CHICAGO — From hosting three policy roundtables, attending over 60 events and meetings with community organizations and individuals, and introducing and sponsoring 12 bills and resolutions, it’s hard to believe State Senator Natalie Toro has only been in office for 100 days – but the freshman senator says she’s just getting started.

“Since taking office over the summer, my team and I have hit the ground running to get out in our community to hear about the issues most impacting residents and working on policies to address them,” said Toro (D-Chicago). “All of these meetings and brainstorming have helped us build a thorough legislative plan for the upcoming session, and I am excited to put it into action.”

In the time since Toro took office on July 10, she and her staff have helped donate 1,400 items to asylum seekers and met with many organizations and individuals to discuss issues affecting the community. Staff within her office also connected over 150 people to organizations and resources, responded to over 750 phone calls and assisted over 300 walk-ins. Last week, she held an open house in her district office to connect with even more constituents.

Toro has sponsored and introduced 12 legislative bills and resolutions, including Senate Bills 2604 and 2605, which would protect survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence by expediting the process to receive protective orders against perpetrators and increasing workplace safeguards.

“While protective orders are effective in shielding survivors against their perpetrators, they are only enforceable if they are served. Too often, the orders expire before they become enforceable, endangering survivors,” said Toro. “Senate Bill 2604 will require law enforcement to serve protective orders during routine run-ins with police, ensuring they are able to adequately protect survivors from more harm.”

 Follow the legislation Senator Toro is working on at ilga.gov or on her website.