SPRINGFIELD – State Sen. Linda Holmes, D-Aurora, released the following statement after the passage of Senate Bill 1933, which would bring automatic voter registration to Illinois:

“Automatic voter registration is important to the health of our democracy. There are so many existing roadblocks to participation. Something as basic as registration should not be one of those roadblocks. I am dismayed by how low voter turnout is, especially in local elections, and I believe that automatic registration will give more people an opportunity to let their voices be heard in the political process.”

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Senate has approved legislation introduced by State Sen. Linda Holmes, D-Aurora, to establish a task force investigating electronic notaries.

“With the technology that we have, it is worth looking into whether or not a person should need to see a notary in person anymore,” Holmes said. “This task force will look for inefficiencies in our current system and try to fix them with technology.”

Current Illinois law requires physical presence and proof of identity for individuals attempting to get a document notarized. The task force would investigate alternative verification methods including video or audio conference technology that are already in use elsewhere. The State of Virginia passed legislation allowing electronic notarization in 2015.

The legislation, Senate Bill 1459, has been approved by the Senate. It moves to the Illinois House of Representatives for further review and approval.

“In my district, we have an active, civically involved Islamic community, specifically in Aurora and Naperville. I do my best to listen to their concerns and experiences and represent them well in Springfield.
 
“To protect my friends and neighbors, I am a cosponsor of Sen. Collins’ measure to eliminate job discrimination for Muslims, Sikhs and other religions that involve specific garb and physical appearance. Senate Bill 1697 passed the Senate this week. It would make it illegal for an employer to force people to forgo a religious practice involving attire, clothing or facial hair as a condition for employment.”

SPRINGFIELD – A bipartisan measure to help first-time business owners in Illinois was approved by the Illinois Senate this week. The entrepreneur learner’s permit program was introduced by State Sen. Linda Holmes, a Democrat from Aurora.

“There has been a lot of talk about making Illinois more business-friendly, but not enough action” Holmes said. “This legislation encourages first-time small business owners to set up in Illinois by giving them incentives. It is important that we as lawmakers do whatever we can to strengthen Illinois’ economy in real and tangible ways.”

The entrepreneur learner’s permit would encourage small business growth by reimbursing first-time business owners for certain costs paid to the state for licensing and permits. The Illinois legislation is a pilot version of a similar program established by the Connecticut State Legislature in July of 2016.

The measure, Senate Bill 1462, has been approved by the Illinois Senate and now moves to the House of Representatives.