I was pleased to join state Senator Jim Oberweis at Marmion Academy this week to help host a Senior Fair. We saw a good turnout of senior citizens, who spoke with representatives from organizations like the AARP, the Northeastern Illinois Agency on Aging, the Aurora Public Library, Secretary of State and Treasurer's Offices, and many more. They provided information on a wide variety of services available to our senior citizens. If you believe senior citizens in your community would be interested in a similar event, please contact my office.

Linda Holmes

State Senator, 42nd Illinois Senate District

New regulations ensure safe disposal of syringes and other sharp waste

SPRINGFIELD — The governor signed today a law to improve waste disposal worker safety and prevent the potential spread of disease, enacting a plan put forth by State Senator Linda Holmes.

“‘Sharps,’ like syringes, are a fact of life for one out of 12 Illinoisans, and that means one out of 12 Illinoisans is disposing of them somehow,” Holmes said. “I applaud the governor’s decision to affirm a law that ensures our sanitation workers are not being exposed to potential biohazards as they do their jobs.”

For proper disposal, syringes and other “sharps” should be collected in an appropriate sharps disposal container and can be disposed of in your regular trash. Even when placed in the appropriate plastic container, sharps should never be disposed of with recyclables.

Under the new law, disposing of sharp waste like syringes in recycling would be prohibited. It would also permit local governments to establish sharps collection points at medical centers and police or fire stations and to create a U.S. Postal Service-approved sharp waste mail-back program.

The legislation was Senate Bill 793. It becomes effective Jan. 1, 2016.

SPRINGFIELD — In an effort to curb the spread of invasive species and protect the environment, State Sen. Linda Holmes supported legislation signed by Gov. Bruce Rauner this week that adds more plants to the state's list of exotic weeds.

The Exotic Weeds Act prohibits the sale of invasive flora that threaten the ecosystem in Illinois.

“One of our most important duties as a government is the protection and preservation of our environment for future generations,” said Holmes, D-Aurora. “I'm pleased the governor has affirmed the expansion of this list.”

The updated Exotic Weeds Act adds a variety of new plant species to the list, including varieties of exotic bush honeysuckles, olives, salt cedar, poison hemlock, giant hogweed, Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus), Japanese, giant and Bohemian knotweed, among numerous others.

The legislation was Senate Bill 681. It becomes effective Jan. 1.

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