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.

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.

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.”

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is launching the office’s FIRST EVER Teen Summer DMV Program, dedicating DMV services exclusively to teen drivers on Saturdays during the summer! The Teen Summer DMVs are located throughout Chicago West will be open on Saturdays from 8:00 am to 12:30 pm until August 31.

Parents and teens can call (800) 252-8980 to schedule an appointment.