SPRINGFIELD —State Senator Graciela Guzmán’s legislation to create a commission on youth sports under the Department of Human Services has passed the Senate, making it one step closer to becoming law and ensuring that all young people have access to equitable and robust youth sports programs. 

“Currently, the lack of equitable investments in youth sports programs statewide deprive thousands of children of the chance to develop skills and foster friendships with their peers,” said Guzmán (D-Chicago). “By creating a youth sports commission, we can research and address the inequalities that exist, and develop a strategic plan to make youth sports accessible to kids in every community in our state, regardless of their family’s income.” 

Representing a historically underserved community and families with children who have been overlooked by state investments, Guzmán is passionate about equitable investment, especially in the next generation and programs to help them develop into the best versions of themselves. One such area is youth sports, where young people develop lifelong skills of teamwork, critical thinking, and leadership—as well as forming long-lasting friendships and talent in their sport of choice. Without equal access to youth sports programs, however, many children are robbed of these formative experiences, and can struggle with developing these skills in adulthood. 

SPRINGFIELD — As their community faces exponentially rising costs of living and gentrification, State Senator Graciela Guzmán and State Representative Will Guzzardi have developed legislation to collect data on the lack of more affordable housing options, inspiring agencies and organizations to invest in developing more affordable housing.

“Illinois has developed several programs to prevent homelessness and support the most vulnerable in our communities, but there is a gap in support for people who make slightly more, but still struggle to afford to live in their neighborhoods,” said Guzmán (D-Chicago). “Our initiative will demonstrate how great the need for more affordable housing is, taking the first step for us to address this issue and get working folks in reasonably priced living situations.” 

Illinois has passed legislation addressing housing insecurity by prioritizing the needs of the state’s most vulnerable to experiencing homelessness. The Office to Prevent and End Homelessness has implemented a multi-year strategy, Home Illinois, to reach towards 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 — To expand dual language programs in grade schools, State Senator Graciela Guzmán has developed a measure to incentivize more schools across the state to adopt the program, at little to no cost to their respective districts.

“I am lucky enough to have multiple schools in my district with dual language instruction, and when I have toured there, there is always an excited, almost magical energy that the kids and teachers bring to their classes,” said Guzmán (D-Chicago). “From the art and projects they show off featuring multiple languages, to their rapid-fire conversations jumping between them, it is impressive and awe-inspiring that at such an early age, these young people are learning so much about language and culture. These programs are vital to the curiosity of our children, and for encouraging open-mindedness toward other cultures, and this measure will further incentivize their investment across all corners of the state.” 

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 of 2024 with their recommendations. Their proposals were divided into three buckets – those with high costs to implement, low costs, and those with no prospective cost.

SPRINGFIELD — As a champion of free speech and the right to protest, State Senator Graciela Guzmán released the following statement in support of House Bill 2723 and Senate Bill 2462, also known as the Illinois Human Rights Advocacy Protection Act, which would lift state pension investment restrictions placed on companies engaged in boycotts of Israel, following a press conference hosted by the Illinois Coalition for Human Rights (ICHR) on the legislation:

“It is unconscionable that in Illinois, we are punishing businesses that are expressing their basic constitutional rights. Boycotting is an expression of free speech, and limiting that through legislation is dangerous. Overturning this law is long past due, and with it Illinois can live up to its legacy as a state that champions freedom, human rights and basic principles of decency.

“Moreover, it is our duty as moral people to call out any person, organization or state for violating human rights, and the state of Israel should not be protected in Illinois from this scrutiny. It is important now more than ever for our state to take a stance against the actions of the state of Israel, and this humanitarian crisis, which has cost the lives of tens of thousands of innocent civilians.