SPRINGFIELD – To address Illinois’ teacher shortage, State Senator Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) moved to increase the minimum salary for teachers in legislation that passed the Illinois Senate.

“By raising the mandated salary and expressing its commitment to education, the state is attracting more students to start teaching in Illinois,” Crowe said.

The bill would gradually increase the minimum full-time teacher salary to $40,000 over a period of four years beginning with the 2020-2021 school year. The rates would be:

• •$32,076 for the 2020-2021 school year;
• •$34,576 for the 2021-2022 school year;
• •$37,076 for the 2022-2023 school year; and
• •$40,000 for the 2023-2024 school year.

The initiative is similar to legislation introduced last year that was vetoed by former Gov. Bruce Rauner.

House Bill 2078 passed the Senate and will return to the House for a vote of concurrence.

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois residents’ genetic testing results would be protected under a measure carried by State Senator Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon).

“As technology advances, we need to respond to new ways it can be improperly used, and the personal data of private citizens is being used inappropriately every day,” Crowe said. “Keeping genetic information confidential is crucial to protecting a person’s right to privacy.”

The legislation prohibits companies that provide direct-to-consumer commercial genetic testing, such as Ancestry.com and 23andMe, from sharing any test results with health or life insurance companies without the consumer’s consent.

The number of people who have had their DNA analyzed with direct-to-consumer genetic genealogy tests more than doubled during 2017 and exceeded 12 million in 2018. Last year, an estimated 1 in 25 American adults sought out testing of personal genetic data.

House Bill 2189 passed the Senate and now awaits the governor’s signature to become law.

SPRINGFIELD – People convicted of assault or battery in a church, synagogue, mosque or other place of worship would face stricter consequences under legislation carried by State Senator Rachelle Crowe.

Crowe, a Democrat from Glen Carbon, is pushing to add an aggravating factor to sentencing considerations for those who commit assault or battery when committed in religious settings.  

“This measure is initiating protections for people to worship freely without fear,” Crowe said. “We must take action against those who instigate attacks on churches, mosques and synagogues, and also seek more severe punishment for them.”

Aggravating factors can influence a court’s decision to include an imprisoning sentence or increase the chance for a more severe sentence.

This initiative continues the work of Senator Crowe’s predecessor, former State Senator Bill Haine. The legislation is in response to a shooting that occurred the First Baptist Church in Maryville in 2009, in which Rev. Fred Winters lost his life and two parishioners were injured.

“Church is one of the places you should feel the safest,” Cindy Winters, widow of Rev. Winters, said. “Fred’s death was heartbreaking, not only for me, but for our entire community, and I sympathize with those who have felt a comparable loss. I am extremely grateful to Senator Crowe for her work to get this passed.”

Current law distinguishes aggravated assault as a Class A misdemeanor and aggravated battery as a Class 3 felony. Crowe’s legislation would classify aggravated battery as a Class 1 felony when the accused causes great harm or permanent disability to a victim engaged in prayer or religious service.

“Advancing this legislation wouldn’t have been possible without Representative Mayfield’s sponsorship in the House,” Crowe said. “I am thankful for her work and commitment.”

House Bill 38 passed the Senate and is going back to the House of Representatives for a vote of concurrence.

SPRINGFIELD – Child protection investigators could talk with children, whom are suspected victims of abuse, without parental consent under legislation advanced by State Senator Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon).

“I’ve worked closely with the Child Advocacy Center in Madison County for years, and this legislation addresses a growing problem,” Crowe said. “Children going through the trauma of an abuse investigation deserve protections from their alleged abuser and the opportunity to speak out against them.”

This measure, with bipartisan support, focuses on issues in cases where an abused minor’s parents do not allow the child to participate in a criminal investigation that may involve a family member or close friend.

House Bill 909 was approved by the Senate and awaits the governor’s signature to become law.