CHICAGO – Local businesses on Chicago’s Westside were awarded more than $10 million in funding from the Back to Business program thanks to support from State Senator Patricia Van Pelt (D-Chicago).

“Hundreds of local businesses are still relying on government funding to get them back on their feet,” Van Pelt said. “These grants will provide much needed relief to small business owners in the 5th District and beyond.”

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SPRINGFIELD – A measure that would improve Illinois’s credit passed the Senate Thursday, thanks to support from State Senator Patricia Van Pelt (D-Chicago).
The measure would direct state money to cover several outstanding debts in order to improve the Illinois’s credit.

“We can’t afford to wait to pay off our state debts,” Van Pelt said. “It is both financially responsible to pay off a significant amount upfront and morally responsible, as so many Illinoisans can benefit from the investment.”

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CHICAGO – Due to support from State Senator Patricia Van Pelt (D-Chicago), Malcolm X College was awarded a grant for a Certified Recovery Support Specialist Success program to prepare students for work as behavioral and mental health professionals.

“As people are still processing the pandemic and other worldly tragedies, mental health services are more important now than ever,” Van Pelt said. “It is crucial that we are training and preparing behavioral health personnel so they are equipped to serve the masses.”

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CHICAGO – State Senator Patricia Van Pelt (D-Chicago) released the following statement after the U.S. Senate Confirmation Hearings for Ketanji Brown Jackson:

“Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation hearings are nothing less than inspirational. Black women have so often been overlooked and unheard, and they are rarely considered for such positions. I am in awe that I am living to see a Black woman with an ethnic name nonetheless, advance to the highest court known to our nation.

“With her background as a public defender, I am excited to see her perspective included amongst the other judges. She is a well-educated and very experienced woman who will be a dynamic addition to the court if she is confirmed.

“While she is the first Black woman to receive a nomination, I hope she will not be the last. I look forward to seeing her flourish as a judge.”