WESTCHESTER, Ill. – House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch is hearing directly from community members on the topics that matter most to them at a series of conversations at barbershops, giving people a chance to share their thoughts on affordability, on the situation in Washington, on economic opportunity, and more—all while they get their hair cut.
Read MoreWESTCHESTER, Ill. – The Trump Administration has removed their illegal fence blocking Beach Street in Broadview after House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson, and dozens of local leaders rallied outside of the Broadview ICE facility this week, demanding Trump abide by court orders and remove the blockade.
Read MoreWESTCHESTER, Ill. – House Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch is working to support communities being impacted by the federal deployment of masked and heavily armed troopers by calling out hostile and violent tactics deployed against the majority Black community of Broadview and supporting a Hispanic Heritage Month event in West Chicago—a community on edge as a result of recent ICE raids.
Read MoreWESTCHESTER, Ill. – House Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch is working to help modest-income families and older adults facing rising utility bills by backing legislation to expand eligibility for the state’s home energy assistance program, and encouraging residents to apply for relief beginning October 1.
Read MoreBLOOMINGTON, Ill. – House Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch brought his statewide listening tour in Central Illinois this week, joining Rep. Sharon Chung and Bloomington-Normal residents for discussions about equitable higher education funding, enhanced public transit for every Illinois community, and secure retirement benefits for educators and others who serve the public.
Read MoreNORTH UTICA, Ill. – House Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch joined first-term Rep. Amy ‘Murri’ Briel for a town hall meeting in her Illinois River Valley community this week, giving residents the opportunity to share their thoughts on the cost of living, energy, and the effects of Washington’s service cuts and high tariffs. The town hall meeting was one of the first stops in a tour visiting colleagues’ districts and hearing from people across the state ahead of the fall legislative session.
Read MoreWESTCHESTER, Ill. – Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch is calling out the Trump administration’s latest effort to undermine senior care and workers’ rights, joining state labor leaders who have filed formal opposition to a new proposal in Washington to slash wages for home-healthcare workers.
Read MoreMAYWOOD, Ill. – House Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch joined Black Men United to celebrate the opening of two dozen fully renovated affordable housing units in Maywood Wednesday, supported by state dollars secured in Welch’s fiscally and socially responsible state budgets.
Read MoreSPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A new law passed by Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch and House Democrats will end the practice of ticketing and fining students for basic school disciplinary matters, bringing crucial reform to a system that unnecessarily exposed young people to system involvement and disparately impacted students of color.
Read MoreSPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Law enforcement agencies will be better equipped to vet potential officers and make independent, merit-based employment decisions under a new law backed by Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch and House Democrats, improving police hiring practices following the recent killing of an innocent woman in the Springfield area by an officer with a serious record of misconduct.
Read MoreWESTCHESTER, Ill. – House Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch helped local families prepare for a new school year and save money at his 13th Annual Back-to-School Health Fair, distributing free backpacks loaded with supplies, connecting students with health screenings, and providing a day of family fun.
Read MoreCHICAGO – House Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch honored the extraordinary service of former Secretary of State Jesse White, joining state Rep. Harry Benton, Gov. JB Pritzker, and other state leaders to officially rename the building at 115 S. LaSalle Street in Chicago as the Jesse White State of Illinois Building.
Read MoreCHICAGO – House Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch welcomed religious leaders from across the country to Illinois this week, speaking with attendees of the Progressive National Baptist Convention about the important role faith communities play in advocating for healthcare, human rights, and economic empowerment.
Read MoreSPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Local students will have greater opportunity to earn a college degree under a new law backed by Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch and House Democrats, creating a new direct admissions program to help qualified young people earn automatic entry into state schools.
Read MoreSPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch and House Democrats are continuing efforts to protect reproductive freedom in Illinois as the state marks three years since the United States Supreme Court stripped the right to choose from tens of millions of women across the country. Working ahead to stop the Trump Administration’s latest assault on women’s health and safety, Welch and his colleagues delivered new protections ensuring doctors and patients can still access potentially lifesaving reproductive health medications—regardless of what extremists in Washington do.
Read MoreSPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch and House Democrats are continuing efforts to protect reproductive freedom in Illinois as the state marks three years since the United States Supreme Court stripped the right to choose from tens of millions of women across the country. Working ahead to stop the Trump Administration’s latest assault on women’s health and safety, Welch and his colleagues delivered new protections ensuring doctors and patients can still access potentially lifesaving reproductive health medications—regardless of what extremists in Washington do.
Read MoreWESTCHESTER, Ill. – House Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch welcomed community members for his annual Juneteenth Festival at Memorial Park in Hillside Thursday. Welch also joined celebrations throughout the suburbs, urging attendees in River Forest, Westchester, and DuPage County to celebrate freedom and reflect on the work still ahead.
Read MoreSPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch and House Democrats are continuing their efforts to expand access to affordable healthcare by advancing new reforms to crack down on the big pharma middlemen who drive up the cost of prescription drugs and hold them accountable for putting executive bonuses ahead of patient care.
Read MoreSPRINGFIELD, Ill. – House Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch and Proviso West High School are making plans for a modern sports complex on the school’s Hillside campus a reality. The $40 million investment made possible through Welch’s new state budget will create a dynamic space for student athletics and community events—uplifting the entire region and promoting local economic development.
Read MoreSPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch and House Democrats are working to keep guns out of the wrong hands, protect children from accidental shootings, and track lost and stolen firearms by passing a new ‘safe storage’ bill.
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