Toro and Andrade community resource fair to provide support with legal aid, affordable housing, and more

CHICAGO — On Saturday, Aug. 24, State Senator Natalie Toro and State Representative Jaime Andrade are co-hosting a Community Resource Fair, designed to be a “one-stop shop” for residents looking for assistance with a variety of government agency needs and other services.

“For working Chicagoans, it can be difficult to find time to visit a government agency they need assistance from, or even research which programs are most useful for their specific needs,” said Toro (D-Chicago). “My hope for this resource fair is to take the guesswork out of reaching out to agencies for help, and create a space where people can simply show up to get the support they deserve.”

The Community Resource Fair will offer support with legal aid, affordable housing, licensure renewal, identification cards, and more essential services. Currently, other co-sponsoring partners include Concordia Place, Access Living, 211, Legal Aid Chicago, Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, the Office of the Illinois State Treasurer, Oak Street Health, and Our Lady of Mercy Parish, where the event will also be held.

• Community Organizations
• Community Resource Fair
• Legal Aid

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Initiative supporting economic development signed into law with Toro support

SPRINGFIELD — Governor JB Pritzker signed House Bill 5005 into law Wednesday, and State Senator Natalie Toro is looking forward to the benefits this measure will bring to the state, including job creation and investments in clean energy.

“I spent my ten years of teaching hearing about what my students dreamed would be their career one day. While my fellow teachers and I would do the best we could to prepare them to achieve those dreams, it was upsetting that there may not be enough jobs available for all of them to meet their goals,” said Toro (D-Chicago). “I am confident that this legislation will address these concerns and foster more job creation for our future generations.”

House Bill 5005 provides incentives for several programs supporting business development. To bolster these programs, the measure offers several tax exemptions and tax credits to encourage businesses to prioritize their investment in their communities through job creation. Additionally, the law provides tax incentives for quantum computing, an emergent industry under development by top Illinois universities. These allocations will create an incentivized enterprise zone to support quantum computing jobs and the industry as a whole in the coming years.

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Toro celebrates by creation of Department of Early Childhood in Illinois

SPRINGFIELD — As a former kindergarten teacher, State Senator Natalie Toro is excited that Governor Pritzker has signed Senate Bill 1 into law this week, which establishes Illinois’ new Department of Early Childhood.

“Teaching kindergarten opened my eyes to how important the early years are for a child’s brain development, and setting them up for future success,” said Toro. “When support for early childhood development is inaccessible, we are not just allowing kids to be a little behind in school. We are really restricting their chances of success not just in school, but also in adulthood with their careers and personal lives, so making these programs easier to access is long overdue.”

Before this initiative, services for young children were housed in three separate state agencies, making it difficult and confusing for people to navigate and secure the services they need. This has led to many children and families not accessing care that would benefit them, especially those in historically underserved communities. These gaps in care contribute to families not having access to essential tools for early childhood development, impacting their education and career outcomes for generations, although they have great potential for success.

• Early Childhood Development

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Toro issues statement on Biden's executive order for work authorization

CHICAGO — Following President Joe Biden’s executive order expanding protections for spouses and children of U.S. citizens and establishing a new pathway to work visas for certain DACA recipients earlier this week, State Senator Natalie Toro (D-Chicago) released the following statement:

“No family deserves to live in fear of being torn apart. However, for decades, mixed-status families have lived in this constant state of anxiety and shame, worried that they may be permanently separated from each other. All the while, those without permanent resident status worked tirelessly to provide for their families, contributing to our economy while they were terrified of deportation. President Biden’s recent executive action will eliminate these fears and allow for mixed-status families to feel more at home here, as they deserve to be after years of their contribution to our communities and country. I am pleased that the president has prioritized the needs of our immigrant families, as they often sacrifice the most for the least rewards, and I hope to see more improvements to our immigration system moving forward since there is more work to be done.”

• Immigration