SPRINGFIELD — To better prepare for the displacement of thousands of people as a result of climate change, State Senator Graciela Guzmán helped create a task force to study its potential impact on Illinois, and develop a plan to deal with our uncertain future.

“As a land-locked state, Illinois may be receiving thousands of folks who are displaced from environmental disasters, such as flooding or extreme hurricanes,” said Guzmán (D-Chicago). “This task force will help our state develop a welcome plan for new arrivals while not disrupting the lives of long-term Illinoisans.”

Climate displacement is the forced or voluntary migrations of people due to climate change or environmental degradation. With rising global water levels and more extreme weather events, Midwestern states like Illinois will see an increase in the number of people trying to escape these situations, both from other states and other nations. Without a plan in place to support the displaced individuals, there may be destabilizing impacts on the state’s infrastructure.

SPRINGFIELD — State Senator Graciela Guzmán’s initiative to protect employees from employers backing out of good faith negotiations was signed into law on Friday.

“The right to collectively bargain has been established in Illinois for decades,” said Guzmán (D-Chicago). “This measure simply expands this protection to ensure employers who withdraw from good faith negotiations face consequences for these unjust actions.”

The Public Labor Relations Act, which went into effect in 1984, established many protections for Illinois workers, including the right for employees to approach their employer to negotiate their contracts, health and safety policies, hours, and more. According to the law, employers must meet with them in good faith before working on an agreement.

SPRINGFIELD —More people will soon have the opportunity to become homeowners through community land trusts, thanks to an initiative led by State Senator Graciela Guzmán that was signed into law on Friday.

“As the American dream of homeownership seems farther and farther away for many working Illinoisans, community land trusts have proven to be an effective solution for folks to purchase their first home and build generational wealth,” said Guzmán (D-Chicago). “I am strongly in favor of this people-first model to become more common throughout Illinois and our country, and believe this law will help them become more common.”

Community land trusts, or CLTs, are community-based, nonprofit organizations that manage a parcel of land to preserve long-term affordability of homes created through subsidies. CLTs sell homes on the land they manage at affordable prices to a qualifying homebuyer. Oftentimes, they place limits on the incomes of people looking to purchase homes to ensure affordable housing is going to people in the most financial need. Driven by constituents, for constituents, this model aims to keep folks in the community that may otherwise be priced out by corporate rent and mortgage rates.

SPRINGFIELD —A new measure supported by State Senator Graciela Guzmán to prevent overdoses in Department of Corrections facilities was signed into law on Friday.

“In order to prevent tragic overdose deaths, we need to better understand where contraband drugs are coming from, instead of enacting policies without evidence demonstrating it will be effective in stopping the proliferation of banned goods,” said Guzmán (D-Chicago).  “Thanks to our work with this legislation, we will soon have a better understanding of how these goods get into DOC facilities, so we can begin work to prevent their movement and consumption.”

Senate Bill 2201 requires the Illinois Department of Corrections to collect and publish data concerning contraband found in their facilities, including the type of contraband, where in the facility it was identified, and the method of entry into the facility. It also makes public the consequences for people in custody for possessing or attempting to procure contraband to ensure any disciplinary actions meet ethical standards and do not include excessive force.