RTA Reduced Fare programs, and workforce success programs within State of Illinois agencies.
This year the expo received major Chicago media market coverage from the Daily Herald, so I would like to thank them for covering the event and helping to spread the word about the expo and job placement opportunities that were offered. The graphic above is a copy from the Daily Herald newspaper article from the front page on Friday, August 21, and the image below is from an opinion piece published by the Daily Herald Editorial Board on Sunday, August 23.
We are already discussing ways that we can make this expo even bigger and better next year!
Lewis to Co-Host Outreach Events on September 15
While event season is winding down, I still have a few events coming up that offer my constituents an opportunity to have casual conversations with their state-level elected officials. I’ll be joining State Rep. Jennifer Sanalitro on Tuesday, September 15 for a Coffee with Lawmakers event in the morning, and an ice cream social in the afternoon. Both offer low-key settings for conversations about issues of importance. I hope you can join us because we are interested in your opinions!
Illinois Makes Traveling Easier for Caregivers
The Illinois Secretary of State has implemented a pilot program that expands access to disability parking placards.
The new pilot program expands in-person disability parking placard services to 14 additional facilities across Illinois. The expansion follows recently signed legislation that allows legal guardians who transport children and individuals with disabilities who are incapable of driving themselves to obtain meter-exempt disability parking placards. Previously, meter-exempt parking benefits were primarily for drivers with disabilities and not their caregivers.
The new walk-in option is expected to help reduce application processing times and allow eligible drivers to more easily obtain their placards.
Meter-exempt disability parking placards allow eligible individuals to park in spaces reserved for persons with disabilities while also exempting them from parking meter fees and certain time limitations of 30 minutes or less.
Participating driver services facilities include the: Springfield Flagship, Chicago Flagship, Chicago North, Chicago South, Chicago West, LaSalle, Robinson, Rockford, Champaign, Carbondale, Peoria, Quincy, Moline, Macomb, and Granite City.
Lewis Children’s Safety Expo Draws Hundreds of Families
I was amazed at the wonderful turnout at my Children’s Safety Expo in Bloomingdale on Saturday. Families joined State Representatives Jennifer Sanalitro and Amy Grant and me at Stratford Middle School for a comprehensive event that featured a performance by the renowned Jesse White Tumblers, a local Police K-9 Unit, a “Touch-a-Truck” display, a Traveling World of Reptiles show and more. It was a great opportunity for families to spend time together while learning important safety information from the more than 50 agencies and non-profit organizations that had booths at the expo.
Thank you to all who attended!
Senator Lewis: Out and About in the Community
I continue to spend time out in the communities that comprise the 24th Senate District, and really enjoy meeting new people and talking with them about issues that are important to them. In the first two photos above, I am shown at the document shredding event and food drive that I recently hosted held in Carol Stream. In the third photo I had an opportunity to speak at the Growth, Opportunity Alliance, a Chamber of Commerce for the communities of Elk Grove Village, Wood Dale, and Itasca, and in the fourth photo I am shown with representatives from FAMM, a non-profit group that focuses on criminal justice issues. We had a productive conversation about ways we can continue working toward effective policies that strengthen our communities.
IDOT Is Hiring Snowbirds!
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is currently hiring over 1,500 temporary snow removal winter hires for their IDOT Winter Seasonal “Snowbird” Program.
IDOT hires two types of temporary positions within their “Snowbird” Program: Monthly Snowbirds and Hourly Snowbirds. These job postings are winter salaried, full-time or on-call temporary positions, perfect for individuals who are seeking seasonal work or long-term career paths.
IDOT is looking for talented and innovative people who strive to deliver solutions to help enhance the quality of life for Illinois residents.
For more information, please visit https://idot.illinois.gov/careers/seasonal-employment.html to learn more.