SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Linda Holmes (D-Aurora) released the following statement after the Senate approved her pension reform proposal.

“If nothing changes we will continue to see teacher layoffs and deep cuts in state services.  Over the past year, President Cullerton and I have worked closely with unions to draft a bill that addresses this issue in a meaningful way. Harsh cuts to vital state services such as education, health care, human services and public safety will result if we don’t address our pension issue,” Holmes said.

“This plan addresses our pension funding crisis in a way that is fair to our public employees, like teachers and police officers. It generates approximately $46 billion in savings for Illinois and creates a pension funding guarantee to prevent funding shortages from happening in the future.”

For an in-depth look at Senate Bill 2404, please click here.

Click below to hear Senator Holmes discussing Senate Bill 2404 on the Senate floor:

SPRINGFIELD, IL – Illinois State Senator Linda Holmes (D-Aurora) held the first meeting of her newly formed Aurora Latino advisory council today.

“Our goal is for the advisory council to increase communication between leaders in the community and state legislators,” Senator Holmes said.  “I’m hoping to build on existing relationships, by learning more from constituents and pursue policies that will move our community forward.”

The Latino Advisory Council will hold quarterly meetings with local Latino leaders in business, education and public service.

Read more ...

SPRINGFIELD, IL – The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) recently announced an extensive Transportation Reconstruction program.  The program aims to update the state’s infrastructure, including roads, bridges and public transit.

Illinois State Senator Linda Holmes (D–Aurora) praised the program and highlighted the improvements at Canadian National Railroad.

“The grade separation and retaining wall at the Canadian National Railroad crossing near Rt. 34 will be a significant upgrade for commuters in Aurora,” Holmes said.  “This project is sorely needed to improve the congested traffic in this area.”

Read more ...

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois State Senator Linda Holmes (D–Aurora) reacted to Governor Pat Quinn’s budget address.

“The budget we saw proposed today is directly linked to our pension problem.  We must address this and the governor must work closely with the legislature to craft a Constitutional plan.”

“The governor’s proposed $400 million in cuts to education is troubling to me.  I think we need to strengthen our educational programs.  Addressing pension reform will allow us to focus on education.”