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

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.