| | Traffic
Safety Throughout his service in the Illinois State Senate, Senator
Cullerton has dedicated his himself to traffic safety. Of his most proud legislative
accomplishments, Senator Cullerton spearheaded the state's mandatory safety belt
law and the Child Passenger Safety Act. Because of this significant contribution
to Illinois law, Senator Cullerton was selected as the National Award Winner in
the State and Local Government category for the "Buckle Up America Award"
- an honor for which he was selected from over 160 entries throughout the United
States.
| During the 95th General Assembly, Senator Cullerton
continues his efforts to protect the lives of Illinois children through his sponsorship
of several traffic safety measures. He understands that motor vehicle crashes
are the leading cause of death for children between the ages of 4 and 14 and sponsors
legislation that will help to solve this crisis. Building off of the success of
Senator Cullerton's previous legislative efforts, he amended the Child Passenger
Protection Act to ensure that trucks and truck tractors also provide appropriate
child restraint systems for children under the age of 8 years old. In addition,
he sponsored and |  |
passed the Graduated Driver's License bill. This bill ensures that
drivers under 18 years old cannot have more than one passenger in their vehicle
for the first six months they receive their license, except for family members.
These new laws will help save many more Illinoisans and Senator Cullerton is proud
to have played a large role in their passage. Statewide Smoking Ban
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According to the National Cancer Institute, secondhand tobacco smoke causes
at least 65,000 deaths in the United States each year from heart disease and lung
cancer. Nearly 3,000 of these deaths are citizens of Illinois. The largest percentage
of this population are employees working in bars and restaurants. Senator Cullerton
sponsored and passed Senate Bill 500, creating a statewide smoking ban in public
places. This ban was enacted to protect the rights of employees in the workplace.
It is estimated that 8 people in Illinois die everyday from the effects of secondhand
smoke. By eliminating smoking in public places a healthy environment is created
for employees as well as the rest of the individuals in our state. |
Property Taxes
| Thousands of Cook County homeowners were recently hit with
40%, 60% 80% or more increases in the assessed values of their homes. These massive
increases in property taxes are forcing long-term residents out of the vibrant
communities they call home. To fix this critical problem, Sen. Cullerton introduced
the Neighborhood Homeowner Exemption Plan, which was passed in the second year
of the 93rd General Assembly. This bill caps increases in the assessed value of
property so that they will not increase by more than 7% in one year. |  |
Gun Control
 | Senator
Cullerton also stands as one of the Senate's most vocal and active members on
issues of handgun violence in the state. As a key supporter of landmark legislation
requiring gun owners to keep their weapons stored or locked out of the reach of
children, the veteran legislator continues to sponsor sensible gun safety and
anti-handgun violence proposals. In the 93rd session, he proposed an Illinois
Assault Weapons Ban that would exactly mirror the Federal ban which recently expired
and a measure that would close the loophole allowing weapons to be purchased at
Gun Shows without following other existing gun sale regulations. | Teacher's
Health Insurance
| Chicago teachers were facing quadrupling health
insurance costs so Senator Cullerton worked with them to create legislation to
end these skyrocketing increases. He was the chief sponsor of House Bill 1269,
which changed the rules governing their pensions, allowing 15 million dollars
to be freed up. This helped alleviate the soaring costs of health insurance for
teachers, allowing them to not have to choose between medical needs and food or
shelter. In his 28 years in the Illinois General Assembly, Senator Cullerton has
always been an advocate for our teachers and will continue to do so in the future. |  |
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