CHICAGO —Amidst claims from the federal administration that the city of Chicago needs intervention from the National Guard, State Senator Graciela Guzmán (D-Chicago) released the following statement: 

“It is appalling that the federal administration is attempting to implement martial law under the guise of public safety. In reality, their mobilization of troops would not better protect Chicagoans, but rather attempt to intimidate residents and public officials to not speak out against their crimes.. Chicagoans have been peacefully exercising their first amendment rights when criticizing the federal government – and any attempts to silence these protests would be demonstrably unconstitutional.

SPRINGFIELD — Senator Graciela Guzmán and State Representative Will Guzzardi spearheaded a new law to bring to light the lack of affordable housing in Illinois and inspire solutions for developing more reasonably priced options.

“In my conversations with constituents, I’ve heard the struggles many are facing with housing affordability and the challenges they face in trying to keep up with rising rent,” said Guzmán (D-Chicago). “Thanks to this law, we will have more data about just how few affordable housing options folks currently have in our state so we can better advocate for changes to accommodate working families.”

Illinois has taken steps to address housing insecurity by prioritizing the needs of those most vulnerable to experiencing homelessness. The Office to Prevent and End Homelessness has implemented a multi-year strategy, HOME Illinois, to reach functional zero homelessness statewide. Additionally, the Illinois Housing Development Authority finances and encourages the growth and preservation of affordable housing for renters at 80% of the area median income and below. These measures have worked to prevent some of the most vulnerable Illinoisans from experiencing homelessness. 

SPRINGFIELD — Thanks to an initiative led by State Senator Graciela Guzmán, people requiring laser hair removal due to a medical condition may soon be able to get this procedure covered by their insurance plans.

“For thousands of Illinoisans, not having access to an essential procedure addressing a serious health condition can be detrimental for their quality of life—not only because of the impact to their physical health, but also their mental health, knowing that their health condition is not seen as important enough to merit health care coverage for its treatment,” said Guzmán (D-Chicago). “I am grateful this measure has become law so folks can access the care they need and feel more seen and valued by the health care industry.”

Since laser hair removal was previously considered a cosmetic procedure, it was not covered by many health insurance plans. However, there are cases in which laser hair removal is considered medically necessary, including for people with Hidradenitis Suppurativa, a chronic inflammatory skin condition caused by blocked hair follicles, severe hormonal disorders that may lead to excess hair growth, and gender dysphoria. For people with these conditions, going through life without laser hair removal causes immense physical and mental discomfort, but unfortunately cannot be addressed by all insurance plans currently available. 

SPRINGFIELD — Schools across the state will soon be incentivized to expand dual language programs in grade schools at no cost to their school districts, thanks to a new law sponsored by State Senator Graciela Guzmán and State Representative Abdelnassar Rashid.

“Research shows how impactful dual language instruction can be to young people’s future careers, for developing interpersonal relationships and forming deeper connections with other cultures,” said Guzmán (D-Chicago). “This measure will encourage more schools to implement dual language programs, setting students up for future success and creating a more welcoming, multicultural space for young people to learn.”

Recognizing the importance of dual language education for young people, the Illinois Advisory Council for Bilingual Education – formed in 2023 – began to research how to incentivize, improve and expand dual language instruction in schools. After extensive stakeholder engagement, expert consultation, and data collection, the council released a report to the General Assembly in October 2024 with their recommendations. Their proposals were divided into three buckets – those with high costs to implement, those with low costs and those with no prospective costs.